6 minute read
SPORTS REPORT
Q&A with Steve Trachier
With more than a decade of service to Texas Wesleyan Athletics, Steve Trachier announced his retirement in April. As athletic director, Trachier successfully guided the department through major milestones, including moving to one of the most competitive conferences in the NAIA and the revival of Texas Wesleyan football. In Trachier’s four years as women’s basketball head coach, the Lady Rams had a two-time NAIA All-American and eight All-Conference players. In the 2019-20 season, he led the team to its best conference record (12-8) since joining the Sooner Athletic Conference in 2013. In his seven years as athletic director, the Rams had 100 NAIA Scholar-Athletes – 55 percent of the school’s 182 total Scholar-Athletes at the time. In 2014-15, the Rams notched a school record 26 Scholar-Athletes, and in 2015-16, the department totaled a school record 10 NAIA Scholar-Teams. TXWES Athletics also saw 51 AllAmerican selections and 198 All-Conference athletes in his tenure as athletic director. Wesleyan sports spoke with Trachier about his time at Texas Wesleyan.
Q: You’ve been in multiple roles within Texas Wesleyan Athletics for over a decade, what are some of your favorite moments, both as the athletic director and a coach?
As an AD, it would have to be the growth of the department. We added women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, and football. We almost doubled the number of student-athletes in that time frame. Another moment would have to be watching the 2017 NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game in Kansas City, and following the 2019 NAIA Men’s Golf Championship run. Those are special moments. As a coach, it would have to be the process, getting to know the players and seeing them reach and conquer their goals.
Q: During your tenure as athletic director, Texas Wesleyan Athletics produced 100 NAIA Scholar-Athletes. How important is that focus on education in your opinion, and what kind of growth and success have you seen in student-athletes as a result?
Our core business is education. I tell kids all the time if you aren’t here for school, you aren’t here for the right reason. I’m proud that the university as a whole has put a tremendous effort into continuing to find ways to work together to help students reach their full potential. When the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll comes out every year, we’re at the top or close to it. That has been a great thing to have happen, and something we want to continue year in and year out. I’m proud of the women’s basketball program being named an NAIA Scholar-Team the last two seasons, and the Lady Rams are expecting that same honor this year as well. Almost half of the team maintained a 4.0 GPA in the 2020 fall semester.
Q: What will you miss most about your time at Texas Wesleyan?
The people. The students, the staff. The best feature of coaching is the relationships formed in the profession. Lifelong bonds are created with players, coaches and staff. People you never forget.
I’m incredibly thankful to President Slabach for giving me this opportunity; he is the best leader for our university right now, and one of the best people I’ve ever worked for. I’m also thankful for Ricky Dotson and Kevin Millikan for their leadership – I will always remember my work colleagues and count them as friends.
New era and new coach for women’s basketball
Athletic director Ricky Dotson announced the hiring of Brenita Jackson as women’s basketball head coach on April 16. Former women’s basketball head coach and associate athletic director Steve Trachier is retiring after more than a decade at Texas Wesleyan. “I’m extremely excited to announce Brenita Jackson as our new women’s basketball coach,” said Dotson. “I’ve known Brenita as a player and coach for many years, and her competitiveness, her passion and her genuine care for her athletes epitomize the characteristics we want in our women’s basketball program moving forward. She has a proven track record as a head coach at the collegiate level, and I expect her to bring the same type of success to Texas Wesleyan.”
Jackson has coaching experience with Little Elm High School, Lon Morris College, San Jacinto College, McNeese State University and Cisco College. She was also a student-athlete and All-Conference selection at both Lon Morris College and Southeastern Louisiana University, before playing and coaching professionally in Aarhus, Denmark. She also worked six years building KBJ Academy with her husband, Kevin Jackson, to offer consulting, basketball skills training, camps and teambuilding retreats across the country.
“Building the women’s basketball program here at Texas Wesleyan is a passion of mine and I am excited to get our first class of recruits signed and enrolled,” Jackson said in a Q&A with TXWES Athletics.
Brenita and husband Kevin have used their experience to help more than 4,500 student-athletes and their parents learn more about the recruiting process while traveling the country to host basketball camps, clinics and showcases. They have been coaching with various businesses and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“I also want to thank Steve Trachier for the years of service he gave to Texas Wesleyan,” Dotson said. “He is the ultimate professional, and while I wish him the best in his retirement, he will be greatly missed in our department. He poured his soul into the women’s basketball program and our young women have benefited greatly from his leadership.”
Women’s wrestlers place at NAIA National Invitational
Women’s wrestlers bring home the hardware
Sophomore Madison Brown (101 lb.) and freshmen wrestlers Camille Fournier (116 lb.), Mea Mohler (130 lb.) and freshman Maryellen Lafferty (143 lb.) competed in the NAIA National Invitational in Jamestown, North Dakota, on March 12-13.
TXWES scored 59 points to place 13th of 31 teams overall and had three wrestlers place in their respective weight classes. Mohler won third place and Fournier and Brown lost their third place matches to place fourth in their weight class brackets.
Fournier was also named Freshman of the Year and Most Outstanding Wrestler by the Sooner Athletic Conference, and finished the season with the most pins in the conference. Brown, Fournier and Mohler also earned All-American status.
The men’s wrestling team finished the season as Sooner Athletic Conference champions and sent freshman La’Stot Pleasant (141 lb.), sophomore Enis Ida (157 lb.), senior Dracius McKee (165 lb.) and sophomore Don Doyle Jr. (174 lb.) to compete in the NAIA National Invitational in Park City, Kansas, March 5-6.
McKee, Pleasant, Enis and Doyle Jr. were all defeated in the opening round of their weight class, leading to their elimination in the second round of the consolation bracket.
TXWES finished the tournament 41st out of 51 teams overall.
Men’s golf claims runner-up at NAIA National Championships
Men’s golf earns new NAIA record
Texas Wesleyan men’s golf finished as the runner-up at the NAIA Men’s Golf Championship at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois. It is the 11th runner-up finish for the Rams, which is an NAIA record.
The Rams had four golfers place in the top 25 individual leaderboard, senior Tyron Davidowitz (13th), senior Taylor Beckstead (15th), junior Zhao Gu (20th) and sophomore Chayan Duha (22nd). Davidowitz received honors for NAIA PING AllAmerican Second Team, Beckstead and Duha received honors for Third Team.
Texas Wesleyan has won seven national titles, finished in the top three 27 times and is the reigning SAC Men’s Golf Champion.
Texas Wesleyan women’s golf finished 16th in the 2021 NAIA Championship at Rose Creek Golf Club in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where three golfers placed in the top 50, including sophomore Brooke Sullivan (38th), freshman Kate Adelmann (41st) and junior Emily Hunt (49th).
This was the Lady Rams sixth consecutive NAIA Championship appearance.
