Reflecting on a great year

Dear Bobcat Nation –

There comes a time when you reflect on the past year and think about the great successes and achievements made/achieved by our student-athletes, coaches, staff and department. For me it is when the school year has ended, graduation is but a memory and the dust has settled on another academic year.

The women’s soccer team punched the program’s first-ever ticket to the NCAA Tournament this past fall.

And while doing reports for different groups on campus, I am still quite proud of the fact we had our five fall sports teams make the NCAA Tournament, our basketball teams both made the Conference Carolinas Tournament and the rebuilding efforts of our spring sports.

But, something even better stands out to me and I must share it with you and shout it from the mountaintop.

We had 162 student-athletes make the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll! To make this list one must have a grade point average of at least 3.20. To place this into a proper perspective, over 60% of our student-athletes had over a 3.2 GPA.

I will give you more numbers to give you an idea of the great and rewarding success this is. We had 10 teams with over a 3.0 GPA in the spring semester, our busiest. We also had 10 teams who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0.

For the fall we had a 2.95 GPA; then a 3.01 in the spring to give us a cumulative grade point average of 2.98!!!

Taking into account that these teams are practicing, competing and traveling 20 hours a week, this is a tribute to hard work and dedication. I would be foolish not to mention the great work of our Challenging Athletes to Success (CATS) program and how it has helped with time management, writing, math and general study skills.

So as you think about this special place in the mountains of western North Carolina, realize this: we put more emphasis on the classroom success than we do the great athletic accomplishments as we prepare young people for a prosperous life after their days in Banner Elk.

Have a great summer.

Best wishes

Craig

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Bobcats serve with pride on Mountain Day

Women's soccer cleans up around their practice field

Folks, yesterday was Lees-McRae College’s Mountain Day of Service and what a major success it was.

Often times numbers don’t lie. As a former cross country/track coach, I lived by numbers and few did I dispute.

So, when I look at the report from our Dean of Students, Allison Norris, member of our Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame, it was astounding to see the volume of workers, projects completed and hours served.

402 participants

30 projects

2814 hours of service

From my side of campus, our athletic teams did a phenomenal job on getting several key projects completed.

The men's volleyball team loads up for a trip to the dump

Men’s volleyball took apart old wooden lockers that we had stored between the indoor tennis courts and the indoor pool. I think they took about 7 pick-up loads to the dump.

Men’s and women’s basketball stained all of the wooden fences in front of and around Williams Physical Education Center.

Women’s soccer painted picnic tables and worked on painting the press box.

Track and Field did a major clean up for the upcoming Conference Carolinas Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Women’s volleyball worked on a Disc Golf Course.

Cycling did a massive clean-up on the trail system.

Men’s lacrosse stained their new lockers in the locker room.

Track and field works hard to get the facilities ready for next weekend's conference championships

Men’s soccer planted grass seed, re-worked the netting on the soccer goals, and did various other projects to make sure their practice and game fields are ready for the fall.

And many more student-athletes participated in making Lees-McRae a better place yesterday.

It was indeed a great day to see so many people coming together, working for a common goal and then seeing the fruits of their labor afterwards.

My sincere thanks to all who made an impact on the future of this college.

Best wishes

Craig

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Giving Thanks

The Lees-McRazies make their debut

After having a fall like we have had in our athletic department, I have spent some time reflecting on just how incredible it has been and what it has meant to so many. We have five NCAA fall sports teams and they all made it to the NCAA Tournament. Our cycling program was sixth at Track Nationals and fourth at Mountain Bike Nationals.

 

So, while thinking about it I realized there are many reasons to give thanks this time of year.

 

I am thankful for  . . .

 

•             The river rock buildings that make up our beautiful campus.

•             The cloudless skies that showcase the treasured environment that surrounds Lees-McRae, Banner Elk and the Appalachian Mountains.

•             The Australian cheer that has survived more than a decade and used to rally teams with a simple oy-oy-oy and Bobcat, Bobcat, Bobcat!!!

•             Cold winter nights to remind me it is time for basketball season to begin.

•             The clanging of weights, loud music and grunts coming from the weight room as student-athletes try to get stronger, faster and healthier.

•             Balls bouncing, whistles whistling signifying teaching in a gym filled with basketball players.

•             Being able to see the breath of an athlete practicing in the chilled airs

•             Professors who care. Professors who come to games, support our endeavors and look after our young people.

•             Our maintenance and housekeeping staff who do all they can to make our surroundings look brand new every day.

•             Coaches. Young and experienced, they are making a difference in a young person’s life and for the better!

•             Parents who trust coaches to do their job and take every method to make sure the journey of college is marked by making right decisions.

•             College sports. Where does the lesson of life get taught any better. Sacrifices, handling adversity, overcoming issues, challenging to reach potential, reward for hard work and achievement.

•             Lees-McRazies. A student-led cheer group who will soon be able to impact a game because of their cheers, school spirit and pride.

•             Dedicated staff. How can one enjoy 60+ hour work weeks, they know they are making an impact and for all the right reasons.

•             Van rides, huddles, time outs, half times and any chance a person gets to be in a close knit group with those they are working with to be the best.

•             Green grass. Signifies health, time to play, and a chance to showcase our facilities.

•             Yellow fuzz, it lets me know our tennis team is practicing away in our indoor tennis court.

•             The view from lane one of the swimming pool with Hanging Rock in the distance and the water temperature is 82 degrees.

•             Friends and family. Those who support the efforts and understand the issues of working in higher education while recognizing the importance of sports.

•             RA’s and RD’s who make sure all are safe and everyone understands consequences of actions, helping further the education of making right, healthy decisions.

•             An admissions staff eager to bring the next generation of Lees-McRae students to campus and invigorate our campus with actions and activities.

•             Outdoor programming, because where else can you sleep next to a running river and hike up a mountain in a span of five minutes.

•             My job, because I know how important it is to be held accountable and hold others to the same high standard and if we are going to have any amount of success, whether it be in or out of the classroom, I need to be appreciative of the chance I have been given and thankful for all those around me who have made this fall and many more to come such a great one.

 

Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving

 

Craig

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Basking in the Glory

Dear Bobcat Nation –

 

Unprecedented.

Never been done before.

Unrivaled success.

 

These three statements conjure up some of my thoughts after experiencing a fall sports season like what Lees-McRae College and its athletic department has witnessed. All five fall sports teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year!!!!

 

Let that sink in and realize that men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball are amongst the very best in the country at the NCAA Division II level. This is rare and special. A tribute to the faculty and staff, coaching staff and the student-athletes.

 

On many campus’s Athletic Directors get pleased over having a team qualify for post-season play, for me this is unchartered territory and I thought I would simply share with you my thoughts and emotions of a week filled with so many ups and downs.

 

Last weekend we watched the cross country teams compete with tremendous heart in the NCAA Regional, men’s soccer coming so close but losing on Sunday, while the women captured their first conference championship in a decade, setting up a crazy week.

 

On Tuesday night, our No. 1 seeded women’s volleyball team hosted the 8th seeded Belmont Abbey Crusaders. It was a complete nail-biter going five sets and our Bobcats coming out on top. In other words, it was a wake-up call!

 

On Wednesday, our men’s soccer team traveled to Anderson, SC to take on No. 3 seed and a top-15 men’s soccer program in the Trojans. We scored two goals in the first 20 minutes and were sitting on Easy Street, until our nerves started playing with our emotions. We gave up two goals and went to overtime, not good for any AD! But our freshman magic of Scott Alford and James Smith provided a goal with 35 seconds left in the first overtime to win.

 

And on Friday for a brief moment, there was this scenario playing out . . .

a.            Women’s soccer in Hickory, playing Columbus State in 1st round of the NCAA tournament with a 1-0 lead

b.            Men’s soccer in Hartsville, SC, playing No. 10 Flagler and tied at 1-1, in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament

c.             Women’s volleyball hosting King in Banner Elk, NC and up 2-0 in the semifinal match of the Conference Carolinas tournament

d.            Men’s basketball matching up against Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

 

Sadly, the run ended for men’s and women’s soccer, but no without some great memories of a wonderful season. Men’s basketball played tough against App, but lost. However, women’s volleyball marched on to their date with Queens in the Conference Championship on Sunday.

 

With a packed Williams Gymnasium, our women’s volleyball team cruised by the Royals in 3 games and won their 13th conference championship in 14 years and will now advance to the NCAA Tournament!!! Megan Epperson was named Tournament MVP, Coach Wes Schneider was named Coach of the Year and freshman Sariah Suryadevara was named Co-Freshman of the Year.

 

After almost 1,000 miles in my car this week, I have had plenty of time to reflect on what this week has meant to me as well as the college. We have competed at our best and for the hard work and dedication that goes into being a team we have been truly rewarded by having the opportunity to play in the post-season tournaments showcasing our character, talents and development. I know this, those young people will be able to share their story with their grandkids one day and look back on this week as very memorable time in their lives.

 

It sure will be for me.

 

Again, thank you for your support, encouragement, time and dedication to making this possible.

 

Best Wishes

 

Craig

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The Joy of Success

I road in my car yesterday for over 8 hours and had lots of time to reflect on the week that was in Lees-McRae Athletics. It takes just under four hours to go to Hartsville, SC, home of Coker College and our opponent in the championship game of men’s soccer for Conference Carolinas, where our men took on the NCAA Division II 5th ranked Cobras. The outcome was not what we (Bobcat fans) wanted, but it did allow me a chance to think about this perspective . . . Success.

The Bobcats celebrate their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid

This past week, we hosted five soccer games, two of those games went down to the very end, penalty kicks and we won both of them. The last one was for the women’s soccer conference championship. As Bobcat Bank swelled with hundreds of fans, I gazed up there thinking about how everyone will remember this week, and weekend. I know I will as Success.

The fans stood out in the pouring rain on Thursday to cheer the women on late into the night, and again on Friday they cheered the men’s team on in the muddy battle they had.

And the more they cheered, the better we played! The songs, the cheers, made everyone rally together in the name of Success.

So, when we opened the gates and the students rushed the field to celebrate with the women’s team after each of those gut-wrenching wins, I felt proud to see the loyalty and pride displayed through hard work and Success.

This week our women’s volleyball team will host the Conference Carolinas Women’s Volleyball tournament and with an 18-0 regular season record, we hope to enjoy some Success!

And if we are fortunate to win next Sunday, we’ll get a bid to the NCAA tournament, thus putting us in great position to secure the first fall ever in the history of the Lees-McRae College athletic department where all five fall sports teams make the NCAA post season tournament . . . . Successful!

I forgot to mention how our cross country teams did so well at the NCAA Division II Southeast Region with two women, Emily and Katherine Shields and one man Sondre Thorbergsen earning NCAA All-Region honors.

Please join me in congratulating the young men and women who wear the uniform with a distinct privilege and represent it with the class, character, and belief in an institution of higher learning, because they have shown Success this week and for many more to come.

Thank you Bobcat Nation for making us a Success.

Craig

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Young leaders in action

Few athletic departments are fortunate enough to have as many rising stars in the coaching ranks as Lees-McRae, and even fewer are those that employ better ambassadors of the college and their respective sports.

Women's soccer coach Cally Morrill

Earlier today, women’s soccer head coach Cally Morrill has awarded Conference Carolinas’ highest coaching honor, being named the Conference Carolinas Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year after leading the Bobcats to an 11-1 record in league play, as Lees-McRae captured both the Western Division and regular season titles. Cally has transformed the women’s soccer program virtually overnight, taking the reins of a team that had not finished in the top half of the conference standings since 2003, and leading the program to a conference championship just two years later.

Men's soccer coach Lee Squires

And then there’s men’s soccer coach Lee Squires, who just a season ago was a senior and captain on the squad. Lee has done a remarkable job in his transition from player to coach, bringing in such quality young men on such short notice and leading a very young team to a second-place finish in the conference standings. Coach Squires has handled the transition and all its obstacles with class and patience befitting a coach 10 years his senior, and as an administrator, I look forward to watching him grow as a player and a coach over the years to come.

Women's volleyball coach Wes Schneider

I would be remiss if I forgot about women’s volleyball coach Wes Schneider, who stepped in prior to last season and has yet to lose a conference match, leading the Bobcats to back-to-back regular season championships with a 35-0 record in league play to date. Wes is truly the right man for the job, teaching these special young women to play the game the right way while carrying themselves with grace and confidence.

Working as closely with our programs as I do, it is always a true joy to see the hard work and sacrifices of our coaches and student-athletes pay dividends, whether it’s in the form of individual accolades, conference championships, or hopefully regional and perhaps national championships. To see the joy and satisfaction on their faces when they accomplish their goals is always special, and it truly makes my task of publicizing them that much more enjoyable.

The success and dedication of our soccer and volleyball programs truly makes each fall in Banner Elk a special time of the year, and with the championship season in full swing, time is running out to watch these tremendous men and women at work. So come by and see us, and witness for yourself what I am talking about.

All the best,

Whitney

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Working together for Success!

We have talked quite a few times over the past couple of months about teamwork and what it takes to be successful.  Craig talked about success in his last blog post, and as this week has progressed, I have begun thinking about what it takes to win championships.

Teamwork is something that we instill in our athletic teams.  From the first day, we talk about what it takes to win a championship, and it always comes down to teamwork.  This teamwork can be seen when you walk into the gym with Megan Mitchell, Megan Epperson, Taylor Clendenin, and the rest of our women’s volleyball team as they push for another Conference Championship.

Men’s soccer and cycling have each enjoyed a great success over the past few years, and when it really comes down to it, teamwork is the reason.  This teamwork was seen in 2009 when the men’s soccer team made its magical run to the national championship match.  This teamwork is also seen in the continued success of the cycling team, both individually and as a whole.

This season has seen the rise of our women’s soccer team to the elite among the conference ranks, battling to their first outright championship since joining Conference Carolinas/CVAC.  The teamwork that has been exhibited by our women’s team is evidenced in an 11-1 conference record this season.

Now, as we enter into the Conference Carolinas Tournament, this teamwork takes center stage.  Our teams will continue to strive toward this goal, looking to take hold of the success that awaits them around the corner, but there is one more teammate that they all need on board.  That teammate is you, Bobcat Nation! As much as the success on the field is valued, to continue pushing toward that success, these young men and women need you there to cheer them on.

When Bobcat Bank or Williams Gymnasium is full, there is an atmosphere that is indescribably different than the times when it seems as if the only ones in attendance are the players, coaches, and game day staff.  We need you to help continue our success.

Please take the opportunity next week to come out and support our soccer and volleyball teams as they push for that success that we speak so much about.  Thank you, Bobcat Nation, we will see you at the games!

Phillip Greene
Community Relations Manager

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What is success?

Freshman Emily Shields

I went to the Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championships this past Friday and watched the young people wearing the Lees-McRae College colors proudly, giving their all in a human footrace. Freshman Emily Shields (Salisbury, N.C) finished 10th and broke 19 minutes for a 5k for the first time in her life to earn Freshman Runner of the Year honors.

In watching this, I thought to myself: what is success? All of the hard work and dedication that goes into the workouts, training, taking care of her body, sacrificing so much for this one goal.

Senior Megan Epperson

And then I hear about Megan Epperson, (St. John, Ind.) becoming the College’s all-time kills leader for women’s volleyball. Knowing the

proud tradition we have had and the teams and players who have come before Megan, I was left with the thought of how successful a career she has had. Currently our volleyball team is 14-0 in conference play this season, having won 44 straight in league competition dating back to 2009.

The 2011 Bobcats

Or what about the great accomplishments of our women’s soccer team this year. All they have done is go 11-0 in the conference and win the regular season conference championship. Talk about success, every time I watch them play I feel like each of those young women will look back on this season with a gleam in their eye because of this success.

Freshman Preston Shahdad

What about our men’s soccer program, which suffered a tough home loss on senior night, and then rallied to play their hearts out against Coker, ranked seventh in the NCAA Division II on Saturday night? The game went into extra time and finally our Bobcats pushed one past the end line on a corner kick, as freshman Preston Shahdad (Charlotte, N.C.) bounced the winner into the back of the net. Do you think the boys/lads/young men felt successful that evening?

I know as the Director of Athletics, when we have a weekend like this, I do.

Be a part of this special place and follow along to our great success at http://www.lmcbobcats.com

And thanks for letting me share our success.

Craig

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Calm, Cold, and Collected

Emily Jones (#17 in white) led the women's soccer team to victory with a goal and an assist.

This weekend was special in many ways here at Lees-McRae College.  Old faces making their way back to their former stomping grounds to mingle with fellow Bobcats, and reminisce about the times that were had here in Banner Elk.

There were many alumni on campus during the weekend’s festivities, taking part in numerous events around campus, many of whom made their way over to support our athletic teams on Saturday.  We had a number of events taking place, from alumni games to in-season contests; all bringing together our current and former Bobcats as one nation!

The morning was crisp and cold, with snow bringing in the month of October.  The weather did not seem to have an impact on the atmosphere, with fans making their way to the fields to cheer on the Lees-McRae athletes.  Women’s soccer got the in-season action underway around 1:00 p.m., and opened scoring quickly to pull away to a 4-1 halftime advantage over the Barton Bulldogs.

In the gym, as the women’s teams geared up for the second half, the women’s volleyball team took the court against Belmont Abbey and began with a 25-17 win in game one of the match.  As game one was ending, the women’s soccer team was making their way back out to Tate field for the second half.  Three goals later, the contest ended with a Bobcat victory, 6-2.  Meanwhile, back in Williams Gymnasium the Bobcats had wrapped up game two, 25-14, and were putting the finishing touches on a 25-14 third set to earn the 3-0 victory.

Moments later, the homecoming court was introduced to the fans braving the cold on Bobcat Bank, while the men’s soccer team began warm-ups for their Homecoming contest.

As the afternoon progressed, the fans in attendance were treated to a classic soccer match between the Bobcat men’s soccer team and regionally ranked Barton College.  As the first half ended, the Bulldogs held a 1-0 advantage and were looking strong as the teams headed off the pitch.  The Bobcats opened the second half with a flurry of activity, as the flurries continued to fall on Tate Field, and in the 75th minute evened the score as Scott Alford brought the crowd to their feet.

Alford tallied a second goal to put the Bobcats up in the 78th minute to bring the crowd alive, and wrap up the Homecoming festivities in remarkable and memorable fashion.  It truly was a good weekend to be a Bobcat!

 

Wily Bobcat

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Fun weekend of volleyball ahead

Coming up this weekend, the Lees-McRae women’s volleyball team will welcome 18 aspiring players onto campus for their annual summer camp. The camp is scheduled to start on Thursday, June 23rd with registration beginning at 5 p.m. There are still slots open, and walk-ins are welcome and encouraged, so feel free to arrive at 5 p.m. to register and take part in a full-filled weekend of volleyball!

The camp will run through Sunday, June 26th, featuring three and a half days of learning, playing, and competing. Participants will enjoy meals in the LMC cafeteria, and experience life in the College’s dorms for three nights. If anyone has any questions about the camp or would to reserve their spot for the weekend, please contact Wes Schneider, head women’s volleyball coach, at schneiderw@lmc.edu. We hope to see you on Thursday and go Bobcats!

Wes Schneider
Head women’s volleyball coach

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