Catamount Club, Cat's Pause Magazine - Fall, 2013

CAT’S

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY CATAMOUNT CLUB

THE NEW SOUTHERN CONFERENCE Conference membership will look different come July 2014, but its storied tradition will continue

CHAMPIONSHIP CATAMOUNTS

Track & Field and Baseball claim SoCon championships in 2012-13

FALL 2013 – VOLUME VII

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DEAR CATAMOUNT NATION Randy Eaton | Director of Athletics

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14 TABLE OF

CONTENTS Three Track Titles in ‘13. . . . . . . . . . 4 2013 Kings of the Diamond. . . . . . . 6 Football Season Preview. . . . . . . . . . 8 Soccer Season Preview . . . . . . . . . 10 Volleyball Season Preview. . . . . . . . 12 Donor Spotlight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Compliance Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Student-Athlete Spotlight . . . . . . . . 16 New-Look SoCon in 2014 . . . . . . . 20 Celebrating ‘83 Football Team. . . . . 22

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With the excitement in Catamount Athletics possibly at an all-time high, I think it is a great time to review all that we and our student-athletes accomplished during the 2012-13 academic year, as well as take a look forward.

We have had so many great stories and accomplishments, it is hard to focus on just a few. I will start with the amazing year had by our women’s track & field team as they captured not one – but both – of the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Southern Conference Championships! Not to be outdone, our men’s track & field squad claimed the Outdoor SoCon Championship.

Leading these teams to glory was Danny Williamson, who was voted the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for both Women’s Indoor and Women’s Outdoor campaigns.

Within a few short weeks of the twin outdoor titles, our baseball team returned to prominence by capturing the 2013 SoCon regular season championship, something they had not accomplished since 2007! In addition, head coach Bobby Moranda was selected as Southern Conference Baseball Coach of the Year!

We also saw many student-athletes achieve individual athletic awards during the year. One of the most notable was men’s golf sophomore J.T. Poston, earning an individual spot at the NCAA Regionals – only the second such honor in WCU golf history. Coming off the success of the Outdoor Track & Field teams, Brandon Hairston, Jocelyn Keen and Tayla Carter each earned NCAA outdoor track & field berths at the NCAA East Regional.

But athletics was not the only place we excelled. Eighty-eight student-athletes were named to their respective Southern Conference Academic All-Conference teams! Five of our student-athletes were honored on the national level for their academic prowess. Conner Orr, Rock Williams and Clark Sechrest (football); Samantha Hodge (women’s soccer); and Hailey Pace (softball) were all named to the Capital One Academic All-District III teams. For the twelfth consecutive semester, dating back to 2007, our student-athletes maintained an overall team GPA of over 3.0! Truly amazing given the time these young people dedicate to their athletic pursuits.

Focusing on the upcoming year, I cannot express enough the importance of private annual donations to support WCU and our

student-athletes. We are extremely grateful for your support as Catamount Club members.

We raised more than $674,454 to support scholarships for our student athletes in our spring membership campaign that ended June 30, 2013. I would also ask that you speak with fellow alumni, friends and neighbors to encourage them to join us as well to help us achieve our goal in increasing active members.

Relating to the transition of membership in the Southern Conference, we now have new opportunities as five institutions announced their plans earlier this year to depart our ranks. The College of Charleston, Appalachian State University, Davidson College, Elon University and Georgia Southern University are leaving for a myriad of reasons specific to each institution. Just a few weeks ago, we saw the Southern Conference welcome back former members East Tennessee State University and Virginia Military Institute, along with new member Mercer University. These three institutions, along with the remaining seven schools, will give the Southern Conference a new look with ten members committed not only to the long-term stability of the SoCon, but more importantly to the success of each and every one of our student-athletes.

Q&A

WITH ATHLETICS COACHING STAFF EVAN BARR

Cat’s Pause: As the strength & conditioning arm of the coaching staffs here at Western Carolina, what do you see as the goal of WCU Athletic Performance?

Barr: Our vision with WCU Athletic Performance is that we want to keep getting more and more detail-orientated. We want no aspect of strength & conditioning to be left out, making everyone bigger, stronger and faster, while striving for perfection.

Our staff is outstanding and we are working on becoming the best in the country. Our staff members have a wide range of knowledge and are giving our athletes great advice. I wanted to bring to our staff coaches with similar philosophies, but specialties in specific areas.

This has worked well for us. All of the coaches and interns on staff have a no-nonsense approach which is great for us, and I couldn’t be more proud of them.

Cat’s Pause: Since your arrival in January, 2013, what has been the biggest change you have seen in the student-athletes?

With our departing member institutions joining their new conferences, it is vital that we have the scholarship funding needed to fill the voids left in many sports. As we have done all year through various stops in many of your hometowns via the Catamounts Unite Tour, Catamount Golf Tour and the development of local chapters kicked off with last year’s Christmas socials, I am asking again for all of the Catamount Nation to step up and be a part of our future.

Barr: In the spring, the biggest challenge was

I want to personally thank each and every one of you for your commitment to our student-athletes; we cannot do it without your support! I look forward to seeing many of you this fall.

Cat’s Pause: What do you consider to

Go Cats!

trying to get everyone excited about working out, which was tough due to recent history. Getting players to have a positive attitude about it was a top priority for our staff. Now, there is a new hype about the program and a new belief in what we are trying to accomplish. Football is setting the trend with a change in attitude, and I believe that it is affecting all 16 of our varsity sports across the board. Seeing this new attitude continue to grow will be big for us in 2013-2014. be the best part of working at Western Carolina University?

Barr: The area has a family atmosphere and that is something that my family and I really enjoy. Not just in town, but also with the athletic department. Everyone here is great. To go along

with that, the work ethic of the student-athletes has been great, and that makes it easy for our staff to come into work every day.

Cat’s Pause: How have the voluntary summer workouts and conditioning been going?

Barr: (Summer workouts) couldn’t be going any better. We have been working on improving our speed, conditioning, tempo and leadership skills; our progression has been tremendous. Our student-athletes have been making sacrifices for each other – as well as for the team – which has been a key to the success of the summer. We try to push our athletes to new heights each and every day. My staff and I have had the chance to visit other programs this summer, and it’s easy to say that no one is out working our student-athletes.

Cat’s Pause: What has impressed you the most about the student-athletes who have been on campus during the summer?

Barr: The most impressive thing so far has been the commitment level - without question. Being here in the summer and away from family and friends is tough, and the athletes have bought in 100 percent. Players have been making sacrifices, and I have really appreciated that.

These guys have been giving everything they have and that has been huge for us. It all goes back to the players buying into the system.

Cat’s Pause: What are some of the new developments within the weight-room?

Barr: There have been some new things going on. We had our first intern class this summer.

These guys have been very important because we couldn’t do what we do without our interns.

We will have more in the fall. In July, we welcomed our new dietician, and she will give each athlete a diet plan to follow. Also, new equipment is in the works. Fundraising has been great.

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WCU WOMEN’S INDOOR SOCON TITLES 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2010, 2013

WCU WOMEN’S OUTDOOR SOCON TITLES 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2013

WCU MEN’S INDOOR SOCON TITLES 1999, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2012

WCU MEN’S OUTDOOR SOCON TITLES 1999, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013

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TRACK SOCON CHAMPI TRACK & FIELD TEAMS WIN THREE SOCON CHAMPIONSHIPS Three of the Southern Conference championships earned by the Catamounts in 2012-13 came in track & field. WCU’s women swept both the indoor and outdoor meets while the Catamount men won the outdoor championship. Western won the women’s indoor meet, clinching the title over Appalachian State by 5.5 points before routing them by 38 points for the outdoor championship. The men won the outdoor title defeating Samford by 13.5 points.

For both the women’s indoor and outdoor season, longtime Catamount head coach Danny

Williamson was honored by his peers as the SoCon Coach of the Year.

All told, WCU’s women have won 14 SoCon titles all-time, including seven indoor and seven outdoor. The men have nine total championships including four during the indoor season and five outdoor titles.

En route to the 2013 SoCon Indoor Championship, Western Carolina’s women posted 12 podium – or top three – finishes including six individual championships. Tayla Carter was quickest in the 60-meter dash and ran anchor

IONSHIPS on the championship 4x400-meter relay team.

She also finished second in the 200-meter dash with a WCU record time of 24.50 to claim SoCon Indoor Freshman of the Year accolades.

Sophomore Alisha Bradshaw claimed Most Outstanding Field Performer honors in the title run, accounting for two individual championships in sweeping the throws with firsts in the shot put and weight throw.

Despite not claiming the indoor championship on the men’s side, senior Brandon Hairston turned in a tremendous individual effort, claiming both the Most Outstanding Track Performer and Most Outstanding Athlete plaudits. The Walkertown, N.C., native recorded four podium finishes in

the meet including winning the 200-meter dash and running the anchor leg on the championship 4x400-meter relay team.

put and discus before finishing as the runnerup in the hammer throw to again take Most Outstanding Field Performer honors.

During the outdoor championship, the Catamount women tallied 13 podium finishes including seven individual first-place finishes. WCU scored in bunches, sweeping the women’s championship meets for 2013, including taking the top five positions in the women’s 400-meter-dash.

The Catamount men rebounded to record a total of 16 podium finishes in the spring including five individual titles. Hairston garnered Most Valuable Track Performer accolades again by winning both the 100 and 200-meter dash individual events, while also running a leg on the championship 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relay teams.

Carter again shined as the Outdoor Freshman of the Year, taking home three first-place trophies in the 100 and 200-meter dash, as well as the 4x400-meter relay. Bradshaw nearly swept all three weight events, taking first in the shot

At the end of the spring, the trio of Carter, Jocelyn Keen and Brandon Hairston all qualified for the NCAA East Regional held in Greensboro, N.C.

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BASEBALL SOCON

WCU BASEBALL RETURNS TO TOP OF SOCON

by Steve White, WCU Athletics Historian Baseball minds usually agree that the first element in building a baseball team is pitching.

Bobby Moranda will not disagree, but he had to employ a lot of other nouns, adjectives and verbs beginning with the letter P to elevate Western Carolina University’s baseball program back to its status as one of the Southern Conference’s elite.

Among Moranda’s other essentials are patience, perseverance, persistence, planning, passion and a lot of penny-pinching.

Moranda took over the reins of the Southern Conference’s most successful baseball program following its 11th trip to NCAA postseason tournament play in 2007. Over the next five seasons (2008-2012), the Catamounts had their moments. The 2009 squad finished a half game out of third place and the 2010 team won its way to the conference tournament championship game. A rare losing season for WCU followed in 2011, but the Catamounts returned to their winning ways the next season with 32 victories.

The “P” words finally aligned this past spring to carry WCU to its 12th SoCon regular season title – second most in the conference’s long history – with a school record 23 conference games (39 overall wins) and was nationally ranked for the first time in 10 seasons as they won 21 of their last 24 regular season games. The Catamounts finished second nationally in home runs (71), fourth in doubles (145), 16th in hits (652) and the pitching staff ranked ninth in strikeouts per game (8.3).

The Catamounts dominated the SoCon’s post season awards with Moranda named the

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league’s coach of the year while seven of his players were named to the all-conference teams.

Senior third baseman Tyler White led the honors parade as he was named to two All-America teams (12th WCU player to be honored) and SoCon Player of the Year. Junior shortstop Aaron Attaway, junior outfielder Julian Ridings, sophomore pitcher Jeremy Null, senior pitcher Preston Hatcher, junior catcher Adam Martin and freshman pitcher Jonathan Waszak joined White on all-conference teams named by the league’s coaches and media.

White, who batted .363 with 16 home runs, 27 doubles and 66 RBI was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft’s 33rd round by the Houston Astros and Ridings, a .377 batter in the past season with special speed, was taken in the 18th round by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Despite the regular season championship and torrid regular season finish, the Catamounts fizzled in the SoCon Tournament in Greenville, SC and were denied an NCAA at-large bid due in part to several upsets in conference tournaments around the nation.

“We were devastated,” said Moranda after learning that the Catamounts would not be going to NCAA postseason play. “Our body of work during the regular season was definitely among the best in the nation, but obviously that did not register with the computers and those who rely on them. Mid-majors always have a tough road to travel to get an at-large bid and I think this year that road is even tougher because of several upsets in conference tournaments and some plain old bad luck.”

Expectations for Western Carolina Baseball, despite its 12 regular season championships, nine tournament championships, and 11 trips to the NCAA tournament in 36 years as a member of the Southern Conference, were not as high through the first five decades of the program’s history. There were more winning seasons than losing ones, but serious runs at championships were rare.

WCU’s baseball reputation began to elevate under the coaching of Bill Haywood in the early 1970s. After 13 seasons and the Catamounts first SoCon championship in 1981, Haywood left for professional baseball and the reins were handed to 25-year old Jack Leggett who led the programs to five conference titles and subsequent NCAA tournament appearances from 1985 through 1989. Keith LeClair, one of Leggett’s players during those glory days and later an assistant coach, took over in 1992 and led the Purple and Gold to four more NCAA tournaments. Rodney Hennon and Todd Raleigh, also Leggett players and assistant coaches, followed LeClair. Hennon led the program to 81 wins in two seasons and Raleigh took the Catamounts to league titles and NCAA tournaments in 2003 and 2007.

It is the consensus among SoCon baseball coaches, Major League Baseball scouts and veteran fans that the conference has been much stronger from top to bottom and more difficult for one or two teams to dominate. Fred Jordan, The Citadel’s head coach for 22 seasons, says the SoCon baseball landscape has changed.

“There was a time when we (The Citadel) circled

two weekend series on our baseball schedule…

Western Carolina and Georgia Southern.

Nowadays, you’ve got to come to the ballpark ready to play every weekend.” Lon Joyce, former WCU pitcher (1967-70) and longtime Los Angeles Dodgers scout, adds to Jordan’s statement. “Each year, for the past 15-20 years, more and more programs in every conference have been upgrading their baseball to compete with the top programs. Virtually every school in the ACC and SEC has high profile programs and the Southern Conference has twice as many programs capable of winning as they did when Western, The Citadel and Georgia Southern were dominating,” he noted. Donnie Suttles, exCatamount pitcher (1996-98) and San Francisco Giants scout, says the improved facilities throughout college baseball have made recruiting and more teams competitive. “A lot of high school kids make their decisions based in part on the quality of a school’s playing facility. The majority of the schools have become competitive in that area whereas in the 90s, when I played, Western had arguably the best,” he added.

Moranda’s patient process worked despite the emergence of several Southern Conference baseball programs. “We had several outstanding players go in the draft as juniors after the 2009 season and it took us few recruiting classes to restock. Our recruiting plan started to pay off with the players we recruited in our third and fourth years as a staff. Coach (Alan) Beck joined our staff after my first season and has been tremendous recruiter. This season’s junior and senior classes (five All-Southern Conference players) took their lumps early on, but everything seemed to come together this season…pitching, hitting, fielding and the right chemistry,” he explained.

“The work ethic of our current team is special and a huge key to our success. They know what early mornings and late nights are all about,” he added.

Moranda agrees with fellow coaches and scouts about how facilities and recruiting has changed on the collegiate level. “The new rules have had a huge impact on recruiting. You have to give a scholarship signee at least a twenty-five percent scholarship and you are allowed only 27 players on scholarship and a total of 35 players on your roster. We used to have a lot of $500 guys and a dozen to 15 walk-ons. That, combined with more and more schools stepping up with new facilities and more support for their baseball programs and it is easy to understand why the college baseball landscape has changed,” he stated.

Kevin Stanberry of Sylva, a longtime supporter and fan, says “Catamount Baseball is in a good place thanks to Coach Moranda’s efforts. Like several of our most successful baseball coaches Bill Haywood, Jack Leggett and Todd Raleigh, it took him a couple years to connect, establish recruiting bases and reap the rewards of his hard work.”

Another example of how Moranda has answered the challenge of returning Catamount Baseball to elite status in the SoCon and the Southeast baseball scene came prior to the 2011 season when he orchestrated a massive project to turn an aging Childress Field/Hennon Stadium into one of the most attractive and playable facilities in the Southern Conference. He rallied available university personnel and resources and Catamount Baseball supporters and enlisted corporate support for materials to replace deteriorating parts and add essential and aesthetic structures. The project cost was conservatively estimated in excess of $500,000 with the majority covered by donations and volunteer labor. “The renovation project was essential to the future success of our proud baseball program,” Moranda said.

“Coach Moranda has done a great job in guiding our program back to the top,” says Woody Dixon of Camden, SC, an avid WCU baseball fan for more than five decades. “He is doing it the right way and has the program on solid ground.”

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CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL IS LOOKING BRIGHT Upon his return to WCU, Coach Mark Speir has noticed a few differences since he left in 1996.

The biggest thing that Speir, who began his coaching career here in 1991, wants to do is revive the winning culture once so strong in our football program. Speir and his staff are working hard to instill the championship mentality that Western was once known for.

One thing that he thinks will especially help is the growing campus and community here. “The campus has exploded in the past few years, and that helps with recruiting,” he said.

The 2013 season for Catamount football is looking bright with the evolution of a new atmosphere developed by Coach Speir and his staff. Although it didn’t show up last season in

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the wins and losses column, he was proud of his team’s effort, progress and competitiveness.

The Catamounts have three games scheduled against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents this season. These games are great for Western for a variety of reasons. The players love playing in large venues. It is also good from a recruiting aspect because many prospects also want the opportunity to play on a big stage. Financially, the funds help advance the program.

This season will also be the last year that the present SoCon will play their traditional schedule. Although Georgia Southern and Appalachian State will still be on regular season schedule, they will not be able to compete for the championship as they transition out of the SoCon.

Coach Speir believes that Wofford will become the team to beat based on recent history and their experienced coaching staff.

The football program has high expectations for the Catamounts this season.

The staff is especially focused on winning the close games that slipped away last season.

Western went into the 4th quarter with the lead in three separate conference games and we weren’t able to come away with the win. It’s games like these that Coach Speir feels the team is more equipped to finish off this year.

“It takes a full year for a football team to understand a new staff and fully grasp a system.

We are light-years from where we were last spring. Evan Barr (new athletic performance

coach) has made a tremendous impact on our program. Especially in football, a strength coach is paramount in changing a culture,” said Speir.

leadership and bonding both on and off the field are what will help us achieve our goals,” said Murray.

WCU is playing the toughest schedule in FCS football this year, but that doesn’t lower anyone’s expectations.

One challenge this season for Western is the youthful roster. Seventy percent of the players are in only their third semester of college, or younger. It will be a task for such a team to play a tough schedule, but Coach Speir is very optimistic.

“I’ll be highly disappointed if we don’t go out and win games this season,” said Speir.

The players have equally high expectations as some are approaching the final games of their football careers. Senior Quavelas Murray says his team has their sights set on a SoCon championship.

“Although it is a big step from last year, I think we have both the coaches and players to make it happen. We know our potential, and our

“The advantage of such a young team is that it’s a lot easier to create habits than break them,” he said.

Key contributors for this season are expected to be both quarterbacks, Troy Mitchell and Eddie Sullivan. Other players that Coach Speir expects to contribute greatly are Murray, Karnorris

Benson, Brian Johnson, Ace Clark, Sertonuse Harris and Clark Sechrest. Sechrest is a potential All-American as a kicker, and has made some preseason watch lists.

Many of these players have emerged as leaders since last spring. Coach Speir said with the help of players like Murray, Sean Warren, Eddie Sullivan, Ace Clark, and Brian Johnson, the team is becoming a player-driven team as opposed to a coach-driven one.

“The team chemistry has changed so much in a year. They are holding each other accountable, which is a key factor on any successful team,” said Speir.

Fall 2013 | 9

UPPERCLASSMEN READY TO LEAD CATAMOUNT SOCCER The Western Carolina soccer team finished its 2012 season with a 7-10-2 overall record.

Coach Chad Miller was proud of his young team’s accomplishments and described it as a solid season, although he did feel that the team could have made a stronger impact in the Southern Conference.

“I thought we played some good soccer and just were unfortunate at times,” Miller said, describing how he felt his team left a lot on the table compared to their potential.

One highlight of the season was a conference win on the road against UNC-Greensboro, only

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the second road win against them in program history. The Catamounts also played a great match against No. 20-ranked West Virginia early in the season, losing 2-1.

The Catamounts not only competed hard on the field, but also in the classroom. Last spring the team had a cumulative grade point average of a 3.51, with 15 of 23 players on the dean’s list and 10 players with a GPA of 3.8, or higher.

They have received the NSCAA Team Academic Award for eight consecutive years. The program currently has three alumni attending law school and one in veterinary school.

This season, Coach Miller expects strong leadership to be a strength of his team, which has a majority of experienced players. This will be the first year since he became the head coach that Miller has not had to rely heavily on freshmen to come in and make an immediate impact.

The Catamounts do have outstanding and capable freshmen in this incoming class, but Miller says it will be difficult to come in and knock off the hard-working veterans who have played in many games over their careers.

Although the SoCon is rapidly changing, we will not see many effects regarding soccer until 2014.

This year the only team missing is College of Charleston. The Southern Conference is very deep in women’s soccer and every weekend will still be a test in conference play with the remaining 11 teams.

Coach Miller stresses the importance of taking advantage of home games as a key factor for success this season. All conference games are extremely important, but the team is definitely focusing on getting every win possible in the Catamount Sports Complex.

Last season, the Catamounts had especially outstanding play from freshman Markie-Lynn

Studnicky. As a member of the SoCon All-Freshman Team as well as receiving First Team All-Conference honors, Studnicky is capable of changing a game at any moment.

Coach Miller believes backing up such a season will be a task, especially as other teams have learned since last fall to key in on her more.

“The biggest challenge for players who find success early in their career is to continue to develop and have that hunger and drive to always be better,” said Miller.

Miller believes that Studnicky’s hard work and dedication to her team will help her continue her outstanding play and has high expectations for her this fall.

As for other key contributors, Chrissie White will be looked to for her leadership and solid all-around play. She has worked her way up to being considered one of the top defenders in the league, and her play will be important to the Catamount’s overall success. The team will also rely heavily on the play of veterans Cole, Hallstrom, Robison, Weigel and Pannell.

When asked to describe the Catamounts in three words, Coach Miller answered, “Dedicated, determined, and family.”

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CATAMOUNT VOLLEYBALL SET FOR 2013 The Western Carolina Catamount volleyball team is coming off a season where they were 8-8 in Southern Conference play, finishing third in the North Division.

Head coach, Karen Glover, says that a highlight of last season was beating Appalachian State at home 3-2. The team’s overall record didn’t completely portray the kind of season Western put together. Many tough matches were lost by only a few points. One thing that the team wants to improve on from last season is finishing out those close matches. “We played a lot of tough

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matches, and it will be a great focus this year to be able to close those out,” said Glover.

fight to the top. It will be interesting to see who makes it to the conference tournament,” she said.

The conference realignment won’t have much of an effect on volleyball this season as the Catamounts will still play their traditional SoCon opponents. The only difference this year will be the removal of divisions, which will cause some scheduling changes.

Glover has high praises and expectations for senior libero Morgan Cochran. Cochran is coming off a great junior campaign, recording her highest digs per set for her career, and is expected to build on that this season.

Glover says there isn’t one specific team to beat.

“The SoCon is a strong volleyball conference where there are many teams who could be in the

Glover especially emphasized the importance of a balanced, overall team performance. The Catamounts will need everyone to contribute for a successful season. The strong nucleus of

returners should be able to ensure this for the 2013 campaign.

Western will be able to lean on their experience this year, as players like Addy George, Caitlin Piechota, and Jordan Timmermann enter their junior year. These players have played a lot of games in their careers, so it will be a nice break for Glover to be able to count on those veterans as opposed to having to rely on underclassmen.

Although the team will have three incoming freshmen, there will not be the pressure on them to immediately step in as in the past.

The Catamounts will look to their team captains Addie George, Paige McConologue, and Jordan Timmermann for their leadership. Glover and the captains have spent time during the summer going over the expectations for these roles and how they will best use their leadership positions to help their team.

entire athletic department, as well as other student-athletes, are very supportive of each other. The community makes this a great place to live and coach,� she said.

Entering her third season as head coach, Glover has thoroughly enjoyed her time here at Western already. “My favorite part would have to be the people. I love this team. My players are great and our team chemistry is outstanding. The

Fall 2013 | 13

to attend Catawba College, where he played football and eventually transferred to WCU to play three years under Coach Steve Hodgin.

Wesley also attended WCU on an athletic scholarship and played baseball, but eventually transferred to Winthrop University. During the time that King was building his family, he also was a military police officer for 26 years.

Now a retired army veteran, King and his wife are active in the Hendersonville community.

They can be seen enjoying different restaurants in the area, financially supporting Eliada Homes, Inc., attending concerts, taking care of their five grandchildren and enjoying Catamount athletics.

DOUG KING What is it that you want for the future of our world? What is it that you want for the future of Western Carolina University? When asked these questions, most people will give a different answer for each one. Not Doug King. He wants a better sustainable future for both the world and WCU. When asked what words of advice he has, he respectfully responds: Tell others to find a good mate, stay married a long time, and help the younger generation move forward with their lives. And to WCU donors, I noticed the other day in the paper, the Athletic Director at Appalachian State was talking about reaching a $3,000,000 goal this past fiscal year in their move to the new 2014 Sun Belt Conference. I became depressed seeing us so far behind even as we reached our goal of $650,000. So we as alumni and friends need to step it up!

King is a man of many words, but through it all he just wants the best for those that come after him in this world. He has thirty years of experience in sales and marketing, the last fourteen of which have been spent in waste management, waste disposal and recycling equipment sales. In his business, Quality Recycling of Hendersonville, King has been

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actively involved on the front lines of evolving technology for recycling and the development of functioning waste-to-energy conversion systems.

Along with his efforts on the job, he is frequently seen advising and speaking on the subject of waste management at a variety of private and municipal entities, including seminars at Clemson University. He is also a big fan of NASCAR and the Carolina Panthers, but, more importantly, he is a Catamount.

King attended WCU from 1965 to 1967. He decided to come when offered a walk-on position on the team as a place kicker. When not on the field competing for Head Coach Dan Robinson, he was a fixture on campus, enjoying student life and working his way to graduation. One memory that stays with him to this day is watching one of his professors, Dr. Otto Spilker, doing an iron cross in the gym. “A 40-year old doctor doing that. That’s amazing! I would go down to the gym to watch him work out and amaze all of us students.”

Upon leaving WCU, King met the love of his life.

The future Louanna King was a student at AB Tech in 1970, and the two got married on June 25 of that year. They would go on to have two sons, Brook and Wesley. Both graduated from West Henderson High School where they were student-athletes. Brook earned a scholarship

The Catamount Club Staff reached out to King after his well-traveled army career and helped the University welcome him and his family back with open arms.

“They came to see us out of the blue, made us feel comfortable about where WCU is going, and made both of us want to help the kids. That’s all we want to do now,” he says.

Since reacquainting himself with Catamount Athletics, King has become a fixture at sporting events year-round, including the annual spring game. “When Coach (Mark) Speir told me that Appalachian State used to do a big pig cookout every year, I told him that he could count on me cooking a pig for him and his team as long as he was at WCU.” Since this conversation, King has been seen cooking for the team in the stadium lot as early as 7 a.m. “It is all worth it for the kids,” he says.

Despite having such a busy career and involvement with their own business and growing family, both Doug and Louanna King find the time to help the student-athletes of WCU. They donate their time and resources to help develop student-athletes not only just athletically, but also as well-rounded and successful individuals.

HOMETOWN: Carrizo Springs, Texas HIGH SCHOOL: Carrizo Springs HS IN THE CLASSROOM: A psychology major with a minor in criminal justice and a 3.88 GPA OTHER ACTIVITIES: Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Campus Church, SAAC, Asian Student Association, Freshman Leadership Institution, Student Leader of Orientation Programs.

“I love being involved outside of athletics because it opens many doors with faculty and staff on and around campus. I especially love orientation because I get to meet a lot of the incoming freshmen and help them learn to love Western.”

FAVORITE PART OF WESTERN: Being from Texas where it is very dry and flat, I LOVE the nice green mountains and actually experiencing all four seasons!

THE BEST PART ABOUT YOUR TEAM: How well we all get along. Being a female athlete, I have never been on a team where everyone got along so well. I definitely cherish our team’s chemistry.

PLANS AFTER WESTERN: Either getting an internship or entering graduate school to pursue a PhD in psychology and eventually work for the federal government.

FROM THE COACH: “Leah is a great teammate.

She’s a great person to have on your team because she is so supportive and encouraging of all her teammates on and off the floor. Off the court Leah excels as a student and is involved in many activities across campus. She epitomizes Catamount spirit.”

Leah Butler JUNIOR, VOLLEYBALL

FROM A TEAMMATE: “Leah is a great person. On the court, she especially has good sportsmanship and is good under pressure.

Off the court, she will always be there for her teammates and go out of her way to help people, even if she doesn’t know them.”

Fall 2013 | 15

CATAMOUNT COMPLIANCE CORNER NCAA RULE: Who is governed by rules?

You are considered a representative of Western Carolina University athletic interests if you are or have ever been a member of any group which supports or promotes the athletic program, if you have made financial donations to the athletic program, or if you have helped in any way to recruit student-athletes. Interpretation: This means that any contact you have with prospective student-athletes, and anything you provide for prospective or current studentathletes is subject to NCAA rules and can affect the eligibility of Western Carolina University’s individual student-athletes and teams to compete in the Southern Conference competition.

NCAA RULE: Who is a “Prospect”?

A “prospective student-athlete” or “prospect” is any student who has started classes for the ninth grade. Interpretation: This means that contact with any student who has started classes for the ninth grade is subject to NCAA rules.

AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE BENEFIT OR PRIVILEGE (BYLAW 6.4.2.1) Any agreement between an institution (or any organization that promotes, assists or augments in any way the athletics interests of the member institution) and any individual who, for any consideration, is or may be entitled under the terms of the agreement to any benefit or privilege relating to the institution’s athletics program, shall contain a specific clause providing that any such benefit or privilege may be withheld if the individual has engaged in conduct that is determined to be a violation of NCAA legislation.

The clause shall provide for the withholding of the benefit or privilege from a party to the agreement and any other person who may be entitled to a benefit or privilege under the terms of the agreement.

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF “EXTRA BENEFITS” TO ENROLLED STUDENTATHLETES THAT ARE PROHIBITED BY THE NCAA? Arranging, providing or co-signing a loan; Providing a meal outside your own home;

Providing clothing or transportation; Providing a ticket to any athletics, institutional or community event; Providing the parents, family, or friends of a student-athlete with free admission to a team banquet; Giving any type of gift; Arranging or providing any special discount, credit or special payment arrangements on any purchase or service.

ARE ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVES ALLOWED TO HELP FINANCE A STUDENTATHLETE’S EDUCATION? No. Under Southern Conference and NCAA rules, receipt by a student-athlete of any type of financial assistance from any non-family or noninstitutional source constitutes a rules violation that renders the student-athlete ineligible.

MAY A BOOSTER OR BOOSTER GROUP FINANCE A SEASON-ENDING BANQUET OR TEAM MEAL? MAY IT PURCHASE AWARDS FOR THE TEAM? Provided all funds are expended through the athletics department, it is permissible for a booster or booster group to be the source of funds for a meal, banquet, and awards. Since the NCAA established a value limit on awards received by student-athletes, it is important to have any awards approved by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

MAY I CONTACT HIGH SCHOOL COACHES OR GUIDANCE COUNSELORS DIRECTLY REGARDING A PROSPECTIVE STUDENTATHLETE? Because such contact would involve specific athletic recruiting, not general institutional recruiting, a representative would be prohibited from such contact.

MAY I ATTEND A HIGH SCHOOL GAME? MAY I SPEAK WITH A PROSPECT’S PARENTS PRIOR TO OR DURING A GAME? It is permissible for you to attend a high school game. However, since NCAA rules equate contact with a prospect’s parents to contact with a prospect, it is not permissible to speak with parents for the purposes of recruiting the prospect.

MAY I ACCOMPANY THE COACH DURING HIS OR HER ‘HOME’ VISIT WITH THE PROSPECT? No. This would constitute your direct involvement in the athletic recruitment of the prospect and would not be permissible.

WHAT IF I AM A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, A RELATIVE, OR A NEIGHBOR OF THE PROSPECT? The rule is not intended to preclude your ‘normal’ contact with family friends, relatives, or neighbors. However, any contact for the purpose of recruiting them to your institution would not be permitted.

MAY I DRIVE A PROSPECT TO AN ALUMNI RELATIONS OFFICE RECEPTION IN MY LOCAL AREA? No, unless such arrangements are made for all students in attendance. Otherwise, providing such transportation would be considered an ‘extra-benefit’ and would render the prospect ineligible to play if he/she enrolled at Western Carolina University.

MAY I INVITE A NUMBER OF PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES TO MY HOME TO TALK ABOUT WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY? Except as part of an Alumni Relations Office reception or gathering, which would include athletes and non-athletes, it would not be permissible.

MAY I BUY A MEAL IN A RESTAURANT FOR A PROSPECT, AN ENROLLED STUDENTATHLETE OR AN ENTIRE TEAM? No. Donations for such purposes may be made through the Catamount Club.

Be sure to protect the integrity of the Catamount Nation by remembering to

ASK BEFORE YOU ACT.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact Kara Carpenter, Director of Compliance | 828.227.7338 | klcarpenter@wcu.edu 16 | CAT’S PAUSE

STACEY MILLER Stacey Miller came to Western Carolina in 2010 as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, working directly with both the Southern Conference and NCAA as WCU’s liaison. During the summer of 2013, her title changed to Assistant Athletic Director for Academics & Compliance, while she also assumed the role of Senior Woman Administrator. In addition to continuing to work with WCU’s compliance, she took over WCU’s StudentAthlete Academic Support programs. She also works directly with WCU’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Prior to getting back into intercollegiate athletics, Miller taught business

and law courses at the high school level from 2007-2010 and also worked with at-risk students through the public education system.

She is a 2002 graduate of Barton College in Wilson, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and majoring in sport management with a minor in business administration. While at Barton, she was a four-year letter winner on the women’s soccer team and was the program’s first-ever All-America selection.

She helped the Bulldogs compile a 46-27-2 overall record during her career. In her senior season, Barton won the regular season and tournament championships of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference (CVAC) and hosted the NCAA Division II South Regional championship match.

Miller later coached Barton’s women’s soccer program, guiding the Bulldogs to a 38-31-1 record as the team’s head coach from 2004-06.

She was inducted into the Barton College Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 2006, Miller completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in sport administration from East Carolina.

She is a member of both the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics and National Association for Athletics Compliance and is married to WCU’s current head women’s soccer coach, Chad Miller. The couple has two sons, Thomas and Carson.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WCU? Student-athletes, hands down. They are good students, good athletes and great people. I enjoy being around them every single day. My kids love being around them as well. The entire athletic department has a family atmosphere. That is by far my favorite part.

WHAT WERE YOU ABLE TO TAKE FROM YOUR CAREER AS AN ATHLETE THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO CARRY OVER TO YOUR CAREER AND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE? I would say that the thing that carries over the most from athletics to life would have to be my competitive drive. Whether it’s playing sports, advancing in my career, or learning more in my job, I do it all with a very competitive nature. Average is never good enough. I would also have to add teamwork.

Our staff works together really well which helps us accomplish our goals and keeps things running smoothly.

WHAT SKILLS THAT YOU LEARNED IN YOUR COACHING CAREER HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO USE NOW IN YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE CAREER? I try to use my knowledge of what it’s like to be both an athlete and a coach. I understand the schedule of student-athletes and know how timeconsuming games, practice and the recruiting process can be. I try to take as much of the administrative duties off of our coaches’ hands as possible.

This allows them to do what they came to do—coach.

Fall 2013 | 17

FALL SPORTS SCHEDULES FOOTBALL

WHEE ARE DRIVEN Aug 29 at Middle Tennessee....6:30 pm CT Sep 7 at Virginia Tech . . . . . . . 1:30 pm SEP 14 THE CITADEL* . . . . . . . 3:30 PM

CROSS COUNTRY

WHEE ARE FAMILY

Catamount Club Day

SEP 21 MARS HILL . . . . . . . . . . 3:30 PM

AUG 30 WESTERN CAROLINA INVITATIONAL

Sep 28 at Samford* . . . . . . . . . 2 pm CT

Cullowhee, NC

WCU Family Weekend

Sep 7 WCU HS/MS Invitational Cullowhee, NC*

Oct 5 at Chattanooga* . . . . . . . . 6 pm

Sep 14 UNC Asheville Invitational Asheville, NC

Oct 12 at Auburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBD

Sep 21 W inthrop Adidas Invitational Rock Hill, SC

OCT 19 WOFFORD* . . . 3:30 PM ESPN3

Sep 28 Charlotte XC Invitational Charlotte, NC

Oct 4 Catamount Classic Cullowhee, NC

OCT 26 ELON* . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:30 PM

Oct 5 Greater Louisville XC Classic Louisville, KY

Oct 18 Blue Ridge Open @ ASU Boone, NC

Nov 9 at Georgia Southern* . . . . 2 pm

Nov 2 SoCon Championship Birmingham, AL

NOV 16 FURMAN* . . . . . . . . . . 3:30 PM

Nov 15 NCAA Southeast Regional Charlottesville, VA

Nov 25 NCAA Championship Terre Haute, IN

Nov 23 at Appalachian State* . . 3:30 pm

Hall of Fame

Homecoming & All Sports Reunion

Senior Day & Youth Football Day

VOLLEYBALL

WHEE ARE ONE WCU Invitational

SEP 26 APPALACHIAN STATE* . . . . 7 PM

AUG 30 WRIGHT STATE . . . . . . . . . . 12 PM

SEP 28 DAVIDSON* . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 PM

AUG 30 BOSTON COLLEGE . . . . . . . 7 PM

Oct 4 at Samford*. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm

AUG 31 USC UPSTATE . . . . . . . . . . 12 PM

Oct 5 at Chattanooga* . . . . . . . . 3 pm

AUG 31 UNC ASHEVILLE . . . . . . . 7:30 PM

OCT 10 CHATTANOOGA* . . . . . . . . . 3 PM

Memphis Invitational

OCT 11 WOFFORD* . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PM

Sep 6 vs Southeastern Louisiana . 10 am

OCT 13 FURMAN* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 PM

Sep 6 at Memphis. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm

OCT 18 THE CITADEL* . . . . . . . . . . 7 PM

Sep 7 vs Alabama A&M. . . . . . . . . 3 pm

OCT 19 GEORGIA SOUTHERN* . . . . 7 PM

Sep 10 at Gardner Webb . . . . . . . . 7 pm

Oct 25 at Davidson* . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm

Hilton Garden Inn Mayfaire UNCW Volleyball Classic

Oct 27 at Appalachian State* . . . . 5 pm

Sep 13 vs Mercer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 pm

Nov 1 at UNC Greensboro*. . . . . . 7 pm

Sep 14 vs NC A&T. . . . . . . . . . . 10:30 am

Nov 2 at Elon* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm

Sep 14 at UNC Wilmington . . . . . 7:30 pm

NOV 9 SAMFORD* . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 PM

Carolina Classic presented by Courtyard Marriott

Nov 15 at Georgia Southern* . . . . 6 pm

Sep 20 at South Carolina . . . . . . . 7 pm

Nov 16 at The Citadel* . . . . . . . . . 4 pm

Sep 21 vs Presbyterian . . . . . . . . . 10 am

NOV 23-25 SoCon Tournament Greenville, SC

Sep 21 vs Robert Morris . . . . . . . . 4 pm

*Southern Conference game | Home games in BOLD CAPS. Dates and times subject to change

SAAC Makes a Positive Difference on Campus The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Western Carolina University continues to make massive strides in improving athletics while creating positive change on and off campus.

This year SAAC has improved morale and support with plenty of thanks to Chancellor David Belcher and Athletic Director Randy Eaton. The executive board holds positions that allow SAAC to run more smoothly, while maintaining a high pace and an even higher standard of performance. The executive board positions included Vice President of Internal Affairs and Vice President of External Affairs, Treasurer, Secretary, two Media Chairs, two Spirit Chairs, and two Community Service Chairs.

One of the biggest things SAAC started this year was the initiation of the Spirit Staff; a four and one-half foot high carved wooden staff that represents Catamount Nation Pride. Athletic teams compete for Spirit Points ranging from showing spirit and support at different athletic functions to volunteering and donating their time to the local community. The team that wins the Spirit Award at the end of the year receives the flag off the staff as well as a tally-mark

SOCCER

WHEE BELIEVE

under their team name burned into the Spirit Staff itself. With the launch of the Spirit Staff, teams have already started to participate and support one another more than previous years.

The biggest difference however is the overwhelming sense of team unity and family as a whole

AUG 16 HIGH POINT Exhibition . . . 7 PM

amongst all of Western Carolina University’s athletic teams.

AUG 23 LIPSCOMB . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PM

WCU has had philanthropic success over the years with the “Pink Zone” t-shirts. Selling the

Aug 25 at Eastern Kentucky . . . . . . 2 pm

shirts with the slogan “Whee Think Pink,” students and fans of WCU show their support in

ECU Tournament

the fight against breast cancer while donating funds to help eliminate it. Student-Athletes also

Aug 30 vs UNC Wilmington . . . . . . 5 pm

donated countless can-tabs towards the Ronald McDonald Foundation to improve the lives of

Sep 1 at East Carolina . . . . . . . . . 2 pm

sick children.

SEP 8 CHARLOTTE . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PM

The beginning of the 2013-2014 academic school year brings about excitement and

SEP 13 WESTERN KENTUCKY . . . . 7 PM

hope that SAAC will continue to improve and make a difference. With the Executive Board

SEP 15 EAST TENNESSEE . . . . . . . 2 PM

groundwork already laid down there is nothing left to do but build up, to rise as Catamounts

Sep 20 at Mercer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm

and reach the full potential WCU has to offer.

Sep 26 at Elon* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm SEP 29 UNC GREENSBORO* . . . . . 2 PM

President – Chrissie White, women’s soccer

Oct 4 at Davidson*. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 pm

Vice President – Jack Walsh, men’s golf

Oct 6 at Georgia Southern* . . . . . 2 pm

Director of External Operations (DEO) – Leah Butler, volleyball

OCT 11 SAMFORD* . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PM Oct 13 at Chattanooga* . . . . . . . . . 2 pm

Secretary – Courtney Rosu, women’s soccer

OCT 18 FURMAN* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 PM

Media Chairs – Heather Chastain, softball

OCT 20 WOFFORD* . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PM

Spirit Chairs – Stacia Kissel, women’s tennis & Jenny Lauer, women’s soccer

Oct 25 at Francis Marion . . . . . . . . 7 pm Oct 27 at The Citadel* . . . . . . . . . . 2 pm OCT 30 APPALACHIAN STATE* . . . 7 PM

Community Service Chair – KP Hicks, football Philanthropy Chair – Brittany Gendron, women’s soccer & Nicole Nielly, women’s tennis

Nov 3, 8-10 SoCon Championship Davidson, NC Fall 2013 | 19

THE NEW SOUTHERN CONFERENCE: COMING IN JULY 2014

by Steve White, WCU Athletics Historian Collegiate conferences are constantly looking for corporate sponsors to enhance their financial spreadsheets. The Southern Conference, especially in light of recent developments, might look into teaming with Timex Group USA, which produces watches that are advertised to “take a licking and keep on ticking.” It would be a natural partnership and theme of two entities that have been at the top of their fields for decades.

Those who are predicting the demise of the Southern Conference, following announcements by five of its member institutions in the past eight months confirming that they would be leaving the league soon for greener pastures and potential lucrative financial rewards, should read the history of the nation’s fifth oldest NCAA Division I league to understand its ability to not only survive, but thrive.

The SoCon has survived numerous exoduses by multiple schools since its inception in 1921 including two that spawned two of the NCAA’s elite conferences. The first mass exit came 81 years ago when 13 of its 23 schools (Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Florida included) departed to form the Southeastern Conference. Twenty years later, seven members (North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, South Carolina and N.C. State included) left to start the Atlantic Coast Conference and, in the 60s and 70s, six more schools (West Virginia, Virginia Tech, East Carolina and Richmond included) exited before the league settled in for over three decades of relatively stable membership.

The latest upheaval started last fall with the College of Charleston announcing its move to the Colonial Athletic Association (James Madison,

20 | CAT’S PAUSE

UNC Wilmington, Delaware, William & Mary and others) effective in the 2013-14 academic year. This past spring, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern announced their move to the Sun Belt Conference to join several schools from Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas beginning in 2014-15. Davidson, looking for a more prestigious basketball environment, accepted a membership bid in April from the Atlantic 10 (Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth, LaSalle, St. Joseph’s, Rhode Island and several other mid-Atlantic and eastern schools). Elon, citing its heavy concentration of alumni and students from the mid-Atlantic states, announced in May it is joining with College of Charleston in a move to the Colonial Athletic Association.

Both Davidson and Elon will continue to play for SoCon championships in the coming year. App State and Georgia Southern will not be eligible for the SoCon’s 2013 football championship or at-large Football Championship Series playoff bids but will be eligible for championships in the league’s other sports.

Heading into the 2014-15 seasons, the SoCon membership will be Western Carolina, Chattanooga, UNC-Greensboro, Furman, Samford, The Citadel and Wofford along with three new institutions that were invited and joined the last weekend of May – East Tennessee State, Mercer and Virginia Military Institute. All of the new members will eventually participate in football.

VMI, a member of the Southern Conference from 1924 to 2003, returns after a nine year membership in the Big South Conference and will compete for all SoCon championships in 2014-15.

East Tennessee State also returns after spending the past seven years in the Atlantic Sun Conference. ETSU, a member of the SoCon from 1978 to 2005, will restart its football program in 2015 and is expected to play a conference schedule the following year. Its other 16 sports will compete for conference championships in 2014-15.

Mercer, a private school with an enrollment of 8,300, has been a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference since 1978 and its men’s basketball and baseball teams advanced to postseason play in the past year. The Georgia-based school will resurrect its football program this fall after a 72 year hiatus and will play in the non-scholarship Pioneer League for one season before beginning SoCon play in 2014. The Bears will field 18 men’s and women’s teams.

John Iamarino, commissioner of the Southern Conference, says the league moved quickly from a defensive position earlier in the year with the initial exit announcements to an offensive position with interest in membership from 12 to 18 schools and eventual addition of the three new members in May. “Our membership is excited about rekindling old rivalries and establishing new ones and, more importantly, we’ve been able to grow without extending our geographic football to an extreme extent,” he explained.

“Our core group of seven schools are committed to staying together, making the SoCon viable, more attractive financially, geographically and academically for current and future membership while creating more opportunities for our student-athletes and continuing our diversity and commitment to athletics integrity,” added Iamarino.

Teams that are joining the SoCon

There is a significant portion of the fan base of those seven schools and the media that cover their athletics programs that are skeptical about the SoCon continuing to rank as a top Football Championship Subdivision conference and its potential to remain in the top half of the NCAA’s basketball and baseball rating percentage indexes (RPI).

Two of the conference’s athletics directors – Randy Eaton at Western Carolina and Wofford’s Richard Johnson – understand their concerns, but both foresee only a temporary loss of prestige for the aforementioned sports.

“Sure the loss of Georgia Southern and Appalachian State, perennially top 10 football programs on our level, will create voids in a couple areas for all of us, but look for some of the other programs to step up. Wofford is already there. The Citadel and Samford are coming off good seasons. Furman has been there and, along with Chattanooga, is on the rise again. Hopefully, we (WCU) are not that far away from helping to fill the void and Mercer appears to have the right idea and East Tennessee has a new and stronger commitment to football and a new stadium,” offered Eaton. “With Davidson leaving, our basketball RPI will drop a bit, but the conference is not that far away from getting a second bid with the addition of Mercer (beat Tennessee in NIT last season) and East Tennessee State (a strong basketball tradition) and VMI has been very competitive in recent years. And, remember, Wofford recently won back-to-back conference championships (2010 and 2011),” he added.

“Baseball is losing four strong programs, but remember, Samford won it all in 2012, we won the regular season this year, The Citadel is strong

again and Mercer won the Atlantic Sun this past season.” Eaton noted.

masters, Mercer’s med and law schools or East Tennnessee’s med school,” Eaton explained.

Johnson says the Southern Conference remains true to its original mission despite the series of departures. “The major reason we have conferences is so the student-athletes can compete in the same geographic region against schools with similar objectives and athletics philosophies and where their families and friends can follow and enjoy their collegiate experience.

It’s great to have most of your road trips within a one-way three- to four-hour framework. It’s not in the welfare of the student-athlete, families, friends and the school’s supporters to spend the better part of two days traveling to and from games,” he explained.

On the question of further expansion, Eaton says the SoCon is “probably not done, but we are going to hit the pause button and see what happens with the middle level of the FBS which seems to be in constant flux and see what happens with some of the other schools that expressed interest in our conference. There were 12 to 18 schools initially interested and many will still be there when the dust settles. We’ll take a long look over the next couple of years.”

“I think some of our sports initially might go through a rebuilding process in terms of national numbers, but give the conference a couple years and we’ll have a chance to be as strong as ever and a solid mid-major conference. I feel very good about the makeup of the conference and where we are headed,” offered Johnson.

Eaton has very similar vibes about the future of the SoCon. “I’m very pleased with the harmony within the membership, both current and the new members. Everyone is more committed to the Southern Conference and its objectives than at any point in many years,” he emphasized.

An interesting scenario that could align Southern Conference schools closer would be a partnership in academics plan. “An example of what we are talking about is graduates of SoCon schools who have the credentials would get automatic interviews to some of graduate-level programs like our strong medical fields programs and MBA program, UNC Greensboro’s surgical medical

Scheduling is another issue to be dealt with, especially football. “Virtually everyone wants to know if we will continue to play App State in football and the answer is that I do not see us playing them on a regular basis, but maybe occasionally based on the market of guarantee games and how much they will offer in a given year,” responded Eaton. “I do anticipate playing them in many of the other sports as well as some of the other schools that are leaving the conference. We’ve got to be creative and with other FCS schools nearby, we’ve got options.”

“From Western Carolina’s perspective, this a great opportunity to fill a void, seize the moment and embrace the new Southern Conference,” added Eaton.

The Southern Conference has proven to be beyond resilient and history tells us its latest setback will be a distant memory when the next generation of students, alumni and fans settle into their seats for the Western Carolina–East Tennessee State football game in 2020 to see who will claim the first Great Smoky Mountains Trophy.

Fall 2013 | 21

FESTIVITIES WILL HONOR NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM OF ’83 Western Carolina’s 2013 football season marks the 30-year anniversary of the program’s improbable run to the NCAA I-AA National Championship game. The Athletic Department will commemorate that accomplishment and honor the 1983 football team during the final home game, Saturday, Nov. 16, against the Furman Paladins at E.J. Whitmire Stadium/ Bob Waters Field.

Festivities will include a special 1983 team reunion for former players, administrators, athletic trainers, managers and other students affiliated with the season to be held in the Ramsey Center first floor Hospitality Room. That will be followed by a special pre-game tailgate on campus for reunion participants and their families.

During the football game, members of the team will be honored with an in-game ceremony as the Catamounts battle the Paladins.

Not only is this the anniversary year, but playing Furman is also

22 | CAT’S PAUSE

significant because Western defeated this opponent in 1983 to advance to the title game.

The 1983 Western Carolina football team was enshrined into the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. Eight individuals off the ’83 team have also been inducted as well.

In addition to being the Southern Conference’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship title game, this was the team led by legendary head coach Bob Waters to twelve-straight unbeaten weeks.

The 11 victories compiled by the squad remains the benchmark for WCU football, while the 15 games played by the Catamounts marked the most by any NCAA football team at all divisions in a single-season at the time.

WCU finished ninth in the final NCAA national rankings, all-time highest for a Catamount squad.

Eleven Catamounts landed on the post-season All-SoCon squad, including eight first team selections and three honorable mentions. Seven members of that team went on to earn All-America honors during their WCU career, including Eric Rasheed and Tiger Greene in 1983; Mark Buffamoyer, Louis Cooper and Steve Kornegay in 1984; and Alonzo Carmichael and Clyde Simmons in 1985.

Season ticket prices for the five-game home schedule start at $70 for an adult general admission ticket, $35 for a youth ages 3-12. Season tickets are just $110 for reserved seating for an adult, $55 for youth. Contact the WCU Athletic Ticket Office for special first-time season ticket holder incentives.

The ’83 team roster also featured the names of future NFL players such as Biasucci, Cooper, Greene and Simmons.

The Catamounts want to commemorate and honor the 1983 football team surrounding the final home game this fall, Saturday, November 16, 2013 against the Furman Paladins at E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

Fall 2013 | 23

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #1 CULLOWHEE, NC 28723 Western Carolina University | Ramsey Center 92 Catamount Road | Cullowhee, NC 28723

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 SPIRIT NIGHT

7 p.m. Central Plaza on WCU Campus Come out and show your spirit by joining students, faculty, staff, and alumni for a Homecoming pep rally.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

HOMECOMING PARADE

5–7 p.m. Downtown Sylva Cheer as community and student floats, WCU cheerleaders, Homecoming Court, and the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band parade through downtown Sylva.

REUNION SOCIAL

7 p.m. Tuck’s Tap & Grille Enjoy a night of socializing, drinks, and food as you reminisce old times and meet new faces.

Hear remarks from WCU Director of Athletics.

Appetizers provided. DJ following social.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

SOFTBALL GAME FOR ALUMNI

10 a.m.-Noon Intramural Softball Fields Start the day by having some fun with a friendly game of slow pitch softball with fellow Catamounts. Sign up to play or just come and watch. An area for kids to play will be provided.

Showers will be available following the softball game.

REUNION TAILGATE sponsored by: Tucks’s Tap & Grille

1 p.m. Grassy area adjacent to Ramsey Center Have some fun and tailgate with other Catamounts as we get ready for the 2013 Homecoming game.

Attendees’ game day ticket(s) can be picked up at registration. Food and beverages will be provided.

Beer and wine also included. Verification of legal age will be checked upon registration.

PRE-GAME WALK-OUT

3 p.m. E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field Lead the Catamounts onto the field as they look to defeat Elon University. To participate, meet at the Cat tunnel on the south side of E.J. Whitmire Stadium under the scoreboard no later than 30 minutes prior to kickoff.

FOOTBALL vs. ELON

3:30 p.m. E.J. Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field Are you ready for some Catamount football?

Wear purple and cheer on our Catamounts.

WCU is a University of North Carolina campus and an Equal Opportunity Institution. 1500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $5,277.75 or $3.52 each. Office of Creative Services | Aug. 2013 | 13-420

CAT’S

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY CATAMOUNT CLUB

THE NEW SOUTHERN CONFERENCE Conference membership will look different come July 2014, but its storied tradition will continue

CHAMPIONSHIP CATAMOUNTS

Track & Field and Baseball claim SoCon championships in 2012-13

FALL 2013 – VOLUME VII