2020-21 OFFICIAL HIGHLIGHT VIDEO/THROUGH MY EYES BLOG

This is the first in what will be a series of first-person narratives throughout the 2021-22 academic year.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – My first year at UNC Greensboro was fun. CLICK TO VIEW 2020-21 SEASON HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

Witnessing Isaiah Miller dunk on a nightly basis, Makenna Matthijs hit home runs, CeCe Crudup play stellar defense, Theo Collomb score goals, and Corey Rosier fill up the stat sheet was a daily treat. Those vivid portraits of excellence are seared into my memory.

The last 365 days have been anything but normal as a lot of us endured plenty of nasal swabs, socially-distanced meals, and of course, plenty of Zoom meetings. I was also blessed to spend a total of two weeks at the start and end of the men’s basketball season in controlled environments, better known to the rest of the world as “bubbles.” 

Yet, everybody adjusted, adapted, and conquered the unique challenges of adhering to stringent COVID-19 guidelines. The resilience, dedication, and passion of UNCG’s brilliant student-athletes, coaches, and staff was nice to be a part of. 

They refused to let anything deny them from the opportunity to compete.

Fall seasons were delayed until the spring. There were home baseball, softball, and volleyball games on the same day. Overall, during an insane stretch in the spring there were 107 UNCG athletic events in 138 days. 

The awesome strategic communications team of Darian Phillips, Colby Dunaway, Mark Pinkerton, Michael Ream, Jeff Mills, and Will Black were everywhere and made sure many of the moments were captured, chronicled, and shared. 

We celebrated Southern Conference championships in men’s basketball, softball, and men’s soccer. Two of the three were won on campus, which made the moment sweeter especially since our fans and students could share in the accomplishment. 

Winning the men’s basketball tournament in Asheville was a whirlwind. The best moment was watching the players swag surf, hug each other, and cut down the nets. Each program displayed plenty of Spartan spirit in their NCAA Tournament games before falling short. 

Men’s and women’s cross-country set the tone for a year to remember. Each program finished fourth overall and had a pair of individuals earn top 20 finishes at the Southern Conference cross-country championships. Tara Bettle continued to distinguish herself on the golf course by earning All-SoCon recognition. The men’s golf program knows great things are ahead with a talented core of underclassmen who gained great experience.

Despite suffering some tough five-set losses early in the season, the volleyball team continued competing with grit and displaying championship character. It was a treat to watch Maria Esch lead her team and SAAC through her actions. The weekend sweep over Furman is something I will always remember because the Spartans had every reason to quit and they refused to be denied. 

Women’s soccer had a terrific late-season surge that included three consecutive victories. They also battled N.C. State to a draw during the year, a match in which goalie Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper had a clean sheet. Baseball was challenged by a tough schedule. The College World Series draw looks like part of UNCG’s schedule as it played Tennessee and N.C. State this past year. 

Baseball beat three ACC programs (North Carolina, Duke and NC State), scored 16 runs at N.C. State, beat Charlotte with a Hogan Windish grand slam, and finished with winning record. Women’s tennis opened the season with four straight victories. Men’s tennis was a joy to watch.

Before the games started, it was fun getting to know twins Jessica and Jasmine Cullins as well as Joe and Nicolas Thoma. I was able to share engaging stories of Jonathan Kennedy, Harrison Gwynn, Aja Boyd, Delaney Cumbie, Gabby McHugh, Nelson Oceano, Mohammed Abdulsalam, Jordan Releford, Camille Anderson, Kaleb Hunter, and Matthijs during the year.

The Academic Success Center and Bodford Speed, Strength and Conditioning Center opened to rave reviews. 

Starting a new job is hard enough in a regular year. Beginning here in the midst of a global pandemic was tough. Add in the divisive political environment and the social justice activism, which added to a year unlike any other I've ever experienced in my career. However, supporting our student-athletes during this climate added purpose to my transition to UNCG. 

The student-athletes inspired me every day especially with their commitment to being the change they want to see by taking intentional action steps and forming The Black Student-Athlete Association and Athletes for Activism – moves that led to movements. 

Every eligible student-athlete was able to register to vote did so, thereby giving UNCG a 100 percent voter registration. There was the awesome day in April in which staff and students marched peacefully from campus to downtown Greensboro, an effort led by UNCG’s student-athletes.

They say experiences make life worthwhile. 

Here’s a few more of my personal favorites from this past year. 

Sharing laughs in an Athens (Ga.) meeting room with Morgan Scott, Kayleigh Willis, Jasmine Palmer, and Matthijs as they participated in Zoom pre-game interviews with ESPN. My first trip to the University of Tennessee’s legendary Thompson-Boiling Arena for women’s basketball was unforgettable. 

In addition to taking a photo next to the Pat Summit statue, I had a great postgame interview with Tori Powell after she scored a career-high 16 points against the Vols. Visiting the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday with the men’s basketball team was powerful. Spending time sitting in coaches' offices was always enlightening.

Of course, I can’t forget the opportunity I had to snap a pregame selfie with our awesome Director of Athletics Kim Record at the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. 

Seeing our student-athletes shine in the classroom and achieving all of their goals make me proud to be a Spartan. 

Despite the endless curveballs, UNCG thrived, which was the ultimate victory. 

– UNCG –