2013-14 Lipscomb Athletics Annual Report

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2013-14 ATHLETICS STAFF

2013-14 ANNUAL REPORT 1

A New EraLipscomb Basketball beganthe Casey Alexander erawith a solid year and a surgeat the Atlantic Sun Tourney.The Bisons played games atGeorgetown (shown),Vandy, Murray State andGeorgia and finished theyear with an improved 15-15record, including 10-8 in theAtlantic Sun.

Return to NCAALipscomb Softball returnedto the NCAA Tournament byvirtue of an at-large bid.They advanced to the finalsof the Knoxville Regional,defeating Virginia Tech andCharleston Southern beforefalling to host Tennessee.

ADMINISTRATION & SUPPORT STAFFPhilip Hutcheson ..............................................................Athletic DirectorSherry Phillips ....................................................Administrative Assistant Frank Bennett .......................................Associate A.D. for Internal AffairsJohn Ezell ................................Associate A.D. for Compliance & Budgets Greta Harber .......................................Assistant, Compliance/Academics Dr. Lin Garner ..................Assoc. A.D. for Academics/Sr. Woman Admin. Andy Lane ..............................................Associate A.D. for Development Phillip Beeman .......................Coordinator of Athletic Business Services Brent High ....................................Associate A.D. for Spiritual Formation Paul Nance ........................Director of Creative & Development ServicesRhonda Lehmer .................Administrative Assistant/Pro Shop ManagerDr. Kent Johnson ....................................Faculty Athletic Representative

EXTERNAL AFFAIRSGarner Goode ..............................................Director of Sales & MarketingMark McGee ...........................Senior Publisher/Media Relations Director Jamie Gilliam ..................................Director of Athletic CommunicationsKirk Downs.......................................................Communications AssistantApril Gilbert .....................................................Communications Assistant

BASEBALLJeff Forehand ...........................................................................Head Coach Paul Phillips .......................................................................Assistant Coach James Ogden ......................................................................Pitching CoachBrian Ryman......................Operations Director / Recruiting CoordinatorBranden Cadavid..........................................................Graduate AssistantBrad Coon.....................................................................Volunteer Assistant

MEN'S BASKETBALLCasey Alexander ......................................................................Head Coach Roger Idstrom..........................................................Associate Head CoachDwight Evans, Steve Drabyn .........................................Assistant Coaches Adam Jones ..........................................Director of Basketball OperationsKim Lillicrap ...............................Administrative Assistant for Basketball

WOMEN'S BASKETBALLGreg Brown ..............................................................................Head Coach John Wild, Cara Cahak, Anna Bowers ..........................Assistant CoachesGrace Ann Swaim, Erika Thornsberry ............Student Assistant Coaches

CHEERLEADINGShawn Despot ..........................................................................Head Coach

CROSS COUNTRY (MEN & WOMEN)

Bill Taylor ..................................................................................Head Coach Luke Syverson, Marcus Evans, Jenny Randolph, Benton Reed

..................................................................................Asstistant Coaches Tabetha Taylor ............................................................Volunteer Assistant

MEN’S GOLFWill Brewer ..............................................................................Head CoachBlanton Farmer...............................................................Student Assistant

WOMEN’S GOLFBuddy Harston .........................................................................Head CoachJosh Dyer .....................................................................Volunteer Assistant

MEN'S SOCCERCharles Morrow ........................................................................Head Coach John Michael Hayden ........................................................Assistant CoachRyan Wehking ..............................................................Graduate Assistant WOMEN'S SOCCERKevin O’Brien ...........................................................................Head Coach Chris Klotz, Kelsey Fenix ...............................................Assistant CoachesShannon O’Brien .........................................................Volunteer Assistant

SOFTBALLKristin Ryman ..........................................................................Head Coach Megan Rhodes Smith, J.J. Dillingham .........................Assistant Coaches

STRENGTH & CONDITIONINGJohn Hudy ......................................................................................Director Will Osburn ....................................................................Assistant DirectorSteve Mason .......................................................................Assistant CoachJon Flinn.......................................................................Volunteer Assistant

MEN’S TENNISMario Hernandez .....................................................................Head Coach Colby Shaw ...................................................................Graduate Assistant

WOMEN’S TENNISJamie Aid ..................................................................................Head CoachOliver Strecker...................................................................Assistant Coach

TRACK & FIELD (MEN & WOMEN)

Bill Taylor ........................................................................................Director Luke Syverson, Marcus Evans, Jenny Randolph, Benton Reed

....................................................................................Assistant Coaches Tabetha Taylor ............................................................Volunteer Assistant

VOLLEYBALLBrandon Rosenthal .................................................................Head Coach Billy Ebel, Ann Armes ...................................................Assistant Coaches

SPORTS MEDICINEWill Ness .................................................................Head Athletics Trainer Clint Woods, Alicia Grover, Hilarie Buck, Maggie Schweer

.......................................................................................Athletic Trainers

ATHLETIC OPERATIONSBrian Ryman ..........................................................Director of Operations Alex Ross, Daniel Peck .....................Graduate Assistants for Operations Lint Smith .................................................Director of Grounds & Facilities

A T H L E T I C S

2013-14 ANNUAL REPORT

2 A NOTE from the Director of Athletics

3 HONORS: The James R. Byers Award

5 SWEEP: Cross Country Captures A-Sun Championships

9 SOCCER 1, CHEMISTRY 0: Charles Morrow chose coaching

13 MAKING GOOD BETTER: Get to know Omar Djabi

15 GRAND SLAM: Brooks Russell, Lipscomb’s youngest signee

16 SPOTLIGHT: Former Bison Caleb Joseph is in “The Show”

19 ATHLETIC MISSIONS: Update from the 2013-14 school year

21 “LINKED LIPSCOMB:” Caitlin Dotson is still dishing assists

23 MADE TO BE BROKEN: A list of broken Track & Field records

26 SPOTLIGHT: Gemikal Prude (5’7”) can jump over your door

29 DON MEYER EVENING OF EXCELLENCE: featuring Ernie Banks

30 THE 300: A list of Lipscomb Athletic’s valued supporters

31 FIRST OF MANY: Two teams earned post-season bids

33 HIGH HOPES: A sneak peak at Volleyball’s outlook

35 PROGRESS: “The Frosty” and Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium are looking good

37 SERVICE: A photo essay of Lipscomb teams serving others

38 THE LIPPY AWARDS: Inaugural evening a huge success

42 LEAVING A MARK: April Terry is someone you should know

43 SO CLOSE: Lipscomb Baseball reached the A-Sun Finals

45 WE’RE BACK: Softball returned to an NCAA Regional

47 OUR LOSS:We’ll miss Don Meyer, Chuck Ross and Jeff Spivey

49 BREAKING NEWS: Three stories hot off the press

“OUR TEAM”

This past year, one didn’t have to look far or long to figureout that those two words had become the motto for LipscombUniversity Athletics. From the very beginning of last year, weemphasized this idea with our student athletes, coaches andstaff. More than just a #OurTeam at the end of a tweet or a refer-ence in a Facebook post, these words came to describe an atti-tude within our programs that said:

• Each person, whether student athlete, coach or staffmember, makes a difference. While we all may have differentroles and may be a part of different programs, each of us is apart of our greater Lipscomb University Athletics team andwhen we play our part well, the whole team benefits.

• We should be each other’s biggest fans. Very few peopleoutside of our programs fully realize all of the hard workthroughout the year, the social life sacrifices, the long bus trips,the late night study sessions or the pre-dawn workouts that gointo trying to be great. With that in mind, each person within thedepartment should be the biggest fan of the others within ourprogram and we should look for every chance to cheer for, cele-brate with, encourage and occasionally console each other.

• Our Team encompasses more than just our departmenton campus. Our success is inextricably tied to the work andsupport of the campus community around us. So, whether stu-dent body president or online grad student, whether senior lead-ership administrator or part-time adjunct, whether Board ofTrust member or third-shift employee, each is a part of OurTeam’s efforts and shares in both the struggles and the suc-cesses we enjoy.

• Our Team stands on the shoulders of those that supportand those that went before us. We know there is no way thatLipscomb University Athletics would be where it is today withoutthe efforts of those that came before us and without the supportof those that stand with us. Our Team reminds us that we com-pete for everyone in those groups who have given to LipscombAthletics in order to be a part of something bigger than them-selves.

• And finally, Our Team says that we all compete to the gloryof the God who made us and who gave us the ability and the op-portunity to display the gifts that He’s given each of us.

And while focusing on supporting and cheering for one an-other, a great thing happened. Lipscomb University Athleticshad a year with plenty to celebrate!

In the classroom, we again moved the academic bar higher,winning the A-Sun All-Academic Award as 78% of our studentathletes ended this year having earned a 3.0 or higher GPA. ALipscomb student earned this season’s A-Sun Scholar Athleteof the Year in two separate sports.

In competition, by almost every measure, this past yearwas, collectively, Our Team’s best since joining NCAA Division Iaction.

• Our men and women’s cross-country teams enjoyed arecord-breaking year as both won the conference championship(and in doing so, creating one of my personal favorite momentsof the year as over 200 of our student athletes cheered them on

to victory and then celebrated together afterwards). • Our women’s softball team secured a Lipscomb-first at

large bid to an NCAA Tournament and went on to the round of 32before finally bowing out in the Regional Finals.

• Volleyball and men’s baseball both made it to the confer-ence championship finals and men’s soccer made it to the semi-finals while adding to their league-leading string of the mostconsecutive appearances in the A-Sun Tournament.

• Women’s soccer and women’s tennis both made their firstappearances ever in the conference tournament and men’s golf,bolstered by the highest-ranked recruiting class in its history,moved past almost 100 teams in the Golfstat rankings from be-ginning to end of this past season.

• Men’s basketball finished the season with tremendousmomentum, winning eight of their last 10 before dropping a dra-matic double-OT thriller in the conference tournament andwomen’s basketball returned to the A-Sun tournament after atwo-year absence.

• Alongside the teams’ honors, Lipscomb enjoyed three A-Sun Player of the Year awards, three Coach of the Year awardsand numerous All-Conference selections on both the men andwomen’s side of the roster.

And in our effort to influence the community around us andto reflect the spirit of Christ within us, we saw every team in-volved in multiple service projects across the city and beyond,we saw mission trips as close as Atlanta and as far as Trinidadand Tobago and 19 different athletes decided to be baptized andto commit to following Christ.

For all of the highs that came with this season’s gains, evencasual followers of Lipscomb know the 2013-2014 season alsosaw some great losses too. With the passing this season of thelegendary Coach Don Meyer, of Lipscomb’s #1 Fan – Chuck Rossand of former Lipscomb student, coach and friend to many, JeffSpivey, Our Team lost three of its greatest members. The stingof their loss will not fade quickly, but neither will the legacy thateach of them left behind within the Lipscomb family. The loveand support from the Lipscomb community that surroundedtheir loved ones on all sides will be a lasting memory.

Coach Meyer always had a quote or a story ready with everylesson he imparted. So perhaps the first one he usually gaveeach season might be the way to end, as we pause to reflect onsome of the memorable moments and stories of the past year.

Coach used to start the year by emphasizing one should al-ways pick up trash because he wanted each player to develop ahabit of “leaving a place better than they found it.” This pastyear - whether it was in the classroom, in competition, in thecommunity, or in living out Lipscomb’s Christian mission – ourcoaches, our student athletes, our staff, our fans, our studentbody, our administration, our alumni, our 300 members, ourfriends Coach and Chuck and Jeff and all the others who are apart of “Our Team” – all have indeed left Lipscomb UniversityAthletics in 2014 better than they found it when this year startedand for that, we are grateful.

We thank each of you for the role you played in making thisa year to remember and we invite each of you to enjoy thestories that your support and encouragement helped Our Teamto write.

Philip HutchesonDIRECTOR of ATHLETICS

From the Athletic Director The James R. Byers Award

2013-14 ANNUAL REPORT 32 LIPSCOMB ATHLETICS

Tucker PeabodyPeabody, a

sprinter fromMemphis, Ten-nessee, leavesLipscomb with anumber ofrecords. He wasthe indoor A-SunChampion in the200 meters forthe past threeseasons and the200 meters out-

door champion in 2012 and 2013. He wasnamed the A-Sun’s Most Outstanding Out-door Track Performer in 2013.“We know what he has done athletically,

but that can be overlooked by many be-cause it is track,” Bill Taylor, director ofcross country and track and field said. “Hehas been ranked as one of the best in thenation. He is our first runner to make it tothe U.S. Senior Nationals.“There has just been a huge impact from

him in how we view ourselves. Every time aTucker, a Madi Talbert or a Gemikal Prudedoes something, it opens the door for more.Our future success is going to be greaterbecause of Tucker going out there and outsprinting most people. He is fiercely com-petitive.”Peabody plans a medical career. He was

a NCAA Division I Academic All-America in2013 and 2012. He is a three-time A-SunAcademic All-Conference team selection inboth indoor and outdoor track.“He has also been a huge asset in terms

of academics,” Taylor said. “He has a veryhigh GPA. He has been involved in a numberof service projects while he has been here.“Tucker is just a great guy. He is good na-

tured and fun loving. He cares about histeam. He is going to be very successful inlife.”

Tessa HoefleA track and

cross countrystandout fromWinnebago, Illi-nois, Hoefle is anEnglish major.She is a three-time A-SunScholar Athleteof the Year incross country.She also was athree-time A-Sun

All-Conference First Teamer. She andteammate Dani Walker are the only LUcross country team members to earn All-Conference honors three times.“Tessa has been a foundation for our

program,” Coach Bill Taylor said. “She is thecomplete package. She is a 4.0 studentwho is loved by her instructors and herteammates.”Hoefle was an A-Sun All-Academic Team

member four times. She has been on mis-sion trips to Haiti and Jamaica. She hasalso been active in service projects.“She is a huge part of every aspect of

the program that we value – academics,athletics, service and Christian leadership,”Taylor said. “She has been one of my fa-vorite athletes ever.”Hoefle has also been a leader, serving as

team captain for three years. That leader-ship may be what Taylor remembers themost about her.“Her first year we went to conference ex-

pecting to win,” Taylor said. “We had ourworst day of the year and finished second.We were very disappointed.“In 2011 we returned to the championships

as the team expected to win it. Dani wasour superstar, but she breoke her foot. Icancelled our final two meets. We went awhole month without competition.”During that time Taylor focused the rest

of the team on training and having theproper mindset for the Championships.“Tessa stepped up athletically. But more

than that she rallied the rest of the girls,”Taylor said. “Without Tessa’s leadershipand enthusiasm we would not have wonthat first A-Sun title. Everybody played apart but she is the reason we won it.”

Caitlin DotsonDotson, from

Louisville, Ken-tucky, receivednumerous hon-ors in her career.She was namedAtlantic Sun Vol-leyball Scholar-Athlete of theYear for both2013 and 2012.She majored inPsychology with

a Biology minor. She is only the second player in the pro-

gram’s history to record more than 3,000assists. She was an A-Sun All-ConferenceFirst Team selection this season. She is afour-time A-Sun All-Academic Team mem-ber.“More than anything she is so well-

rounded,” Lipscomb volleyball coach Bran-don Rosenthal said. “Even in her playingcareer she has probably been overlooked alittle bit because she has been so well-rounded.“That’s unfortunate to a point, but I don’t

think that has ever determined who shewas. She is so diverse. Dot is academic,athletic and socially in tune with things. It isawesome to see her recognized by the Uni-versity for what I saw on a daily basis.”In 2013 she started “Linked Lipscomb,” a

mentorship program that connects stu-dent-athletes with mentors in their chosenprofessions.Rosenthal has no doubts Dotson is ready

to go into the “real world” and be success-ful.“She has a way about her,” Rosenthal

said. “She knows who she is. She acceptsthat and she isn’t afraid of it. She exudes somuch confidence.“Dot has quietly learned more and more

about herself and become better. She hasdone so much without being asked. Shehas always been proactive. I am extremelyproud of her. She has a special place in myheart on and off of the court.”

The James R. Byers Award is the highest award presented by Lipscombathletics. Each year a male athlete and female athlete are selected, but thisyear – because of a tie – three athletes were honored. The award is given annually to the top senior female and male athletes who

display outstanding Christian leadership and show academic and athleticexcellence. Each winner is awarded a Bible.

For the past three seasons the LipscombLady Bisons have won the Atlantic SunCross Country Championship. This pastseason the men’s team won its first everconference cross country title as well.

Bill Taylor added to the sweep, winning A-Sun Coach of the Year for both the men’sand women’s teams.

But Taylor, director of track and field andcross country, wants more than confer-ence championships. He wants his teamsto make an impact on a national level inNCAA competition.

“It has been a goal we have had to be atthe top of the A-Sun with both teams,”Taylor said. “It was especially cool to do itthis past year in front of our home crowdat the Vaughn’s Gap course. I think thatmade it even better.”

BIGGER GOALS

Taylor is confident that the women canhave a four-peat and the men can repeatfor the championships in 2014. But whilethe conference will have two fewer teamswith the departures of ETSU and Mercer,Taylor expects the remaining teams to bebetter.

“It is going to be a challenge to continueto put teams on top of the podium,” Taylorsaid. “We are making other teams better.We are making the conference stronger.

“People don’t sit around andsay, `Well, I guess Lipscombis going to win it.’ They aretrying to figure out ways tobeat us.”

As great as it is to add to thecollection of conferencechampionships, Taylorthinks his teams have muchmore to accomplish.

“It has been kind of a mixedthing in a way because ourreal goals are much bigger,”Taylor said. “We have verytalented teams. We haven’tdone exactly what I want usto do.

“The goal is always to win the conference,but the real goal is to get to the nationalsand to win nationals. We have kind ofstalled at the conference championshiplevel.”

Taylor wants both of his teams to not onlystrive to be the best in the conference butto consider themselves to be among thebest teams in the nation.

”We need a bigger vision of ourselves andmore confidence about ourselves,” Taylorsaid. “As soon as we decide that, we willbe at nationals … guaranteed. I am tryingto figure out how to get us there.

“It is a mental thing. I don’t want us to

stay where we are. If we are one of thebest teams in the nation, the conferencechampionship is a given.”

IMPACT OF FRESHMEN

The 2013 Championship teams wereeach led by freshmen. Sally Larson andJuan Gonzalez each won Atlantic SunFreshman of the Year honors in the con-ference championship event, putting ex-clamation points on outstandingseasons.

Larson was fourth with a time of 17:53.28.Gonzalez finished second in the confer-ence meet with a time of 25:05.70.

Both were at or near the top for their re-spective teams in every race this season.

SWEEPLipscomb’s Women and Men Swept

the Atlantic Sun Cross CountryChampionships, and

They Plan for Moreby Mark McGee

4 LIPSCOMB ATHLETICS

CaitlinDotson

TessaHoefle

TuckerPeabody

The James R. Byers AwardThe highest honor an active Lipscomb athlete can receive,

the James R. Byers Award is given annually to the top femaleand male senior athletes that display outstanding Christianleadership and show academic and athletic excellence.

1978 Mark CarterBASEBALL

1979 Ralph TurnerMEN’S BASKETBALL

1980 Mike CunninghamBASEBALL

1981 Chuck HamarBASEBALL

1982 Alan BanksMEN’S BASKETBALL

1983 Andy DukesMEN’S TENNIS

1984 Nina PedigoWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1985 Mark JosephBASEBALL

1986 Richard BeasleyTRACK

1987 Patti BandyWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1988 Michelle ParkerWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

1989 Kim PuckettWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Keith HerstonBASEBALL

1990 Kim WilliamsWOMEN’S TENNIS

Philip HutchesonMEN’S BASKETBALL

1991 Stephanie ShouseWOMEN’S TENNIS

Mike CarmodyMEN’S TENNIS

1992 Nina HausmannWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Dan DragomireCROSS COUNTRY/TRACK

1993 Kim HerronWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Daniel DennisonMEN’S BASKETBALL

1994 Libby BurwellWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Eric GroganMEN’S TENNIS

1995 Jennifer WoodWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Andy McQueenMEN’S BASKETBALL

1996 Lynn RandolphWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Justin MorganMEN’S SOCCER

1997 Julie GroganWOMEN’S TENNIS

John HoltMEN’S BASKETBALL

1998 Susan FaulknerWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Angela SheltonVOLLEYBALL

Andy BlackstonMEN’S BASKETBALL

1999 Jennifer BellWOMEN’S TENNIS

Tim LavenderCROSS COUNTRY

2000 Susan BryantWOMEN’S TENNIS

Josh WillefordBASEBALL

2001 Jamie GleavesSOFTBALL

Jim MadduxMEN’S SOCCER

2002 Shelley SimsWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Kyle StephensMEN’S BASKETBALL

2003 Kelley WadeWOMEN’S SOCCER

Danny NormanMEN’S TENNIS

2004 Kristin PeckSOFTBALL/VOLLEYBALL

Jeff MadduxMEN’S SOCCER

2005 Lynn RollerWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Julie HollidayVOLLEYBALL

Derek BerlinMEN’S GOLF

2006 Ruth MickCROSS COUNTRY/TRACK

Andrew HarrisMEN’S TENNIS

2007 Emily EllisWOMEN’S TENNIS

Lindsey RutherfordVOLLEYBALL

Robbie SmithsonBASEBALL

2008 Rachel DavisWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Jason HopkinsMEN’S BASKETBALL

2009 Miriam McAlisterWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Andrew MizellMEN’S TENNIS

2010 Lauren DortwegtSOFTBALL

Ryan ChastainCROSS COUNTRY/TRACK

2011 Jenna BartsokasWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Josh SlaterMEN’S BASKETBALL

2012 Whitney KiihnlSOFTBALL

Justin GlennMEN’S BASKETBALL

2013 Hannah PhillipsWOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Ethan SummersMEN’S SOCCER

2014 Caitlin DotsonVOLLEYBALL

Tessa HoefleCROSS COUNTRY/TRACK

Tucker PeabodyTRACK & FIELD



Larson, from Falls City, Wash., was ex-pected to contribute to the team as afreshman, but her high school numbersdidn’t indicate that she would be so domi-nant in her first year.

“Sally was ranked No. 3 or No. 4 on thefreshman group coming in here,” Taylorsaid. “I had a gut feeling that Sally was

going to be good. But I wouldn’t have nec-essarily predicted that she would beFreshman of the Year and top runner onour team in most races.

“If somebody had been doing a depthchart on high school performances, theywouldn’t have necessarily expected herto be our top freshman or top runner onpaper. She went to a small high school.We train differently and the competitionis different.”

Some athletes might wilt when faced witha higher level of competition on a dailybasis. Larson has thrived on it.

“Being able to train with girls who are re-ally fast helps your times,” Taylor said. “Itcarries you to things you might not knowyou can do.

“Some people can get intimidated bythat. She hasn’t been intimidated.”

Her aerobic ability is a natural plus forLarson.

“In a workout she ran 9.8 miles atVaughn’s Gap, where we race,” Taylorsaid. “If she had finished the final .2 miles,

she would have set a school record withher time.

“She has some natural gifts in terms ofher aerobic engine. She is not afraid totake risks. She is not afraid to push her-self. “

Taylor has been impressed with the wayLarson approaches her running. There isno fear in her.

“She has come in and allowed herself tobe as good as she can possibly be,” Taylorsaid. “She has been quite brave abouthow she races.

“She isn’t afraid to run against anybody.She puts herself in the right position inraces. She still has a lot to learn. She hasbeen very bold about her racing. Shetrains incredibly well.”

The Lady Bisons were already successfuland talented before Larson became apart of the team. Taylor is impressed atthe way Larson was able to find her spoton the team.

“She came into a team with five girls whorun in the 16s and have had all kinds of

success,” Taylor said. “She not only chal-lenged the freshmen. She challenged thewhole team.

“She has an awesome personality. Ourkids are all awesome, but Sally is rightthere at the top in terms of personalityand being a positive worker. She hasmade our whole program better.”

LOVE OF RUNNING

For most, running is a chore. For Gonza-lez, it is an exercise in pure joy.

“Juan has a lot of natural ability,” Taylorsaid. “He has a joy for life and a joy forwhat he is doing. He runs with a smile onhis face.

“He has great endurance and has greatspeed. He has everything and is anothergreat kid. When he understands what heis fully capable of, he will be a threat towin any race he is in.”

Taylor knows it sounds cliché but he isquick to point out that both Larson andGonzalez, from Lake Forest, Calif., are mo-tivated by a higher power.

“Sally and Juan both love Jesus,” Taylorsaid. “They praise God through running.”

Gonzalez wants to run in the Olympicsone day. Taylor wants Gonzalez to finishas one of the best freshmen overall thisseason, but the ultimate goal is to havehim running at the highest of competitivelevels in his third and fourth years.

We are developing him correctly,” Taylorsaid. “We want him to learn tactics, getused to the competition, the training wedo and races that are twice as long aswhat he has run before.”

Gonzalez is part of a bright future for themen. The top four runners are threesophomores and a junior for the 2014season. Jared Wingerter, not at his fullcapacity from a health standpoint, com-peted in the championship, but was ham-pered. Had he been healthy, Taylor iscertain Wingerter would have been in thetop five.

While the men are expected to continueto succeed, Taylor will always rememberthe first conference title.

“The men were so excited with what theyhad done,” Taylor said. “They werescreaming their heads off.

“Their first win was more emotional thanthe women’s win because they had wonbefore and the men had been chasing thechampionship. The guys just dominatedthe championship. It was a good day andthat made it even better.”

Three-time Atlantic Sun Conference Women’s Champions: (left to right) Hannah Feiten, Sally Larson, Tessa Hoefle, Dani Walker, Barbara Lee Ball,Kelsey Ibarra, Madi Talbert, Kaitlyn Llewellyn, Kendra Lobley

Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Champions: Juan Gonzalez, Jared Wingerter, Tim Muller, Daniel Gardner, John Kingstedt, Isaiah Greer, ChristianFreeman, Geoff Musick, Fidel Leon.

SallyLarson

JuanGonzalez


Individual awards are nice and, more often than not, theyare the result of an overall team effort.

Charles Morrow, coach of the Lipscomb men’s soccerteam, was named Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year by hispeers. Junior midfielder Omar Djabi was named A-SunPlayer of the Year. It was the first time Morrow had wonthe A-Sun award and the first time a Lipscomb soccerplayer had been named Player of the Year.

But both would gladly trade those individual honors for ateam trophy as A-Sun Tournament Champions and theopportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. This yearthe Bisons fell 1-0 to ETSU, their second straight A-Sunsemifinals loss and the sixth in Morrow’s nine-yearcareer.

“Every time in the semifinals we have lost to the even-tual champion,” Morrow said. “Absolutely, I wouldtrade in my coaching award for a championship.

“That is also the mentality of our players. We have re-ceived some nice individual accolades over the years

but I have no doubt in my mind those guys wouldtrade those awards in a heartbeat for a champi-onship.”

The 2013 team finished 9-9-2 overall, 4-3-1 in theA-Sun. They were the #3 seed in the conferencetournament. Morrow thinks his award was formore than just what the team did this year.

(continued)

Soccer 1Chemistry 0

Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year Charles Morrow Chose Coaching

Over Life in a Lab

by Mark McGee


“We had a great year, but Iwould say that this year’saward had to do with morethan one year,” Morrow said.“We have been pretty con-sistent over the last sevenyears.

“It is a reflection on thisyear’s team and this year’scoaching staff, but I think it is also areflection over what we have done inthe past as well,” Morrow said. “Topto bottom and across the board the2013 team would rate right up therewith any team we have had. We havehad teams over the past seven yearsthat have been as good as anybodyin the conference. “

Morrow admits he has done a lot ofthinking in the offseason about whatwas different about the 2013 team.

“Obviously, you want to repeat suc-cess,” Morrow said. “I was thinking theother day about what we did differentlyand what I did differently this past sea-son than I have done in past years. Ulti-mately, I don’t know if there is any onething I can put my finger on.

“The more you mature as a coach, andthe longer that you do it, it is less aboutyou and your ideas and more aboutwhat is best for the group. Over theyears I think I have become much moreopen to input from assistant coachesand players about how we do things.”

Change can be good

This past season Morrow welcomed anew coaching staff with John MichaelHayden as assistant and Ryan Wehkingas goalkeeper coach. Kevin Burk, Mor-row’s long-time assistant, left beforethe 2013 season began to pursue soc-cer coaching at the club level.

“John Michael had instant credibilitywith the players from day one,” Morrowsaid. “When you look at what he hasdone as a player with two NCAA na-tional championships and an MLS Cupchampionship, that credibility meansso much.

“My role as a head coach is important,obviously. But assistant coaches aresuch a big part of what we do. TheCoach of the Year honor is just as mucha reflection on what Ryan and JohnMichael did and the job the players didas well. And I have told them as much.”

New coaches usually bring new ideas.Morrow has been all ears.

“It was different and challenging attimes, but I think it was ultimately avery big positive to have a new staff,”Morrow said. “I also think Kevin did atremendous job when he was here.

“Having a new staff was good for theplayers. It was a fresh breath of air forme as well. My Dad always would say`there is more than one way to skin acat’ and certainly in athletics that hasbeen proven. There are any number ofways we could have gone about theseason with similar outcomes.”

Being willing to not only listen, but tolearn from others, is often easier saidthan done. Morrow, however, counts itas a strength. It is an approach he alsostresses with his players.

“I have no ego,” Morrow said. “That issomething that I strive for in myself, mycoaches and my players. Generallyspeaking, with 18- to 22-year-olds, thebiggest hurdle for our players is to puttheir egos aside.

“To be an effective coach you have tohave players who are willing to listen. Icertainly don’t think this year’s awardis an indication of just what I wasdoing.”

Like most successful coaches Morrowhas listened to advice from others.While he has gleaned useful knowledgefrom coaches of sports other than soc-cer, his biggest mentor is Ralph Lundy,the longtime soccer coach at College ofCharleston.

“I got into coaching probably becauseof him,” Morrow said. “I worked at hiscamps in the summers all throughoutcollege and in the beginning of mycoaching career.

“It is a not all about coaching styles

and philosophies. But it is about who heis, his character and how he carrieshimself. He has a passion for coachingand teaching.”

Morrow went to college to pursue achemistry degree, but due to Lundy’sinfluence he decided to pursue coach-ing after three years of college.

“I fell in love with coaching at his camps… not only the progression of develop-ing skills and helping players get betterbut the relationships that are formedthrough coaching,” Morrow said. “Inthat third year I decided I really didn’twant to work in a lab.

“My mother, Mary Sue, had been thehead of hematology for a long time at ahospital and I developed a love ofchemistry through her. I thought I wasa pretty good chemist. I understood it.It made sense.”

Soccer also makes sense to Morrow,but it can be even more challengingthan a chemistry formula.

Sometimes in soccer the best teamdoesn’t always win,” Morrow said.“That is what makes it an intriguinggame for me.

Head Coaching Record

Belmont Abbey2003...........................10-7-42004 ..........................10-8-2

Lipscomb2005 ...........................5-11-12006...........................5-11-22007...........................6-12-32008 ..........................10-9-32009 ..........................6-10-32010 ...........................10-9-02011.............................4-12-32012 ............................7-12-12013 ............................11-9-2

Overall .......................84-110-24

12 LIPSCOMB ATHLETICS 2013-14 ANNUAL REPORT 13

Lipscomb junior midfielder OmarDjabi is mentioned in the samesentence along with former Bison

soccer stars like Garret Pettis andMiguel DaSilva.But Djabi did something in 2013 that

set him apart from all previous soccerplayers at Lipscomb. The junior mid-fielder was named the Atlantic SunPlayer of the Year, the first Lipscombsoccer player to ever win the award.Djabi was the A-Sun leader in three

categories with nine goals, 21 pointsand four game-winning goals.

In addition to his A-Sun award he wasnamed to the 2013 NSCAAA/Continen-tal Tire NCAA Division I Men’s All-SouthRegion Team as a member of the thirdteam. He is only the second player inprogram history to earn that honor. In2010 DaSilva was named to the All-South second team.Djabi was also named “College Sports

Madness” A-Sun Player of the Year.“For him to score the number of goals

he did last year in the position he wasplaying, a holding midfielder, which isnot consistently part of the attacking

core, was tremendous,” Lipscombcoach Charles Morrow said.While Djabi may be mentioned in the

same sentence as DaSilva and Pettis,he is a different player in many ways.“Pettis was so physically imposing

whether it was his strength or his abilityto be at the right place at the right timein front of the goal,” Morrow said.“Miguel was so quick and fast that hecould just run by guys.“You could put Miguel on any team

and he would have crazy numbers.Omar has the ability to score but under-

Omar Djabi, 2013 Atlantic Sun Player of the Year,is fighting for a job on his own team.

by Mark McGee

Making

Better

Making

BetterGoodGood

Grand Slam

Little did anyone know when the Friends of JaclynFoundation (FoJ) contacted Lipscomb baseball itwould lead to the biggest story of 2013-14 and themost-read website article in school history. FoJ,which pairs up children battling pediatric brain tu-mors with high school and collegiate sports

teams, reached out to the Bisons to gauge the in-terest in teaming with then 5-year-old Brooks Russell

and his family.

The immediate response was a yes and on “National SigningDay” Brooks, who has battled a tumor on his spine, was the

guest of honor at a special signing ceremony in the Hall ofFame Room in Allen Arena. The event was held in front of a ca-

pacity crowd that included Lipscomb administrators, baseballplayers and cheerleaders in uniform.

The star of the day signed his name on the dotted line, donned abrand new Lipscomb baseball hat and took questions from thelocal media about his big day and becoming a member of theBison team. Following the question and answer session, Brookseven got in some swings in the indoor hitting cages to cap offhis afternoon on campus.

The feel-good story quickly went viral in the social mediarealm and garnered the attention of a number of na-

tional media personalities. A video package of thestory was put together by local cameraman Jamey

Tucker from WKRN and placed on the newswireresulting in the story going coast-to-coast onnewscast after newscast.

ABC’s “America This Morning” picked upthe piece that Tucker put together, and it

aired around the country before CNNHeadline News ran the package. In

all, the story aired in more than1 million households.

Since signing day,Brooks has beenout as part of theteam at Dugan

Field and threw outthe first pitch opening

day. Brooks also celebrated his sixth birthday with a number offriends later in the season.

– Jamie Gilliam

To follow along with his story visit https://www.facebook.com/TheIncredibleBrooks


stands his numbersare really a reflec-tion of the guysaround him.”Djabi is known for

his knowledge andunderstanding ofhow the game isplayed as well as hisability to be versa-tile as a midfielder.

“What makes Omar so special is inthe position he plays he can play thestandard role and be a ball winner anddistribute the ball, run the offense andbe a play maker,” Morrow said. “But heis dynamic enough to beat guys on thedribble. He is slippery and difficult tocontain.“Omar is technical and good with the

ball. He understands and reads thegame very well.”More than 50 percent of his shots

were shots on goal. He also had threegames – Belmont, Eastern Illinois andJacksonville – where he scored multiplegoals.“He puts the ball on frame consis-

tently,” Morrow said. “Any time you dothat you are going to score goals.

“He created so many opportunitiesfrom his position. And the guys aroundhim created opportunities for him. Omaroften found himself in the right place atthe right time.”“There are lots of things he does well.

He is very good on set pieces. He is sur-prisingly good in the air for his size.”“The best thing, however, is there is

no ego or attitude with Omar … nosense that he has arrived,” Morrow said.“It is quite the opposite. Omar under-stands the work he needs to put in tohave the year he wants for him and forthe team in 2014. It is rare for a playerwho has received his accolades to stayhungry for improvement. I completelyappreciate his humility and work ethic.”

About NextYear’s Team:Morrow optimistic aboutpossibilities for 2015

The 2014 team will feature all thereturning starters from the 2013team that was 9-9-2 overall, 4-3-1 inthe A-Sun. Morrow explains that thecompetition Djabi is experiencing isa reflection of the improvements inthe team and the quality of the newadditions he expects this fall.

“It would be hard to think Omarcould go from Player of the Year tonot starting the next year, but that isreally also a credit to the guysaround him,” Morrow said. “They areall getting better.

“That is why I think next year hassuch an unbelievable chance to be aspecial year. We have all our starterscoming back but we are so muchdeeper from top to bottom. We willbe better than we have ever been asa group. There won’t be much of adifference at all between the playersstarting and guys on the wrong endof playing time.”

Morrow is confident this will bethe year when his Bisons avoid thesemifinals jinx that has plagued themfor six of the last eight seasons.

“There is more excitement frommy perspective about the 2014 sea-son,” Morrow said. “We are cominginto a year where we feel like wehave the right pieces in the rightspots.

“There are legitimate battles fromtop to bottom as to who will be ourbest players. That type of competi-tion brings out the best in everyone.No one on the team is satisfied withthe year we had in 2013. They feellike we underachieved. They thinkwe should have won it.”

Grand Slam5-year-old Brooks Russell was the Bisons’

youngest signee in history.


PHOTO: Skip Milos, Tampa Bay Rays


One of the unwritten rules in thisbusiness is thou shalt notdevelop favorites. And, if you

should somehow slip up, don't admit it.To get the easy stuff out of the way in a

hurry, I'm ignoring both pieces of adviceand announcing that Orioles backupcatcher Caleb Joseph is my new favoritebaseball player. He made his majorleague debut during a 4-3 win againstthe Rays May 7. So, you ask, why thissudden affection for someone who hadbeen in the Orioles' farm system since2008 and appeared doomed to a careerin the minor leagues? It's probably be-cause I, like most of us, am a pushoverfor the underdog.

More likely, though, it's becausethere's been a certain fascination aboutJoseph's progress, or lack thereof, whilehe's been at spring training the last sixyears. Why hadn't a seemingly durablecatcher with at least modest hitting skillsnot progressed further in the Orioles' or-ganization -- or attracted interest fromsome others?

It was a question often asked, butwithout a definitive answer. For his part,Joseph has been an All-Star at multiplelevels -- at short-season Aberdeen in2008, with Frederick in the CarolinaLeague in 2009, and in the EasternLeague with Bowie in 2011 and 2013. Hewas also named the Eastern LeaguePlayer of the Year in 2013.

Through it all, Joseph was never morethan a non-roster invitee when it cametime to report to spring training. Twoyears ago, he didn't even warrant thatdistinction. He seemed to be makingprogress, but at a slow rate and ad-vanced age -- two factors that seemed towork against him. Not once did Josephmake it onto the 40-man roster, meaninghe was twice exposed to the Rule 5 draft-- and ignored.

The 2013 season was his sixth in theOrioles' organization. For some reason,he was comfortable enough with the or-ganization, and the O's with him, thatthey both decided to continue what couldbest be termed an uneasy, but ongoingworking relationship.

It wasn't hard to get the impressionthat the Orioles considered Joseph whatthe industry calls a good organizationalplayer, somebody that can be a trustedpeer and mentor, play the game the rightway and be a positive influence. If you'rethinking of Crash Davis in the movie "BullDurham," you're on the right path. Butyou could also think of current Oriolesmanager Buck Showalter when he was inthe New York Yankees' minor league sys-tem, where he bounced around (oftenunder former O's skipper Johnny Oates)before answering his calling as a man-ager.

During all those years Joseph ploddedthrough the minors, I never heard a badword from the Orioles about him -- but

also nothing that would indicate he was abig league prospect. Scouts of opposingteams seemed to dismiss Joseph as acandidate for a backup role in the bigleagues because of one perceived failing.More than one scout told me through theyears that Joseph wasn't a good catch-and-throw guy, referring to his defense,and that his offense wasn't good enoughto overcome that.

Every time I saw Joseph during springtraining, I kept thinking about Eli White-side, a former minor league catcher inthe system who went on to win two WorldSeries rings with the San Francisco Gi-ants. Whiteside was considered a goodcatch-and-throw guy (think former Ori-oles shortstop Mark Belanger as acatcher), and it paved his path to the bigleagues. But that ticket didn't seem tohave Joseph's name on it, and he had towonder whether his time would evercome.

Catch-and-throw guys are almost al-ways in demand in the major leagues.Teams don't draft or train players to bebackups, but there's rarely, if ever, ashortage for catchers who fit that de-scription. They come with a dual tag ofbeing budget friendly and defensivelysound, making them attractive to bothfront-office executives and managers.

In that regard, few would understandor appreciate Joseph's ascent to the bigleagues more than Showalter, who was amovable part at the end of his playing ca-

Orioles Catcher Caleb JosephBecoming a Favorite Player

by Jim Hennemanwww.pressboxonline.com

Athletic Missions Update“Therefore go and makedisciples of all nations,baptizing them in thename of the Father andof the Son and of theHoly Spirit, and teachingthem to obey everythingI have commanded you.And surely I am with youalways, to the very endof the age.”

–Matthew 28: 19-20

In the fall of 2011, Lipscomb Athletics launched anew office of spiritual formation with the goal ofproviding opportunities for student athletes andcoaches to know Jesus more fully. A significantpart of the initial vision was to provide all of theBisons’ 17 athletic teams with the opportunity toserve on a mission trip. We are pleased to reportthat by the end of the 2014 calendar year, all 17teams will have served on a mission trip.

Year Trips Athletes serving2011-2012 3 382012-2013 5 822013-2014 7 135

This year's athletic mission trips:Various teams - Jovenes en Camino, HondurasVarious teams - Mission Lazarus, HondurasWomen's soccer - El SalvadorWomen's tennis - Homeless shelter, Atlanta, GAMen's soccer - Trinidad & TobagoTrack/Cross country - JamaicaVolleyball - Brazil

2014-2015 preview: The women's basketballteam will be serving in the Dominican Republic inAugust. The baseball team will be serving in theDominican Republic in December.


reer, when advancement also meantmonetary rewards. One of Showalter'sfavorite stories is how Oates kept him atColumbus long enough to collect a$1,000 bonus if he was on a Triple-A ros-ter for 30 days – before the Yankees senthim down a notch to help Double-A NewOrleans make a playoff drive.

The last time I looked, major leaguemeal money on the road was $92.50, sothat alone had to seem like a bonus toJoseph after six-plus years of ridingplanes, trains and buses in the minorleagues. I don't know how much timeJoseph will spend in the big leagues in2014, and neither does he, but if he canhang around for a month, his pro-ratedportion of the $500,000 MLB minimumsalary would be more than $81,000,which, it can safely be presumed, ismuch more than he's ever made during afull minor league season.

And, judging from the early reports,Joseph's defensive abilities have some-how shown great improvement. I haven'theard anything about his catch-and-throw ability, but there were a lot of com-pliments coming from Showalter abouthow comfortable Joseph looked behindthe plate and how well he had learned tohandle pitchers, who like throwing to him.All those years as a non-roster inviteeapparently paid off.

To these admittedly untrained eyes,there seemed to be no major flaws inJoseph's game, and he has been en-trusted to catch top Orioles pitchingprospects along the way, so there had tobe some upside. But he still had the tagthat he didn't fit the mold of a catch-and-throw guy, and baseball can be cruelwhen it comes to negative reputations.

The flip side to all of this is that Josephhas another reputation – as a greatteammate, which makes him welcome inShowalter's clubhouse anytime. Thattrait was probably best demonstrated byhis Norfolk Tides teammates, who, aftera day game at Louisville May 7, went enmasse to find a sports bar where theycould watch Joseph's major leaguedebut – which MASN effectively showedon its telecast via Twitter.

It's not often that a player signs hisfirst major league contract the same dayhe makes his debut, as Joseph did. It'seven rarer when such an experiencecomes after being placed on the 40-manroster for the first time – after six yearsof pursuing the dream in the minorleagues. That's enough to make any-body's favorite list.

Welcome to the show, Caleb (Crash)Joseph. Enjoy. You deserve it.

Jim Henneman can be reached [email protected].

PHOTO: Skip Milos, Tampa Bay Rays Bisons in the ProsIn addition to Caleb Joseph, severalother former Bisons are competing in theprofessional ranks:

Former Lady Bison forwardHannah Phillips opted totake her basketball talents“Down Under” this yearsigning a deal with theWynyard Wildcats of the

Australian North West Basketball Union.

The former Lipscomb standout madean immediate impact scoring 26 pointsin her debut less than 48 hours afterstepping off the plane from the UnitedStates. Phillips leads the Wynyard club,averaging more than 23 points pergame, ranking her among the top fivescorers in the league.

Adnan Hodzic spent the2013-14 season with AlArabi Club Doha in Qatarwhere he led the club with a20.9 points per game aver-age. The former Bison big

man added 10.3 rebounds per outing toaverage a double-double over thecourse of the season

Along with Caleb Joseph becoming thefirst Bison position player to reach themajors, two other minor leaguers, JoshSmith and Chris Nunn are off to solidstarts in 2014 as well.

Smith got out to a blister-ing start for the LouisvilleBats, the AAA affiliate of theCincinnati Reds, going 6-0on the season before takinghis first loss.

Nunn has started the sea-son with the Lake ElsinoreStorm, the Class A ad-vanced affiliate of the SanDiego Padres. The south-paw has been a regular out

of the bullpen for the Storm.

Returning to the setup rolefor the Colorado Rockies in2014 after notching 19saves a season ago, Bisonstandout Rex Brothers gotoff to a shaky start allowing

six earned runs and blowing threesaves but as of press time the south-paw had yet to give up a run in themonth of May in nine appearances onthe hill. Brothers was 2-2 with a 2.61ERA and eight holds as of May 24.


Caitlin “Dot” Dotson’s volleyball career hasended at Lipscomb University, but she leavesbehind a program that she hopes will pay dividendsfor student-athletes in terms of helping themdevelop their careers.

She developed the program, “Linked Lipscomb,”last summer. She introduced the concept thispast fall to all of the coaches with the goal ofhelping her fellow athletes be better prepared forwhat lies ahead after they complete their careerson the court or on the field and graduate.“It is a very open program,” Dotson said. “It is

not required. It is not tedious. It is an easyprocess. You find someone you can relate to anddevelop a relationship with them as a mentor.”Student-athletes are encouraged to meet with

their mentors whenever they feel like it is needed,but there are no set rules in terms of how often tomeet. It is also suggested that student-athleteskeep mentors informed of their academicprogress. One way to stay connected is to invitementors to attend athletic events.“It has not been heavily advertised,” Dotson

said. “We have not used social media. That is notwhat we wanted. It is for people who want to par-ticipate who are in it for the right reasons and notjust because they saw it on Twitter.”Volleyball players Lauren Ford and Megan

Stout, who are both entering their senior years atLipscomb, are taking over for Dotson who gradu-ated and is starting school to become a physi-cian’s assistant. Ford, an exercise science major,has found the program to be very effective for herfuture plans.“I’d like to go to grad school to study occupa-

tional therapy,” Ford said. “My mentor is KimberlyEdgeworth. She was a cheerleader at Lipscomb.“She went to graduate school to study physical

therapy which is similar to occupational therapy.We have lunch every two months just to catch up.She has talked with me about what I need to bedoing to be prepared for grad school, deadlinesfor certain things and helping to put my name outfor internships.”Ford shadowed a woman who is certified for

both physical and occupational therapies. At thetime, she was working with clients needing occu-pational therapy specializing in hands and arms.“Where the program has benefited me the


“Linked Lipscomb”Provides Career Guidance

for Student-Athletes

Caitlin Dotson leftwith one final assist:a program to assistLipscomb student-athletes in life after

graduation.

Lipscomb Student-AthletesBaptized in 2013-14

Brooke Gordon - Cross CountryGrant Stromberg - Cross CountryCooper Wall - Cross CountryDan Coleman - Cross CountryAndrew Jones - former Cross Country Scout Monteith - Men's SoccerTessa Hoefle - Cross CountryTrackTanner Sanders - SoftballSierra Troxel - Women's TennisJordan Pitcher - TrackBen Ashley - Cross Country/TrackKaitlyn Teeter - VolleyballSally Larson - Cross Country/TrackCassidy Proce - Cross Country/TrackBridget Perine - Cross Country/TrackGemikal Prude - TrackCristina Giron - Women's SoccerNiamh Rawlins - Women's SoccerCarolyn Springsteen - Women's SoccerBrittnay Estes - VolleyballMolly Spitznagle - Volleyball

Lipscomb coaches and

student-athletes are

discovering the joy in

pouring themselves out

in service to others.


most is with the connections I havemade,” Ford said. “It has also been goodto be meeting with someone who hasbeen through this before and knowswhat places to call.“She knows what the colleges are

looking for. She has brought up inter-view points I should be prepared forwhether for graduate school or an in-ternship.”The old saying is “it isn’t always what

you know, but who you know.” Fordthinks one of the strong points of“Linked Lipscomb” is the ability to makecontacts on different levels.“Making connections now as an un-

dergrad can set you up for grad schooland internships which could later turninto a job,” Ford said. “The networkingthrough this program is huge. “I see people around Nashville that I

met through “Linked Lipscomb.” Theyare not my mentors but I know them. Isay hi to them and talk with them. I’vebeen able to meet so many more people.”“Linked Lipscomb” started with vol-

leyball. All of Dotson’s teammatessigned up. But she wants the programto be available to all student-athleteswho are willing to be a part of the pro-gram. Freshmen are a special priority.“A lot of the smaller teams in the ath-

letic department have linked up,” Dot-son said. “I know every team that hasparticipated has had a lot of success,especially men’s and women’s tennis.“It has worked so well with tennis be-

cause there are so many internationalplayers involved. A lot of them go to thementors’ homes during the holidays.They have established relationshipswith the families of the mentors whichis an awesome part of the program.”The most important thing that sepa-

rates “Linked Lipscomb” from othermentor programs is that it is designedfor athletes. Dotson developed the pro-gram with the assistance of Dr. GaryJerkins, an ophthalmologist who is alsoa former tennis player for Lipscomb.

“It is going to continue to grow withDr. Jerkins working with the program,”Dotson said. “Right now, we are gettingthe ball rolling. It is going to get biggerand bigger. It is at a really good pointright now.”Jerkins has been involved with work-

ing with Lipscomb students who wantcareers in the medical field for severalyears. For the past four years a group ofdoctors has rented a suite in AllenArena where pre-medical students areconnected with Lipscomb alumni whoare physicians.“We call it the `Doc Box’,” Jerkins

said. “It is a very non-threatening envi-ronment where young pre-med stu-dents can come and meet somebody inthe medical field.”Jerkins wanted to place an emphasis

on student-athletes who might be inter-ested in a medical career. He met withPhilip Hutcheson, Lipscomb’s athleticdirector, and asked for a list of student-athletes who were interested in goinginto medicine.“We wanted to make sure we got

them to visit the `Doc Box’,” Jerkinssaid. “Philip sent me a list and on top ofthe list was the name `Caitlin Dotson.’And he verbally told me I needed tomeet her. Philip also evidently told hershe needed to meet with me.”They met in the `Doc Box’, but Dotson

also visited with Jerkins and his familyfor dinner. She shadowed Jerkins at hispractice and also spent time with otherphysicians observing their work.“Dot was sharp enough to think if this

worked well for her it would work for herteammates who are going to be in otherprofessions,” Jerkins said. “Dot can seethe big picture of the program.”Jerkins prefers the term “career

coaches" instead of “mentors” whenreferring to those who are working withthe program.“We took great pains trying to con-

nect young people with what they thinkthey want to do professionally and peo-

ple who are already in that career,”Jerkins said. “It worked with the volley-ball team so Dot decided to move tomen’s and women’s tennis.”Many of the tennis players have ma-

jors in international business. TurneyStevens, Dean Emeritus of the Collegeof Business, is overseeing connectingthe athletes with career coaches.Stevens is also serving as a careercoach for Lorena Djuknic, a Lipscombtennis player.“There are different definitions of in-

ternational business,” Jerkins said.“Jamie Aid (women’s tennis coach) andI met with Turney.“I reached out to Turney and said we

needed some help. He then personallycame over to the tennis center and metwith all of the players and got a graspon the concept.”Aid said “Linked Lipscomb” is helpful

and important to building the women’stennis program as she brings in moreinternational students.“We definitely look at it as a tool,” Aid

said. “We want to show players whyLipscomb is different.“Our girls have high GPAs. They work

hard off of the court. It is no surprise theyhave been a part of this. Every single oneof them is involved. They understand thatwhat they have in this program is unique.And it is not just for tennis players. It isfor all Lipscomb athletes.”On the education side, Dr. Candice

McQueen, the Dean of the College ofEducation, is working with four volley-ball players who want to pursue careersin education. “Dr. McQueen paired the students

with their career coaches,” Jerkins said.“It is all about knowing the right people.”The emphasis is on personal relation-

ships between the students and theircareer coaches.“It is really a grass roots approach,”

Jerkins said. “It has worked remarkablywell.”Lipscomb volleyball coach Brandon

Rosenthal is proud of what Dotson hasaccomplished in so many aspects ofher life. He thinks “Linked Lipscomb” isgoing to have a long-term effect.“I have been around Dot for five or six

years,” Rosenthal said. “I have beenable to see her really take ownership ofher life. It is awesome. “It is nice to see this next big step she

has taken. It is just not to benefit her,but other student–athletes. She wantsto leave this legacy for years to come.”

–Mark McGee

Made to BeBroken Lipscomb Track & Field is

tearing it up, and this year bothIndoor and Outdoor records fell.

Compiled by April Gilbert


Exercise Science major Lauren Fordhas helped pick up where Caitlin Dotson left off.

Dani WalkerGemikal Prude

Madi Talbert

OUTDOOR• 3000m Steeplechase

OUTDOOR and INDOOR• High Jump

Colin Dempster

OUTDOOR• 400m

INDOOR• 400m• 800m

OUTDOOR• 1500m• 5000m• Mile


Phillip Smith

Wayne Newman

Abby NewbyKi’Ana ChristyTucker Peabody

Annika Backlund

OUTDOOR and INDOOR• Pole Vault

Christian Freeman

INDOOR• 3000m• 5000m

Abbey McMurray

INDOOR• 60m

Sarah Wagner

INDOOR•High Jump

Ryan Whitley

OUTDOOR• 55m Hurdles

INDOOR• 60m• 200m• 300m

INDOOR• Long Jump

INDOOR and OUTDOOR• 60m High Hurdles

OUTDOOR• Heptathlon

Juan Gonzalez

OUTDOOR• 3000m• 5000m

April Terry

OUTDOOR• Hammer • Shot PutINDDOR

• 20 lb. Weight

OUTDOOR and INDOOR• Triple Jump

RELAY RECORDS: Outdoor – 4x400 (Tucker Peabody, Kenny Smith, Nelson Scott, Colin Dempster)Indoor – 4x400 (Tucker Peabody, Kenny Smith, Brian Gentry, Colin Dempster)

RELAY RECORDS: Outdoor – 4x800 (Andrew Bosket, Christian Freeman, Juan Gonzalez, Colin Dempster)Indoor Distance Medley (C. Freeman, C. Dempster, A. Bosket, J. Gonzalez)


Gemikal Prude has made great stridesas a high jumper on the collegiatelevel.

This season he became the first malemember of the Lipscomb track and fieldteam to be named an All-America on theNCAA Division I level. He was honored forhis ninth place finish in the NCAA Division IIndoor Track and Field Championships inNew Orleans, Louisiana. He was namedSecond Team All-America by the U.S.Track and Field and Cross CountryCoaches Association.His best jump in the championships

was 2.15 meters, short of the school in-door high jump record of 2.20 meters.Prude qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Nationals with a jump of

2.14 meters at the East Preliminaries. For Lipscomb, he is the firstmale track and field athlete to make the outdoor Nationals andthe first athlete to qualify for both Indoor and Outdoor Nationals.His improvements are now measured in centimeters as he gets

closer and closer to his goal.“Gemikal is at the point where his rate of improvement is going

to be smaller, but every one of those improvements vaults himahead of tons of people,” Bill Taylor, director of Lipscomb’s trackand field and cross country teams. “The club gets dramaticallysmaller with every centimeter he clears.“He can get better. I can’t see him being happy to remain where

he is. I don’t think he lacks for motivation.”Prude fell short of winning the conference outdoor title in the

high jump this season. He finished second to Kennesaw State’sAndre Dorsey who set a conference record in the championshipswith an effort of 2.16 meters. Prude’s best was 2.11 meters, goodenough to qualify him for the preliminary round of the NCAA Na-tionals. Dorsey was also named the A-Sun’s Most Valuable Per-former in the championships.“The guy who beat him is one of the best track and field athletes

in the nation at the Division I level,” Taylor said. “He is possibly thebest athlete the A-Sun has ever seen in track.“Gemikal unfortunately is trying to catch a guy who may be the

best ever. There was no shame in finishing second. Gemikal beathim in the indoor nationals. Any given day one of them can win.”

Gemikal Prude Overcomes Challengesfor High Jump Success by Mark McGee

Prude has the perfect body for an athlete - if that athleteis a point guard on a basketball team.“My whole life I had played basketball,” Prude said. “I was

going to go to the next level in basketball.“But I got to the point in basketball where it wasn’t fun any-

more. It was strictly a job. I still continued to play throughouthigh school because I loved my teammates. We put blood,sweat and tears into everything. But I knew I didn’t want topursue it at the next level.”During his junior year at Holy Trinity High School another

sport started to capture his interest. He ran sprint events forthe track and field team, but he would overcome a lot of oddsto excel in a field event.His height of 5-foot-7 is a little less perfect for some other

athletic endeavors such as the high jump. But the junior fromMelbourne, Fla., continues to build a reputation in this unlikelyevent.“Gemikal is a great story that he and God continue to keep

writing,” said Luke Syverson, assistant track and field coachspecializing in field events for Lipscomb. “He is a very drivenathlete.“He is not your prototypical high jumper in size. Most elite

high jumpers are 6-1 to 6-5 in height. He makes up for hislower center of gravity by being able to jump out of the gym.” Prude’s goal was to play a sport in college. Ironically, he


started running track as the result ofbasketball.“I ran track to escape basketball con-

ditioning,” Prude said. “Our basketballteam was really good. Our coach alwayswanted to start conditioning really early.Several of us ran track to avoid basket-ball conditioning.”

No fearPrude’s best friend was a high

jumper. He often watched the highjumpers practice, and he found it to beequal parts interesting and scary. Hefinally was challenged to give it a try.“It was a technique day and we got

done early with our running,“ Prudesaid. “We were going to try the highjump for the fun of it.“It was always something I had

watched and admired, but I wasafraid of it. I thought it was the scari-est thing ever. It looked otherworldlyin a sense. It looked like somethingsuper heroes should be doing, not anormal 5-7 person.”Prude was convinced there was

no way he was going to ever try it.But he eventually gave into peerpressure. His teammates encour-aged him to give it a try and he kept ontelling them no. Then the head coach ofthe track and field team offered a steakdinner to anyone who could jump a certainheight.He not only won the steak dinner with

his efforts, he also had a new event.“I tried it on a Tuesday and our coach

put me in a big meet the Saturday of thesame week,” Prude said. “We practiced theFriday before and I was struggling quite abit. Our coach said, `O.K., good luck Iguess’. It was like being thrown in the deepend of the water.”He has been swimming, uh, jumping

ever since. He finished either first or sec-ond in every meet he competed in duringindoor competition this season.“One thing that has been really nice for

me is that I realize the Lord has blessed


me with this ability for a reason,” Prudesaid. “I have changed the perspective.Someone under 5-10 can be a higherjumper.“God has brought me to this … being

able to compete at a high level in the highjump. That is quite the blessing.”

The mental sidePrude has overcome his physical limita-

tions in the high jump through a height-ened mental approach. When the bar is atits lowest point, it is two feet above hishead.“I would say that about 90 percent of

high jumping is mental,” Prude said. “Visu-alization is a big part of it.

“You have to be able to see your-self jumping over the bar. You haveto be confident. Everything has to bepretty well in order.”

Made for each otherLipscomb started recruiting Prude

at the beginning of his senior year.Other schools started noticing him aswell. But he sustained an ankle injuryduring basketball season and severalschools cooled on their interest in him. Lipscomb’s coaching staff, however,

never wavered.“Lipscomb was always consistent

with me,” Prude said. “They wanted meto get healthy, but they were more fo-cused on me as a person. They wouldask me how school was going and theywould ask me about my mother.”Both sides realized they were meant

for each other.“I remember watching video his mom

sent me of him winning the Florida statechampionships his senior year,” Syversonsaid. “He went 6-8. I noticed how long hejust hung in the air. He has a lot of powerand has to in order to raise his center ofmass to a level to snake over the bar.”Prude skipped his senior prom to make

an official visit to Lipscomb. He knew im-mediately where he wanted to be.“This was it,” Prude said. “It all happened

for a reason. It just felt like a home-away-from-home. Ultimately, I felt like Godwanted me here.”

Not a smooth transitionBut his freshman year didn’t go as

smoothly as he had hoped. He had trou-bles academically and was ruled ineligible.He was kicked off the team due to aca-demics. Despite the obstacles Prude wasdetermined to be a part of Lipscomb andthe track and field team once again.“My mom wanted me to come back

home and go to a community college,”Prude said. “I personally felt like this wasGod testing me. That was the time where Ireally built a strong relationship with Him.

“That summer I stayed in Bowling Greenwith my aunt and uncle. I had to take sev-eral classes and make A’s in all my classesonline. I had to work at a summer camp atBowling Green Parks and Recreation topay for the classes. I felt like that was partof God’s work for me as well.”He returned to Lipscomb in the fall and

recorded a perfect 4.0 GPA.Prude decided on his 21st birthday that

he wanted to be baptized. It was not ahasty decision.“God has always been a pretty big as-

pect in my life,” Prude said. “My motherraised me in the church. We went tochurch Wednesday night, Sunday morn-ing and Sunday night. We read this verseor prayed this prayer before going to bed.I believed in God, his Son and his Word.”He made his decision over Christmas

break that he wanted to be baptized whenhe returned to school for the spring se-mester. He informed Chris Klotz, assistantwomen’s soccer coach, that he wantedhim to do the baptism.“I began to really seek God out and have

that relationship with him when I first gothere,” Prude said. “My faith has gottenstronger. I wanted to be more like Jesus.“I knew it. God knew it. But I wanted to

make that proclamation to the world. Iwanted to give God that glory. It just feltright.”

No limits“Gemikal still has a number of things we

are working on to polish the approach andtakeoff,” Syverson said. “Anatomically, hehas to do certain things a little differentlydue to his shorter stature. The thing thatsets Gemikal apart, however, is that hesees no limitations.“He never talks about the fact he might

be shorter or have it harder than someonehe is competing against. It is alwayssomeone else who brings those things up.He only sees the bar as a challenge to beovercome. It is no different than how heapproaches other things in his life. That iswhat I love about him.“

Jonathan Seamon hosted Hall of Famemember Ernie Banks at the 6th AnnualEvening of Excellence on Saturday,

April 19 in Allen Arena.

Don Meyer was,as usual, both

entertaining andinspiring.

5-foot-7 Prude can jump 7-foot-3,nearly two feet taller than his standing height.

Philip Hutchesonpresented theByers Award toCaitlin Dotson.

Gemikal is the first Lipscomb student-athlete to qualify for theNCAAs in both Indoor and Outdoor.Gemikal


Under Coach Kevin O’Brien, Women’s Soccer finished with six wins including three in the A-Sun.

Lorena Djuknic led Women’s Tennis to ten wins including a 7-0 home indoor record.

Two Lipscomb women’s athleticsteams found themselves competingat new levels this past school year.Both the soccer and tennis teams

earned trips to their respective AtlanticSun Conference Tournaments for thefirst time in the history of the programs.Jamie Aid, in her first year as head

coach of the Lady Bisons, set a newtone for her players in the fall. She cred-its the rugged fall training schedulewith the successes of the spring.“I am a firm believer that things just

don’t happen when you get to the tour-nament,” Aid said. “When you are win-ning, it is not just because youpracticed the week of that match.“We had an undefeated indoor sea-

son at home, but that was not becausewe had a good practice in January. Itwas because of how we started practic-ing Aug. 25. We established a workmentality of doing things at a high levelday in and day out.”The Lady Bisons, the No. 6 seed, lost

to 4-0 to Florida Gulf Coast in the firstround in Jacksonville, Florida. They fin-ished with a 10-11 record, including a 7-0performance in home indoor matches.They were 3-5 in conference play. The10 victories are the most in a season inthe history of the program.Laura Kent was named to the A-Sun

All-Freshman Team, the first time aLady Bisons tennis player had beennamed to the team since 2005. Kent

“The 300” designation is reserved,within the umbrella of the National BisonClub, for all who have chosen to supportour Student-Athletes and our programsby providing $1,000 per year or more inunrestricted support.

In doing so, members of The 300serve as the foundation of LipscombUniversity Athletics programs that arestriving to excel in the classroom, incompetition, in service to our communityand exemplifying the Christian valuesupon which Lipscomb was built.

THE

300Akers, KevinAlexander, Casey and SunniAllen, Bubba and KristinAllen, Jim and LindaArmstrong, Dale and VivianAtmos EnergyBagley, Mike and AnnBaker, Gary and PortiaBanks, Alan and StephanieBell, Derek and AngelaBennett, Frank and JanBennett, Pat and CynthiaBennie, Don and NancyBetts, Rick and CindyBledsoe, Craig and SandyBowers, Ricky and DebbieBradford, JohnBrandt, Stu and DotBrandt, Walt and SailBrewer, John and CarolineBrewer, WillBridges, Stephen and LoriBrosky, Gene and CamilleBrown, Greg and TeresaBrowne, Rob and TraciBrumit, ClintCameron, PatrickCarmody, Daniel and RobynCarmody, Mike and BonnieCarpenter, Jason and LeslieChaffin, Jimmy and CharlotteChambers, Greg and AmandaChase, Dean and SandyChaudoin, Jay and KimChristian, Oakley and JaniceChurch, Bryan and NatalieClausel, EddieClevenger, TommyCollins, Mark and KayeCollins, Monte and TanyaCombs, Glen and JamieConnelly, Bill and PattiCopeland, Bart and HeatherCorley, JasonCover, Jerry and SharletCraun, Bryan and TinaCraun, JuneCromwell, Brian and BelleDale, Jeff and JulieDavidson, Kirk and MelissaDavis, Hank and RobbieDean, Barry and JanetDelk, Michael and AnnetteDillingham, J.J. and AngieDortwegt, Bob and KarenDrabyn, Steve and BrittanyDraper, LassieDugan, Mike and AmoryDuncan, Tom and JudyElm Hill VeterinarianElrod, Burton and LuanaEnglish, Rodney and CaroleEstep, Chad and ShellyEubanks, Buford and DotExum, Joe and VickiEzell, John and JaneneEzell, MarilynEzell, Miles and LindaEzell, Roy and MarianEzell FoundationFarris, D.J. and KellaFerguson, Ronnie and EmilyFlatt, Andy and Laura

Hunter, Ronnie and BarbaraHutcheson, Philip and VeraHutcheson, Robert and BethIvey, Joe and MalindaJohnson, Chip and GalaJohnson, KimJones, Brian and JenniferKing, Doug and StaceyKnott, StanLane, Andy and StephanieLangdon, PottsLeaver, Walt and CarolLowry, Randy and RhondaMankin, Andy and JenniferMankin, JeffMaples, Todd and JulieMarsh, Lee and AnnMartin, Jamon and MichelleMartin, SuzanneMason, BobMasterson, Brian and JenniferMcAlister, Don and VickieMcCarley, John and DianeMcGee, MarkMcIntosh, George and SueMcKelvey, Carl and JoyceMcMeen, AlexanderMcMeen, John and JanetMcQueen, Andy and CandiceMeyer, Don and CarmenMick, JohnMiller, Lawton and Mary FrankMoore, Perry and DawnMorgan, Joe and RitaMorgan, Justin and Kelly

Flatt, Steve and PatsiFord, Gynnath and RuthForehand, Jeff and KarenFrasier, Charles and MarthaFrench, Mark and MaryGaeto, Paul and PattyGarner, LinGaskins, Joe and AngelaGaw, Mark and PatGeorge, Jeremy and HannahGoode, Garner and RachelGoodwin, George and JaniceGott, Randy and DebbieGreen, Bobby and AliceGreen, Mike and TeresaGriffith, Lynn and DianneGrogan, Eric and MelanieHall, Scott and LeanneHammond, Paul and EmilyHarris, Andrew and EmilyHarston, Buddy and JulieHartman, Trey and BethHays, Keith and KimHenry, Phil and RuthHerring, Tom and Mary BethHigh, Brent and EmilyHigh, Junior and DonnaHiller PlumbingHolladay, Kolin and MistyHollman, Doy and RitaHooper, Bob and BonnieHostettler, Greg and PeggyHowell, DaveHuddleston,J ono and AmyHunter, Jeff and Jenny

Morrow, Charles and BethMossack, RobNerren, Guy and PatNowers, Burt and LisaNowers, Sr., BurtO'Brien, Kevin and ShannonO'Rourke, Kevin and NancyOsborne, David and LindaParker, Tommy and SusanPaul, John and TammyPeebles, Henry and JeanPhillips, DebPrady, Bill and LennPrice, PatPrice, Scott and AnnPride, JamiePuckett, Eddie and BeckyRaney, SteveReynolds, David and TeresaRosenblum, David and JessieRosenthal, Brandon and KateRosser, Brent and AbbyRyman, Brian and KristinSamples, Ralph and MimiSciortino, David A. & Chris AnneSeamon, Jonathan & BarbaraSemanchik, Gary and LucyShivers, Ralph and HarrietteShoun, Paul and JanetShumate, Marshall & JacquelynnSmith, Bryan and KarynSmith, Derek and KristiSmitherman, John and RuthSnoddy, ChrisSolomon, David and RitaStephens, NeikaStephens, Wayne and KarenStinson, Butch and AngelaSullivan, Adam and LaurenSwang, Ron and SusanTaylor, Bill and TabethaTaylor, Richard and StaceyTenpenny, Nick and PennyTerrell, Jim and PamTerry, Josh and MandiThetford, Bill and MarthaThomas, Jim and PatraThomas, Michael and AlethaThomas, Tim and LindaThompson, Gary and BrendaThornthwaite, Wil and CarrieThweatt, John and SharonTodd, Jeff and PaulaTom Bannen ChevroletTomlinson, Daniel and CareyTomlinson, Wade and JenniferTurner, Cal and JenVance, Will T. and CarolVerble, Sid and SuzanneWalton, Jay and StephanieWard, BrianWatson, Clint and AprilWebb, John and JodiWellerding, BobWheeler, Jonathan and JenniferWhite, Ryan and KeeleyWhitefield, Mark and JenniWilleford, Josh and LoriWilliams, Ernie and JerryWright, Randy and CarolynYates, Jim and FayeYousefi, Anthony

was a unanimous selection of thecoaches. “We told the girls in the fall that we

would be a team that writes a story offirsts for this program,” Aid said. “We

told the girls we would push them hardboth on and off the court.“This group bought into the mentality

of hard work. We worked so hard in thefall because we had to make sure our

FIRST Two teams earned their first trips to post-season play and vowed to return.

by Mark McGee

Middle blockers aren’tsupposed to put up thenumbers Jewell Dobson

did last season for the LipscombLady Bisons volleyball team.She was 11th in the nation in

points per set with 5.16 and 13thin kills per set with 4.53. Dobsonled the conference overall in hit-ting percentage (.378) and killsper set. Her 507 kills are the sec-ond most ever by a Lipscombplayer in a single season.Her efforts garnered her At-

lantic Sun Player of the Year. She was joined by teammateBri McCombs, who was named Libero of the Year.Dobson, outside hitter Lauren Ford, setter Caitlin Dotson

and McCombs were named A-Sun First Team All-Conference.Ford and Dobson were named to the All-Tournament team.They were both also selected for the American VolleyballCoaches Association (AVCA) South Region Division I Team,and both attended the United States Volleyball NationalTeam Open Tryouts camp.Their names continue to fill the program’s record book.

Both of them broke the 1,000 kills barrier for their careers in2013.“I can wholeheartedly say that Jewell is the best middle

blocker in the country,” Lipscomb coach Brandon Rosenthalsaid. “I think the scary part about it is that she is starting tobelieve it.“You don’t normally see a middle get that recognition.

Seeing what she did, and looking at the numbers, Jewell hadone of those seasons from a statistical standpoint that youjust don’t see from a middle blocker.”In the national rankings for kills and points per set she

was the highest rated middle blocker.

High

Brandon Rosenthal12th year

“That just doesn’t happen,” Rosenthal said. “Our offenseis more driven by the middles, but her numbers were unbe-lievable.“I had a good feeling that we were going to be counting on

her last season. At crunch time she was going to be gettingthe ball. There needed to be an understanding that she andLauren were the go-to persons. She had to understand thepattern.”The most impressive thing about Dobson’s season was

her consistency of play.“When you look at her numbers from day one, she had

double–digit kill numbers against great teams that had notseen her that much,” Rosenthal said. “Then she put upthose same numbers against teams that are very wellaware of her.”With the departure of veteran setter Caitlin “Dot” Dotson,

who was second in nation in assists per set with 12.61 (1,412total), a new setter will be distributing the ball for the LadyBisons. Sophomore Kayla Ostrom and senior Jordan Hustonworked at the position in the spring.“A lot of what we are going to see is going to be depend-

ent on how she is set,” Rosenthal said. “There was a matchwhere Kayla was setting and she was going to Jewell onceevery three or four sets.“We are trying to get her to go to Jewell every time. The

hard part for Kayla to understand is that Jewell will be readyfor every ball. You have to let Jewell do what she is reallygood at doing.”Dobson has matured and grown into her position. Rosen-

thal challenged her on many levels last season and she re-sponded. But he knows Dobson has more to give of herselfon the court in 2014.Rosenthal points to the importance of Dobson not only

being an impact player but also continuing her consistentplay.“Jewell needs to understand that she can beat any block,”

HopesLipscomb Volleyball will dial upDobson & Ford with a realistic

shot at returning to the NCAA Tourney

by Mark McGee


girls had the physical strength to ac-complish the results. “It was not easy to earn a berth in the

tournament as the Lady Bisons faced avery competitive A-Sun field.“It was a lot of hard work to get there,

but it was a realistic goal,” Aid said.“Next year, as we set our new goals, weshould want to be in the championshipmatch. “It was great to be in the A-Sun Tour-

nament. But at the end of day we endedup sixth in the conference and we wantto be better than sixth.”Only one player is not returning from

the 2014 team. Aid is welcoming threenew players to the program. For the firsttime in the history of the program theLady Bisons will have nine players eligi-ble to compete.Aid likes the foundation that has been

set by the 2014 team.“We practice hard,” Aid said. “There is

a purpose to every day. We are a disci-plined team bought into it.“It was hard to mentally create the

work ethic you have to have to play atthis level. It is a challenging conferencefor women’s tennis.”Aid isn’t going to let her players get

complacent. She plans to have anotherchallenging series of practices andmatches in the fall in preparation for the2015 spring season.“This coming season we will be taking

another step forward,” Aid said. “It willbe another learning experience for ourgirls.“Expectations will be higher from a

coaching standpoint and from thestandpoint of our players. We won’t takethe same path with this group.”

A kick to goThe Lady Bisons soccer team had a

historical season in many ways.Freshman Ellen Lundy was named to

the A-Sun All-Conference First Teamand fellow freshman Carlotta Fennefosswas picked for the second team. It wasthe first time in the history of the pro-

gram that two players had earned all-conference honors in the same season. Goalkeeper Anna Buhigas was a

member of the A-Sun All-FreshmanTeam.The 3-3-3 record in conference

games was also a program best.Despite their youth, the Lady Bisons

set a goal during preseason to qualifyfor the A-Sun Tournament.“We’re just pumped up about what we

have achieved this season as quickly aswe have,” coach Kevin O’Brien said. “Thegoals have been hanging on the lockerroom door and every time our playerswalked in and out they were remindedabout what they set out to do.“I’m thrilled at the work they put in. It

is difficult to gel 14 new freshmen into ateam, and it was a process.”The Lady Bisons 6-8-5 lost 1-0 to

Kennesaw State in the first round onthe Owls’ home field.It was a disappointing defeat, but

O’Brien also saw the game as a positivefor his players.“We have a lot of young players who

got their first experience playing in aconference championship environ-ment,” O’Brien said. “That kind of experi-ence is invaluable. Hopefully, that willhelp us as we move forward. “We’ve had some young players step

up and play a more senior role on theteam. It surpassed my expectations.”Earning that first tournament trip is

always exciting. It is an excitementO’Brien wants his teams to make a habitof duplicating.“I am thrilled for the university. It is

awesome to have university pride andfor fans to get excited about Lipscombwomen’s soccer.“The strides that we made were in-

credible, but every player still has roomto grow. If each player can individuallyget better, collectively we’ll be betternext year. That is something to be ex-cited about.”

Ryan Hilgemann, a former Lipscomb athleticsmedia relations assistant, contributed to this story.

Jamie Aid Kevin O’Brien

Freshman Ellen Lundy earned All-Conference honors.

Jenny Borck won our first A-Sun Player of the Week.

High Hopes

the NCAA Tournament the past twoseasons. They lost 3-2 to Jacksonvillein the championship match at Kenne-saw State, falling 15-10 in the decidingcontest. They finished 23-8 overall, 15-3 in the

conference.“Last year affects this year’s team a

lot from a growth standpoint,” Rosen-thal said. “Hopefully we have more of agrowth mindset than a fixed mindset.The growth mindset is that we lost, wegave it our all and we had a good sea-son, but how do we get better and getwhere we want to go?“With that comes the acceptance of

new ideas and being willing to changethings. As you move forward you have 11girls that were on that team last yearand four new ones.”Belief is one of the key words for the

Lady Bisons. After a strong spring sea-son players have left for the summer

without a doubt in their minds about thegoal for this summer and fall.“The direction for the team is that we

have to stop wondering and start be-lieving,” Rosenthal said. “More thananything the emphasis is on winningthe A-Sun Championship.“Over the last couple of years we

have put more emphasis on the NCAATournament. In the exit meetings wehad with players this past season theysaid there was not enough emphasis onwinning the A-Sun Championship.”Rosenthal thinks his players not only

want to win the A-Sun regular season,but also the tournament.“I think they want to do it in a fashion

where they say, `look, this is who weare’,” Rosenthal said. “I think we havehad teams in the past that have donethat. The last team to do it was in 2011,and the freshmen on that team are nowseniors.”

Rosenthal said. “She got blocked lastyear. Teams have film on her. She hashad to find new ways to score. That iswhat she got better at…the control ofher body and how to score.”Dobson is also expected to improve in

areas other than her ability to make alarge number of kills in a game.“Her blocking numbers can get bet-

ter,” Rosenthal said. “Her serve is goingto get better. We saw really good thingsfrom her serve the last week of spring.“I don’t think we saw her best last

year. It was really special but the excit-ing part is going to be what happenswhen Jewell fully understands her ca-pabilities.”That bodes well for a Lady Bisons

team that Rosenthal thinks is one of themost talented and deep teams he hasput on the court in his 12 years as ahead coach.The Lady Bisons have failed to reach

Jewell Dobsonwas named First Team All-Conference by theAtlantic Sun, along with teammates Bri McCombs, Lauren Fordand Caitlin Dotson.

Lauren Ford

Robert Frost, his father and granddaughter before dedication of “The Frosty,” Lipscomb’s beautiful short-game practice area at Nashville Golf & Athletic Club.

Robert Frost is a 1978 graduate and a former Bison student-athlete.

The Frost family and John Lowry were joined by Director of Athletics Philip Hutcheson, Todd Jester, Women’s Coach Buddy Harston, Madison Whittemore, Brian Jorgenson and Men’s Coach Will Brewer.

L I P S C O M B A T H L E T I C S

ProgressUpdate



ProgressUpdate

The Smith Family is joined by the team and dignitaries in a dedication ceremony hosted Saturday, April 12.

Branding and padded walls are part of the upgrades.Coach Kristin Ryman presented Michael and Derek Smith with authentic framed game jerseys.

Michael Smith Derek Smith

Serving Our CommunityServing Our CommunityLipscomb Student-Athletes found plenty of ways to make a difference in our community and in the world


Inaugural Lippy Awards Enormous Hit on Campus

The brainchild of SAAC President April Terry and driven by staff member Shannon O’Brien, the 2014 Lippy Awards were more fun than anyone ever imagined. Complete with a “purple carpet,”

dinner and awards for outstanding teams and student-athletes, this was one awards show that exceeded its hype ... and then some.

Ellen LundyFemale Freshman of the Year

Juan GonzalezMale Freshman of the Year

Lorena DjuknicInternational Student Athlete of the Year

Miguel Cortez for Men’s TennisThe Bison Award

Tessa HoefleScholar-Athlete of the Year

Chris KlotzAssistant Coach of the Year

Brandon RosenthalHead Coach of the Year

Alex RossThe “Our Team” Award

Women’s Cross Country – Team of the YearMen’s and Women’s Cross Country also won the award for “Best Moment” for sweeping the Atlantic Sun Cross Country Championships

Ashley SouthernBest Record-Breaking Performance

April TerryMatt Deery Award

Gemikal PrudeBest Record-Breaking Performance

Jewell DobsonFemale Athlete of the Year

T.J. OjehomonMaster of Ceremonies

Shannon O’BrienLippy Awards Coordinator

Gemikal PrudeMale Athlete of the Year


Ryan TerryMatt Deery Award


AWARDS SUMMARYApril 24, 2014

Team of the YearOutstanding Performance in Academics, Athletics, and Outreach

Women's Cross Country

Scholar Athlete of the Year Highest GPA & Significant Athletic Impact

Tessa Hoefle Women's Cross Country/Track and Field

Female Co-Athletes of the Year Best Female Athletic Performance of the Year

Jewell Dobson, VolleyballDani Walker, Women’s XC/Track and Field

Male Athlete of the Year Best Male Athletic Performance of the YearGemikal Prude, Men’s Track and Field

Matt Deery AwardsMost Inspirational & Exemplary Contribution to Our Team

Ryan Terry, Men's GolfApril Terry, Women’s Track & Field

International Student-Athlete of the Year Best Overall Performance of an International Student

Lorena Djuknic, Women's Tennis

Female Freshman of the Year Best Athletic Performance of the Freshman Class

Ellen Lundy, Women's Soccer

Male Freshman of the YearBest Athletic Performance of the Freshman Class

Juan GonzalezMen's Cross Country/Track & Field

“Our Team” AwardServing Lipscomb Athletics Above and Beyond Your Call of Duty

Alex Ross

The Bison CupAwarded to the team most supportive of Our Team

Men’s Tennis

Head Coach of the Year Inspirational and Exemplary Contribution to Our Team

Brandon Rosenthal, Volleyball

Assistant Coach of the Year Inspirational and Exemplary Contribution to Our Team

Chris Klotz, Women's Soccer

Best Comeback2013-2014 Men's Basketball Season

Best MomentMen's and Women's Cross Country Teams Winning the 2013 Atlantic Sun Championship

Best Record-Breaking PerformancesGemikal Prude, Men's Track and Field

High Jump 2.15 MetersQualification for NCAA D1 National Championship

Ashley Southern, Women's Basketball22 Double Doubles 2013-2014 Season


Caitlin DotsonJames R. Byers Award

Tucker PeabodyJames R. Byers Award

Philip HutchesonDirector of Athletics

Men’s BasketballBest Comeback

Men’s TennisThe Bison Award for being the most supportive of Our Team

Tessa HoefleJames R. Byers Award


The only thing bleaker than playingbaseball in February is playinglosing baseball in February.

Despite qualifying for the Atlantic SunTournament in 2013, the Bisons werepicked by Atlantic Sun coaches to finishseventh in 2014. After losing eight oftheir first 10 games in February, CoachJeff Forehand was beginning to thinkhis Bisons deserved their preseasonrating.But a funny thing happened in March.

Starting March 1 the Bisons went on a10-game winning streak and won 16 of19 games during the month.April offered a mixed bag of results

with a six-game winning streak followedby a six-game losing streak. Still theybattled for most of conference play forone of the top spots in the regular season.They went to the A-Sun Tournament asthe No. 4 seed, advancing all the way tothe championship game before losing7-1 to Kennesaw State, a white-hotteam that was eventually eliminated byLouisville in an NCAA Super Regional. Lipscomb finished the season 33-28,

17-10 in the conference. The 33 wins tiefor the NCAA-era high for a season for

the Bisons. The winning percentagewas the highest in the history of theprogram in the NCAA era.“We had a solid team, but we started

out slow,” Forehand said. “We justweren’t clicking. We weren’t playingwith any confidence. I knew we werebetter than we were playing.“Then after 11 games we got the con-

fidence going. The next 20-to-25 werereally good. Then we kind of tapered offagain. I think at the end of the year wewere coming back up again. We just raninto a team in the tournament that wasplaying better than we were. I think weare set up pretty good for next year.”Forehand has completed eight years

as head coach at Lipscomb. He won his400th career game during the season.

Pass the CreditForehand deflects any credit for his

team’s success to his assistantcoaches – Paul Phillips, James Ogdenand volunteer assistant Brad Coon –along with the recruiting efforts of BrianRyman, director of operations.“They have taken these guys and

made them believe they are solid play-ers,” Forehand said. “They are talented,but they take the coaching well. Theywant to hear more and want to do more.“We had the right mix of people on

our team. Everybody was in the rightplace. We had no selfish guys. We hadno egos. The reason we are good is thatwe have assistant coaches that arecoaching these guys up.”Phillips was the main coach in the

area of hitting and Coon worked withthe players on the bases.“They did a fantastic job with what we

wanted to do with our offensivescheme,” Forehand said. “Brad helpedus with our bunting, our base runningand our outfield play.“The bats have made a difference

with how the game is played. Along withthe rest of us, Paul has really workedwith the hitters. They learned anotherlevel of baseball from these guys.”Forehand calls Ogden “one of the

brightest young minds” in the game.“He took a pitching staff and really

developed some guys that neededsome more knowledge,” Forehand said.“We had guys with the ability to throw

CloseSo

The Bisons played all the way to the finals of the2014 A-Sun Tournament, just missing out

on a return to an NCAA Regional

by Mark McGee

MACON, Ga. – Lipscomb track and field athlete AprilTerry has been named Vice Chair of the Atlantic SunStudent-Athlete Advisory Committee for the 2014-2015 year.Each spring student-athletes across the conference

are selected to the SAAC to enhance the experience ofstudent-athletes, encourage sound academic prac-tices, inspire good sportsmanship, and bring to atten-tion the future needs of conference athletics.“I am honored to represent Lipscomb on the Atlantic

Sun SAAC,” Terry said. “This is a great opportunity forthe school to show how we cultivate leaders. I praiseGod for the opportunity to show how good He is.”Terry is no stranger to SAAC duties. She is president

of the Lipscomb SAAC and recently oversaw the Lip-pys, an awards ceremony for athletes.“April is one of the strongest leaders the Lipscomb

SAAC has ever had,” said Dr. Lin Garner, Associate Ath-letic Director for Academics and Senior Woman Ad-ministrator. “She has led strategic efforts in motivatingathletes to support other athletes at their competi-tions and in integrating athletes with other studentgroups on campus.“Her vision for the Lippys is what drove the inaugural

ceremony and its success.”She felt a strong push to lead the Lipscomb SAAC

after attending her first A-Sun SAAC meeting.“I attended my first A-Sun SAAC meeting my sopho-

more year, and became passionate about Lipscomb'sSAAC after hearing of what other institutions did ontheir campuses,” Terry said. “I want other athletes toexperience the ‘aha’ moment I had, and help othersgrow in their leadership. I simply want to give back tothe SAAC what it has given me.”Terry feels this year has been the most active for the

Lipscomb SAAC.

This year the members have made substantialprogress in service projects, athlete panels and dis-cussions, and even playing a prominent role in the first-ever Lippy Awards.“While I am happy to share all the things we have

done, I'm more excited to share how we did it and howothers can do more with their committees,” Terry said.“I can show what the SAAC can do because I've doneit, and can use the leadership I learned as presidenthere to lead in the A-Sun.”Bill Taylor, Lipscomb’s director of track and field and

cross country, had nothing but praise for Terry and hernew role."April has probably been the best Lipscomb SAAC

leader ever, so it is no surprise that her talents andpassion are being tapped by the conference SAAC,”Taylor said. “Her vision and desire to do amazing thingsis huge, and she will be a huge asset to the A-Sun SAACin this role."With the A-Sun SAAC meetings taking place on Lip-

scomb’s campus this year, Terry is not only looking for-ward to showing off the campus, but she also looks toencourage strong relationships between student-ath-letes.“I want the athletes to have more time together, as

it has been a privilege to create relationships with stu-dent athletes from other schools,” Terry said. “We un-derstand each other and can support one anotherthrough this experience, so there will be more ‘get toknow each other’ time during the meetings.”Most recently the A-Sun SAAC emphasized commu-

nity service by collaborating with the Daniel Founda-tion, a program aimed at enhancing the lives ofchildren and families in the community.Members spent the day with children of all ages

playing games and sports.

Leavinga Mark

Lipscomb SAAC President April Terry will leave more than records behind


Coach Kristin Ryman wants toreturn her Lipscomb LadyBisons softball team to an

NCAA Regional Tournament, andshe doesn’t plan to wait four moreyears to do it.

The Lady Bisons advanced to thechampionship round of the KnoxvilleRegional. They opened with a 4-3 lossto Virginia Tech, but rallied for a 4-2 vic-tory over Charleston Southern and a 12-3 defeat of Virginia Tech to emergefrom the loser’s bracket. They lost tohost Tennessee, No. 10 seeded nation-ally, 2-0.The 2-2 record for the Lady Bisons

matched their worksheet for theTuscaloosa Regional in 2010 wherethey beat UAB twice and lost to Ala-bama, the No. 1 seed nationally, twice.“The biggest thing that contributes to

getting to the NCAA Tournament on aconsistent basis is recruiting,” Rymansaid. “Every team is different.“You have new personnel. Some play-

ers may be in new roles.” If we still getthe leadership like we had this pastseason, have players that were insmaller roles this year rise to the occa-sion and players in bigger roles con-tinue to improve, that is when we will

start seeing consistent regional ap-pearances.”The 2014 team won 41 games, the

second highest total for the program ina season, trailing only the 50 gameswon by the 2010 team. Ryman is twowins away from 300 for her career.Ryman, finishing her ninth season,

stops short of calling 2014 the bestseason ever. “I would put it right up there with

2010,” Ryman said. “There are somefacets of 2010 that are going to standfor a long time probably like the 50wins. It was the first team that won theA-Sun Conference Tournament andbroke through to go to our first regional.“There are aspects of both that will

always be remembered as two of thebest seasons, at least up to this point in

our program’s history. It is fun to com-pare those two teams, but it is hard tosay one year is better than the other.Both teams ended their seasons in thesame spot.”The Lady Bisons advanced to the

NCAA Regionals with an at-large bid. Itwas the first time a Lipscomb team inany sport had received an at-large bid.It was also the first time for an A-Sunsoftball team to earn an at-large bid.USC Upstate, the regular season con-ference champion, also received an at-large bid. Stetson, the tournamentchampion, earned the automatic bid.Among conference teams the Lady

Bisons are the only one to win twogames in a regional since 2010. Theirback-to-back wins over CharlestonSouthern and Virginia Tech marked thefirst time an A-Sun team had won tworegional games in the same day sinceformer member Florida Atlantic did it in2004.Final RPI standings will not be avail-

able until the end of the College WorldSeries, but the Lady Bisons ranked32nd heading into the NCAA Regionals.They ended the season as one of thefinal 32 teams still playing, just like the2010 team.At the end of the 2010 season the

After a four-year absence,Lipscomb returned to an

NCAA Regionaland made

some noise.

by Mark McGee

the ball hard and guys with the ability todevelop a good second pitch. Developingpitchers is what he does.”Ryman has been vital, coordinating

the nation’s 81st-best recruiting classfor 2015.“Recruiting is a key at all levels,” said

Forehand. “Brian has done a great jobidentifying and recruiting players whocan make a difference and fit well here.”Forehand credited his assistants with

promoting a rapport and trust with theplayers, ingredients that are alwaysimportant, but especially vital whenthings are not going well on the field.“We ask our players to do this or that

because it’s going to make them a goodplayer inside our system,” Forehandsaid. “They trust us and they do whatwe tell them.“But it is hard when you start losing

games. As players you want to revert todoing things your way.”Forehand stresses that one thing he

and the assistant coaches establishedthis year is that they understand how towin as a team.“That is hard to do,” Forehand said.

“You have 35 guys and usually thesame 10 are playing every day. It can bea frustrating thing. But that goes backto our players and assistant coacheswanting to have a team atmosphere.”For Forehand and his staff it was all

about sticking with the plan and theprocess.“We have three phases of the game

that we work on – pitching, defense andsituational hitting,” Forehand said. “Wewant every player to stick with it, to playwithin the plan. Our players stuck with it.“Baseball is a game where you fail a

lot at the plate. We aren’t asking themto get a hit every time. We talk abouthow many times a player gets on baseand how many times he crosses theplate. They are the things we talk aboutthe most in creating runs. If we can getrunners on base, our guys know how toexecute in every situation.”Back-to-back A-Sun Tournament trips

have been a building block toward re-turning to an NCAA Regional.“I think everyone coming back next

year is excited about the things tocome,” Forehand said. “But we have lotsof work ahead. It is a constant matter ofdevelopment.“Everybody believes we can do it. We

are that close, not only to winning theconference championship but playingin regionals and super regionals andultimately playing in Omaha in theWorld Series.”

Close ASSISTANT COACHESSo (CONTINUED)

PAUL PHILLIPSis a former MLB catcher who joined the Bisons after fifteen yearsin professional baseball.

JAMES ODGENis the Bisons’ Pitching Coachand has been involved with the program foreight seasons.

BRIAN RYMANserves as Director of Baseball Operations and Recruiting Coordinator.

BRAD COONjoined the Bisons this yearafter eight seasons inprofessional baseball.


Lipscomb has suffered three painfullosses, but our losses are certainly theirgains. Gone to a better world: legendarybasketball coach Don Meyer, super fanChuck Ross and former volleyball andsoftball coach Jeff Spivey.

The LegendDon Meyer left this world May 18, but

his legacy is still very much alive.If the legacy of a person is defined by

the number of people he influenced,Coach Meyer’s will be greater than anymemorial made of stone.He impacted the lives of thousands

upon thousands of basketball players.Not only did he teach them the skills ofthe game he loved, he taught them thefundamentals of how to be the bestthey can be whether it be in theirchurch, their family or their career.Meyer taught them that living a life of

positive influence starts with the sim-plest of acts – picking up trash, saying“yes sir” and “no sir” and expressinggratitude.The man who carried a briefcase

loaded with Captain D’s coupons couldbe intimidating, inspiring, and infuriatingbut most of all intriguing. He couldscowl and ferociously rant with the bestof them on the sidelines. Off the court,however, he was known for helpingmany in need. He was also blessed witha quick and desert-dry wit.To say that Meyer, who passed away

peacefully at his home in Aberdeen,South Dakota at the age of 69 after along and courageous battle with cancer,was just a basketball coach is far too in-adequate of a description of his life. Hewas a talker. He was a listener. Most ofall he was a philosopher who could finda lesson in almost any aspect of life.He was a note taker and those who

played for him also took notes. They did

more than scribble words. They tookwhat he said and allowed it to sink intotheir minds. But most importantly theyallowed the meanings of those words tofind places in their hearts.Those players have passed along

much of Coach Meyer’s philosophy totheir own children, family members,employees and co-workers. In the con-tinuum of life, his words will be heard bygenerations who never met him person-ally or heard him speak – the earth’sversion of immortality.Born in Wayne, Nebraska, Coach

Meyer graduated from the University ofNorthern Colorado in 1967 with a majorin physical education and a minor inEnglish.He first coached as an assistant at

Western State in Colorado from 1968-70.He also served as an assistant coach atthe University of Utah from 1970-72 andearned his Ph.D. during that time. Hisfirst head coaching job at Hamline wasfrom 1972-75.Coach Meyer came to Lipscomb in

1975 to take over a basketball programsorely in need of a change in direction, ateam with only one season with 20 ormore wins in its history. Relatively un-known, he was a coach from HamlineUniversity, a man with a 37-41 recordwho would take the Lipscomb programto historic heights.By the time he left following the 1998-

99 season, he had led the Bisons to 12seasons with 30 or more wins. In 1986,his team captured the NAIA NationalChampionship. The 1989-90 team set anational season record winning 41games, losing only five.His players also succeeded at record

levels. He produced the top two scorersin the history of college basketball,three national players of the year and22 All-Americans. He also produced all-

time career leaders in 3-point shooting,steals and assists.In the summers he didn’t rest on his

laurels. He started the most successfulbasketball camp in the country with anaverage of 5,000 campers each year.He became known for his instructionalvideos and was sought out by coachesfor advice and for coaching clinics andseminars.It would be a daunting task to find a

basketball coach at any level of thegame who is unfamiliar with CoachMeyer’s camps, clinics or videos. Inboth Tennessee and South Dakota, thestates where he spent the majority ofhis career, his influence can be seen onalmost every high school basketballcourt.When Lipscomb Athletics decided to

start the process of moving to theNCAA Division I level, Meyer chose toleave his position as head coach of theBisons. He had reached the 500-victorylevel faster than any coach in collegiatehistory while with Lipscomb.At his next stop, Northern State, he

continued his winning ways and retiredas the winningest coach in college bas-ketball history. The 2009-2010 seasonwas his last on the bench, but it was nothis choice.On Sept. 5, 2008 Coach Meyer was

injured in an automobile accident. Eightsurgeries would be needed, includingthe amputation of his left leg below theknee. During the course of his treatment,cancer was discovered in both his liverand small intestine.Many people faced with such a diag-

nosis would resign themselves to waitfor the inevitable, but Coach Meyer wasa fighter who would not go to the canvaswithout a fight. He was invigorated andspent his time traveling the countryspeaking to all type of audiences – from

D O N M E Y E R • C H U C K R O S S • J E F F S P I V E Y

OUR LOSS. THEIR GAIN.

IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS THE LIPSCOMB ATHLETICS FAMILY

HAS EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO, IN THEIR OWN SPECIAL WAYS, MADE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PROGRAM.

Lady Bisons were ranked 36th, the high-est ranking prior to this season.“This team has a higher RPI than the

2010 team and off and on has been re-ceiving votes for the top 25 all season,”Ryman said. “I think this season’s sched-ule was a little tougher than in 2010,which resulted in a higher RPI ranking forus. I would think we would stay higherthan 35, which would be our highestranking.”Ryman and her staff are saying good-

bye to seven seniors – Ashley Anderson,Bridgette Begle, Kelsey Cartwright, Rena’Cothron, Haley Elliott, Heather Parker andKristen Sturdivant.But Ryman doesn’t see 2015 as a re-

building season. She is counting on herfreshman class to step in and contributequickly for 2015. Brianne Welch, GraceyAguirre, Jordan Abell and Paige Neely willform the senior class.“We had the best individual meetings

with players that we have ever had at theend of this season,” Ryman said. “Our re-turners are really anxious to get backafter it and improve on where they arenow.“We will have a great group of seniors.

They all have different leadership types ofpersonalities. I think they are going to bea really cool leadership group for us.”The goal for Ryman and her staff is to

take the best parts of 2014 and the les-sons learned and incorporate them intothe 2015 team.“If we get the leadership like we had

this past season, have players that werein smaller roles this year rise to the occa-sion and players in bigger roles continueto improve, we are going to be back in aregional.“We will have to win some of those big

games along the way, and we are going tohave a tough schedule again next year.We will be tested.”Ryman was one of the few involved

with the 2014 team that knew what it waslike to play in an NCAA Regional. Shewants her returning players to remembertheir experiences this year as a motiva-tion to want to be there again as soon aspossible.“They had such a blast being on that

stage and being one of the 32 teams stillstanding,” Ryman said. “We have told the

returning players to use that to drivethem. Every day I want them to say this iswhat we are working for.

“There is no reason why we can’t getback there year-after-year. That is theultimate goal.”

Coach Kristin Ryman Bridgette Begle

Pitcher Ashley Anderson

Shown here prior to the finals of the NCAA Knoxville Regional, theLady Bisons finished their season with an RPI of 33, the highest intheir young history.


the Lipscomb women’s basketball teamto the management and coaches in theAtlanta Braves baseball system.In 2009 at the ESPN Espy Awards,

Coach Meyer was presented the“Jimmy V Award for Perseverance,”named in honor of the late collegecoach Jim Valvano.The court at Allen Arena was named

in Coach Meyer’s honor on Dec. 3, 2011.The playing floor at Northern State alsobears his name.He is a member of the Tennessee

Sports Hall of Fame, the South DakotaSports Hall of Fame, the Lipscomb Ath-letics Hall of Fame, the Northern StateHall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Lipscomb’s No. 1 FanChuck Ross, Lipscomb’s No. 1 fan,

died Sept. 13 in Nashville at the age of68. Ross’ love, zeal and dedication forthe Bisons will be forever remembered.He was a familiar sight at Lipscomb

men’s and women’s basketball gamesfor decades. He was also a diehard fanof both Lipscomb Academy and theNashville Sounds.For more than six decades, Chuck

seldom was absent from a Lipscombsporting event. During the summers hecould be found at Greer Stadium wear-ing a Nashville Sounds jacket buttonedto the top of his neck and his Soundshat on his head.He attended games at Maplewood

and Goodpasture High Schools whenthey didn’t conflict with a Lipscombevent. His mother, Corinne, was at hisside until her death.

Chuck was known for his daily calls toanyone who would answer and for hisinfectious smile. He dealt with extraor-dinary circumstances in his life, but toall who met him he was an even moreextraordinary person.Former Lipscomb coach Don Meyer

once had a business card embossedwith the question, “Have you calledChuck today?” To be more accurate itshould have read, “Has Chuck calledyou today?” because Chuck wan’t oneto wait around for the phone to ring.When Coach Meyer left in 1999,

Chuck assumed the duty of deliveringpregame speeches for the Lady Bisons.For the next 10 or so years, AssistantCoach Billy Snell was his speech writer.Nashville sports media members and

sports personalities received numerousphone calls from Chuck. Often he wouldcall and ask questions that he knew theanswers to already.If Chuck called with a scoop, media

members were wise to follow up. Chuckalways seems to know what was goingon around the Nashville sports world.The list of telephone numbers Chuck

had at his fingertips was incredible.Athletes, media and sports executiveswere all in his files.During Chuck’s lifetime Nashville’s

sports landscape expanded enormously.The Tennessee Titans and NashvillePredators came on the scene, butChuck remained loyal to his roots –supporting the Sounds, Vanderbilt, Bel-mont and most of all, Lipscomb.

A Man of VersatilityIn the Lipscomb athletic department

Jeff Spivey was the ultimate utility man.During his time with the Bisons he

wore a number of hats ranging fromprint shop director to volleyball coach. After graduating from Lipscomb in

1981, Spivey began the operation of thecampus print shop where much of hiswork centered around the production ofmotivational cards for Coach Meyer. Asa result, they developed a special bond.He served as the intramural athletics

director before making the transition tofull-time work in the athletics department. In athletics, Spivey worked as sports

information director, tennis coach andsoftball coach. But perhaps his biggestlegacy will be his work with volleyball. Jeff Spivey started the Lady Bison

volleyball program and coached themfrom 1994-1999. Despite directing astartup program on a shoestringbudget, he posted a 109-98 record. As a coach, Spivey firmly believed in

the term “student-athlete” and he wasgenuine in his concern for his players.Former Athletics Director Jonathan

Seamon worked with Spivey.“Jeff was a friend and he loved being

part of the Lipscomb family,” Seamonsaid. “Whatever we needed – help withtennis or softball or starting a new sportlike volleyball – Jeff was willing to helpand everyone liked Jeff.”Jeff Spivey, on the Lipscomb campus,

will always be remembered as a trueservant-leader.

–Mark McGee

D O N M E Y E R • C H U C K R O S S • J E F F S P I V E Y THREE LATE-BREAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE ATLANTIC SUN CONFERENCE

Breaking NewsTessa Hoefle Named Atlantic SunFemale Student-Athlete of the Year

MACON, Ga. – The Atlantic Sun Conferenceawarded Lipscomb's Tessa Hoefle the 2014Female Student-Athlete of the Year.Hoefle is a three-time A-Sun Cross Country

Scholar Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 GPA major-ing in English. She earned A-Sun All-Academichonors in 10 of her 11 seasons and also in hercareer garnered national CoSIDA and Capitol OneAcademic honors.Lipscomb selected Hoefle as a co-recipient

of the 2014 James R. Byers Award, the highesthonor awarded to an active student-athlete. Theaward acknowledges outstanding Christianleadership and proven academic and athleticexcellence. Hoefle was a three-year captain and helped

the Bisons to become three-time defending A-Sun women’s cross country champion. An A-Sunindividual champion in 2013 in the 5,000 meters,she also earned All-ASun honors in the 3k, 5kand steeplechase throughout her career. Hoefleholds Lipscomb’s outdoor record in the 4x1500mand is a five-time winner of the “For the Team”and “Total Commitment” awards for the Bisons,selected by her teammates and coaches.Hoefle also found time to invest in others.

She served as a tutor for younger students,mentored freshman teammates, organized and

participated in service projects and mission endeavors, and lived out her faiththrough discipleship and leadership in FCA, among other organizations.

Lipscomb Wins All-AcademicChampionshipThis year Lipscomb Athletics can

boast about many championships andfirsts (see front cover.)However, the school from Nashville

can boast of another 2014 championship:the Atlantic Sun All-Academic Trophy.The All-Academic Trophy is awarded

to the conference institution with thehighest percentage of athletes who re-ceive All-Academic honors – achieving acumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher for thefall and spring semesters for that year. For 2013-2014 seventy-eight percent

of the Lipscomb student-athletes whoappear on a final squad list for theirteam(s) earned that distinction.The trophy is not a “first” – Lipscomb

also won in 2010 – but it is meaningful.It signifies athletes’ excellence in bothacademic endeavors and athletic com-petition, and it reflects the program’semphasis on four chief cornerstones:academic success, high athleticachievement, extensive communityservice, and spiritual growth.Among the 210 athletes who received

All-Academic accolades, a number ofathletes merited special honors. Sev-enty-eight were named ConferenceScholars: those who had earned at least48 hours at Lipscomb and a cumulativeGPA of 3.40 or higher. The designationof Commissioner’s Scholar went tothree athletes with cumulative GPAsbetween 3.60 and 3.799 and a mini-mum of 48 hours. The highest honor—President’s Scholar—was also awardedto three athletes who had exhaustedtheir eligibility and graduated with cu-mulative GPAs in the 3.80-4.00 range.The A-Sun All-Academic Trophy is

tangible proof that our student-athletesseek and attain not only victories intheir sport, but also the academicknowledge and professional skills thatwill enhance their futures.

Colorado DraftsHunter BrothersLipscomb rignt-handed pitcher

Hunter Brothers was selected by theColorado Rockies in the 30th round ofthe 2014 MLB Draft.The Chapel Hill native became the

30th draftee in Lipscomb history andthe eighth Bison to be taken in the lasteight years. Brothers was also draftedby the Rockies last season – in the 24thround.

This season,Brothers went3-2 on themound with a4.57 ERA in 15appearances (13starts). In 65innings pitched,he recorded 55strikeouts. The redshirt junior joins former Bisons

Bo McLaughlin (bullpen coach/assistantpitching coach) and his brother, RexBrothers (relief pitcher), and in theColorado organization.

NASHVILLE VANDERB ILTNASHVILLE VANDERB ILT

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Documents

2013-14 Lipscomb Athletics Annual Report