Beach Volleyball Starts Spring 2021
The University of Mobile adds one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation – beach volleyball – to its athletic line-up this year. The program serves up its inaugural season during spring semester of 2021. That gives UM a total of 19 sports, making the Rams one of the largest athletic programs in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
The new program is led by current indoor volleyball coaches: Head Coach Jon Campbell and assistant coaches Amber Campbell and Melody Fillingim.
The NAIA added beach volleyball as an emerging sport in the 2019-2020 school year. Currently, 25 NAIA institutions are fielding teams for the 2020-2021 school year.
Jonina Brinson ’17
All-Decade Teams Honor UM’s Best
The University of Mobile’s outstanding student-athletes from the past decade are being honored this year as members of 2010-2020 All-Decade Teams. Selection was based on athletic and academic accomplishments and honors while at UM, in the Southern States Athletic Conference or previous Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, and in the NAIA.
UM is the only school in the SSAC to feature all-decade teams. Sports that have yet to feature all-decade teams may choose to do so later in the year. Honored are:
Men’s Basketball – Kwame Beard, Darius Curry, Antonio Hester, DJ Hill, Ji Kimbrough, Brandon Morris, Julien Sargent, Cody Scott, Daouda Soumaoro, Will Stanford, Donte Walker and Tony-Toni Wright.
Women’s Basketball – Alicia Curry, Starla Daggan, Briana Edwards, Daphnee Frieson, Alice Honnery, Jakela Johnson, Kali Koenig, Kendra Langham, Adrienne Mackay, Deonica McCormick, Artasia McDowell, Molly Speed, Sydney Westery and Jordyn York.
Volleyball – Reagin Boggs, Jessica Bagwell, Hannah Buck, Caroline Ennis, Kiara Gay, Taylor Harper, Annie Kate Hudson, Alex Karcher, Dissah Kolassiba, Jocelyn Mahayag, Bailey Nations, Samantha Nichols, Melody Tenney, Hannah Wentland and Sara Van Wert.
Men’s Golf – Keith Brooks, Zach Day, Wade Duke, Leland Dunning, Mike Herperger, Declan Illingsworth, Noah Martino, Josh Moss, Alejandro Salcedo and Noah Whittington.
Women’s Golf – Abbie Harris, Taylor Kirby, Molly Macdermaid, Haley Mize, Alex Moore, Ann Kathrin Nahl, Heather Nail, Kyra Plotner, Maegan Rice and Kayla Whatley.
Men’s Cross Country – Seth Emmenegger, Alex Guillory, Joshua Nicholson, Leith Rawson and Nathan Whitton.
Women’s Cross Country – LaDonna Bonner, Gabrielle Chunn, Jasmine Lee, Katelyn Osborne, Billie Shelton, Madelyn Wells and Amie Wimberly.
Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Maurice Davis, Jackson Denis, Keldrick Edwards, Seth Emmenegger, James Faison, Marque-Anthony Hall, Anfernee Jones, Leith Rawson, Jordan Santa Maria and Isaiah Williams.
Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Jonina Brinson, Dajha Harper, LaKirstan Hooks, Briana Huff, Azaria Jones, Sofia Mazza, Angel Peterson, Billie Shelton, Madelyn Wells and Amie Wimberly.
Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Ethan Cowart, Danlee Eckstein, Keldrick Edwards, James Faison, Alex Guillory, Marque-Anthony Hall, Daron Hooks, Anfernee Jones, Joshua Nicholson, Tayvion Payton, Jaylen Poole, Steven Soles Jr., Nathan Whitton, Isaiah Williams and Daylon Wooten.
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – LaDonna Bonner, Jonina Brinson, Dajha Harper, LaKirstan Hooks, A’Kasia Frazier, Briana Huff, Elyssa Paulding, Billie Shelton, Nichole Slocumb, Madelyn Wells, Chrislyn Whaley and Amie Wimberly.
Competitive Cheer – Cody Clifton, Peyton Cooley, Maggie Copeland, Austin Garner, Jacob Hildreth, Clydlette Jordan, Hannah Kelly, Alex Sutherland, Colton Wells and Emma Williams.
UM Earns Academic and Athletic Honors
Following the previous 2019-2020 academic year, 16 of 19 University of Mobile athletic programs are eligible for the annual NAIA Scholar Team Award. The NAIA Scholar Team Award recognizes excellence in the classroom. To be eligible, each athletic program must have a team GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale over the course of the fall and spring semesters. This award includes every varsity athlete certified as eligible in the sport.
Since the 2013-2014 season, 31 teams from the University of Mobile have been recognized as NAIA Scholar Teams.
Over 45 student-athletes across different athletic programs at UM are eligible for the annual Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete Award, an individual award that recognizes excellence in the classroom by student-athletes in the NAIA who are juniors or above in academic standing. Student-athletes must have a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA to be eligible and must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended two full years as a non-transfer or one full year as a transfer. A total of 301 student-athletes from UM have been awarded the Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete Award.
Both awards are scheduled to be announced by the NAIA in the Fall of 2020.
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