LEGACY BUILT.
Arkansas State men’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field all claimed Sun Belt titles. The men’s program earned it’s first Triple Crown in program history. The cross country squad repeated as conference champions, while the Red Wolves swept both indoor and outdoor team titles.
A-State’s women’s cross country squad finished runner-up at the conference meet behind Jaybe Shufelberger, who finished sixth at the NCAA South Central Regional Championships to earn an individual bid to the NCAA Championships. She and Jacob Pyeatt, who placed 14th in the men’s 10K, earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors.
Camryn Newton-Smith was tabbed the Women’s Field Performer of the Year, both indoors and outdoors. She competed in the NCAA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon. Newton-Smith finished 8th in the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships,
Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
Dr. Jim Patchell swept the league’s Indoor and Outdoor Coach of the Year honors - giving him 20 in his A-State career.
Pauline Meyer was the Women’s High Point Scorer in the outdoor championships and also was named Women’s Outdoor Track Performer of the Year after taking gold in the 1500 meters, 5000 meters and 3000-meter steeplechase. She set meet and facility records in both the 5000 and steeplechase. Meyer finished 8th in the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor championships. Meyer and NewtonSmith both earned First-Team All-America honors, giving the women’s program two or more first-team all-americans for the first time in program history.
Rahel Broemmel captured Women’s Indoor Freshman of the Year honors, while Jaybe Shufelberger was named the Women’s Outdoor Newcomer of the Year.
Colby Eddowes earned Men’s Freshman of the Year after setting conference and school records in both the heptathlon and decathlon, while also earning bronze in the 60-meter hurdles.
TRACK & FIELD HONORS
Outdoor Track & Field All-SBC
Freshman of the Year
Colby Eddowes (MT&F)
Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year
Dr. Jim Patchell
High-Point Scorer
Pauline Meyer (WT&F)
Women’s Track Performer of the Year
Pauline Meyer (WT&F)
Women’s Field Performer of the Year
Camryn Newton-Smith (WT&F)
Women’s Newcomer of the Year
Jaybe Shufelberger (WT&F)
First Team
Pauline Meyer (WT&F)
Camryn Newton-Smith (WT&F)
Colby Eddowes (MT&F)
Hannes Fahl (MT&F)
Lasse Funck (MT&F)
Will Glass (MT&F)
Bradley Jelmert (MT&F)
Aimar Palma Simo (MT&F)
Myles Thomas (MT&F)
Second Team
Rahel Broemmel (WT&F)
Jonae Cook (WT&F)
Elizabeth Martin (WT&F)
Jaybe Shufelberger (WT&F)
Selase Sampram (WT&F)
Danarrion Ard (MT&F)
Jacob Pyeatt (MT&F)
Jacob Tracy (MT&F)
Third Team
Cheyenne Melvin (WT&F)
Patryk Baran (MT&F)
Grayson Young (MT&F)
Sun Belt Men’s and Women’s T&F Coach of the Year
Dr. Jim Patchell
Indoor Track & Field All-SBC
Men’s Freshman of the Year
Colby Eddowes
Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year
Dr. Jim Patchell
Men’s Newcomer of the Year
Myles Thomas (MT&F)
Women’s Field Performer of the Year
Camryn Newton-Smith (WT&F)
Women’s Freshman of the Year
Rahel Broemmel (WT&F)
First Team
Cheyenne Melvin (WT&F)
Pauline Meyer (WT&F)
Myles Thomas (MT&F)
Hannes Fahl (MT&F)
Bradley Jelmert (MT&F)
Courtney Thomas (MT&F)
Jacob Tracy (MT&F)
Aimar Palma Simo (MT&F)
Second Team
Rahel Broemmel (WT&F)
Hannah Morris (WT&F)
Lasse Funck (MT&F)
Ryan Parson (MT&F)
Jacob Pyeatt (MT&F)
Will Glass (MT&F)
Sun Belt Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year
Jesse Duvall
Third Team
Camryn Newton-Smith (WT&F)
Grayson Young (MT&F)
Colby Eddowes (MT&F)
Willem Coertzen (MT&F)
Cross Country All-SBC
Sun Belt Men’s XC Newcomer of the Year
Rylan Brown (MXC)
First Team
Dawson Mayberry (MXC)
Grayson Young (MXC)
Second Team
Nati Enright (MXC)
Jacob Pyeatt (MXC)
Sophie Leathers (WXC)
Jaybe Shufelberger (WXC)
Third Team
Nathan Herbst (MXC)
Ethan Mychajlonka (MXC)
USTFCCCA All-South Central Region
Jacob Pyeatt (MXC)
Jaybe Shufelberger (WXC)
USTFCCCA All-Academic
Jaybe Shufelberger (WXC)
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The Grand Slam Banquet, with Patrick Renna as featured speaker, was the highest attended and raised the most money in program history.
Brandon Hager hit a team-high 15 home runs, the second most in program history in a single season, while driving in 55 runs. He reached base in 42 consecutive games to end the season, while leading the Red Wolves in batting (.348), slugging (.657), on base percentage (.500) and total bases (119) and finishing tied for the team lead in hits (63). Hager also earned Second-Team American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-South Region honors.
Arkansas State Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Jeff Purinton announced that head baseball coach Tommy Raffo, who owns the second most victories in school history, will return in 2024.
Men’s Basketball
On the court, men’s basketball earned a win at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for a third consecutive season, marking the first time that has happened since 2011-12 through 2013-14.
Freshman Terrance Ford Jr. was the only Sun Belt freshman to average double figures in league contests and he led the league in 3-point field goal percentage. He is the only freshman since at least 1992-93 to average double figures and shoot 48 percent from 3-point range in league-only games and the eighth to do so regardless of classification.
Caleb Fields continued his ascent in the program record books as he moved to fourth in career assists (476), fourth in career field goals attempts (536), fifth in career starts (107), fifth in career free throws made (384), seventh in career games played (117) and 17th in career scoring (1,194).
On March 22, Bryan Hodgson became the 17th head coach in A-State men’s basketball history.
Women’s Basketball
Women’s basketball reached the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time since 2017 and won two games in the league tournament for the first time since 2015.
The Red Wolves won six of their last nine games to end the season, including a road win at then league-leading Troy.
Izzy Higginbottom captured Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and Second Team All-SBC honors as she led A-State in scoring (16.0), assists (3.4) and steals (1.8), while her 91.1 percent free-throw percentage set a school record and ranked eighth nationally.
A Batesville, Ark., native, Higginbottom finished the year on a program-best streak of 46 consecutive free throws made. As a team, the Red Wolves shot a school-record 74.6 percent from the charity stripe.
The Red Wolves completed their second season under head coach Butch Jones. A-State improved its win total and held a fourth-quarter lead in eight games, a year after doing so in just two contests.
Fielding one of the nation’s youngest teams, A-State’s roster consisted of the fourth highest percentage of underclassmen (78.9 percent). Over 60 percent of the players who saw action in 11 games were underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores). Following the season, Coach Jones and his staff assembled the Sun Belt Conference’s No. 1-ranked signing class for the second consecutive year. Each of A-State’s last two signing classes ranked among the top three in school history.
A-State had eight players combine for nine selections to the All-Sun Belt Conference Team, including two first-team honorees, one second-team pick, a third-team selection and four honorable-mention choices. Place-kicker Dominic Zvada was a Lou Groza Award
Men’s Golf
The Red Wolves won two team titles, the Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate and the Tunica National Intercollegiate, giving head coach Mike Hagen 20 tournament victories in his eight seasons at the helm.
Luka Naglic was selected to compete as an individual at the NCAA Auburn Regional, marking the fifth time in the last six years A-State has been represented by a player or as a team in the postseason.
Naglic and freshman Thomas Schmidt were chosen to the All-Sun Belt Teams following the season to give A-State a league-high 20 all-conference selections since the 2015-16 season. The Red Wolves competed in the inagural National Golf Invitational and finished the year ranked No. 79 in the Golfstat rankings, the eighth consecutive season to finish inside the top-100 and top four among the SBC.
semifinalist, named to the College Football News (CFN) Freshman All-America Team and tabbed to the Pro Football Focus (PFF) College All-True Freshman Team after breaking the Sun Belt Conference single-season record by a true freshman for points by kicking in a season (81).
Johnnie Lang Jr. enjoyed a highly-decorated senior season, earning All-America honors from College Football Network, Pro Football Focus (PFF) and CBS Sports after leading the nation in kickoff return yards and combined kick return yards.
Women’s Golf
A-State women’s golf tied for its best finish at a conference championship since the 2000-01 season, placing third at the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Championship.
The Red Wolves totaled 24-over par 888 in the championship for the lowest total at a conference championship in program history.
Elise Schultz (5th) and Olivia Schmidt (T6th) gave the Red Wolves two individuals inside the top 10 on the final leaderboard. Schmidt became the third player in program history to be a three-time All-Sun Belt Conference performer as she was named Second Team All-Sun Belt following the season.
Schmidt wrapped up her impressive career owning seven career records, eight single-season records and the low round, low 36-hole total and low 54-hole total to her credit.
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Football
Women’s Soccer
Arkansas State soccer finished the 2022 campaign with a 9-6-3 overall record and an 7-2-1 mark in league play. The Red Wolves won eight or more matches for the seventh-straight year, done only three times prior to the 2017 season in program history.
A-State found the back of the net 22 times with freshmen and sophomores accounting for 19 of those 22 markers.
Over its last 26 regular-season conference matches, A-State carries a record of 22-4-3. During the 2022 season, head coach Brian Dooley achieved his 250th career victory and he holds a record of 66-58-19 in his seven seasons leading the Red Wolves.
Volleyball
In the first year under new head coach Brian Gerwig, A-State captured two wins in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time since 2018.
The Red Wolves advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the first time since 2019, knocking off East No. 3 seed Old Dominion in an exciting 5-set second-round bout.
Senior Macey Putt became just the sixth player in program history to eclipse both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career while also garnering College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors.
State of the Pack
New in the 2022-23 academic year was the bi-weekly State of the Pack communications.
This was implemented by Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Jeff Purinton to keep Red Wolves fan base informed about our recent accomplishments and news, as well as upcoming events.
This initiative includes a campus spotlight and is issued through many of our communication channels, including e-mail, website and social media.
State of the Pack: Live!
A special “State of the Pack” feature, State of the Pack Live! was hosted digitally for A-State fans to hear from Jeff Purinton, A-State Chancellor Dr. Todd Shields and Deputy AD Brandon Cunningham, as well as select coaches and student-athletes. Registrants were able to submit questions for our host to ask the featured speakers throughout the program. Special guest Demario Davis also joined the event to engage with those who attended, and program insights and updates were provided by, Coach Butch Jones (Football), Dr. Jim Patchell (Track & Field / Cross Country), Justin Parks (Football), Izzy Higginbottom (Women’s Basketball) and Olivia Schmidt (Women’s Golf).
Women’s Tennis
In January, A-State named German Dalmagro the seventh head coach in program history.
Dalmagro brought nearly 20 years of collegiate coaching experience to A-State after most recently serving as associate women’s tennis head coach at Illinois since 2018.
Dalmagro immediately worked to rebuild the program and added the highest ranked recruit in program history in March.
HOWL ON WHEELS
We brought back the coaches-caravan tour under the rebranded “Howl on Wheels: Red Wolves Road Show” between May 20 and June 6 showcasing five different stopsJonesboro, Bryant, Little Rock, Fayetteville and Memphis.
We estimate that we were able to engage 400 Red Wolves fans throughout the events in person and many more with our communications surrounding the events.
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The spring football game was elevated into a day-long “Pack Day” event, featuring a cornhole tournament, gear sale, food trucks in the stadium parking lot, movie night and more.
Women’s Basketball had its highest average home attendance since the 2017-18 season.
After a season of increased student participation at home basketball games in 2022-23, the student section is going to be moved to the end zone nearer to the visitors’ bench at First National Bank Arena for the 2023-24 basketball season.
A crowd of 1,023 – one of the largest in Tomlinson Stadium history – saw the Red Wolves host reigning College World Series champion Ole Miss on April 18.
Ticket Office
We successfully completed our Ticketing request for proposal (RFP) by re-signing with TicketMaster. This has allowed us more favorable terms, and opens the door to improving our overall operation.
The Red Wolves Foundation and Media Relations have teamed up to improve our Red Wolves Athletics App.
We have improved the ticketing capabilities so that fans and donors can view and transfer their tickets all from within their mobile device.
In the spring, we brought on a third party ticket sales team dedicated to making outbound sales calls to new and lapsed accounts for season tickets and donations.
Broadcasting
The athletics department produced 80 broadcasts of home sporting events for ESPN platforms. These broadcasts, which covered football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, soccer and baseball, were largely staffed by students in the School of Media and Journalism at Arkansas State.
Digital Media
It’s safe to say that A-State’s hiring of new men’s basketball coach Bryan Hodgson caused quite a stir on social media. In all, social media posts from Men’s Basketball accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram regarding Hodgson’s hiring, arrival in Jonesboro, first practices and announcement of his first two assistant coaches generated more than 1.55 million impressions.
Licensing
Licensing royalties in the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 22-23 were up more than 31% from the same quarter a year ago. Heading into the fourth quarter of FY 22-23, we have already reached 99.1% of our total royalty revenue generated during FY 21-22.
Red Wolves Sports Properties
Sponorships in FY 22-23 increased 15% from FY 21-22.
Extended St. Bernard’s for 5 more years as the Official/Exclusive Healthcare Provider for A-State Athletics.
Greenway was named the offical AG partner of A-State Athletics. Ag Day
Provided $7,500 Dollars in Scholarships to students in the College of Ag through our Ag Day Sponsors.
LEARFIELD & REVEL XP
The athletics department entered a partnership with RevelXP, the revolutionary fan experience and hospitality company in order to enhance tailgating efforts while also being more cost-effective. In the first year of the partnership, the Red Wolves Foundation saw no financial losses as it relates to tailgating.
A-State extended its multimedia rights relationship with LEARFIELD in December 2022. LEARFIELD has represented A-State since 2016. The new multimedia rights agreement is for 10 years.
In addition to the multimedia rights extension with LEARFIELD, we expanded our relationship with the well-known industry leader to include its Amplify division as part of a holistic revenue solution designed to serve our Red Wolves fans. They will help us be able to reach more fans and potential donors and grow our base through new ticket sales and donations.
Arkansas State Athletics has extended its deal with long-time apparel partner adidas through 2027.
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Marketing
Major Giving
The Red Wolves Foundation has fully assessed prior major gift work and processes at Arkansas State as well as shape the new framework in which we will now operate.
Our goal for this academic year was to improve and increase collaboration with campus Advancement & the Alumni Association
In conjunction with the university, a major gift is considered $25,000 commitment or above payable over five years.
Our staff has outlined specific initiatives and communications tailored for major giving and we have developed metrics and goals for our fundraisers in the RWF. We plan to continue educating our fan base on the practices of the RWF. We will continue placing strong emphases on in-person visits with current and prospective donors to further strengthen relationships with our stakeholders.
This academic year, we have facilitated collaborative conversations with each sport program to identify their priorities.
Our RWF team has created a Philanthropic Fundraising Priorities document to clearly define those needs to our stakeholders. In May 2023, hired a full-time Major Gift Officer in Logan Kidd, as Assistant Athletics Director of development & major gifts and created a major giving society framework that allows us to leverage athletics department assets to drive more philanthropy. We expect to launch our major giving society in Academic Year 2023-2024.
Annual Giving
The Red Wolves Foundation’s Annual Fund team spent significant time cleaning up its donor database to ensure accurate reporting and proper segmentation in how we track revenue and donations. The RWF established a stronger overall organizational structure in the form of a benefits chart and an annual giving guide. This also allows for better communication with our constituents.
Membership Guide
Our team kicked off the 2023-2024 Athletics Fundraising Drive Year with the creation of a membership guide. The Membership Guide is a point of reference for all current and potential donors to provide comprehensive information about their giving and benefits with the Red Wolves Foundation.
RWF Newsletter
In an effort to further enhance efficient and engaging communication with membership, in April 2023, our team launched the Red Wolves Foundation newsletter. Our goal with these newsletters is to deliver exclusive content to people who are supporting our student-athletes through the RWF.
Rebranded & Enhanced Website
To provide our donors, fans and alumni with clear, concise and accurate information, the Red Wolves Foundation rebranded its website.
The website communicates top priorities and outlines important membership information explaining the process of the RWF.
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