September 7, 2024
CLEVELAND, Ga. — The Truett McConnell University Bears are carrying the momentum of the accumulated successes and historical moments from all athletic teams in 2023-2024 to prepare for the 2024-2025 seasons.
FALL
Women's soccer had another successful season, earning the title of AAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions for the second consecutive year, with a conference record of 13-0-1. TMU maintained their spot at the top of the conference standings for the entire duration of the season, while clinching the title of AAC Regular Season Champions after a 4-0 shutout victory over the University of Pikeville. In the AAC Tournament, the Lady Bears bested No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan University in a 1-0 battle to secure the double.
Eliska Dvorakova was named the 2023 AAC Offensive Player of the Year and the AAC Tournament MVP, while Lyndsey Darden, Annabel Kesinger and Ella Weir were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team. Three Lady Bears were featured on the All-Conference First Team (Nadiia Ivanchenko, Darden, Dvorakova), while three Lady Bears were featured on the All-Conference Second Team (Emelie Taylor, Kayla Boggess, Ashley Johnson).
TMU traveled to the NAIA National Championships Opening Round for their sixth straight appearance, where they bested No. 10 Marion University with a score of 3-1. The Lady Bears reached new heights as a team with the recorded victory over Marion as they advanced to the Sweet 16 at the final site location for the first time in program history. TMU put up a fight against (RV) Life University in what proved their final game of the season, ultimately falling to a heartbreaking score of 2-1.
Most notable, Dvorakova was featured earning a spot on the NAIA All-American Third Team, while being ranked tied for second with 17 assists in the NAIA. TMU concluded their historical season with an overall record of 18-3-2. The Lady Bears recorded a total of 11 shutout wins, having maintained their spot in the NAIA Top 25 rankings. Over the last six seasons, TMU has proven a top competitor in the NAIA and conference play as seen by a combined overall record of 101-21-5, 75-2-2 AAC.
Men's soccer improved their overall record from 2022 in both regular season and conference play, finishing 9-3-4, 7-2-4 AAC. The Bears entered AAC Tournament play set to face No. 4 St. Andrews University, where No. 5 TMU ultimately fell to a tough battle against the Knights (4-0). Keeper Aleksa Lukic was named to the AAC All-Conference First Team, while Hendrik Metje and Oscar Brennan were featured on the AAC All-Conference Second Team. Lukic currently sits tied in third with an .843 save percentage in the NAIA.
Women's Volleyball finished their season with an overall record of 22-12, 14-6 AAC. Ranavia Neal was featured recording her 1,000th career kill, while Rachel Kessler and Sonya Silecky individually recorded their 1,000th career dig. Katie Williams landed a spot on the AAC All-Conference First Team, while Rylee Simpson earned a spot on the AAC All-Conference Freshman team and two Lady Bears were featured on the All-Conference Second Team (Simpson, Neal). The Lady Bears entered the AAC Tournament as the No. 5 seed and faced the No. 4 seed Reinhardt University, where TMU fell short in five grueling sets (17-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-14, 13-15).
TMU Cycling had a successful season, finishing in the top five of 20 teams at the end of the regular season. Three Bears were featured punching their individual ticket to MTB Nationals (Brennah Davidson, Madison Wyatt, Jake Hutcheson), TMU's fourth appearance since the addition of the sport in 2019. Hutcheson was featured finishing in 34th in the men's Dual Slalom and 38th in the men's Downhill. Wyatt followed securing a 27th place finish in the women's downhill and 52nd in the women's short track race, while Davidson found a 54th place finish in the women's short track and 55th in the women's cross country event.
Men's cross country had an eventful season, finishing in 8th at the AAC Tournament out of 12 teams. The Bears showed their grit at the Yeti Invitational during the season to secure a runner-up finish, with three top 15 finishes and 62 team points. Marco Flores led the way for the Bears this season, featuring a personal best time of 27:18.2 at the AAC Conference Championship in the 8K race, followed by Connor Morgan who had a sharp performance at the conference championship as well, hitting his personal best time of 27:36.1.
Women's cross country had a successful season, where they were crowned meet champions at the Yeti Invitational and runner-up at the GMC Brickyard Invitational. At the AAC Tournament, the Lady Bears finished fourth out of 12 teams with a combined total of 146 points. Allison Craft led the way for the Lady Bears, recording a personal best time of 23:29.1 at the AAC Conference Championship in the 6k race, followed by Sara Owen who recorded a personal best time of 23:49.7 at the conference championship as well.
WINTER
Wrestling finished the 2023-24 season with a conference record of 3-5. The Bears placed seventh at the AAC Tournament, earning 32.5 team points against a tough field of competitors. William Parker was featured earning a fourth place finish in the 184 weight class, while Stanley Lal finished fifth in the 133 weight class and Geo Silvestre finished sixth in the 141 weight class. TMU is excited to welcome head coach Cody Bond as the new Head Wrestling Coach, who comes to TMU with seven plus years of Division I experience.
Women's Basketball had a successful season finishing with an overall record of 12-18, 10-12 AAC. At the AAC Tournament, the Lady Bears bested the No. 9 seed Columbia College, 55-44, and ultimately fell to the No. 1 seed Bryan College 75-49. Alexis Brewster was featured receiving AAC All Conference Second Team, Defensive Team, and Freshman Team honors in her first year competing as a Lady Bear.
Men's Basketball had an eventful season, finishing 12-18 overall, 9-15 AAC. TMU entered the AAC Tournament as the No. 10 seed, where they went on to upset the No. 7 seed Reinhardt University in a dominating 95-72 win and fell to the No. 2 seed University of Pikeville 80-73. KJ Riley was featured earning AAC All-Conference Second Team honors, while Jadon Yeh landed a spot on the AAC All-Freshman Team.
SPRING
Men's and Women's Track and Field had an impressive 2024 season, qualifying in four total events at the 2024 NAIA National Championship. The men's team saw Connor Morgan punch his individual ticket in the 800m race, while the women's team saw Myesha Hall individually qualify for both the long and triple jump events, while Katilyn Babb secured her ticket in the javelin throw. At the National Championship, Hall secured her third consecutive NAIA All-American title in the long jump after finishing in seventh place with a mark of 5.79 meters. Hall was also seen finishing in 12th in the women's triple jump with a mark of 11.74 meter, while Katilyn Babb hit a mark of 34.35 meters in the women's javelin throw and Connor Morgan recorded a time of 1:52.89 in the men's 800 meter race.
The women's team secured many individual top finishes throughout the season, with both Hall and Babb each recording six first place finishes of their own. At the Electric City Invite, Hall was seen recording a mark of 6.29 meters in the long jump, qualifying for a potential spot at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in July. The Lady Bears broke multiple school records throughout the season, including Hall in the 200m dash (24.99) and long jump (6.29m), and Kyleigh Johnson in the 100m hurdles (15.01). At the AAC Tournament the Lady Bears finished fifth overall, featuring seven podium finishes including two individual championship titles by Hall (long jump) and Babb (javelin).
At the AAC Tournament, the men's team finished in fourth place out of 13 teams, featuring four podium finishes. The Bears broke numerous school records throughout the season, including Austin Mathis in the hammer throw (47.36m), Seth Fowler in the javelin throw (47.51m), Dylan Simms in the shot put (14.86m), Tyler Crow in the pole vault (4.13) and decathlon (4,397 points), Christian Strickland in the 110m hurdles (14.88), and Marco Flores in the steeplechase (10:26.07).
Softball had a successful season, finishing with a record of 26-18, 19-9 AAC. TMU started the season off hot at the NFCA Lead-off Classic, finishing the tournament with two big wins over Louisiana Christian University and Webber International University, while center fielder Jenna O'Brien was featured on the All-Tournament team. Three Lady Bears were featured earning individual AAC weekly honors, featuring O'Brien in week one, Kyleigh Sanders in weeks six and seven, and Emma Vessell in week nine. Sanders was also featured recording her third career no-hitter in the Lady Bears 6-0 win against Bryan college in early April. The Lady Bears recorded a sharp performance at the AAC Tournament, finishing fourth overall after falling to No. 2 Johnson University in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss. Hailey Cronic was featured earning a spot on the AAC All-Conference First Team, while three Lady Bears were seen on the AAC All-Conference Second Team (Cassie Boatright, O'Brien, Sanders). Hailey Cronic and Jenna O'Brien were featured receiving NFCA All-Region First Team honors, while Sanders was featured on the second team.
Women's golf had a great fall season, recording three first place finishes as a team, one of which was awarded at the AAC Fall Championship, where Sylken November was crowned the individual champion. In the Spring, the Lady Bears were featured finishing in the top five in all but one tournament, including a first place team finish at the Brenau Golden Tigers Invitational, where Madison Panter and Jala Stamey were named to the All-Tournament Team.
At the AAC Tournament, TMU was seen finishing runners-up with a combined team score of 910. Additionally, the Lady Bears were awarded the regular season champions title, while three Lady Bears were named to the All-Conference First Team (Nicoline Eide, Sylken November and Audrey Grace Holder) and one Lady Bear named to the All-Conference Second Team (Panter).
In the post season, TMU received and At-Large Berth to the NAIA National Championships after topping out at No. 10 in the NAIA National Top 25 Poll. At the National Championship, the Lady Bears were seen facing some of the toughest competition in the nation, ultimately finishing tied for 22nd overall with a team score of 661. Panter was featured earning an individual spot on the 2023-24 NAIA All-American Third Team, the second time in TMU women's golf history a Lady Bear has received All-American honors.
Men's Golf also had a successful fall season, recording four top five finishes, including a first place team finish at the AAC Fall Championship where three Bears finished in the top five (Caden Sanders, Jackson Stone, Nate Thornton). TMU carried their momentum over into the Spring where the Bears proved to be a fierce competitor once again, earning the title of both AAC Tournament and Regular season champions. Thornton was featured as the individual champion and the AAC Player of the Year, while Head Coach Steve Patton earned AAC Coach of the Year honors. The Bears were featured topping out at No. 9 in the final NAIA National Top 25 poll.
In the post season, TMU earned an automatic team qualifying bid to the NAIA National Championships where the Bears proved worthy of their national ranking finishing 13th overall with a final team score of 1,227. Two Bears recorded top performances at the championship, including Peyton Shedd who finished tied for fourth place (71, 71, 74, 75) after maintaining a position in the top four on the leader board for the entire duration of the tournament, ultimately proving capable of earning a spot on the All-Tournament team and recording one of the best performances at nationals the program has ever seen. Stone, one of five finalists for the 2024 NAIA Jack Nicklaus Player of the Year Award, was featured finishing tied for 32nd (79, 75, 73, 76) while being named to the Ping NAIA All-Region Team. And the NAIA Ping All-American First Team.
The Bears opened the Spring season ranked at No. 5, which is the highest national ranking the program has ever witnessed and the highest national ranking any TMU athletic program has ever received, while the Lady Bears opened their Spring season ranked at No. 7, respectfully.
Baseball had an eventful season, finishing 19-26 overall, 10-19 AAC. Freshman Samuel Crew was featured recording his first shutout win as a Bear against the University of Pikeville after pitching seven complete innings and recording 11 strikeouts (2-0). The Bears concluded their season with a dominating series win over Milligan University, sweeping the doubleheader 11-10 and 5-3, featuring a complete game by Caleb Johnson in the series finale. Ten Bears were featured earning AAC All-Academic and NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors (Caleb Gentry, Jacob Karvelos, Caleb Ramsey, Dylan Sargent, Caleb Williams, Phillip Braswell, Johnson, Jordan Kenty, Mikal Mascarello and Joshua Merritt).
Women's lacrosse concluded their 2023 season with a record of 3-12, 1-5 AAC, along with the Lady Bears earning their spot at the AAC Tournament for the fourth time in program history. TMU worked hard in postseason play, securing the lead over the No. 3 seed Montreat College at the half, but ultimately fell in a devastating loss to a score of 18-15. The Lady Bears competed against some of the best teams in the NAIA, while maintaining reputable character. Katie Smith was named to the AAC Champions of Character Team, while five Lady Bears earned a spot on the NAIA Scholar-Athlete Team.
Men's volleyball had a historical season earning their first program wins and finished the season with a record of 6-20, 0-12 AAC. The Bears showed grew as a program, featuring five new faces who proved key contributors to the sharp team dynamic. Alex Bosman was named to the AAC Champions of Character Team, while Adam Shuman and Jakob Lee were named to the AAC All-Academic and NAIA Scholar-Athlete Team.
Women's Beach Volleyball had a historical season, finishing 15-13 overall, 6-4 SUN. TMU welcomed Joe Herrera as the Director of Volleyball at the beginning of 2024, where he helped guide the Lady Bears through a successful season. TMU started the season off strong with Leah Bowen and Emma Boland earning SUN Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week honors in week one of play. The Lady Bears were featured earning their first national recognition on the week three release of the 2024 NAIA Women's Beach Volleyball Coaches' Top 10 Rating, receiving three votes. TMU was also featured qualifying for the SUN Conference Tournament for the first time in program history, earning the No. 5 seed spot. The Lady Bears went on to finish their historical season at the AVCA Small College Championship where they finished 3-2 in the tournament, proving capable of securing a third place finish after besting St. Andrews University, Ottawa University and Warner University. Three Lady Bears were featured on the SUN All-Academic and NAIA Scholar-Athlete Teams (Jordan Roberts, Kaleigh McFarland and Macy Boggs).
Tennis had a great season with the men's team finishing 2-10, 0-8 AAC, while the women's team finished 4-12, 2-7 AAC. The Lady Bears earned their second ticket to the AAC Tournament, where they concluded their season against the No. 1 seed Tennessee Wesleyan University. Four Bears were featured earning AAC All-Academic and NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors (Cameron Lewis, Landon Guthrie, Ashley Johnson, Rebekah Scott)
The TMU Shot Gun Team had an impressive 2024 season, securing multiple top individual finishes. Lexi Bullard, Drew Webber, Ethan Ledford, Trenton Turner, Kason Gooch and Michael Bowen were among the six Bears featured punching their individual tickets to the ACUI Clay Shooting National Championship. Ledford was featured recording a runner-up finish in Single Trap (Class A) & a third place finish in Trap Doubles (Class A) while three Bears recorded personal bests in multiple events at the championships (Weber, Bowen, and Bullard).
Competitive Gaming had a successful season, ranking 25th in the NACE Starleague for Fortnite with two build duo teams, featuring Luke Liason/Noah Greene and John Mark Caner/Damarisse Valladares, earning TMU eight points.
Disc Golf had a phenomenal inaugural season. Myra Ehrenberg was featured recording the programs first individual tournament victory in February at the Chains On The Plains Disc Golf Tournament, hosted by Auburn University, where she was crowned Women's Singles Champion against a tough field of competitors. TMU's Ma1 team, featuring Silas Smith, Will Mahnken, Cooper Gibson, and Grant Holder, went on to compete at the College Disc Golf National Championship, hosted by Winthrop University in early April, where the team finished 31st out of 45 after shooting a combined score of 223 through four rounds.
