BOULDER—The 55th Annual University of Colorado Ski Ball is returning to Boulder and registration is now open!  Get your tickets now for the best party in Boulder, set for Friday, October 10 at the brand new Limelight Hotel on the corner of Broadway and University adjacent to campus.

Help us celebrate the ski team and join us for dinner, dancing and an exclusive silent auction showcasing our outstanding partnerships across the ski community and around Boulder.

We will also be honoring Bruce Gamble on the Mountain of Honor and David Plati and the family of Fred Casotti as part of our Ski Champions initiative. 

College athletics is at a crossroads, and the ski team needs your support more than ever to continue to compete for and win championships on and off the snow.  Aside from purchasing tickets and attending, you can further your support in many ways, including becoming a table sponsor, donating an item for the silent auction, or donating additional money directly to the ski team. 

The Limelight Hotel will soon become one of the go-to hotel options in Boulder, especially on game days.  There are a limited number of rooms available as part of the Ski Ball block.  Be sure after you register to secure your room and stay to watch the football team take on Iowa State the following day.

 

 

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon volleyball team has reached the Elite Eight three of the last four years under long-time head coach Matt Darling. The Golden Knights have enjoyed incredible success under Darling, with 432 wins in his 18 seasons at the helm.

Darling has never been shied away from playing a demanding schedule and that is certainly the case in 2025. He has announced Gannon’s 2025 schedule, and it is one of the most challenging in many years.

Despite losing four AVCA honorable mention All-Americans from last year’s squad that finished 26-8 and reached the Elite Eight, Darling’s squad will play a total of 13 matches against NCAA playoff teams from a year ago, including defending national champion Lynn. The Golden Knights will play teams from four different conferences in addition to their PSAC foes, including four conference champions.   

“We will find challenges at every part of this year’s schedule, starting in the pre-conference portion of the schedule, where we have a match against the defending national champions and matches against two other sweet sixteen teams,” Darling pointed out.  “Once we hit PSAC play, we expect to be in a real fight for the postseason.  At least five or six PSAC West teams, I think, will have a legitimate chance to win it this year, so there will be a fight for the four playoff spots.  Hopefully we’ll be up to these challenges.”

Gannon jumps right into the fire to start a brutal non-conference portion of the schedule the very first weekend, playing four matches in the New York City area in two days. The season gets underway with a duel against the 2024 national champions on Friday, September 5, with Gannon meeting Lynn at Adelphi in Garden City, NY. The Sunshine State Conference champions won the South Regional then went on to defeat Wingate, Bentley, and finally San Francisco State in the national championship match. The Fighting Knights enter the season riding a 12-match winning streak and were 33-3 a year ago.

Later that same day Gannon will face host Adelphi, another NCAA postseason squad. The Panthers reached the Northeast-10 semifinals before falling in the East Regional semifinals to finish at 23-11.

On Saturday, September 6 the Golden Knights move on to Rockville Centre, N.Y., the home of Molloy, to face the host Lions and Assumption. Molloy, members of the East Coast Conference, was 14-12 a year ago. The four-game ends against a second NE-10 team in Assumption (8-17).

The following weekend the Golden Knights will head to the Midwest for three matches in the Hampton Inn & Suites Grand Rapids Downtown Classic. On Friday, September 12 Gannon plays a pair of Great Midwest Athletic Conference squads. Play begins with a 10:00 a.m. match vs. Findlay. The Oilers were 24-9 a year ago, winning the G-MAC championship before falling to Ferris State in the Midwest Regional championship.

At 4:00 p.m. on Friday Gannon faces Tiffin (13-14). On Saturday, September 13 the Golden Knights meet host Davenport (10-19) at 3:00 p.m.

Gannon plays in its third tournament in three weeks on September 18-20, and this one could have huge regional implications. The Golden Knights will compete against four Mountain East Conference teams, the first two in the Wheeling Invitational and the second pair in the West Liberty Invitational.    

In a rematch of last year’s Atlantic Regional championship match, Gannon plays at Wheeling on Thursday, September 18. The Cardinals finished as the MEC runner-up after losing to West Virginia State in the championship match. They advanced to the Atlantic Regional final before losing to Gannon in four games with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.

On Friday, September 19 the Golden Knights return to Wheeling to face Fairmont State (18-14).

Gannon makes the short trip to West Liberty for a pair of matches on Saturday, September 20. The day gets underway at 1:00 p.m. against MEC champion West Virginia State. The Yellow Jackets finished at 24-10 last year, defeating Clarion in the opening round of the Atlantic Regional before falling to Gannon in three games in the semifinals.

Gannon concludes the three-day sojourn to West Virginia with a 6:00 p.m. match at West Liberty. The Hilltoppers were 15-15 a year ago, including a three-game sweep of the Golden Knights.

After 11 straight matches on the road and against non-PSAC competition to begin the season the Golden Knights finally meet a team from the PSAC. This one will be a non-conference affair as well, with 2024 Eastern Division regular season champion Shepherd visiting the Highmark Events Center on Friday, September 26 for Parents’ Night. The home opener will be the first time the Golden Knights have played at the Highmark Events Center since December 1, 2023.

The Rams finished at 24-6 last year, finishing as the PSAC runner-up and earning a berth in the Atlantic Regional.  They would lose to Indiana (Pa.) in the quarterfinals.

The Shepherd match is the first of five straight contests at the Highmark Events Center. After hosting local rival Edinboro (14-13) in the Western Division opener on Sunday, September 28, Gannon’s next four matches are against teams that made the NCAA Tournament.

Gannon hosts PSAC champion Indiana (Pa.) on Friday, October 3 in a rematch of the PSAC Championship. The Crimson Hawks defeated Gannon in four games before reaching the Atlantic Regional semifinals and losing to Wheeling. IUP ended the year at 24-9.

A day later Pitt-Johnstown (19-10), another Atlantic Regional entrant, plays at Gannon. The Golden Knights will play their third NCAA Tournament team in five days with a non-conference match vs. Daemen on Tuesday, October 7. The Wildcats, members of the ECC, finished at 17-9 and played in the East Regional.

Gannon hits the highways for a pair of PSAC West contests on October 10 and 11. The Golden Knights renew their rivalry with Clarion (15-12) on Friday night, marking the fourth straight match against an NCAA Tournament squad. On Saturday Gannon plays at Slippery Rock (12-14).

The following weekend Gannon hosts California (Pa.) (3-20) on Friday, October 17 and Seton Hill on Saturday, October 18. The Griffins finished at 19-9 after losing to Gannon in the PSAC quarterfinals.

The Seton Hill match marks the end of the first half of divisional play. The second half begins with the second meeting against Edinboro on Friday, October 24. That’s followed by the final non-conference match of the season as Cedarville (14-11) visits the Highmark Events Center on Saturday, October 25. Cedarville is a member of the G-MAC. 

The second half features four straight away matches before the regular season concludes with back-to-back home games. Darling’s squad ends the regular season with Senior Day festivities on Saturday, November 15 with Clarion providing the opposition.

The PSAC Tournament gets underway on Tuesday, November 18 with the quarterfinals. The Final Four is set for Friday, November 21 and Saturday, November 22 and will be hosted by the highest remaining Eastern Division seed.

Gannon will hope to secure a 16th straight NCAA Tournament berth, with the Atlantic Regional scheduled for December 4-6. The NCAA Elite Eight is set for December 11-13. For the second straight year the Elite Eight will be held in Sioux Falls, SD.

Karen Wisher readies herself for the pitch while at bat for the EMCC lions during the 2025 softball season. Submitted photo

AUSTIN, Texas – Former East Mississippi Community College softball standouts Karen Wisher and Gail Wisher have been named to the 2024-25 Academic All-America Women’s At-Large Team for the College Division, the College Sports Communicators announced Tuesday.

 

Karen was one of 13 first-team national selections, while Gail was one of seven second-team recipients. EMCC joined Jones College as the only two MACCC members to have multiple student-athletes selected among the organization’s 20 at-large national academic recipients. Representing the recognized women’s sports of badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, bowling, cross country, curling, field hockey, flag football, golf, half marathon, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo and wrestling, the College Division is comprised of student-athletes from two-year colleges, Canadian institutions and any other institution not affiliated with the NCAA or NAIA.

Identical twin sisters out of Alma Bryant High School in Irvington, Alabama, the Wishers both majored in exercise science at EMCC and have committed to continue their academic and softball careers within the Magnolia State at Blue Mountain Christian University.

 

With a 3.77 cumulative grade point average during her EMCC career as a two-year starting centerfielder for head coach Mackenzie Byrd’s Lions, Karen Wisher batted .332 for her career with 36 extra-base hits (22 doubles, 10 home runs and 4 triples), 39 runs batted in and 68 runs scored. She also posted a career slugging percentage of .556 and was 16-for-17 in career stolen base attempts.

 

On the heels of being named to the 2024 All-MACCC Second Team as a freshman after leading EMCC in hitting (.338), home runs (7), hits (45), extra-base hits (20), doubles (12), total bases (80), slugging percentage (.602) and runs scored (39), Karen Wisher followed with an equally impressive sophomore season. The right-handed hitter who throws left-handed led the Lions in hitting (.333) and slugging percentage (.523) for the second straight season as a sophomore this past year.

 

While also having excelled in the classroom with a 3.87 cumulative GPA, Gail Wisher earned 2025 All-MACCC honorable mention recognition as a sophomore after becoming the first EMCC softball pitcher since 2014 to reach double-digit wins in a season with a 10-12 record and 3.39 earned run average. The right-hander finished seventh among conference leaders with the most strikeouts (137) thrown by a Lions pitcher in a single season since EMCC Sports Hall of Fame member Courtney Nunn reached the century mark during the 2009 and 2010 seasons with 156 and 217 strikeouts, respectively.

 

As a two-year starter either in the circle or primarily at shortstop when not pitching for the Lions, Gail Wisher batted .296 for her EMCC career, including 25 extra-base hits (18 doubles, 6 HRs and one triple), with 56 runs scored and 46 RBIs during her 83-game EMCC career.

 

Academically at East Mississippi, the Wisher twins both graduated with magna cum laude honors this past spring and were both four-time President’s List scholars. In addition to being two-time NJCAA Academic Award recipients and repeat Academic All-MACCC honorees, they were members of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society during their two years on the Scooba campus.

 

At the prep level, the Wishers were both two-time Class 7A All-County high school selections at Alma Bryant along with being co-recipients of the Hurricanes’ prestigious 2023 Frank Menton Athletic Award.

 

Established in 1952 and selected by College Sports Communicators, Academic All-America is the longest running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all NCAA levels, the NAIA, two-year colleges and Canadian institutions. Teams are announced year round and amplified by CSC member colleges, universities and conferences on a wide local, regional, national and even international scope.

 

Intercollegiate athletics have certainly changed a lot in the fifty-plus years since Charles Waddell was a three-sport star at the University of North Carolina more than 50 years ago. Now, South Carolina’s Deputy Athletics Director is retiring and looking forward to the next chapter.

“I’m a team guy, and I like being involved in teams,” said Waddell, who came to South Carolina in 2006 and also served as the sport administrator overseeing a variety of sports, including football, women’s basketball, track and field, men’s basketball, and equestrian. “That’s what college athletics is about. You work with people, and you’re pulling for a common goal. The biggest thing I’ve gained from all these experiences is the people that come into your life, and you develop relationships with. Those relationships turn into friendships.

“Now, I’ll try to get a little more involved with kids in different ways, especially underserved kids and letting them know that they have an opportunity for a good life if they make good decisions. They can achieve more than they think they can sometimes.”

Waddell knows all about achieving at a high level. As a student-athlete, he may have been the Bo Jackson of his era after lettering in football, basketball, and track and field at North Carolina, where he graduated in 1975. He earned the prestigious Patterson Medal as a senior at UNC, which is the highest athletic award at the school. He earned All-ACC honors and All-American honors in football, eventually playing in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and San Diego Chargers. Looking back, he can’t help but reflect on the challenges ahead with all the changes in college athletics.

“The growth that we’ve seen in college athletics and the money involved has changed the scope of what it’s all about,” Waddell said. “It’s much more of a business. It was always a business in college, but with the money involved, you now have more people from the outside that are getting involved with the athletes. Unfortunately, you’re probably going to hear more stories of kids who were taken advantage of or have blown opportunities. All the kids that get paid in college now won’t make it in the professional leagues, so this might be the most money they’re making for their entire life. Hopefully, we can get kids to do the right things by investing and setting aside money because their college career may be the pinnacle of their career. They need to have the right leadership and guidance.”

He credits his parents for providing him with great direction and advice early in his life.

“My dad was a janitor, and my mom cleaned houses and then went back to school and became a nursing assistant when I was in high school,” Waddell said. “She went back to junior college so she could provide assistance to other people. They were solid, hard-working, spiritual people. My mom threatened me that if I ever brought in a B for a grade, I wasn’t going to be able to play for my team. My parents gave us a good structure.”

Prior to coming to work for South Carolina Athletics nearly twenty years ago, Waddell worked in administration at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina where he was the Vice Chancellor for Advancement. Before that, he spent nearly a decade as the Director of Marketing and Sponsorships for Richardson Sports in Charlotte and was responsible for marketing and corporate sponsorships for the Carolina Panthers. He had previously worked as Assistant Commissioner for the Big Ten Conference. Among the many things he will miss about working in intercollegiate athletics, is the daily interaction with student-athletes.

“Getting to know the kids and watching games makes you more invested in it,” Waddell said. “You pull for them a little bit more when you know who the kids really are, as well as the coaches and staff. They’re not just co-workers; they’re friends.

“I just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity to come down and work here! It’s been a great run. Looking back at the success we had in our programs during my time here has been off the charts. I spent the most time with football, women’s basketball and track and field. (Former track and field coach) Curtis (Frye), (former football coach) Steve (Spurrier), and (women’s basketball coach) Dawn (Staley) are all hall of fame coaches. It was great being along for the ride with them.”

As he retires, Waddell looks forward to spending more time with family, including his wife, Sandra, his three grown children, and three grandchildren.

“I’m going to hang out and catch up with the family,” said Waddell. “I’ve got the grandboys who are involved with lots of stuff like soccer and basketball and now a little bit of football. Sandra and I might do a little bit of traveling, but most of what we do will be centered around those three grandboys.”

ELON, N.C. – The Elon University volleyball team announced its 27-match 2025 fall schedule on Wednesday, July 9. The Phoenix will play 11 of those matches on its home court at Schar Center with other notable contests on Elon’s 2025 slate include three matches against 2024 NCAA Tournament teams — College of Charleston, Delaware State and Wofford — and three teams that finished in the top 75 of the NCAA RPI rankings — Appalachian State, Towson and Wofford.
 
Elon opens the season with a pair of matches on its home floor, facing Coppin State on Friday, Aug. 29, before hosting Bethune-Cookman the following day, Saturday, Aug. 30. After those contests, the Phoenix will embark on a seven-match road swing, beginning at Appalachian State on Sept. 2. The team will then head to the Wildcat Classic on Sept. 5-6 to face host Davidson and take on Coastal Carolina and Delaware State.
 
The Phoenix closes out its road trip in South Carolina, facing ACC foe Clemson on Sept. 11. Elon then travels to Spartanburg, S.C., for contests at Wofford (Sept. 12) and USC Upstate (Sept. 13).
 
The CAA volleyball season begins at home for the maroon and gold with matches against Hampton at Schar Center on Sept. 19-20. Elon will host NC Central for a single match on Sept. 24 before concluding the month on the road at Radford on Sept. 27.
 

The Phoenix heads to Hofstra for its first league road games on Oct. 4-5. Elon returns to Schar Center to host Northeastern on Oct. 11-12, then travels to Towson on Oct. 17-18. The maroon and gold will host Piedmont Triad rival North Carolina A&T on Oct. 24-25 before visiting in-state foe Campbell on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
 
Elon wraps up the home portion of its schedule against UNCW on Nov. 8-9, then closes out the regular season on the road at defending league champion College of Charleston on Nov. 15-16.
 
The 2025 CAA Volleyball Championships is scheduled to take place on Nov. 20-22, hosted at Towson.
 
The 2025 campaign marks the debut of Phoenix head coach Matt Troy, who spent the past six seasons at Johns Hopkins, compiling a 151-17 record. Troy led Johns Hopkins to the 2019 NCAA Division III national championship and reached at least the NCAA quarterfinals in each of the past three seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2024.
 

— ELON —