A Day in the Life of an Athlete: Kelly Loftus
By Kelly Loftus
Hello, I am Kelly Loftus, from Alexandria, Virginia. I am a senior on Old Dominion University Lady Monarch’s basketball team, majoring in communications. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career as a sports broadcaster or play professional basketball overseas.
As I enter into my last season of college basketball I can’t help but feel so many mixed emotions. This has been a long and rewarding journey over the past few years. The ups and downs of being a student-athlete has molded me into a better version of myself. I cannot believe I am a senior; these four years really flew by.
This season is going to be one for the books and I could not be more excited to finally start playing after transferring from Hofstra University last year. Many professional athletes and experts say champions are made in the off-season, this is where all of the work is put in. Pre-season is hard but you get what you put in.
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Our season doesn't start until November, but it is far from a holiday for us.
As we prepare, we are going through three workouts a day as well as keeping up with our studies. A typical day as a Lady Monarch basketball player consists of early morning conditioning runs, mandatory breakfast, attending classes, then an on court workout with all the coaches and ending the day with tough weightlifting. Before the day is over, the team attends a late night study hall to complete all class work that is due the upcoming week.
My team and I have nothing but faith that this will be a good season for all of the lady monarch fans. It will be exciting to see how well we perform this year with a new but very experienced head coach, Nikki McCray who was previously an assistant at University of South Carolina, the winners of last years NCAA championship. As a first year head coach, McCray’s coaching style is very fast paced and should be really fun to watch. Our season consists of 15 home games at the TED Constant Center. You do not want to miss out!
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Fall Sports Preview
ODU Fall Sports Preview
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It's an exciting fall for fans of ODU Athletics, as four teams compete from coast to coast representing Old Dominion University. Over the course of this fall, be sure to come out and support your Monarchs during the plethora of home sporting events that will take place during this season.
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Field Hockey
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Head coach Andrew Griffiths enters his fifth season with the Monarchs carrying big expectations towards the future. The Monarchs are currently listed as the 25th best team in the country according to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. The team’s experience alone may pose a significant factor to the success of this team as the Monarchs are returning nine starters from last season. With so much talent and experience on the roster, it will be keen to keep an eye on the Monarchs as they strive towards the University’s 10th National Title.
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Men’s Soccer
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Entering his 21st season at the helm of Old Dominion Soccer, head coach Alan Dawson is eager for his team to compete for another conference title and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Monarchs have secured a bid for the NCAA Tournament 11 times in the last 14 seasons with 2014 being the most recent. The 2017 Monarchs welcome 14 newcomers to the program while the roster maintains veteran players such as junior mid-fielder Niko Klosterhalfen and senior defender Fox Slotemaker. Klosterhalfen led the Monarchs in goals scored last season while redshirt sophomore Sebastian Hauret earned C-USA All-Freshman team honors.
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Women’s Soccer
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Experience will be a key factor in the success of the Monarch’s season as the 2017 roster returns 14 letter winners, which include 10 of the top 13 scorers from just a year ago. Offensively, the Monarchs welcome back junior forward Iris Achterhof and senior forward Madison Hogan who combined to lead the team in scoring last season. On defense, the Monarchs possess an experienced group led by senior captain Jackie Stroud. Along with Stroud, senior goalkeeper Krista Moisio started all 19 games for the Monarchs a season ago. In addition to the 14 returning players, the Monarchs will welcome 12 newcomers to the program. The Monarchs have qualified for the C-USA tournament in back to back seasons and look to continue this trend.
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Football
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After the first bowl win in school history, the Monarchs will strive to continue the trend of success put in place by head coach Bobby Wilder and the rest of the coaching staff. Since the rebirth of the program in 2009, the Monarchs have continued to expand the program's success at a rapid pace. The 2017 roster is poised to continue this trend as the Monarchs retain 16 starters from last season. On offense, the Monarchs will be led by their dynamic running back duo including senior RB Ray Lawry, and junior RB Jeremy Cox. Cox and Lawry will be pleased to retain four offensive lineman from last year's roster. The offense aims to find their rhythm behind sophomore quarterback Blake LaRussa. During the 2016 season, the defensive unit performed as one of the top defenses in Conference USA. Furthermore, the Monarchs welcome back the core of their stout defensive line and defensive back units. Experience should inevitably become a positive factor for this year's roster as they are set to compete for the conference title in 2017.
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Preview Continued
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Although the four teams mentioned above will start and complete their season this fall, many other Monarch teams will just begin entering their competitive schedules looking for your support.
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Rowing
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Men's and Women's Swim & Dive
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Men's and Women's Tennis
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Men's and Women's Golf
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Hello Monarch Nation, and welcome to The Monarch Premier. The Monarch Premier is a student run publication, and is dedicated to Old Dominion University Athletics.
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On this site, fans of ODU Athletics will have the opportunity to connect with some of their favorite athletes through various articles.
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At The Monarch Premier our aim isn’t just to give you the same old sports stories you can get everywhere else, but instead to give our readers that in-depth/behind the scenes look at some of the most popular athletes that campus has to offer.
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The Monarch Premier has a responsibility to provide readers with a fresh and diverse look at ODU athletics. The Monarch Premier isn’t a publication strictly for basketball or football, instead it will feature stories about athletes from every sport campus has to offer.
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The Monarch Premier will familiarize Monarch Nation with some of the more unfamiliar, yet equally amazing athletes,sports, and stories on campus.
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So, come back every Tuesday and check out our new story postings for the week. We are sure we have the prefect article to satisfy your sweet craving for ODU athletics.
The Monarch Premier is a class assignment for Communication 495, Advanced Sports Communication. This publication is being maintained by the seven students enrolled in the course.
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Students involved:
Kelly Loftus
Yolanda Beamon
Jalen Fuller
Markel Smith
Yousef Hattar
Jamal Davis
Welcome To The Monarch Premier
ODU vs. UNC Football Preview
By Yolanda Beamon
In its ninth year as a program, Old Dominion’s football team will host its highest profile visitor to S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field. The University of North Carolina Tar Heels will visit Norfolk.
The Tar Heels, who played Old Dominion in 2013, will be the second ACC team to visit Foreman Field, but have a higher profile than North Carolina State, who played at ODU in 2015.
After defeating the University of Massachusetts with a score of 17-7 this past weekend, ODU enters the game with a 2-0 record, and the Tar Heels enter the contest with a record of 0-2, after losses to the California Golden Bears and Louisville Cardinals. But don’t let the records be deceiving – Old Dominion will be a decided underdog in this contest.
The last time these two teams faced off was November 23, 2013, where the Monarchs were dominated and lost the game 80-20. In this game, ODU head coach Bobby Wilder requested the fourth quarter to be shortened as the Tar Heels led by 60 points.
Four years later, Wilder is not fixated on that game. “As far as I’m concerned, that game was at a completely different time in a completely different situation,” he said.
This game is only the start for the Monarchs journey against ACC teams. The Monarchs will also face the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg on September 23. Wilder said these challenging games are good for the program as a measuring stick, and good for the fan experience. "Our fans have spoken loudly and clearly that's what they want to see."
Foreman Field is expected to be sold out, as it has for every game in ODU’s history as a renewed program. After two tough out-of-conference games with ACC teams, Wilder hopes the Monarchs enter their Conference USA schedule ready to progress to another bowl game. Last year’s ODU team finished 10-3, and captured the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl over Eastern Michigan.
This weekend, a stadium full of Monarch fans hopes an upset win is their next step along the journey to bowl season.
Check The Monarch Premier next week for a roundup of sights and sounds of the game.
By Jamal Davis
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ODU v UNC Recap
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It’s not often that a program so early in its history gets the opportunity to host such an established university for a football game. However, Old Dominion University did just that when they held a home football game against the University of North Carolina this past weekend.
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The game was the 100th in the history Old Dominion and was a huge event on campus. The pre-game activities may have been even more fun than the game itself. Students and alumni alike were hanging out, talking about ODU sports, sharing food and stories, and even engaging in some friendly and some not so friendly trash talk with North Carolina fans.
As kickoff approached and fans started filling the stadium is was clear that the energy for this game was higher than games in the past. It was visible just how badly the players and fans wanted to win this game not just for themselves but for the entire ODU community. The Monarchs ran onto the field to a raucous crowd full of excitement and enthusiasm for the game to come.
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Once the game began ODU showed an unforeseen level of fight as they managed to keep the game close for the entire first quarter.
However, once the second quarter began, UNC started to take control of the game. After only being down 11-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Monarchs ended the half trailing 39-7. With the Monarchs losing big, fans began leaving the game early.
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At the start of the third quarter, the stadium was noticeably emptier than when the game began. The fans who stayed maintained their enthusiasm throughout the game, and continued to cheer on the Monarch until the very end.
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Luckily, the Monarchs gave them a reason to get more excited in the second half.
Although they wound up losing the game 53-23, the Monarchs outscored the Tarheels 16-14 in the second half. Even though it was only for a half, the fight the team displayed shows what we embody as a university – things may not always work in our favor but we never give up and always give our best effort until the very end.
All in all this was a very rewarding experience for ODU and showed that this university truly is a school on the rise.
Men’s & Women's Soccer Update
By: Yousef Hattar
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Men’s Soccer
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After finishing the 2016-17 season with a record of 6-9-2, the Monarchs are looking to capitalize on a stronger finish this season. Head coach Alan Dawson maintains a very simple motto this year as he stated “It’s one game at a time.”
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So far, the Monarchs have been following that motto. The Monarchs have started strong this season after winning their first two games with scores of 2-1 and 3-0. Following those wins came a loss to Saint Francis with a final score of 5-1. In their next two matchups, the Monarchs tied with their opponents before moving on to dominate FAU 3-0. Following the final score against FAU, the Monarch's overall record is currently 3-1-2, while maintaining a 1-0 record in conference play.
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Dawson stressed to his team the importance of closing out games and stated, “It’s all about the killer instinct.”
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After the postponement of the first road game this season, the Monarchs traveled to Florida to play against Florida Atlantic University. FAU was a tough road matchup as the Monarchs were set to take on “the best attacking team in C-USA” according to Dawson.
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Dawson was excited to go on the road for the first time this season: “We’re actually looking forward to get on the road – change of pace.”
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Brandon Perdue leads the team in goals scored with four, followed by Max Wilschrey and Tyler Edwards notching three each. The rest of the team have combined for three goals, making the team total 13 thus far. Niko Klosterhalfen, who was named to the Preseason All-C-USA team, looks to add all the help he can in the midfield this year.
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Already half way through the regular season, the Monarchs are determined to finish the season off strong. Their goal is not only to improve from last year but just like everyone else, to make a deep run in the postseason. In order to do this, they must follow Dawson’s words of wisdom, “Finish strong.”
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Women’s Soccer
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Last year, the Lady Monarchs finished the season with a 7-12 record overall, while posting a 5-5 record in conference play. After a season that went below expectations, the Lady Monarchs know exactly what is expected of them from head coach Angie Hind heading into the new season.
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About half way through the 2017-18 season, the Lady Monarchs have gone 4-2-2. This is the best start to a season the Monarchs have endured since 2009.
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They started the season off hot, winning their first two games by a margin of three goals each game. Following the strong start, the Lady Monarchs lost their next two games with a score of 3-1 each, but showed plenty of fight in their efforts. Their biggest win of the season came on Friday, Sept. 4th when ODU defeated Western Kentucky (WKU) with a score of 1-0 after going into double overtime. The Lady Monarchs are now 1-0 in conference play, which will have a huge impact as the rest of their season continues.
The past four games have gone into double overtime for the Lady Monarchs. In those games, they have tied twice and won twice. Kyra Ricks has shown up big time, late in games this season as she netted the game winner in the final seconds against conference opponent WKU.
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Hind has been extremely happy with her team’s determination, especially in the four double overtime games this season. “I think they’re very resilient and we have character and abundance this year.”
Jackie Stroud is currently the leading goal scorer for the Lady Monarchs, netting four goals thus far. Furthermore, Stroud obtained C-USA Defender of the Week honors earlier this season. Iris Achterhof has been nothing less than a distributer for this team, assisting in six goals. ODU has a total of 13 goals so far this season.
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With about half of the season still to go, ODU must show the character and resiliency their coach praises to finish the season strong. Not only have they started the season off extraordinarily better than last year, this team has the confidence to play on the pitch with any team out there.
Monarchs Aim to Recover at Home Against Georgetown
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By: Jalen Fuller
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The Old Dominion University field hockey team looks to rebound in Big East Conference play against Georgetown this Friday Sept.25 at 7 p.m. at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex.
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"We need to be stronger on the ball in the attacking 25 and circle to turn our possession into quality chances," said head coach Andrew Griffiths.
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Coming off a 6-0 loss against No.1 UConn, The Monarchs hold a 3-4 overall record coupled with a 0-1 record in conference play. Conference seeding is underway, as well as a road trip for The Monarchs following Friday’s game.
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Old Dominion will play three straight road games, in which appears to be a momentous part of the schedule. The Monarchs will not return home until Oct.6th.
Fellow Monarchs, come out to support the field hockey team this Friday at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex!
By: Markel Smith
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This past Thursday I was fortunate to conduct an interview with Niko Klosterhalfen, one of our collegiate athletes here at Old Dominion University. He made time in his strenuous schedule of a student athlete to do an interview for The Monarch Premier.
Klosterhalfen is a junior midfielder for ODU’s Men’s Soccer team. A veteran of two seasons, Klosterhalfen is now set to be one of the leaders of the team as the Monarchs welcome 14 new players to the pack.
The 2017 season kicked off Niko’s junior year as a Monarch. Niko traveled across the globe from Cologne, Germany outside of Frankfurt to come to Old Dominion. Before arriving in Norfolk, he was enrolled in school in Germany; he shed some light on the nature of academics and sports in Europe.
In case you were unaware, academics and athletics are completely separate. To join a sports team in Europe, an athlete must enroll in an academy or play for a club team. With that in mind, Klosterhalfen yearned to have the ability to continue his studies without being forced to give up his passion for Soccer. Currently enrolled as a psychology major, he expects to graduate from the College of Sciences in 2019. Following graduation, Klosterhalfen aspires to play soccer professionally; however, he also plans to complete his degree in the event that soccer does not become his occupation.
While living in Germany during his youth, Klosterhalfen also played handball before he fully committing to soccer. He attributes his well-rounded character to the influence of his parents.
His father was a former soccer player, which motivates him athletically. His mother on the other hand, found the perfect balance for his priorities by providing needed educational guidance and continuing to stress the importance of an education.
Although it was difficult to transition to the United States, Klosterhalfen credits the camaraderie of his teammates for easing the process. Now in his junior year, he is ecstatic to be in a role to help transition his fresh teammates to their new atmosphere. I asked him how he felt as a student athlete here at Old Dominion. “Life is perfect,” he said.
Klosterhalfen thoroughly enjoys the opportunity to study academically while simultaneously pursuing a career in the sport most dear to him.
What does he miss from Germany? The food. Klosterhalfen was quick to inform me that he sorely misses the German food commonly known by his heritage. Although shocking to myself, he prefers the weather in Norfolk rather than Cologne. One of Klosterhalfen’s favorite hometown memories occurred when Germany defeated Argentina in the World Cup final in 2014.
From one hemisphere to another, Klosterhalfen’s path to Old Dominion University is both a unique and fascinating story. He began participating in soccer at the tender age of three, behind the paternal influence of his father.
Even as a young boy, Klosterhalfen had a burning desire to reach the highest level of his athletic ability. During his youth, he played for Bayer 04 Leverkusen before moving on to play for FC Hennef 05. While playing for FC Hennef, Klosterhalfen played in the Regionalliga, commonly known as Germany’s fourth soccer division under its current soccer league structure.
During his recruiting process, Klosterhalfen was courted by few schools from around the country before ultimately earning offers from each squad. Head coach Alan Dawson had the luxury of evaluating Niko in Germany during a tournament.
Thanks to his obvious production in the tournament, Klosterhalfen had offers to play at North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Creighton and Old Dominion. Unable to visit any of the schools who had offered him a spot, Niko thoroughly listened to the sales pitches of every team before inevitably choosing ODU. Niko credits his decision to coach Dawson’s trip to Germany, along with his adamant sales pitch on joining the roster. His decision was also aided by his fondness for the university.
So far this season, the Men’s Soccer team has an overall record of 4-1-2, while maintaining a 1-0 record in conference play. I asked Klosterhalfen on the team’s objective moving forward.
“With the conference tournament being at home, we must go to the conference tournament and we would like to play in the final,” he said, exuding excitement and confidence about the team, which is looking to bounce back from a dismal performance last year.
Klosterhalfen led the team in scoring after notching 4 goals for the Monarchs last season, while coping with a lingering hamstring injury. This season, the healthy midfielder has already tallied two goals for the Monarchs with eight games yet to be played. He aims to improve on his scoring from last season and he's on pace.
There's only five home games left this season, so grab some tickets and some friends and witness the Monarchs handle business.
Athlete Spotlight:
Niko Klosterhalfen
Men’s Swimming Season Preview
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By: Tre' Hargrave
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The men’s swimming team has a long season ahead. This team will be competing in eight swim meets this entire season. The Monarchs recently had their intra-squad scrimmage, which gave them a great chance to compete with each other outside of the regular training and conditioning.
Last year, the Monarchs struggled against their competition, more often out-swum by their competitors. The men’s swimming team lost three meets. In addition to losing three meets when it came to tournaments, they placed fifth twice and eighth once.
For this year’s team, it’s a bran-new competition, and these Monarchs will showcase their offseason conditioning and workouts during their first meet of the season next month, and far beyond.
The ODU men’s swimming team is set to kick off their season October 13, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. against Campbell University. Coming into the first meet of the season, the Monarchs know they have to hit the water swimming fast and efficient.
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In swimming you don’t have the opportunity to go long streaks without winning meets due to the fact that you only have eight of them. Unlike basketball and football, the swim team has to be in midseason form at the very beginning.
The team that gave the Monarchs trouble last season was East Carolina University. They had the widest margin of victory against ODU’s swim team. The Monarchs will be ready to avenge their worst loss of the season when they face ECU Saturday October 21 at 9 a.m.
After finishing fifth in last year’s CCSA championship, the Monarchs, who did win three meets, will be looking to possibly climb the ladder this season.
Don’t be surprised if the Monarchs finish up 4-4, but also don’t be surprised if they go 6-2. The season hasn’t started yet, but there is evidence that the season could definitely go either way.
Swiss Star Leads
ODU Men's Tennis
By: Kelly Loftus
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Old Dominion’s men’s tennis team is expecting big things on the court this season, particularly from a star who represented his university, and his country, this past summer.
Foreign phenom Adam Moundir is the reigning, two-time Conference USA player of the year as he enters his senior campaign with an immense amount of experience.
Born in Switzerland, Moundir represented his native country, as well as ODU, during the 2017 Summer Universiade Games in Taipei this past August.
Moundir was extremely excited to represent both his country and Old Dominion, calling it “an honor for me to be there as an ODU student, and be able to represent my school and country at the same time.” It was Moundir’s first time being selected by the Swiss Tennis Federation. He has expressed excitement about being able to wear Swiss gear and represent his country at such a big event.
His preparation from being at ODU has matured him as a person and an athlete. “I am very thankful for the opportunities ODU has given me and all the support from my fellow student athletes, my coaches and the ODU athletic staff. “
Moundir explains that he has been pushed to do better every day here at Old Dominion and wouldn’t change a thing. He does not think any of this would be possible without the ODU men’s tennis program.
The experience that Moundir gained from competing at a tournament of this magnitude will set him apart from others on the tennis court this upcoming year. “I don’t think I was ready for a big tournament when I went to the NCAAs (last) year.”
Attending the Universiade will certainly help tame those nerves, and prepare him for a phenomenal senior year. He will try to pass the experiences he obtained, and the confidence he gained from this experience down to his teammates in hopes to make huge stride for the upcoming season.
Moundir is now ranked No. 35 in singles, and ranked No. 46 in doubles alongside Jover Maestre. ODU tennis is hosting Monarch invitational this weekend at Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.
Other members of the ODU men’s tennis team are Jannik Giesse, Justin Herrera, Harrison Hunter, Aziz Kijametovic, Francois Musitelli, Jacob Nicolussi, Samuel Perelman and Micheal Weindl
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Old Dominion Women’s Soccer Team Helps Spread Awareness of Pediatric Cancer
By: Jalen Fuller
Maintaining a strong defense and scoring goals are tasks the Old Dominion women’s soccer team trains for daily. Off the field, the Lady Monarchs have exemplified great character when it comes to fundraising for a charitable cause. This season the Lady Monarchs are striving towards another goal with hopes that their contribution could save lives. Throughout the year, the Monarchs have worked with Go4Goal and The Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer movement.
“As a team, we always want to do something that will help other people and potentially have a positive impact,” said ODU midfielder/forward Deirdre Bradley. The Monarchs feel their
participation and effort to this cause will garner the attention of others to contribute.
The Monarchs will compete at home against FIU on Sunday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. During the game, the Monarchs will wear gold laces with their cleats in support of the Lace up 4 Pediatric Cancer Foundation. Donations for the cause will be accepted throughout the season.
All donations to The Lace up 4 Pediatric Cancer effort, go directly to local community kids suffering from pediatric cancer. Fans of the Old Dominion women’s soccer team can donate at https://donate.go4thegoal.org/team/133694
“The ODU Women's soccer team wants to be able to help in every way that we can. This is a perfect way to help the local children while also spreading awareness to the community,” Bradley said.
The Monarchs plan to continue the fundraiser and promote awareness through their social media accounts at the end of the season. Follow @ODUWomensSoccer on Twitter and ODU Women’s Soccer on Facebook for the latest news.
Come out to the game this weekend sporting your gold attire and join the Monarch’s efforts to raise awareness for pediatric cancer this Sunday!
Student Athlete Spotlight:
Holly Hutchinson
By: Kelly Loftus
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Holly Hutchinson, a sophomore on the Old Dominion women’s tennis team, originally from England began playing tennis at age 5. Her mother, a tennis coach, first introduced her to tennis. Five years later, Hutchinson decided to really take her sport seriously. She later earned a Top 4 ranking in her country at the age of 15, and had a lot of motivation to do so.
“My dad said to me if you get to the Top 4 in the country, you can drop out of school and attend an academy, so I took that really seriously.” She then left school right before the British exams and attended Everyball Tennis Academy. The Academy is where tennis was almost like a full-time job, although players still study, they play tennis the majority of the time.
Hutchinson’s recruitment quickly took off, as she was getting looked at by major tennis programs In America. She attended what is called Jr. Wimbledon, where she caught ODU’s eye. Although she did not know much about universities in America she knew she always wanted to study in the U.S.
“I got recruited by a lot of high major schools but I wanted to play high in the lineup and be somewhere where I could play against the best girls in the country.” Holly chose Old Dominion over big time schools because a few things stood out to her. “I really liked the coaches here, it’s a great tennis program and the facilities are really good!” Holly stated with excitement.
Old Dominion is hosting the conference tournament this year. In the spring the Lady Monarchs will play at home, which they haven’t had the privilege of doing since she has been there. Holly is really excited about this upcoming season “Our recruiting class is really good this year.” She has high expectations and praise for this year’s team. “I think this is the best team we’ve had.” Winning conference this year is a goal she has in mind.
Holly is no stranger to success when it comes to tennis. She was the Conference USA freshman of the year last season, while being nationally ranked in singles all year long. Her highest singles ranking was No. 57. She wants to continue to add to her resume this season. “My goal, individually is to be ranked top 50 so I automatically qualify for the NCAA’s.”
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ODU tennis opens up conference play January 13th.
ODU Women’s Volleyball Coming in 2020
By: Yousef Hattar
Attention all supporters of Monarch athletics, it is time to get excited about the newest member of Old Dominion intercollegiate sports! The creation of the ODU women’s volleyball team was announced by Old Dominion President John R. Broderick during his 10th State of the University address this past August.
“We will soon announce a process to select a women’s volleyball coach. The team will practice in a renovated space in the Jarrett Building by 2019 and begin play in 2020,” President Broderick stated.
This is great news to the volleyball community here at ODU. For those who do not know, ODU was the first university in the Commonwealth area to offer athletic scholarships to women in 1974. ODU women’s sports have had great success dating back to 1979.
Director of Athletics Wood Selig is very excited about the revival of the women’s volleyball team. “Adding indoor volleyball is the first step for ODU to join the ranks of Division 1 women’s volleyball while also joining a very competitive league in C-USA,” said Selig.
The head coach and two assistants will be hired in January of 2019. The first student-athletes to join the roster will arrive to campus and enroll for the fall semester of 2019. For the 2019-2020 season the program will be provided 12 scholarships. Once added, this will be the 10th women’s sport at ODU and the 19th sport overall.
When Old Dominion announced the creation of a football team a decade ago, a pledge was made to start additional women’s intercollegiate sports at the University, in recognition of its commitment to gender equity in athletics under Title IX. This announcement by President Broderick helps to keep that promise.
The local volleyball community is excited about the addition of the new sport.
Current ODU student and CLUBWAKA community coordinator Yanitza Borrero, says she loves the idea of women’s volleyball coming to ODU. “I will definitely catch a few games, if time permits,” said Borrero.
Karl Beisel, owner of Tidewater Sports and Social Club, added: “It would be a great outlet for students at ODU and the community who love volleyball.”
The addition of women’s volleyball has created buzz around the Monarch community, as some supporters wish the sport’s arrival could be sooner than 2019. Adding women’s volleyball gives a great chance for volleyball fans here at ODU and the Hampton Roads area to watch the sport they love. With 2020 near in sight, get prepared to cheer on the Monarchs!
Student Athlete Video Profile: Alyssa Sebesto
Alyssa Sebesto, a junior defender on the ODU women's lacrosse team talks how she got to this point in her career, what made her choose Old Dominion, team goals and more. The New Jersey native is looking to add to her resume this upcoming season before the lacrosse team changes conferences and moves to the Big East conference next year. ODU women's lacrosse begins its last season in Conference USA in the spring.
ODU Men’s Basketball Preview
By: Jamal Davis
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Old Dominion University Men’s basketball team has been on the rise for several years. They finished last season with a 19-12 record including going 12-6 in conference play. However, the Monarchs true strength was in the way they protected home court, finishing with an impressive 11-4 record at the Ted.
The Monarchs hope they can carry that same success into this season as well. Heading into the season, Head Coach Jeff Jones thinks they have the players to not only repeat that success, but also improve.
“We’ve got a good group. They’ve been working really, really hard. We could not have asked more of them in terms of the time and effort, and the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the offseason and the summer workouts. I think they’re excited, they’re ready, and they’re hungry,” Jones stated.
Hunger and hard work will definitely help a Monarch team scheduled to play a grueling 30 game regular season schedule this year. However, it is another area the Monarchs must improve on if they want to be more successful than they were last season – maturity.
“The big thing I think is are we more mature? That’s it really. You know, to be able to go from 19 to however many wins and be a little bit more consistent – it’s not about trying harder, it’s about being mature, handling success, handling failure, and being able to be consistent over time,” Jones continued.
Consistency and maturity are important for every team, but they will be especially important for the Monarchs this season. They currently have nine upperclassmen on their roster led by senior Forward Brandon Stith and junior Guard B.J. Stith. Having such an abundance on experienced players on the roster should assist the Monarchs in being the mature and consistent team that Jones is looking for. If the players can live up to expectations, continue to put in the hard work, and be a more mature and consistent team, then this season should be a fun one for ODU.
ODU is scheduled to play Christopher Newport on Nov. 5 at the Ted Constant Center. This is the Monarchs’ only exhibition game before opening the regular season on Nov. 10 at home against Towson. Their first road game will be on Nov. 13 will be against the Dukes of James Madison. Other dates to look out for are: Dec. 2 against VCU (away), Dec. 6 against Richmond (home), Dec. 30 against Charlotte (home; conference opener).
Women’s Swimming
By Tre Hargrave
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The ODU Women’s Swimming team’s season got under way on October 13. The women’s team was the only half of the swim and dive team to compete last Friday, against Campbell University.
This swim meet was the first of many for the women as they turn their sights to the rest of the season. They’ll have their hands full with their next couple of meets against UNC-Wilmington and East Carolina.
Something for the swimming team to look forward to is their meet on October 21, when they finally get to return home against East Carolina.
This will definitely be a good match up for the ladies because the last time they faced off at East Carolina the ending score isn’t something the ladies probably want to experience against.
The last time these two teams met back in January the ladies lost 171-117. So this year’s swim team may consider this match up a chance to see what they are made of.
If they have similar results this season may not take them that far, but if they could somehow find a way to pull off the upset maybe the women will have something to look forward to this season. Hopefully the fact they’ll be home will swing the meet in the women’s favor.
This match up will also be great for the women’s swim team because it could do a lot for the moral of the team.
After this match up against East Carolina, the ladies will have their bye week for the year and won’t hit the water again until they face University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Also this fall, the ladies will get the chance to take their swim caps to Pennsylvania, as they get the chance to compete in the Bucknell Invitational which lasts from November 17-19.
It’ll give the Lady Monarchs a chance to get their feet wet against some very good competition.
At this point in the season there is a lot of reason to be optimistic. The Lady Monarchs have a long season to go and hopefully the water is on their side.
Women's Golf
By Markel Smith
There’s been an unbelievable rejuvenation within Old Dominion University’s Women’s Golf team. Just a year ago, rookie head coach Mallory Hetzel led the Monarchs to their most outstanding season in program history. With the help of her talented athletes, the Monarchs asserted their dominance by capturing the C-USA title.
During the conference tournament, the Monarchs were uncontested in their quest for a ring. All five participants for the Monarchs finished in the top 50 out of the entire field selected for performance. Sophomore Charlotte De Corte tied for 7th, junior Katerina Vlasinova tied for 4th, while junior Maggie Simmermacher led the pack with a strong second place.
As a result of their hard work and diligence, Hetzel and the Monarchs scored an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA DI Women’s Golf Championships. In the preliminary rounds, the Monarchs were welcomed into the top tier of teams in the nation; competing against some of the nation’s top programs at the Columbus Regional. The team finished in a tie for 11th, marking an end to a fantastic season.
In her first year at the helm of the program, Hetzel earned the C-USA Coach of the Year award. Furthermore, Vlasinova earned 1st Team all-conference honors while fellow junior Simmermacher earned 2nd Team all-conference honors.
The Monarchs will maintain the core of their roster from last season, losing only one member to graduation. So far this year, the Monarchs have competed in two tournaments with a stubborn determination to build off of their accomplishments of last season. However, due to inclement weather, the Monarchs’ season was delayed until September 25 in Vail, Colorado during the Golfweek Conference Challenge. The Monarchs managed to finish 8th overall as a team, although Simmermacher finished just outside the top 10 individually and fellow junior Vlasinova dazzled by finishing 4th in the entire field.
The second tournament of the fall schedule took place from October 9-10 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The Pinehurst Challenge turned out to be a precision-palooza for the Monarchs as they set a new program record for a 54-hole score with an overall team score of 859. This eclipsed the previous record of 872 that was set in 2012 at the UNCW Seahawk Classic. The fact that ODU absolutely shattered its previous record suggests it won’t be the last outstanding achievement this year.
The Monarchs finished the first round of the tournament tied for 7th before closing out with a strong 2nd and 3rd round. All five of the ODU participants cracked the top 40 out of the entire 100-player field, as has become the norm. Junior Corte, and freshman Noemie Sudron tied for 38th, while Simmermacher placed 26th. Junior Sana Tufail tied for 19th and Vlasinova tied for 12th.
This past summer, Vlasinova’s elite play earned her the opportunity to represent her home country of the Czech Republic, competing in the 2017 Universidad games held in Taipei. The Monarchs will conclude their fall schedule with the Palmetto Intercollegiate tournament, which tees off on October 22nd. Coming off the best performance in the program's 15 year history the Monarchs look poised to make yet another jump into the next tier of superior collegiate teams in the country.
Student Athlete Profile Video:
Taylor Edwards
Taylor Edwards, a sophomore guard is the lone local on the Old Dominion women's basketball team, she explains why she chose to stay close to home and how playing for ODU is a childhood dream. A former walk on, Edwards has earned a scholarship for this upcoming season. She shares her thoughts on new head coach Nikki McCray-Penson and how she has adjusted thus far.
Athlete Spotlight: Kevin Budock
By Yousef Hattar
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Participating in sport at a young age inspires athletes to continue moving up to the next level. To make it from the youth level, all the way to the collegiate stage is a stellar demonstration of dedication and love for the sport. Sophomore Kevin Budock of the ODU wrestling team understood he wanted to wrestle in college when he was in the seventh grade.
Budock began to wrestle at age 8. Falling in love with the sport almost instantly, who would have known that this eight-year-old would become a part of the Old Dominion wrestling team? Nobody, at the time.
In middle school, wrestling started to become exponentially serious and competitive for Budock. While in the seventh grade, his club coach introduced him to the idea of wrestling in college. He explained to him what he could accomplish being a collegiate wrestler and Budock bought into the idea. He trained year round and did nothing less than dedicate his life to wrestling.
During his freshman season as a wrestler in high school Budock became national champion of the 120-pound division. After his breakout season as a freshman, Budock continued to have success after winning a second consecutive national championship his sophomore year, this time weighing in at 132 lbs.
During his junior and senior seasons Budock wrestled with the 145-pound weight class. Although falling short of another national championship, Budock demonstrated his versatility to wrestle at multiple weight classes.
Once arriving to ODU, Budock realized what he was there for: Education and wrestling. As a true freshman, he competed in the 141-pound weight class and is expected to do the same this year.
Considering that wrestling consists of many one-on-one matches, wrestlers must focus and prepare alone to get ready for an upcoming match. Every wrestler has their own pre-game routine and Budock’s isn’t unusual by any means: “I warm up and then listen to music. The music that I listen to is more laid back and relaxed,” he said.
If there is one thing that Budock despises about wrestling, it’s cutting weight – which is losing the weight required to wrestle in a particular weight class. “You feel awful the whole time,” Budock stated. Like many other wrestlers, cutting weight seems to be the topic of discussion when talking about the worst part of wrestling. Budock said he could “write essays” about how much he despises cutting weight. As much as he despises it, his love for wrestling outweighs the hatred of cutting weight.
Although wrestling is not a year-round sport, wrestlers like Budock dedicate their entire offseason to train. As Budock explains it, it is a “neverending grind” being a wrestler. He put in an extraordinary amount of work this offseason and is anxiously waiting for his sophomore season to begin.
Budock is preparing for the season that is quickly approaching. The ODU wrestling team has inter-squad matches on Tuesday, Oct. 24 and their first outside competition at the South East Open, which is held on Nov. 11. Now in his sophomore year, Budock is prepared to do big things, along with the rest of the ODU wrestling team.
Updates will be provided as the season goes on by The Monarch Premier.
The Old Dominion sailing team seeks a better finish at the War Memorial
By: Jalen Fuller
The Monarchs aim to place higher in the rankings of the War Memorial Tournament held in Geneva, New York this weekend. The event marks the second competition held at the current venue for the season. Start time begins at 9 a.m. on Oct. 28 and 29.
The War Memorial Trophy is a prestigious trophy given to the 1st place winner of the event. The event marks the 53rd anniversary of the competition. The United States Merchant Marine Academy’s sailing team is currently the reigning regatta champion and will look to defend its title in this year’s race.
Old Dominion men’s squad is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Hoyt Trophy tournament. While the women’s squad finished in ninth place at the MAISA Women's Fall Dinghy this past weekend.
This weekend’s event has implications of a berth to the ACC tournament, to the teams who place in the top 8.
Women’s Rowing Preview
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By: Yolanda Beamon
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Old Dominion Women’s Rowing kicked off the fall season this pass Saturday Oct. 21 in Boston, Massachusetts for the Head of the Charles Regatta.
The Head of the Charles is the world’s biggest two-day rowing event. The team competing in the Women’s Club Eight event, and placed 19th out of 40 with a record time of 17:45:276.
Coach Daniel Garbutt was pleased with the result: “They have worked very hard and I had anticipated a solid performance,” he said.
“The real measure of this team will be how they continue to progress this year; there is a great energy within this group and I feel it will serve them well if they can control their attitude and effort,”. With a good performance and effort behind them, the Lady Monarchs rowers will need to keep their rhythm with the next event approaching.
The Women’s Rowing team will travel November 4 and 5 to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they will wrap up the fall season at the Head of Hooch.The team will have a brief holiday break and will jump right back into business January 2-7 in North Carolina to train for spring competition.
Student Athlete Video Profile: Melvin Vaughn
Senior wide receiver/ tight end Melvin Vaughn talks homecoming, bouncing back from a loss, career after ODU and bittersweet moments about the season coming to an end. Melvin recently lost 50 pounds and feels better than ever. He is coming back from a previous injury and immediately just in the starting line up and made an impact.
Tournament around the corner for ODU soccer
Tre’ Hargrave
Old Dominion University men’s and women’s soccer teams are preparing for tournament play. Both the men and women have managed to have a solid season, to punch their ticket to play with the best of Conference USA.
The Lady Monarchs were deserving of their trip to host site Boca Raton, Florida after they posted a record of 9-4-4, going 6-2-2 in conference play. Qualifying for tournament play was not luck for these women as they sustained a high level of excellence throughout the entire season.
The Lady Monarchs clinched tournament play with a huge win over the Charlotte 49ers.
The head coach of the team was very proud of the team, especially the seniors: “ While this may be our final game of the season here at ODU, I am excited to have this group of seniors lead us into the Conference USA Tournament, where we hope to be playing many more games together in 2017,” said coach Angie Hind.
As for the men’s soccer team, they were also able to qualify for tournament play with their excellence throughout the season. The Monarchs have an outstanding record so far this season (8-4-2, 5-1-0 C-USA). The Monarchs play host to the conference tournament, Nov. 8-12. The last time the men’s soccer team hosted the Conference USA tournament in 2014, they emerged victorious.
The men will wrap up their regular season against New Mexico on Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
After losing their last game to the conference leader FIU 3-1, the Monarchs need to bounce back against New Mexico so they can be ready for the tournament.
There is no reason to believe the men cannot pull this win off. The Monarchs own a 5-4-0 mark in the all-time series. Last time out, the Monarchs defeated the Gamecocks, 2-1 in the 2016 C-USA Tournament.
With that being said, this game will not be a walk in the park. If the men play their game and not play down to their competition, they should put themselves into good shape heading into the tournament.
With as good as both teams look right now, it is not a stretch to believe that the men and women can bring home the championship for soccer.
ODU Cheer attempts to follow up on a memorable season
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By Markel Smith
Under the tutelage of head coach Carmen Harris and assistant coach Melvin Farland, the Monarchs have only competed on the national stage a few times in the history of the competitive cheer program.
The unprecedented success the team enjoyed last season has team members excited about 2017-18.
The spirit squad's first appearance on the national stage was short-lived after being eliminated on the first day of competition in 2015. Harris and Farland wanted to establish a new aura to the incoming cheer team, to instill the qualities needed to once again compete for a national championship.
The hardships continued for the spirit squad during the 2016 competitive season, as the cheer team failed to earn a high enough bid to travel back to Daytona Beach. However, during the spring and summer of 2016 the Monarchs mastered their craft and developed a routine. This would eventually earn them a silver paid bid to Nationals in 2017 during the NCA qualifying camp in August.
Last April, the Old Dominion competitive cheer team traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete for the NCA (National Cheer Association) Intermediate All-Girl 1A National Championship.
The Monarch Cheer team ultimately placed Old Dominion University in the spotlight after executing an outstanding national championship performance. This was the first national championship for competitive cheering for the university. The Monarchs out-performed many prestigious universities such as Ohio State, Texas A&M, Michigan State, among other household names.
Prior to nationals, the Monarchs already had confidence in their craft before competing against the nation’s top programs. This was a team striving to perform to the best of its abilities. Briana Roberts, a returning member from that national championship team explained, “Our expectations going in were to just hit. Just hit our routine, hit our stunts, and let the judges do the rest.” After a solid performance on day one, the Monarchs were informed that they qualified for the final day of competition.
Instead of becoming complacent, coach Farland called an emergency practice that afternoon. That evening the team was told “to get some rest, stay out of the sun, and focus on the task at hand,” Roberts said.
On day two, the Monarchs again performed to the best of their abilities and were confident in their final performance. After the rest of the field completed their performances the Monarchs received word that they had qualified for the top two.
“At this point we were just proud to have made it this far, and we were proud of our performance.” Roberts said. A few minutes later, the Monarchs were announced as the victors of the competition. The team rejoiced with excitement. “I get chills just talking about it now,” Roberts said.
Although the Monarchs lost some key members from last year's team to graduation, those vacancies have quickly been filled by incoming freshman striving to compete for a national championship of their own.
This past August the Monarchs traveled to Myrtle Beach to compete in the NCA national qualifiers. The team put on a magnificent performance, earning themselves a full paid bid to the 2018 NCA national competition that will take place in April. The Monarchs are currently preparing for their upcoming competitive season. They set out to prove that last year was just the beginning of what they can accomplish. They began training earlier than they ever have before to ensure the integrity of their routine can be performed to the best of their abilities when the opportunity arises.
In addition, the Monarchs will also participate in two competitions prior to nationals this year to serve as practice rounds for the big stage. Be sure to support your Monarchs as they make an effort to earn a second national championship for Old Dominion University Cheering.
Big Move to the Big East – ODU Women’s Lacrosse
By Jamal Davis
There are tremendous things in store for the Old Dominion Women’s Lacrosse team in 2019.
The Lady Monarchs will join the Big East Conference that season, following one final season in the Atlantic Sun Conference, the team’s home since 2015. Since joining the A-Sun, ODU has an overall record of 25-13, while posting a 12-6 record in conference play.
However, a move to the Big East will present an entirely new challenge. Notable teams such as Butler, Denver, Georgetown, Marquette and Villanova are scheduled to play in the Big East in 2019. The Lady Monarchs will definitely have their work cut out for them playing against their new competition.
Despite the opposition ahead, Old Dominion head coach Heather Holt thinks her team is ready for the challenge.
“We are very excited to move forward and into the Big East next year,” Holt said. “We are grateful for our time in the Atlantic Sun, and are ready to start a new chapter in ODU lacrosse history. The Big East is going to be very challenging and I’m excited for our team to rise up and accept the challenge.”
The women’s lacrosse team is not the only team that will be competing in the Big East for the Monarchs. In fact, this will actually be Old Dominion’s second major team in the conference. They will be the counterpart to the women’s field hockey team who have been a member since 2013.
The Lady Monarchs are slated to open their season on February 14, at home against VCU. Their first conference game is scheduled for March 3 against Marshall. ODU will begin its last conference tournament in the Atlantic Sun on May 3. Be sure to check out the Monarchs this season as they face their last schedule in the Atlantic Sun conference.
Student Athlete Video Profile: Alexa Williams
The rowing team is coming off a good fall season that ended this past weekend. Junior rower Alexa Williams talks about some interesting things people might not know about rowing. Alexa has high expectations for the spring season. ODU fans stay tuned.
In-Depth Look at Old Dominion Baseball
By: Markel Smith
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In his 6th year at the helm of Old Dominion baseball, head coach Chris Finwood led the Monarchs to an overall record of 37-21 during the team's 2017 campaign. This marked the most wins by the baseball program since the 2006 season.
This past June, coach Finwood signed a contract extension that will push his tenure as the head coach of Old Dominion baseball through 2021. Since taking the reigns of the program during the 2012 season, the Monarchs have tallied 181 wins to just 158 losses. This is favorable as the Monarchs have earned 30 wins in 4 out of the past 6 seasons under Finwood’s guidance.
Finwood is steering this program in a positive direction not only on the field but off the field as well. During the 2016-17 academic year the baseball Monarchs led all men’s intercollegiate teams in overall GPA as well as the number of student athletes to make the dean's list here at ODU. The team earned an overall grade point average of 3.2.
The Monarchs put on a phenomenal performance last season earning themselves a second place regular season finish in one of the most difficult conferences in college baseball. The Monarchs traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to compete in the C-USA tournament as the number two seed in the conference. Unfortunately, the Monarchs faced a first round exit marking an end to a fantastic season.
After posting a 37 win season the Monarch’s accolades began to pile up. Zach Rutherford and Jared Young not only anchored the middle infield for the Monarchs but performed tremendously from the plate, earning themselves a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings third team all-american roster. This is significant as this marked only the third time the Monarchs have had multiple all-americans from the same roster.
Furthermore, second baseman Jared Young’s performance earned him third team all-american honors from College Baseball News as well. Rutherford, Young, and senior LHP Adam Bainbridge received C-USA first team all conference honors.
With so much talent on one roster, this team was under the microscope of professional scouts often. Just last season alone the Monarchs sent 4 members of the team to the professional realm.
Zach Rutherford was drafted in the 6th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. Rutherford posted a .321 average at the plate hitting 25 doubles and 56 RBI’s in 2017 alone. Likewise, Rutherford was the Conference USA defensive player of the year while posting a .982 fielding percentage, setting a new program record.
On the final day of the 2017 MLB draft two more Monarchs were selected to begin their professional careers. Jared Young was selected in the 15th round by the Chicago Cubs, while Adam Bainbridge was selected by the Kansas City Royals during the 30th round. Last but not least, Kyle Beam was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers, which tallied 4 Monarchs heading to minor league baseball.
Although the Monarchs appear to have lost some talent from last year’s roster, they still maintain a core group of returning members from just a season ago. Kyle Battle, Vinnie Pasquantino, and John Wilson were named to the College Baseball News freshman all-american team. The three freshman above also received Conference USA All Freshman team honors.
This bodes well for the upcoming 2018 roster as they will retain 3 out of the top 5 batting averages on the team from last season. On the defensive side, the Monarchs will retain the top 4 ERA’s of starting pitchers with at least 12 appearances last year.
A variety of talent will ultimately benefit the Monarchs as they strive to improve on last year's record. Ultimately, the Monarchs will be working to return to the NCAA tournament with their last appearance dating back to 2014. Next year the Monarch’s schedule includes a tough slate of opponents. The 2018 schedule contains 10 out of conference match-ups and 30 C-USA games. The Virginia Cavaliers will return to Norfolk for their bout with the Monarchs on April 24th. That matchup is scheduled to take place at Harbor Park, located in downtown Norfolk. Be sure to keep an eye on Old Dominion baseball next season and be sure to come out to at least one of their 31 games held at Bud Metheny Complex!
Homecoming: Monarchs End Losing Streak
Six agonizing defeats in a row mercifully came to an end during last Saturday's homecoming football game.
Our football Monarchs defeated the Charlotte 49ers 6-0, in a game that likely isn't going to make any offensive highlight reels, but that demonstrated the Monarchs' never-quit attitude.
A sold-out crowd (the 59th straight for ODU) enjoyed an overcast, yet warm, day at S.B. Ballard Stadium at Foreman Field. The annual Saturday afternoon football game has emerged as the centerpiece of ODU's homecoming activity, so after a week's worth of student- and alumni-focused fun, the crowd filtered into ODU's aging jewel of a stadium, hoping for the end of the longest losing streak in modern ODU football history.
A pair of Nick Rice field goals was all Old Dominion needed, as the Monarch defense pitched its first-ever shutout, holding Charlotte to just 231 yards of total offense.
Offensively, Ray Lawry let the Monarchs with 98 yards rushing, on 25 carries. Quarterback Steven Williams - who just turned 18 years old, making him the youngest starting quarterback in the FBS - completed 15-of-25 passes for 153 yards. Isaiah Harper led ODU with six catches for 46 yards.
Student staff members of The Monarch Premier attended homecoming events last weekend.
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Homecoming creates memories for students
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Homecoming week is something every college student looks forward to as the semester goes on. The school spirit, tailgates, football game, concerts, and other events is what makes homecoming, homecoming. There were events going on all week including banner and window painting and float creation for the parade before the game. The homecoming parade was one of the highlights of homecoming week. Seeing all the ODU students and organizations yell and cheer chants on their floats, roaming campus while ODU fans, staff members, and other students watched and cheered them on was an amazing sight to see. The environment on game day was full of positivity and excitement. As the parade came to a close, tailgates started to begin. Tailgates are filled with people, food, and drinks. You couldn't look around and see one person that wasn't smiling or laughing. It was such a great thing to experience. Meeting new people was one of the best parts of tailgating. Imagine eating the best food while walking around interacting with everyone you come in contact with, enjoying the beautiful weather. Nothing gets better than that.
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ODU Hosts Seventh Annual Education Day
By Jamal Davis
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In the coming weeks Old Dominion will put on their seventh annual Education Day event.
Education Day is an event in which Old Dominion University, the Lady Monarch’s women’s basketball team, and Norfolk Public Schools work in conjunction to put on an exhibition basketball game for the youth in the area. When it began a few years ago, nobody knew it would become as big of a success as it is now.
In fact, Education Day has been such a success that it sells out the game almost every year. Last year, in 2016, over 8500 students attended further emphasizing how big of an event this has become in the area.
However, it’s not only a big day for but for Norfolk Public Schools as well. As part of Education Day, ODU offers unique opportunities for schools and students to get involved in the festivities. The different ways to participate can vary from a school singing the National Anthem before the game to a specific student representing his/her school in the “tunnel run”.
Prior to the game there is also the opportunity for fifth graders to enter the essay contest. The topic of the essay is for students to write about what they think makes a good student. The winner receives an ODU “swag bag” with t-shirts, notebooks, and other Old Dominion memorabilia.
In addition, the Lady Monarchs’ women’s basketball team was generous enough to offer schools the opportunity to “adopt-a-player” to go along with attending the game. By adopting a player, the school would set up a day for that athlete to come out to their school and speak to the students about what it takes to get to college among other things. This is a unique opportunity for everyone involved and many schools love to have the athletes come out to talk with the kids.
With these innovative ways of participation for students who attend and even those who don’t attend, it’s clear just how far Education Day has come since it began at the university.
The event itself originated in 2011 when former head coach Karen Barefoot came up with an idea to have a day for the youth in the area to do something fun and rewarding. She got the idea from a childhood experience where she did something similar at Christopher Newport University.
“The message was how important education is. My journey really inspired me. Some of these kids have never been to a college campus, and it's all about planting that seed to get them to further their education," Barefoot said of the event.
So, as ODU prepares to host Education Day for the seventh time annually, it’s safe to say that this event has in fact made an impact on the lives of the students who attended.
ODU will play its annual Education Day game this year will be on Thursday Nov. 30.