Saturday, October 29, 2011

Women's Soccer Closes Out 2011 at LaGrange

LAGRANGE, Ga. - The Wesleyan College women's soccer team put the finishing touches on the 2011 campaign with a 6-0 loss at Great South Athletic Conference rival LaGrange College.

Freshman goalkeepr Abby Stephens added eight saves in the loss, running her season total to 199. She will likely complete the year ranked in the top-10 among NCAA Division III goalkeepers in total saves this season.

The match marked the final contest for senior captains Azea Mustafa and Cheyenne Foster.

Wesleyan Cross Country Matches Program Best Finish at GSAC Championship

Chattanooga, Tenn. - Led by top finisher Christina Mayfield, the Wesleyan College cross country team matched the best finish in program history at the 2011 Great South Athletic Conference championship ahead of Salem College, Spelman College and LaGrange College.

On a brisk morning where the temperatures were in the high 30s at race time, Mayfield wrapped up the 6K-course with a time of 28:42, finishing in 17th place overall.  For her efforts, she was named to the GSAC All-Freshman team.

The championship was hosted by GSAC newcomers Covenant College who finished the race in the top slot.  However, due to their provisional status, the Scots were not eligible to win this year's championship, which in turn went to runner up Piedmont College.  The Pioneers finished fifth overall in the results that included Covenant, but after removing the Scots, Wesleyan will show up fourth in the final conference standings.

The race winner was Covenant's Tera Woods, who finished the course in 25:10.

Other Pioneer finishers included Maria Vasquez (27th - 30:58), Turhonda Williams (28th - 31:05), Kaitlyn Rentz (30th - 31:17), Azea Mustafa (41st - 32:02), Sable Phillips (45th -32:55) and Aditi Dey (56th - 35:08).

On the men's side, Huntingdon College took home the 2011 crown.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Equestrian Team Off to a Solid Start

The Wesleyan College equestrian team is off to a great start this season, having competed in hunt seat shows over each of the last two weekends.

On Saturday, October 15, the Pioneers traveled to Tallahassee, Fla., to compete at the Florida State University hunt seat show. The team placed 12th out of 15 schools, finishing ahead of Mercer University, University of North Florida, and the College of Central Florida. Freshman Jenna Ford competed in the Novice division, earning a first place ribbon in Novice Flat. Classmate Lexi Barrett earned a fifth place ribbon for the team while competing in the Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter.

This past weekend, the equestrian team traveled to Savannah College of Art and Design. Jenna Ford once again put forth an excellent performance, winning a second place ribbon in the Novice Fences class. In Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter, sophomore Beth Hurst earned a very respectable fourth place ribbon, while freshman Lexi Barrett earned a fifth place ribbon.

This weekend, the Pioneers will return to Savannah on Saturday for SCAD’s second hunt seat show and then move on to Statesboro for Sunday's hunt seat competition at Georgia Southern University.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Scots Overpower Wesleyan Soccer

Lookout Mountain, Ga. - Great South Athletic Conference newcomer Covenant College gave Wesleyan all it could handle on the pitch on Tuesday evening, defeating the Pioneers by a score of 8-0.

Wesleyan's offense that had been so prolific in the previous two matches was held in check as the Scots allowed only one Pioneer shot on goal all game.  Freshman goalkeeper Abby Stephens recorded nine saves in the effort.

The Scots were paced by Teagan Wood, Dana Streufert and Eliza Drew, who each scored two goals a piece.

Wesleyan wraps up its regular season schedule on Saturday when they travel to LaGrange College.  Kick off is at 5:00pm.

Avera, Cortez & Plue Honored on Senior Night

MACON, Ga. - Alaina Avera, Cecilia Cortez and Anna Plue took center stage at Porter Gymnasium as the trio of student-athletes who helped re-introduce varsity volleyball to the Wesleyan College campus during senior night activities. Brewton-Parker College took the match 3-0.

The trio received flowers from President Ruth Knox and personalized bags from the Wesleyan College Alumni Office.

Wesleyan (2-15) held leads in all three sets of the match before falling to BPC (10-15). Teria Martin led all players with 10 kills while hitting .643 on the match. Avera paced the Pioneers with four kills and setter Hannah Finch just missed a double-double with 10 digs and nine assists.

The Pioneers wrap up the 2011 campaign at the University of the South on Saturday.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Soccer Runs Win Streak to Two Matches with Shutout

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - For the second time in as many games, the Wesleyan College soccer team shutout Johnson University 2-0.

The Pioneers put together the program's first win streak since 2003-04 and the team's three wins are the most in four seasons. Jessica Suarez scored her first collegiate goal in the ninth minute to give Wesleyan (3-11-0) the early advantage. Senior Azea Mustafa sealed the win with her 71st minute goal.

Sophomore Stephanie Rarick continued her standout play, setting up both Wesleyan goals to give her two goals and three assists in the last three matches.

"I challenged the girls to really push up the offensive tempo for this game," commented head coach Michael Spivey. "With the stats, I think we did that. We hit the post six or seven times and could have easily scored a few more goals. I'm really excited about the offensive punch we put together and the increased shots on goal. I feel like we really dominated the game."

Goalkeeper Abby Stephens posted her third shutout of the season.

Wesleyan returns to the field on October 25 at Covenant College.

Volleyball Downs Division II Foe Fort Valley State

MACON, Ga. - Captain Cecilia Cortez capped a thrilling comeback with an ace on the match's final point to rally Wesleyan College past Fort Valley State University 3-2 at Porter Gymnasium.

The Pioneers score the school's first win over a higher division school in any sport in years with the victory against the Division II Wildcats.

"I'm extremely proud of the team for getting this win," said head coach J.D. McAlister. "They came together, played as a team and played with the knowledge they were going to win."

The match did not start out in Wesleyan's favor as the Pioneers (2-12) dropped the first set 25-17 and lost the final two points of the second set to lose 25-23, digging themselves a 2-0 hole. The rally began in impressive fashion with Wesleyan cruising to a third set victory 25-16 as the defense forced FVSU (6-20) into 11 errors. The fourth set proved to be closer, but the Pioneers elicited 12 more Wildcat errors to win 25-22.

In the decisive fifth set, Cortez gave the team its 13th ace of the match to clinch the win.

Freshman La'Joi  Battle finished with eight kills and five solo blocks to spark the Pioneers. Adrianne Woodward added a great all-around match with five kills, six aces and 12 digs.

Wesleyan returns to the court on Saturday in a Great South Athletic Conference tri-match at Salem College. Huntingdon College joins the Pioneers and the host Spirits in the match.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Soccer Shuts Out Johnson University in Second Win of Season

Lookout Mountain, Ga. - In a game that saw the Wesleyan College soccer team put together their best offensive effort of the season, the Pioneers shut out Johnson University, 2-0, on Monday evening.

Tied 0-0 at the intermission, the Pioneers were able to capitalize on their shots in the second half. Junior Suzra Antoine scored the first goal of her career in the 64th minute of the game off a corner kick served up by sophomore Stephanie Rarick. Rarick followed up her assist with a goal of her own in the 81st minute, making that her second goal in as many games. Jessica Suarez was credited with the assist.

"The team played really amazing together and played with a lot of heart," remarked Wesleyan head coach Michael Spivey. "They never gave up. We possessed the ballas well as we have all season and put a lot of  passes together and had a lot of offensive punch today. So overall, it was just an excellent game and we're glad to come out here and get a win."

Freshman goalkeeper Abby Stephens added five saves to her season total and currently ranks third in the nation in the category with 180.

Playing today's game at Covenant College as a make-up game due to weather, the Pioneers will play Johnson once again on Thursday in Knoxville, Tenn., in a regularly scheduled game at 5:00pm.

Mike Walton Named Wesleyan Basketball Coach

MACON, Ga. – Wesleyan College selected Macon native Mike Walton as the institution’s new head basketball coach.

Walton leads the Pioneers after concluding a three-year term on the coaching staff at NCAA Division I member South Carolina State University. While with the Bulldogs, Walton played a role in nearly every facet of the program from developing game plans to coordinating recruiting efforts to budget management. During his three years, South Carolina State averaged 15 wins per season.

“Mike's past experiences as a player and coach will benefit the Pioneer Basketball program and raise us to new heights,” remarks Athletic Director Patty Gibbs. “His enthusiasm and passion for the sport is evident and his ability to interact with the players is natural and comfortable. I think they will respond well to his coaching.”

A graduate of Mount de Sales Academy, Walton was a standout on both the court and the gridiron for the Cavaliers. He would go on to become a four-year letter winner at Rice University for former University of Memphis assistant and current Texas A&M-Corpus Christi head coach Willis Wilson.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to be able to bring my family home to Macon and take on the task of building a winning program here at Wesleyan,” states Walton. “The quality of education here is second-to-none, and there is a lot of potential to build the same caliber basketball program and athletic department. With senior captains Bre’ Solmone and Erinn Williams, I feel we have a great core of returning players who are passionate about turning things around.”

“I think the first order of business will be to create an atmosphere that demands success. We will build this program on the 5 Pillars of Pioneer Pride: Commitment, Effort, Trust, Discipline and Team We,” Walton explains. “From there, I think the focus will be to build a recruiting pipeline in the Middle Georgia region that will allow us to capitalize on the area’s stockpile of talented student-athletes. There are far too many talented basketball players in our backyard for us not to build a winning program and garner devoted support from the Middle Georgia community. We need to bring those young ladies into our program.”

Wesleyan opens the 2011-12 campaign on November 19 when the Pioneers hit the road to face Toccoa Falls College.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Wesleyan Soccer Supports American Troops with Letters

The Wesleyan College soccer team is doing their part to say thank you to the men and women serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.  Through a program established by Atlanta radio station Q100's "The Bert Show," the ladies took a few moments to write letters of support, encouragement and gratitude to soldiers deployed abroad.

Dubbed "The Bert Show’s Big Thank You," individuals are asked to write a thank you note that will be sent to every soldier either stationed or deployed outside of the United States.  The letters will be delivered on Thanksgiving Day.  When this project was completed in 2007, more than 375,000 letters were distributed, and this year, they have set a goal to send 400,000.

If you are interested in participating in this effort to thank our troops, please mail your letters to:

The Bert Show’s Big Thank You
780 Johnson Ferry Road NE
Fifth Floor
Atlanta, GA 30342

The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 28, 2011.  For letter guidelines and regulations, please go to http://thebertshow.com/the-bert-shows-big-thank-you/.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Strong Second Half Propels Toccoa Falls Past Wesleyan

Macon, Ga. - The Wesleyan College soccer team played even with Toccoa Falls for 53 minutes before the Eagles dialed up their offense and pulled away from the Pioneers during the second half of today's match.  The Eagles would go on to win 4-1.

The lone Pioneer goal came late in the first half when sophomore Stephanie Rarick scored her first goal of the season on a cross from senior Azea Mustafa. 

The Eagles were paced by Danae Martin's two goals, while Wesleyan's Abby Stephens continued to pile up the saves by adding another 11 to her total for the season.

The Pioneers return to action on Monday afternoon when they take on Johnson University .  The game will be played at Covenant College at 5:00pm.

Cross Country Completes GSAC Tune-Up at Oglethorpe Classic

ATLANTA, Ga. - Christina Mayfield posted a top-25 finish to help lead Wesleyan College past Great South Athletic Conference rivals LaGrange and Spelman at the 2011 Oglethorpe Classic.

The Pioneers finished sixth overall and held a nine-point advantage over the Jaguars and 41-point spread over the Panthers. Mayfield placed 24th overall, covering the 5K course in 23:25.33. Maria Vasquez (27th), Kaitlyn Rentz (40th), Sable Phillips (44th), Aditi Dey (51st) and Christin Daniels (57th) competed for Wesleyan.

Wesleyan will take a week off before finishing off the 2011 season at the GSAC Championship on October 29.

Volleyball Hosts GSAC Tri-Match with League Leaders Maryville & Piedmont

MACON, Ga. - Wesleyan College hosted a Great South Athletic Conference tri-match at Porter Gymnasium with league leaders Maryville College and Piedmont College.

Piedmont d. Wesleyan 3-0 (25-7, 25-7, 25-15)
Piedmont head coach Sid Feldman earned his 400th career win as the Lady Lions won their fifth straight GSAC match.

Kaitlin Norman led a balanced attack from Piedmont (18-8, 5-0) with eight kills. Sophomore Adrianne Woodward picked up six kills and three digs to pace Wesleyan (1-11, 0-5).

Maryville d. Piedmont 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-14)
In a match-up of GSAC unbeatens, Maryville swept Piedmont to take control of the regular season standings.

The Scots (18-6, 6-0) got a match-high 14 kills from Kristin Findley while the team's defense limited the Lady Lions (18-9, 5-1) to just .078 hitting for the match.

Maryville d. Wesleyan 3-0 (25-8, 25-4, 25-4)
Maryville extended its GSAC winning streak to seven matches with a 3-0 victory over host Wesleyan.

Hope Johnson piled up 12 kills on 20 swings while Morgan Hall added 35 assists to pace the Lady Scots (19-6, 7-0 GSAC). Adrianne Woodward, La'Joi Battle and Rebecca Navarre each finished with a pair of kills for the Pioneers (1-12, 0-6)

Wesleyan returns to Porter Gym on Thursday when they host middle Georgia rival Fort Valley State. First serve is set for 6:00pm.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Pioneers "Soc' it to Cancer" in Loss to Agnes Scott

MACON, Ga. - Wesleyan College used a stout defense to stay in the match before falling to Great South Athletic Conference rival Agnes Scott College 2-0.

Photo Gallery | Schedule & Results

Playing in pink uniforms, Wesleyan participated in "Soc it to Cancer" night at the Mathews Athletic Complex to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness month. Additionally, the Pioneers (1-10-0, 0-6-0 GSAC) honored seniors Azea Mustafa and Cheyenne Foster at halftime for their career achievements.

Junior Verenice Gonzalez gave Wesleyan a great opportunity to take an early lead but Ashley Watts turned the shot away. Shortly after, Clara Kienzle put a rebound back into the net to gove the Scotties (3-9-1, 1-2-1) a one-goal advantage. Kienzle's goal in the 79' minute gave ASC the final margin.

Freshman goalkeeper Abby Stephens added 12 more saves, running her season total to 162 which is the second-best mark in the NCAA across any division.

The Pioneers wrap up the home portion of their 2011 schedule on Saturday when they host Toccoa Falls College. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00pm at the MAC.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Wesleyan College Athletics to Participate in 'Paint the Town Pink' Activities

Macon, Ga. - The Wesleyan College soccer and volleyball teams will participate in the Medical Center of Central Georgia's 'Paint the Town Pink' efforts to raise awareness for breast cancer during their upcoming matches this week.

On Wednesday, October 12, the soccer team will take on Great South Athletic Conference rival Agnes Scott College in a game that has been dubbed "Soc' It to Cancer." The Pioneers will wear pink jerseys and socks in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Furthermore, there will be a tailgate party sponsored by the Wesleyan College Alumnae Office prior to the game and Senior Night events during halftime to recognize the efforts of team captains Cheyenne Foster and Azea Mustafa.

On Saturday, October 15, the Pioneer volleyball team hosts a Great South Athletic Conference tri-match with Piedmont College and Maryville College beginning at noon. Following the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, we hope to "Pack Porter in Pink" in an attempt to show our support and further raise awareness for breast cancer awareness and research. The volleyball team will also don pink jerseys and socks, and we ask the public to join us in wearing pink and packing Porter Gymnasium for the afternoon's matches.

"We are thrilled to participate with the Medical Center in this very important effort to increase awareness," states Wesleyan Director of Athletics Patty Gibbs. "Our student-athletes see this effort as a way to be actively involved in finding a cure. Breast cancer is a real issue for the Wesleyan community and we hope by this effort we, in athletics, can be part of making a change."

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Wesleyan Cross Country Out-Paces Conference Foes

MARIETTA, Ga. - Wesleyan College cross country placed two runners in the top-20 to finish third at the Southern Collegiate Challenge.

The Pioneers out-paced conference rivals Spelman College and LaGrange College to post their best finish of the season. Christina Mayfield led the Pioneers, placing 15th overall while Turhonda Williams claimed the 20th position.

Maria Vazquez (26th), Azea Mustafa (29th), Kaitlyn Rentz (32nd), Sable Phillips (36th), Aditi Dey (41st) and Christin Daniel (51st) rounded out the Wesleyan squad.

Wesleyan is back on the course next weekend at the Oglethorpe Invitational, the team's final tune-up before the conference championship.

Composed Wesleyan Battles Huntingdon in 2OT

MACON, Ga. - A composed Wesleyan College women's soccer team put together arguably its best performance of the season, extending Great South Athletic Conference rival Huntingdon College to double overtime before falling 1-0 at the Mathews Athletic Complex.

The Pioneers (1-9-0, 0-5-0 GSAC) built on the progress they have made on the defensive end of the field in recent weeks by clamping down on the Lady Hawks (5-4-1, 2-1-0). Freshman goalkeeper Abby Stephens recorded 15 saves to remain in the NCAA Division III top-5 in total saves. Defenders She-Marie Steadman and Charly Harris helped keep Wesleyan organized and effective in limiting Huntingdon's scoring opportunities.

As the confidence grew, Wesleyan tried to kick their offense in gear, possessing the ball and creating opportunities as well as they have all year. However, the Lady Hawks finally broke through with just less than four minutes remaining in the second overtime as Katlyn Reynolds drilled the game-winner past Stephens.

Wesleyan returns to action on Wednesday when they host Agnes Scott College at 7:00 pm. The Pioneers will host "Soc' It to Cancer Night" with the team wearing pink uniforms and the Wesleyan alumni office hosting a pre-game tailgate. Captains Azea Mustafa and Cheyenne Foster will be honored at halftime in Senior Night activities.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Maryville Soccer Too Much for Wesleyan

Macon, Ga. - The Maryville College soccer team brought too much offensive firepower to the field on Monday afternoon in a 9-0 win over Wesleyan (1-8-0, 0-4-0).

The Scots (7-2-2, 4-0-0) got off 55 shots in the match and saw six different players score goals.  Wesleyan's Abby Stephens managed 20 saves, pushing her season total to 137.

The Pioneers return to the pitch on Saturday night when they host Huntingdon College at 7:00pm at the Mathews Athletic Complex.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Aggressive Offense Carries Wesleyan Past Truett-McConnell

MACON, Ga. - Senior Alaina Avera finished with a team-high eight kills to lead Wesleyan College to its first win of the season, defeating Truett-McConnell College 3-0 at Porter Gymnasium.

The Pioneers (1-9) controlled play for nearly the entire match and limited the Bears (3-3) to a mere .010 hitting percentage in the victory. Wesleyan was coming off a disappointing GSAC tri-match performance, but it would have been hard to know based on their play.

"We took everything we didn't do well [Saturday], fixed it and put it into action today," commented Avera, one of two Wesleyan captains. "Our communication was so much better today. Winning in three sets feels amazing."

The balanced offense saw Adrianne Woodward and La'Joi Battle each contribute seven kills in addition to the captain's eight.

"The back row played well together. The team played well together. The offense played aggressively. Those three things are keys for us and will make the difference the rest of the season," stated head coach J.D. McAllister.

The team's setter rotation of newcomer Hannah Finch and Francie Galbraith worked as planned. Finch finished with nine assists and eight digs while Galbraith added nine assists and three digs. The service game played another key role in the victory as Wesleyan finished with 13 aces.

Liz Norton led the Bears with 14 kills.

Wesleyan travels to Andrew College for an exhibition match versus the in-state Junior College opponent on Wednesday.

Wesleyan College def. Truett-McConnell 3-0 (25-22,25-20,25-23)
Truett-McConnell (3-3) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Liz Norton 14-0-0; Jessica Epting 4-6-0; Emily Grooms 3-3-0; Ashley Phillips 2-0-0; Kaitlyn Lamb 1-2-0; Erin Camp 1-0-0; Jessica Porter 1-0-0; Kasey Ferrell 0-4-0; Totals 26-15-0.0. (Assists) - Kaitlyn Lamb 12. (Dig leaders) - Jessica Porter 20; Emily Grooms 12
Wesleyan College (1-9) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Alaina Avera 8-2-0; La'Joi Battle 7-3-1; Adrianne Woodward 7-1-0; Cecilia Cortez 3-2-0; Rebecca Navarre 2-3-0; Anna Plue 1-0-0; Francie Galbraith 0-2-0; Totals 28-13-1.0. (Assists) - . (Dig leaders) - Hannah Finch 8; Alaina Avera 8; Adrianne Woodward 8

Site: Macon, Ga. (Porter Gymnasium)
Date: Oct 02, 2011 Attend: 51 Time: 1:11
Referees: Kevin Wiemken, Andy Miller

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Soccer and Volleyball Face GSAC Opponents

Defensive Improvements Show in Soccer Loss to Salem

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Although they lost to Great South Athletic Conference opponent Salem College 5-0, the Wesleyan College soccer team brought a much improved defensive effort to the pitch Saturday afternoon.

Goalkeeper Abby Stephens hauled in another 18 saves against the Spirits, moving her total for the season to 117.

"Abby had a fantastic game, making some very athletic and important saves for us," remarks head coach Michael Spivey.

The Pioneer defense held Salem scoreless through the first 44 minutes of play before surrendering a goal just before halftime.

"Our team defense was great today," adds Spivey.  "I'm ecstatic over our performance and think this was our defense's best game of the season."

The Pioneers return to action on Monday when they kick off a four-game homestand against Maryville College at 4:00pm.

Volleyball Drops GSAC Matches

DECATUR, Ga. - Adrianne Woodward and Alaina Avera finished with five kills as Wesleyan dropped GSAC matches to Agnes Scott College and LaGrange College on Saturday afternoon.

Avera added 10 digs in the loss at Agnes Scott.

The Pioneers return to the court on Sunday when they host Truett-McConnell College at Porter Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for 2:00pm.