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Sports Shorts
Adkins Fieldhouse
GoCCUsports.com now has a Web photo slideshow of the construction progress on the Adkins Fieldhouse. Click on the Box Score link to check it out!
Alumnus Gillis wins Nationwide event
Former CCU golfer Tom Gillis won the Nationwide Tour Players cup by three strokes, June 25-28. The tournament was played at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, W.Va.
Sexton named to the USA Select Team
Steven Sexton has been invited to participate in the 2009 European Exposure Tour. The 6-1 guard was offered a spot on the basketball team that will tour Western Europe.
USA Select Basketball is an organization that helps players continue their careers as pros in Europe. Each year, USA Select Basketball will take a team of recent college grads on a tour playing some of the top teams in Europe.
Kelley Green named head softball coach
Kelley Green has been hired to take over the Chanticleer Softball program. Green was the head coach at Lock Haven University for the last 10 years, where she led the team to two Division II national championships in the last four years, while posting a 208-23 record.
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Coach Dannelly says farewell
Coach Jess Dannelly |
Straw Hat. Southern Drawl. 669 career wins. Just a few traits of a Coastal Carolina original—Coach Jess Dannelly. The veteran coach recently retired from leading the softball program, one that he cultivated from infancy to national prominence.
Twenty-two seasons, five Big South Confer-ence Championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and count-less successful student-athletes mark Dannelly's coaching legacy. While the wins and accolades leave his successor with big shoes to fill, Dannelly's uniquely Southern persona and devotion will be impossible to replace.
"It's been a lot of fun," Dannelly said. "All the wins have been nice, but when you get letters from former players telling you how much you meant to them—that's what gets you emotional."
Dannelly joined the Chanticleer athletic department in the mid-1980s, first as a baseball coach and administrator in the physical education department. But in 1988, the new director of athletics, Buddy Sasser, had a proposition.
"Coach Sasser pulled me aside and said he wanted to make a change in the softball program and would I be interested," said Dannelly. "So I got started and had a whopping budget of $12,000— for everything!"
That job offer began a more than two-decade coaching career paralleled by his role as associate athletic director, in which Dannelly oversaw many areas of athletic administration. On the field, with softball just emerging within the culture of college athletics, Dannelly became a pioneer.
"Back then the SEC or ACC did not have the sport," said Dannelly. "But boy, that has changed. We've also gone from just 32 teams in the NCAAs [tournament] to 64. And the athletes are bigger and faster."
Through the years, the program developed a tremendous roster of players including Sara Graziano, Holly Lee Michelle Minton, Michelle Hall and Sara Lockett, to name a few.
"Our 2000 team was really special because we had to battle through the loser's bracket of the conference tournament to win the championship and reach the NCAAs," said Dannelly. "After losing to Liberty, I told the team members to shut their eyes and listen to them [Liberty] cheering and acting like they have already won this thing. Now, think about how we are going to come back and beat them. Our seniors took over, and we did it."
That same team also produced the program's deepest run into the NCAA Tournament by knocking off Penn State and Florida Atlantic before losing a heartbreaker to Arizona State that would have left Coastal just two wins away from the College World Series.
Dannelly's new position within the athletic department is devoted to strengthening the bond between the University and athletic alumni.
"So many great kids have come through our athletic program, and they are now doing some special things in the world," said Dannelly. "We are going to reach out and learn how we can make their connection to Coastal stronger."
And when Coach Dannelly makes the call, no doubt they will be listening.
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Baseball Shines in '09
David Anderson |
The baseball team had another outstanding season in 2009. The Chanticleers won 47 games, the fourth highest total in school history. They won their 12th Big South regular-season title, their 10th Big South Tournament title and their ninth trip to the NCAA Regionals. The Chants went to Chapel Hill, N.C., where they defeated Kansas 11-3 before falling to North Carolina and Kansas. Junior Jose Iglesias was named to the All-Chapel Hill Regional team.
Senior David Anderson was named the Big South's Most Valuable Player and the Big South Tournament's MVP. He is only the second player in conference history to achieve both of those feats. Sophomore lefthander Cody Wheeler was named the Big South's Pitcher of the Year. Wheeler was 10-1 on the season, which was highlighted by a no-hitter at Hawaii.
Anderson and Wheeler were joined on the All-Big South First Team by freshman Anthony Meo, junior Nick McCully, and sophomore Rico Noel. Senior Tyler Bortnick, junior Adam Rice and freshman Daniel Bowman were Second Team selections. After the 7-1 win over Winthrop in the Big South Tournament championship game in Asheville, N.C., Anderson, McCully, Noel and Austin Fleet were named to the All-Tournament Team. Meo, Bowman and Taylor Motter were named Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-Americans, which was the highest number of Freshmen All-Americans in the Big South.
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Women's Golf wins title
(left to right) Head Coach Katie Quinney, Carmen Jones, Ann Maness, Jessica Vincent, Alicia Grier, Aruka Felgueroso, Katie Heher |
Under first-year Head Coach Katie Quinney, the women's golf squad made its second-ever NCAA Regional appearance, finishing 13th out of 21 teams in the NCAA East Regional at the University of Florida Golf Club in Gainesville, Fla., May 7-9. In addition, junior Aruka Felgueroso was voted Big South Co-Women's Golfers of the Year by the league's head coaches.
The Chants earned their way into the postseason by capturing the 2009 Big South Conference Championship and the league's automatic bid on the strength of four All-Big South players (Big South medalist Felgueroso, Ann Maness, Jessica Vincent and Alicia Grier).
Felgueroso tied for the league's top award with Charleston Southern's Olivia Jordan-Higgins, as each had 39 points and four first-place votes. Felgueroso is now a two-time Golfer of the Year winner—she was honored with the top prize as a freshman in 2007. She is the first two-time winner of the award since 2000, and the third overall multiple-winner in conference history. Felgueroso is second in the conference with a 76.35 scoring average and posted two Top 10 finishes during the season, including medalist honors at the USF/Waterlefe Invitational. Currently ranked No. 186 in the nation, Felgueroso also posted three rounds under par and two rounds at 70 to tie for the lowest round in the Big South this season. She was the team's top finisher in all seven of Coastal Carolina's events this year.
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Chanticleer Club expands under Mark Roach
Mark Roach has been named the first full-time executive director of the Chanticleer Club, the athletic booster organization of Coastal Carolina University which was recently renamed the Chanticleer Athletic Foundation. For more than 30 years, the organization has been instrumental in raising funds for athletic scholarships and capital needs.
"By expanding Mark Roach's role, we are demonstrating the central importance of the foundation in our efforts to solidify the Chanticleer tradition and build financial strength," said University President David A. DeCenzo.
Other athletic fundraising opportunities include naming rights to various campus facilities, private/community partnerships and event sponsorships, according to Roach.
"Our goal is to raise funds through various initiatives so that we may continue upgrading facilities, increase awareness with additional advertising and marketing strategies, and create dedicated fans through annual membership drives." said Roach. "The ultimate purpose is to strengthen the athletic component of the University in order to support and prepare our student-athletes, not only to be winners in their respective sports but to be successful in their careers and leaders in their communities."
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McColl: Distinguished Student-Athlete of the Year
Emily McColl |
Women's soccer senior Emily McColl of Wellington, New Zealand, was named the 2008-2009 Coastal Carolina University Distinguished Student-Athlete of the Year.
McColl, who graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a 3.988 grade-point average in biology in December of 2008, was a two-time captain of the Chanticleer women's soccer team. She scored 12 career goals and had 12 assists in her Chanticleer career for 36 points. McColl was named to the All-Big South First Team her senior year after scoring six goals and four assists for 16 points, adding three game-winning tallies. She also was named the Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
McColl was one of 30 semifinalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in 2008 and was a Third Team CoSIDA Academic All-American. She was a Second Team Academic All-District selection by CoSIDA in 2006. McColl was named to the Coastal Carolina President's List eight times and earned the President's Award for Academic Achievement in 2008.
"Emily has been a role model student-athlete for us at Coastal Carolina," said Rohan Naraine, Chanticleer head women's soccer coach. "She is well-respected on campus by the faculty, student body, teammates and the athletic administration. She puts the team first before herself. She is always there for anyone who needs a helping hand or advice. We will truly miss Emily. She is one of a kind."
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Chants win Big South Women's All-Sports Trophy
Big South Commissioner Kyle Kallander (left) with Cari Rosiek, CCU associate athletic director/senior women's administrator, and Athletic Director Warren "Moose" Koegel |
Coastal Carolina University took home the 2008-2009 Women's All-Sports Trophy and finished as runner-up for the George F. "Buddy" Sasser Cup and Men's All-Sports Trophy. The awards were presented at the league's annual Spring Meeting Awards Dinner and 25th Anniversary Banquet, held at Winthrop University.
The Chanticleers finished with an average of 11.61 points and 104.5 overall points in nine women's sports, winning a combined five regular-season and tournament titles in women's competition in 2008-2009.
Coastal Carolina edged Liberty, which was second with an average of 11.44 (91.5 points in eight sports). High Point was third in the Women's All-Sports race with its 10.21 average (71.5 total points in seven sports).
Coastal Carolina University has now won five of the six Women's All-Sports Awards since the award's inception in 2003-2004. Liberty University took home the Sasser Cup for the 2008-2009 athletic season, its second consecutive title and seventh overall. In 2008-2009, Liberty averaged 11.35 Sasser Cup points in 17 championship sports and accumulated a total of 193.0 points based on its finish in conference championships, winning by 0.54 over second-place Coastal Carolina.
Coastal Carolina University finished second to Liberty this season with a 10.81 average in 17 sports and totaled 183.75 points, 9.25 overall points behind Liberty. High Point was third in the Sasser Cup standings at 8.84, followed by Radford (8.51) and Winthrop (8.43). On the year, the Chanticleers won five Big South Conference championships—baseball, men's golf, women's golf, women's cross country, women's indoor track and field and women's outdoor track and field.
The Flames earned the Men's All-Sports Trophy with their average of 11.28 (101.5 points overall in nine sports), ahead of Coastal Carolina's 9.91 average (79.25 points overall in eight sports). Radford was third in the Men's All-Sports race with its 8.97 average (71.75 total points in eight sports).
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Men's Golf team takes the Big South title
(left to right) Assoc. Head Coach Chris Wilson, Sam Lyons, Tripp McAllister, Drew Ernst, Zack Byrd, David Dannely and Head Coach Allen Terrell |
The men's golf squad continued to gain national prominence, picking up its sixth consecutive Big South Conference title and sixth straight berth in the NCAA Regionals, finishing 11th in the NCAA Northeast Regional in Galloway, N.J.
Ranked No. 46 in the nation by Golfweek, the Chanticleers earned the league's automatic bid with a 31-shot victory over runner-up Liberty. Big South Player of the Year Zack Byrd, ranked in the top-20 nationally during the year, earned medalist honors at the Big South Championship for the second time in his career and just the second two-time medalist in Big South Conference history. Teammates junior Sam Lyons and sophomore David Dannelly tied for runner-up honors, while redshirt-freshman Drew Ernst and sophomore Tripp McAllister also finished in the top six as all five players earned All-Big South honors this year, the first school ever to accomplish that in league history.
Byrd was a unanimous Golfer of the Year selection by the head coaches after leading the Big South with a 71.37 scoring average during the regular-season. Byrd returned from an injury last season to post four runner-up finishes this year and five overall top 10 finishes. He averaged 70.11 strokes per round, going a combined 25-under par during the regular season and finishing in the top three in five and the top 20 in six events prior to Regionals. He is ranked No. 20 in the nation by Golfweek and has scored under par in 15 of his 27 rounds this season. Byrd also has eight rounds in the 60s, including a league-best and school-record 63, which he recorded in the final round of the Desert Shootout en route to a 15-under 201. He also finished 7-under par at the Arizona Intercollegiate, 5-under par at the Administaff ASU Invitational, and 1-under par at the Bank of Tennessee at The Ridges. Byrd is the sixth consecutive Chanticleer to win Men's Golfer of the Year honors.
Byrd was also named the Big South's Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year. A 3.27 GPA student in recreation and sports management, he is now a three-time Men's Golf All-Academic team member. Byrd is just the second Golfer of the Year to be voted Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
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Cody Wheeler makes
USA National Team
Cody Wheeler |
Chanticleer left-handed pitcher Cody Wheeler has made the 22-man roster for the 2009 USA Baseball National Collegiate Team. Wheeler was one of 10 pitchers and one of only two left-handed pitchers to make the team.
Wheeler was 10-1 with a 3.83 earned-run average in 15 starts this season for the Chants. The Big South Pitcher of the Year has struck out a team and conference high 98 batters in 91.2 innings pitched. He pitched a complete-game no-hitter in a 4-0 win over Hawaii March 26 and had seven-inning, one-hit performances in wins over Stony Brook and VMI. Wheeler was 7-0 in Big South games and has 63 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched in conference matchups. He was named the Big South Pitcher of the Week three times this season. He was a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-America and an All-Atlantic Region First Team member.
The National Team opens its season with a five-game series against the Canadian National Team in Cary, N.C. Following its domestic exhibition schedule, the U.S. traveled to Japan to compete in the 37th Annual Japan vs. USA Collegiate Championships before closing out its summer in Canada at the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.
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It's Hammer Time
Amber Campbell |
Coastal Carolina University alumna hammer thrower Amber Campbell was the runner-up at the 2009 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 28. Campbell hit her long throw of the competition on her second toss, posting 68.92m (226 feet, 1 inch) to finish as runner-up behind teammate Jessica Crosby.
Her finish, along with already having hit the "A" standard, put her on her second U.S. Team for the World Track and Field Championships, in Berlin, Germany, August 15-23. She competed previously for the U.S. National Team in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland, finishing as the second American and 18th overall. She was also the top American thrower at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, placing 21st.
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