Athletic NEWS. UVa-Wise. As we complete the transition to NCAA. Every gift makes a difference! A Message from the director of athletics...

Transcription

1 8 WHAT S INSIDE: Hunter Smith Family Foundation hallenge PAGE 2 Community onnetions PAGE 6 Meet the Cavaliers events PAGE 7 Every gift makes a differene! UVa-Wise Athleti NEWS A Message from the diretor of athletis... As we omplete the transition to NCAA Division II, everyone involved with UVa-Wise athletis would like to extend thanks to all of our friends and supporters. Without eah and every one of you, we would not be where we are today. As we ontinue to grow, UVa-Wise has begun its Envisioning 2020 strategi plan, whih inludes a $10 million endowed athleti Danny Sterling sholarship ampaign. Your help with this ampaign will ensure that we are able to reruit high quality student-athletes to beome part of the Highland Cavalier family. The inlusion of athletis in Envisioning 2020 demonstrates the College s ommitment to beoming a valuable and ompetitive Division II program. We know you share our optimism on the future of the athleti department, and we owe it to eah of you to work as hard as possible to proudly represent the traditions and history of UVa-Wise. Sinerely, TM Danny Sterling Diretor of Athletis Vol. 4, Issue I Spring 2015 As tuition inreases, sholarship opportunities are vital to reruiting high quality ollege students and athletes. Finding the right fit is definitely important to prospetive students, but ost is beoming inreasingly signifiant in ollege seletion. The more ompetitive we an be with our sholarship offers and finanial pakages, the more ompetitive we an be on the ourt. The ability to ontribute finanial support for a quality eduation, a valuable athleti experiene and personal growth is an essential investment in the foundation of a student s long term eduational, professional, and personal goals. - Kristen Salyer ( 10) UVa Wise Head Volleyball Coah The UVa-Wise Athleti News is an athleti development newsletter from the Offie of Development and College Relations at The University of Virginia s College at Wise

2 Hunter Smith Family Foundation Challenge Gift The UVa-Wise Highland Cavalier athleti program reeived a hallenge gift of $3 million through the Hunter Smith Family Foundation. Hunter J. Smith and her late husband, Carl W. Smith, have been steadfast supporters of the College and its athleti program for more than two deades. In addition to this game-hanging hallenge gift, the Foundation has funded annual athleti sholarships sine the ineption of the Highland Cavalier football program in The Smith s generosity provided for the onstrution of Carl Smith Stadium and Mrs. Smith provided funding for the Hunter J. Smith Dining Commons, the renovation of the Lila Viars Smith House and an endowment for the Marhing Band. The Hunter Smith Family Foundation s hallenge gift enouraged many to ontribute and was mathed by a total of $3.05 million from 122 donors. These funds, in addition to other reently endowed athleti sholarships, position the College to reah its endowed athleti fundraising goal of $10 million. Endowed athleti sholarships provide funding that enables the College to reruit top student-athletes. While the notoriety assoiated with the College s move to the NCAA will garner the attention of student-athletes, the ability to attrat and retain these students is driven by our apaity to offer athleti sholarships at a level omparable to other NCAA Division II teams. Beause of the generosity of the Hunter Smith Family Foundation and those who mathed this hallenge gift, the College is better situated Hunter Smith to suessfully ompete in the Mountain East Conferene and the NCAA. Faulty, staff, and students owe a debt of gratitude to Mrs. Smith and her late husband, Carl, for their ommitment to ensuring the College and its students have aess to failities and resoures not often realized at most small, liberal arts institutions. Athleti Sholarship Funds Ben E. and Dorothy A. Allen & James J. and Doris June Seay Sholarship Fund Kenneth P. Asbury Sholarship Fund B. F. Athleti Sholarship Fund Mihael G. Basham Memorial Sholarship Fund Joshua Bentley Memorial Football Sholarship Fund Pat Bevins Sholarship Fund Samuel Erik Bevins Sholarship Fund Ralph & Carolyn Cummins Sholarship Fund Carroll Dale & Tray Stallard Cavs Sholarship Fund Dwaine Davis, Sr. Sholarship Fund R. Winston Ely & Tamara S. Ely Sholarship Fund Barbara Sutton Fraley Sholarship Fund Maria Adams Gilliam Sholarship Fund Marvin and Maria Gilliam CAVS Sholarship Fund Rihard and Leslie Gilliam Athleti Sholarship Fund Charles W. Harris III Athleti Memorial Sholarship Fund Darrell and Joy P. Holbrook Football Sholarship Fund Jim N. Humphreys Sholarship Fund Luien P. and Glessye Humphreys Sholarship Fund Hunt Commerial Properties Group Athleti Sholarship Fund Lewey K. and Brenda B. Lee Sholarship Fund Sara Lee Corporation Sholarship Fund Helen Popp Lewis Athleti Sholarship Fund MReynolds Sholarship Fund Danny G. and Kimberly Mullins Athleti Sholarship Fund Doug and Ceilia Mullins & Carrie Blevins Mullins Memorial Sholarship Fund Murray Energy Corporation Sholarship Fund C. Gary Rakes Sholarship Fund Candae B. Rakes Sholarship Fund Kent Rigg Sholarship Fund Judge James C. Roberson and Franes Cantrell Robinson Sholarship Fund Sewell, Pridemore and Ely Sholarship Fund Hunter Smith Athleti Sholarship Fund South-West Insurane Ageny Sholarship Fund Coah Burhell Slew and Iloe Read Stallard Sholarship Fund Robert and Jeannie Stallard Athleti Sholarship Fund Earnest C. Starker Memorial Athleti Sholarship Fund Jimmy C. Stewart Sholarship Fund Susie Sturgill Athleti Sholarship Fund Brenda Swindall Football Sholarship Fund Coah Tom Turner Sholarship Fund

3 The Highland Cavalier Club is an organization that aids and supports the athleti programs of the College and soliits funds for the furtherane of the entire athletis program. Individuals making a gift to UVa-Wise athletis are automatially members. The Highland Cavalier Club is a omponent of The University of Virginia s College at Wise Foundation, In. Stat Fundraisers The Highland Cavalier Club has reated an opportunity for UVa-Wise Sports fans to get involved in the exitement of the game. Stat fundraisers offer fans a hane to support the Highland Cavalier Athletis Program and follow games on a more hands-on level. The first annual football stat fundraiser seured almost $8,500 for the athleti programs. The Highland Cavalier Club is urrently promoting a basketball stat fundraiser, whih will garner additional funding for our programs. Based on the suess of these two fundraisers, other stat fundraisers are planned next season and will inlude other sports programs. Student Athlete Appreiation Event The Highland Cavalier Club will be hosting its annual student- athlete appreiation event on Wednesday, April 29 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Dogwood Room of the Slemp Student Center. This event was reated for the Highland Cavalier Club members to show their appreiation for our student-athletes for their hard work both on the field of ompetition and in the lassroom. The event will inlude a presentation of the Highland Cavalier Club sholarship, honoring a rising senior female and male student-athlete. Reipients are hosen from a pool of appliants nominated by the oahing staff. For additional information about the Highland Cavalier Club, ontat: Offie of Athleti Development Bowers-Sturgill Hall 1 College Avenue, Wise, Virginia Phone: / Fax: keh3x@uvawise.edu Basketball Homeoming In onjuntion with the final home games of the basketball season, the College welomed bak alumni who previously partiipated in the basketball program. Homeoming partiipants wathed as the Highland Cavalier men s and women s basketball teams ompeted against onferene rivals Conord University on Saturday, February 28 in the David J. Prior Convoation Center. Larry Russell 72, Jared Stapleton 05, Brian Powers 97 and Bill Wendle 93 Vanessa Lester 03, Jeff Lester 04 and daughter Paisley Ed Conley, Pam Conley 84, Dik Davidson, Paje Law, Nat Law 99 and Bill Henry Miller 66

4 Women s Larosse inaugural season The muh antiipated inaugural season of Women s Larosse gets underway on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. at Carl Smith Stadium in Wise, Virginia. The newly lined field will be the host site for all larosse home games. The team s first Mountain East Conferene game will be played against Shepherd University on April 4 in Wise. The season will onsist of 16 regular season games and inludes six home games (see below for home shedule). The onferene tournament is being held April 22 through April 26. The team s roster features 14 players from five states, inluding Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia and Texas. Admission is free to all home games, so we hope you will join us in elebrating the newest addition to our athletis program by attending as many home games as possible. Head Coah, Meghan Dennehy said, I am very exited for our first season, we have a great group of players who have all embraed our team ulture. I m looking forward to seeing all of their hard work pay off on the field. Team home shedules Baseball Mar. 7 vs. Notre Dame College (Ohio) - 1 p.m. (DH) Mar. 8 vs. Notre Dame College (Ohio) - 1 p.m. (DH) Mar. 18 vs. Linoln Memorial University - 2 p.m. Mar. 24 vs. University of Charleston - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 1 vs. Carson-Newman College - 3 p.m. Apr. 11 vs. West Liberty University - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 12 vs. West Liberty University - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 18 vs. Glenville State University - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 19 vs. Glenville State University - 1 p.m. (DH) May 2 vs. Conord University - 1 p.m. (DH) May 3 vs. Conord University - 1 p.m. (DH) Softball Mar. 8 vs. Newberry College - 1 p.m. (DH) Mar. 9 vs. Tusulum College - 2 p.m. (DH) Mar. 18 vs. Averett University - 2 p.m. (DH) Mar. 28 vs. Urbana University (Ohio) - 1 p.m. (DH) Mar. 29 vs. Notre Dame College (Ohio) - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 11 vs. West Virginia Wesleyan College - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 12 vs. Glenville State College - 1 p.m. (DH) Apr. 21 vs. Conord University - 3 p.m. (DH) Apr. 25 vs. University of Charleston - 2 p.m. (DH) Apr. 26 vs. West Virginia State University - 1 p.m. (DH) Women s Golf Mar. Tusulum College Invitational Apr. Mountain East Spring Invitational *DH denotes double-header Larosse Mar. 4 vs. Lees-MRae College - 4 p.m. Mar. 24 vs. Tennessee Wesleyan College - 3:30 p.m. Apr. 4 vs. Shepherd University - 11 a.m. Apr. 17 vs. West Virginia Wesleyan College - 5:30 p.m. Apr. 19 vs. Wheeling Jesuit University - 12 Noon Men s Tennis Mar. 21 vs. University of Charleston - 10 a.m. Mar. 29 vs. Shepherd University - 2 p.m. Apr. 9 vs. Conord University - 4 p.m. Apr. 11 vs. West Virginia Wesleyan College - 11 a.m. Men s Golf Mar. Tusulum College Invitational Mar. UVa-Wise Cattails - Kingsport, Tenn. Mar. Oglebay Resort Apr. MEC Spring Championship

5 Coah Spotlight Karen Bitter I am really looking forward to getting this 2015 season underway. We have a lot of new faes this year and also return some key, familiar faes as well. It will be exiting to wath their progress and see them gel together as a team. We are looking forward to defending our Mountain East Conferene Championship, and these ladies are working hard to bring another one home! --Karen Bitter, Women s Softball Head Coah Entering her fourth season at the helm of the UVa-Wise softball program, Karen Bitter has already laimed 91 vitories, inluding bak-to-bak 30-win ampaigns. In 2013, UVa-Wise won 37 games, the seond most in program history, and laimed the Inaugural Mountain East Conferene Tournament title. In three seasons, Bitter s student-athletes have been named to the all-onferene team 12 times. A year ago, six Cavaliers earned MEC All-Conferene honors, inluding Taylor Brandts, who was named MEC Pither of the Year. The oah has also seen two players earn all-region aolades while having two student-athletes named Aademi All-Amerians. Coah Bitter ame to UVa-Wise following a suessful stint at NCAA Division II member institution Chowan University, where she served as pithing oah for three seasons. A Virginia native, Bitter was a member of one of the most suessful oahing staffs at the Division II level, with the Chowan softball team piling up 30-win seasons in her final two seasons as the pithing oah while also apturing two CIAA divisional hampionships. Coah Bitter is no stranger to suess, whether it is in the dugout or in the irle. The former pither began her areer at Tabb High Shool in Yorktown, Virginia, where she aught the eye of oahes at Shepherd University. After enrolling, Bitter beame the most aomplished pither in the history of the program and is still the holder of several single-season and areer shool reords. After ompleting her playing areer, she joined the oahing staff at Washington College in Maryland, serving as a graduate assistant. After her stint at Washington College, she joined the Chowan staff as pithing oah before the 2009 season where she remained until aepting the UVa-Wise job. NCAA and UVa-Wise athleti program update UVa-Wise is now in the last stage of the third and final year of the NAIA to NCAA Division II transition proess. The 2015 NCAA Convention was held during January in Washington, D.C. A delegation of members from the College attending the onvention gained valuable information and reeived final diretives from the NCAA staff in the proess of ompleting the douments (whih typially number over 1,000 pages) that will be presented to the NCAA membership ommittee on June 1st. The planning proess has begun and all hands are on dek. We shall reeive notie from the NCAA on their final deision on whether to move the College forward to offiial NCAA status in mid to late July. Should we be aepted in the NCAA, our offiial start date with all privileges being granted will be September 1, Here are a few highlights to share with you regarding our third year s work: UVa-Wise suessfully ompleted the third and final NCAA on-ampus site visit and omprehensive review of the athleti department during September. With the partnership of the development offie, we have started several new traditions: Fall, winter and spring sports Meet the Highland Cavalier events were established, allowing the ommunity, fans and spetators alike to meet student-athletes after selet athleti ompetitions throughout the aademi year. Student-athletes and oahes signed autographs and spoke with fans, giving insight about their respetive programs. The big finale was some really great athleti gear raffled off to those in attendane! Football and basketball stat fundraisers were also spearheaded by the Highland Cavalier Club, providing some lively debates and ompetition over whih individuals would be donating the most money to benefit appliable athleti teams, the athletis program and Highland Cavalier Club fundraising efforts. The tradition of the Galloping Cavalier horse leading the football team onto the field ontinued this fall with alumni Rebea Horne taking the reins. Rebea along with her horse, Chane, delighted Cavalier staff, fans, alumni and friends of the College far and wide. We are truly grateful for Rebea and Bill Horne for giving our Cavalier fans a thrilling experiene during our home games. UVa-Wise is now in the thik of our seond year of ompetition with our fellow Mountain East Conferene members. The fall of 2014 saw numerous suesses. Men s Cross Country, women s tennis, volleyball, and football all had Cavalier student-athletes gain first team all-onferene aolades! A truly great aomplishment for being in the onferene for only the seond year!!!

6 Community onnetions Fall 2014: Wise Primary Engagement (throughout semester) - The men s and women s tennis teams have partiipated in a onsistent engagement projet throughout the semester at Wise Primary Shool. The team members read to the elementary students and joined them in physial eduation lasses for fitness ativities. Do Robyn Program (September 2014) - UVa-Wise athletis was exited to welome Dr. Robyn Odegaard to ampus for a series of workshops with student-athletes, oahes, and staff. Do Robyn is an internationally alaimed motivational speaker, author and exeutive oah. She is the founder of Champion Performane Development and author of Stop the Drama! The Ultimate Guide to Female Teams and The Ultimate Guide to Handling Every Disagreement Every Time. Brayden s Bunh (Otober 2014) - On Otober 18, 2014, Brayden Altmann served as the honorary aptain for the Cavalier volleyball and football teams. Brayden is a four year old Washington County, Virginia native with lose ties to UVa-Wise. He was involved in a lawnmower aident this summer whih resulted in the partial loss of his right leg. He has undergone several surgeries and most reently has been fitted with a prostheti leg, in his words making him a transformer. Brayden is a very resilient kid who loves sports and has grown up following the Cavaliers. UVa-Wise Athletis is sponsoring the sale of Brayden s Bunh tee shirts to benefit his foundation through the Shriner s Hospital. You an beome a member of Brayden s Bunh by purhasing a tee shirt today from the UVa-Wise Bookstore. United Breast Caner Foundation (Otober 2014) - On Saturday, November 20, 2014, the UVa-Wise softball team and a few members of the UVa-Wise tennis team assisted representatives of the United Breast Caner Foundation (UBCF) and The Health Wagon in providing a generous donation of Tempur-Pedi mattresses to the Southwest Virginia ommunity. The Cavaliers volunteered to assist with the distribution by arrying mattresses and helping to get the mattresses on or in vehiles. Brayden Altmann and two members of the UVa-Wise football team Mark Sterner Program (Otober 2014) - UVa-Wise Athletis, Center for Student Development, SDAB, Frontier Health Prevention Servies, and Planning Distrit One Behavioral Health Servies partnered to present Mark Sterner, a young man who travels the ountry to talk about his tragi experienes with drinking and driving, to the UVa-Wise ampus ommunity. Operation Christmas Child (November 2014) - The UVa-Wise Athleti Department joined together on November 5, 2014, in the David J. Prior Convoation Center for their seond annual shoebox paking party. This marks the fifth onseutive year student-athletes and staff have donated shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, whih is a projet sponsored by Samaritan s Purse. UVa-Wise student-athletes prepare gift boxes as part of Operation Christmas Child, a projet sponsored by Samaritan s Purse. Norton Community Hospital Festival of Trees (Deember 2014) - The UVa-Wise Athleti Department sponsored a Christmas tree in the NCH Festival of Trees outside of the hospital designed to brighten the entrane and lift spirits around the holidays. The UVa-Wise tree was garnished in red, grey, and silver with a foam #1 finger and pompoms. Wise Kid s Day (Deember 2014) - UVa-Wise hosted its fourth annual Kid s Day when the women s basketball team hosted the University of Pikeville on Deember 17, This year s event brought more than 2,100 loal students to the Prior Center while providing them with free admission and onessions. Spring 2015: Day of Servie (April 2015) - In April 2014 UVa-Wise student-athletes will partiipate together in the College s 5th annual Day of Servie. UVa-Wise entry in the NCH Festival of Trees

7 Offie of Athleti Development The University of Virginia s College at Wise 1 College Avenue Wise, VA Gift Amount: (Make heks payable to UVa-Wise Highland Cavalier Club) $50 $100 $250 $500 $1,000 $5,000 Other $ Please send me a Bank Draft Form. I am pledging $ with an initial gift of $. Please bill me (irle one): monthly, semi-annual, or quarterly. Charge my gift: VISA MasterCard Disover Amerian Express Aount Number Exp. Date Name as it appears on Card Signature Name Class Year Spouse s Name Class Year Address City/State/Zip Phone The University of Virginia s College at Wise is a registered 501()3 not-for-profit organization. If you have any questions or onerns, please all (276) You an also make your gift online at FUND DESIGNATION General Athletis (Supporting the entire athleti program.) Or, hek those speifi sports you wish to assist: Men s Sports Women s Sports Baseball Basketball Basketball Cross Country Cross Country Golf Football Larosse Golf Softball Tennis Tennis Volleyball Cheerleading ESTATE PLANNING I would like information about inluding UVa-Wise in my estate plan. UVa-Wise is in my estate plan. Yes, I give permission to be listed as a Philanthropist Soiety Member.* No, I wish to remain anonymous at this time. *Philanthropist Soiety membership is offered to friends of UVa-Wise who have made provisions for a gift in their estate planning. Meet the Highland Cavaliers events The winter Meet the Highland Cavalier event was held at the David J. Prior Convoation Center following the basketball games against the University of Charleston on Saturday, Jan. 17. Men s and women s basketball, men s and women s ross ountry, men s and women s golf, men s tennis, and larosse were represented at the event, whih featured an introdution of oahes and players, autographed team photographs and autographed team memorabilia. The fall Meet the Highland Cavalier event was held at Carl Smith Stadium following the football game against Glenville State College on Saturday, Ot. 18. Football, volleyball, women s tennis and the heerleading squad were represented at the event, whih featured an introdution of oahes and players, autographed team photographs and autographed team memorabilia. Visit us online at:

8 Offie of Development and College Relations The University of Virginia s College at Wise 1 College Avenue Wise, VA Dates to remember... MEC Tennis Conferene Tournament...April MEC Larosse Conferene Tournament...April MEC Softball Conferene Tournament...May 1-3 MEC Baseball Conferene Tournament...May th Annual Spring Swing Golf Tournament...April 17 at Lonesome Pine Country Club