Building Champions in athletics and academics
By Hunter Yurachek, Director of Athletics
The 429 Coastal Carolina University students who compete as Chanticleers in 17 sports programs have made amazing strides in the last 18 months on the playing fields and in the community and, most importantly, in the classroom. These accomplishments are a reflection of our promise to build “Champions for Life.”
As Champions in Academics, our student-athletes have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.01, which is above the average for all students. Moreover, 66 student-athletes have earned a perfect 4.0, and 113 have proudly completed their degree programs. In December, senior football player Marcus Lott became Coastal Carolina’s 35th Academic All-America selection. Among other academic accolades in the past year, 205 student-athletes made the Big South Honor Roll; women’s basketball player Katie White earned the conference’s top academic honor of the Christenberry Award; and track and field standout Sierrah Oates was one of 13 student-athletes in the nation to earn an NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship.
As Champions in Athletics, our teams have won 16 Big South Championships, five teams have been ranked nationally and 11 teams have advanced to NCAA postseason play, including women’s golf earning a spot in the NCAA Championship last season. Individually, 160 student-athletes have been All-Big South selections, and 118 have been named Big South Players of the Week in the last 18 months. Our student-athletes have received unprecedented positive national media attention including: a Sports Section cover story in USA Today, nine appearances across the ESPN family of networks and five appearances on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays of the Day. Overall, the CCU athletic program ranks among the top third of more than 325 NCAA Division I schools in the country, according to the annual Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings.
As Champions in the Community, our student-athletes, coaches and administrators have provided leadership and service through more than 5,000 hours of community service through initiatives with the Miracle League, Shepherd’s Table, Habitat for Humanity, River Sweep, Soap for Souls, Pee Dee Elementary School, Women in Philanthropy and Leadership, and other organizations.
Other major accomplishments during this period include the successful completion of the NCAA Certification process, significant facility upgrades and enhancements, and the addition of women’s lacrosse as our 18th sports program beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year.
Community engagement has been a cornerstone of Coastal Carolina University since its founding in 1954. The success of the athletics program has been and continues to be reliant on the support of the community – as fans and friends. On behalf of the entire Department of Athletics, I am grateful for the deep support of the campus community – faculty, staff and administrators who are teachers, advocates, fans and friends for all of our student-athletes. To each of you, thank you for providing the energy that fuels the success of the Chanticleers and helps us all become Champions for Life.
