The Bell Ringer | Monday, Nov. 28, 2022 Vol. 68 Issue 2

Augusta University shows an increase in student enrollment

Election recap:

How every vote matters following the 2022 mid-term election

By CM Wahl Staff writer

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, voters across Georgia took to the polls to elect the state’s next round of leaders. Gov. Bri an Kemp was re-elected for another four years, beating out Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams, while sen atorial contenders Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker raced neck-andneck. With neither reaching 50% of the votes to secure a victory, both are forced to compete in a runoff elec tion taking place on Tues day, Dec. 6. The winner of the runoff will represent Georgia in the Senate for the next six years.

“Who we elect to office transforms, creates, extin guishes every single aspect of our lives,” said Craig Albert, professor of Polit ical Science and Graduate Director of the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University.

The American citizen’s right to vote is a freedom that Albert urges students to cherish. He said, on a local level, elected officials are the least paid atten tion to by ages 18 to 26. This means what affects a student’s daily life – such as city safety, potential gen trification and community entertainment – are main tained locally yet rarely garner a priority of interest.

“You should be involved in the political process to make sure that your voice is heard,” said Craig.

On a national level, seri ous policies relating to war, taxes, education, military service, food safety, gun laws, and alcohol and tobacco use are handled by the federal government. The candidate Georgians selected for Senator in the upcoming runoff will represent the state on these issues and much more. Al bert advises students to ed ucate themselves on where each candidate stands, and whether they will represent the true interests of Geor gia.

“We’re not a democracy,” explained Albert. “It’s very important for people to understand that. We are a Republic, which means ... who we elect to office is supposed to be for the ben efit and the interest of all.”

Albert recommends that students get involved in politics, read the Constitu tion and decide for them selves where they stand on the issues of liberty and security. Democrats and Republicans have differ ent perspectives on where the pendulum swings on specific issues. For example, abortion is a liberty issue to Democrats, but a secu rity issue to Republicans, defined through the lens of moralism.

“You can’t have equal lib erty and equal security. The more secure you are, the less liberty you have. The more liberty you have, the less secure you’re going to be,” he said.

He added concerns of a party have flip-flopped, creating a large number of voters who find themselves in between the two-party system on a variety of is sues. He recommends vot ers align themselves with Plato’s description of a “dis interested citizen,” because the only way a Republic can work is in the interest of the most, that is, what is best for “the common good.”

“Sometimes, I vote against what I think would benefit my personal life because I don’t think it would be in the best interest of the country,” said Albert.

According to him, stu dents who get involved in politics in college and be fore will be well-informed and well-practiced, not just on the issues, but on the democratic process and discourse.

Understanding the sincer ity of a potential leader can help a voter determine if they are the best person for the job.

“This is how you get to shape the future. By under standing the policies and selecting the person you think represents the inter est of the United States the

best,” he said “That’s free dom. That’s what separates us from tyranny.”

In the runoff, Georgia could be the deciding fac tor for the outcome of the Senate. Since Republicans might become the ma jority party in the House, Albert said Georgians will have to decide if a divided government will benefit the country, or if one party should be allowed to gov ern Congress.

He recommended stu dents watch the debate be tween Warnock and Walker to refresh themselves on where each candidate stands and make a plan to vote.

“In a Democratic Repub lic, if you’re not voting, you’re letting other people make the decisions for you,” he said.

Albert suggested students, who desire to see change in the government at any lev el, get more involved in the overall process. He believes students can make a differ

ence, but they do not have to hate their opponents to do so.

“Disagree vigorously, pas sionately, but also logically, and lovingly,” he said.

To students who think their one vote does not matter, Albert vehement ly disagrees. He believes every vote is critical, and Americans should celebrate the right to express their beliefs through the voting process. He reminds all the numbers between candi dates are often extremely narrow, and one vote can actually determine how an election swings. He said many countries do not have voting rights, and that if students look into their own lineage, they will likely find someone who was denied access to voting but would have wanted to.

“People have fought, and died, and bled, and protest ed, and marched so every body has the right to vote. That’s what defines Ameri cans,” he said.

The runoff election will be held on Dec. 6 with additional days scheduled for early voting. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)

AU freshmen eat lunch on the steps of the Maxwell Theatre after convocation on Aug. 16. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)

Chiming in: Be a pioneer

By Rakiyah Lenon Editor in chief

It’s been an interesting past few years to say the least. Having started college in fall of 2020, there were many firsts for me.

Since enrolling, I feel as though I haven’t had the time to reflect on these firsts until recently.

Earlier this month, I attended a discussion for first generation college students at Augusta Uni versity during Values Week. This discussion was held as a part of the nationally recognized first-generation college student day held on Nov. 8 of every year.

Faculty led the talk with students to share pieces of advice from what they experienced as first-

Editor in Chief

Rakiyah Lenon rlenon@augusta.edu

News Editor

Liz Wright elizwright@augusta.edu

Sports Editor

Carlos Rodriguez carrodriguez@augusta.edu

Photography Editor

Madison Keel mkeel@augusta.edu

Social Media Editor

Mikaela Graf mgraf@augusta.edu

generation students them selves. It was a great oppor tunity to hear from others and have people speak up to share their stories.

As part of a group activity, we thought of words that described who we are. After pondering, I could only think of one word. Pioneer.

One definition for the word pioneer, according to Merriam-Webster, is a “per son or group that originates or helps open up a new line of thought or activity or a new method or technical development.”

In a way, I think that we are all pioneers to some de gree. Each of us as our own unique individual taking the path that we call our own, becoming established and sharing what we know

Bell Ringer Staff

Aaron Smith madsmith@augusta.edu

Arionna Gantt agantt@augusta.edu

Chris Rickerson crickerson@augusta.edu

CM Wahl cwahl@augusta.edu

Payton Willis paywillis@augusta.edu

Shelbie Summerlin ssummerlin@augusta.edu

Kai Brickey kbrickey@augusa.edu

Angela Stephan astephan@augusta.edu

EDITORIAL POLICY

with others.

Of course, being the first to do something isn’t always easy. It can be challenging. It can be stressful. You could feel lost. But it can also be inspiring. It can be motivating. And it can be rewarding. It takes support to get there.

I encourage you to sup port one another as well in your educational journey, regardless of whether you are the first in your family, or come from a background that has for generations.

I encourage you never, ever lose sight of the result of hard work.

Keep your mind on the positive goals you have, and be a part of the change that comes from taking the first step.

CALENDAR of EVENTS:

December 1

• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. — Lighting of the Tree at Maxwell Theatre

December 2

• 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — CURS Movie Night in University Hall 170

December 2

• 7:30 p.m. — Holiday Spectacular Concert at Maxwell Theatre

December 6

• 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. — Carolina Brass Holiday Concert at Maxwell Theatre

December 9

• All Day — Final Exams begin

December 17

• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at the Au gusta Mariott at the Convention Center

December 17

• 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. — Graduate Com mencement Ceremony at the Augusta Mariott at the Convention Center

Joshua Picklesimer jpicklesimer@augusta.edu

Riley Triplett rtriplett@augusta.edu Advisor

Rachel Balducci rbalducci@augusta.edu

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Letters to the editor must be accompanied by the author’s name, phone number and email address. All columns and letters to the editor are the opinion of the author. The views expressed in the Editorial section do not necessarily express those of The Bell Ringer, a designated public forum.

Anything submitted to The Bell Ringer is open to be edited or rejected. How ever, The Bell Ringer staff gives all opinions a fair chance to be heard. All letters will be edited for grammar and style. If you would like to contribute a column or a letter to the editor, send an email to: carrodriguez@augusta.edu or rlenon@ augusta.edu.

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New campus royalty:

AU crowns 2023 Mr. and Miss Augusta University

Mr. Augusta University Eduardo Ortiz (left) and Miss Augusta University Cierra Williams (right), were crowned together Sept. 30. Ortiz, a senior chemistry major set to gradute in May, is from Gainsville, Ga. and is the first Latino to hold the title. Williams is a computer science major with a minor in mathematics and is also set to graduate in May. She is an Augusta native. (photo courtesy of Michael Holahan)

A first-generation college student is one who is the first in their family to receive a degree. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)

On Campus

AU shows an increase in enrollment this year

By Rakiyah Lenon Editor in chief

Augusta University has seen an increase in student enrollment this fall 2022 semester.

In a news release pub lished by the university, it reads in part, “Fall 2022 enrollment stands at 9,813, marking a 17.8% increase since 2015 and a 2.2% in crease over last fall’s 9,606 enrollment total.”

According to the univer sity, AU was one of eight schools in the University System of Georgia to show an increase in enrollment following fall of 2021.

It was reported that

graduate enrollment has also seen a growth, with a 56% rise in the School of Cyber and Computer Sciences, a 39% growth in the College of Education and Human Development and a 13% increase for the Pamplin College of Arts and Social Sciences.

Brooks A. Keel, president of Augusta University, com mented on the reports and said the numbers show that AU remains committed to contributing to the growth of the surrounding comu nity through education and career building.

“This is a pivotal time for our university, and that is

shown in the continued growth of our student body, the addition of quality academic programs and the number of successful graduates those programs produce.”

He continued, “We strive every day to provide our students with an innova tive and inclusive learning environment to prepare them for the workforce, and our continued enrollment growth reflects that commit ment. Augusta University is a place to not only receive a quality education, but also to build a fulfilling career and make a positive impact on the lives of others.”

AU and Medical College of Georgia honor body donors with a memorial service

By Aaron Smith Staff writer

The 2022 annual memorial service for body donors was held at the Lansing B. Lee, Sr. auditorium on Nov. 11, with many university stu dents, faculty and families paying their respects.

Held by students and fac ulty from the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Allied Health, Graduate Studies, Nursing and the Augusta University/UGA Partnerships, the memo rial service represented a chance to give thanks to the selfless sacrifice donors made for the advancement of medicine and learning.

For Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Neil J. MacKinnon, the service has profound meaning to him.

“The university that I attended 23 years ago was different,” he said. “They did

not have a ceremony like we’re having right now, and I have to admit that I took it for granted. I never reflected on what it meant to be a donor and so today, this is my first time taking part in this ceremony, and I’m reflecting on what it meant to me as a former health professional student to have that experience.”

Missy Hewitt, a graduate student in the Dental College of Georgia, shared her gratitude for the expe rience she gained through the generosity of those who gave their bodies to medicine.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to learn from these donors in anatomy lab,” she said. “Anatomy is one of our toughest subjects and one of the most vital, so having this opportunity gave me a deeper under standing, respect and em pathy for the human body.

These donors were my first patients, and I’ll never for get that.”

Sylvia B. Smith, Regents’ professor and Chair in the Department of Cellular Bi ology and Anatomy, at the Medical College of Georgia, referred to these donors as “teachers after life,” and discussed what it means to donate your body to medicine.

“Persons who donate their bodies for medical education are from many walks of life,” Smith said. “They believed that the study of their bodies would contribute to the advance ment of medical science. I’m a registered body donor, and I believe that in spite of the lectures that I’ve given and assistance I’ve provided in the laboratory over my career, when my body is studied, I believe my contribution will be far greater.”

AU blanket drive aims to promote compassion

By Rakiyah Lenon Editor in chief

Augusta University con tinues to hold the blanket drive for patients of AU Health which began Nov. 1 and lasts through Dec. 14. The drive was held as a part of AU’s annual Days of Service initiative and was also highlighted during Values Week, pro moting the values of com passion and collegiality.

Rachel Bing, project coordinator of compliance, ethics and risk manage ment at Augusta Univer sity said that the Center of Patients and Family at AU Health will provide the blankets that are donated to patients in need of care.

“The purpose is to bring comfort and joy,” she said.

“We want to give back, we want to help serve, espe cially for patients who may be without family

members,” she said.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the com munity are welcome to participate.

“This is an opportunity for us as an entire commu nity, as an AU community to pretty much give back,” she said. “It’s open to any one.”

People can donate any new blanket of their choosing, though hand made items will not be accepted.

“It can be any size, any print, as long as it’s a new blanket,” she said. “As long as it’s new and still wrapped we will accept it.”

There are three drop-off locations available with bins placed at the Reese Library on Summerville Campus, and the Green blatt Library and Annex I building on the Health Sciences Campus.

AU staff honors body donors with flowers in the memorial garden on Health Sciences Campus. (photo by Liz Wright)

Freshmen students walk the Summerville Campus after the convocation ceremony Aug. 16. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)

Over the course of the drive, multiple blankets have been donated at the various locations. (photo courtesy of Rachel Bing)

New Year’s resolutions from AU’s community Community

By Arionna Gantt Staff writer

“My new year’s resolution is to pay off my credit card debt. My goal is to purchase a house in 2024 therefore, I would like to lower my income to debt ratio.”

--Lasherrica Christian, Assistant Director of Student Programs (photo courtesy of St. Julian Cox)

“I would like to get at least two more articles submitted for publication up for review. That’s my academic goal. My fun goal is I want to go back to Los Angeles at the end of the spring for DragCon.”

“My new year’s resolution is to rest. It won’t kill me if I slow down. Mentally, I was exhausted and tired so, I was like, ‘Zyare you got to start resting.’”

--Zyare Orr, Master of Science in Medical Physiology Candidate (photo courtesy of Eddison Smith III)

--Ashley Hopkins, Assistant Professor of Communication (photo by Arionna Gantt)

Six holiday food alternatives worth trying

By Mikaela Graf Social media editor

Whether it is enjoying a hot drink with friends or gath ering with extended family for a Christmas meal, some of my fondest holiday mem ories are centered around food. Many of us have cer tain dishes that we would consider staples of this season, but for people with dietary restrictions, it may be difficult to navigate the various festive gatherings and events and leave with a fully satisfied stomach. This is why I sought out eight different holiday food alter natives can not only hold up at your favorite festivi ties but are also convenient to make whenever you are in rush to make an accom modation for yourself or a loved one.

1. Tofurky® Plant-Based Ham Style Roast

According to an estimate from TIME Magazine, Americans buy 318 million pounds of ham around this time of year. It is the center piece for countless holiday feasts across the nation, and often provides a bit of the protein we need to keep up with the numerous carb-heavy side-dishes. The Tofurky® Plant-Based Ham Style Roast is any easy-tomake meatless alternative that includes the tough outside and a sticky am ber ale glaze. The inside of this ball-shaped roast is a salty and savory tofu-based mixture that contains 22g of protein per serving. While it does not taste identical to ham, it has a meat-like tex ture and umami taste that makes it a great seasonal alternative.

2. Evol® Gluten Free Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese

Many Southerners would argue that no feast would be complete without a side of macaroni. If you are looking for a quick and easy gluten-free version of this classic side, consider picking up a box of Evol® Gluten Free Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese. Located in the frozen section of your local grocery store, it is a convenient, delicious alter native that can be prepared in 45 minutes in the oven or under 4 minutes in the microwave. The gouda gives

it a nice smoky tang and melts nicely into a smooth, creamy sauce. The noodles are soft but not mushy, which is always a risk when making noodles from fro zen.

3. Udis® Gluten Free Clas sic French Dinner Rolls

No matter how much food I eat at the holiday gathering, I will always have room for an extra roll to finish off the meal. I will go for any roll that I can get my hands on, regard less of type, but those who can not eat gluten do not necessarily have that luxury of choice. Instead of skip ping on the side altogether, you can pick up a bag of Udis® Gluten Free Classic French Dinner Rolls. They are made from brown rice flour and come out of the oven with a crunchy exteri or and soft, chewy interior. Possibly the best part about this alternative is that they come frozen, so you can keep them in your freezer all season and prepare them

in under an hour whenever you need them.

4. Simple Truth™ Plant Based Sugar Cookie Mix and Duncan Hines® Keto Friendly Vanilla Frosting Holidays are not all about filling up on a fine meal, though it is a very enjoy able part of the experience. One of my favorite seasonal traditions is baking and decorating sugar cookies with my family. The Simple Truth™ Plant Based Sugar Cookie Mix is certified gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO, and contains 4 different types of nut-free flour alternatives, including organic okara flour. Just like your normal cookie mixes, the dough is easy to make with the only additional ingredients necessary being oil, water, and a bit of your own flour alternative. My bag turned out 24 cookies that were just the right mix of crunchy and chewy and retained their quality for days after. They taste very similar to your classic sugar

cookie and were just as addictive. What are cookies without some decoration, though? When I was looking through the selection of pre-made frostings at my local grocery, the Dun can Hines® Keto Friendly Vanilla Frosting piqued my interest, because it is not only vegan and free from the FDA’s list of the 8 top al lergens but also friendly to the keto diet that has been popularized in the past few years. I am always skeptical of any artificially sweetened products, because they can often take on a chemical or overly sweet taste. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this frosting, which has only 2g of net crabs in a serving size of 2 tbsp. It tasted very close to any other store-bought frosting, and though the cookies were not keto-friendly, these two products com bined created a sweet treat that stayed true to the origi nal dessert.

5. Good Karma® PlantBased Holiday Nog

If you set out a plate of your freshly baked cookies for Santa, he is going to want a drink to go with it. You may want to consider Good Karma® Plant-Based Holiday Nog. Of course, you should probably grab a glass for yourself while you are at it.

This holiday classic alter native delivers the signa ture sweet and spicy taste without any eggs, dairy, or the other 6 major allergens. The flaxmilk base provides a smooth and creamy deliv ery for the nutmeg and gin ger that give the drink its festive flavor. I was pleas antly surprised with how close it tasted to authentic nog and followed up the gluten-free cookies well.

6. Califia Farms® Pepper mint Mocha Latte and Natural Bliss® All-Natural Oat Milk Creamer in Pep permint Mocha

While this time of year is typically full of cheer and joy, it can often be a tad busy and exhausting, as well. If you are looking for some extra dairy-free ener gy this season, some plantbased peppermint mocha coffee is a great choice. For my coffee-lovers who prefer a quick and easy pre-made option, Califia Farms® Peppermint Mocha Latte is ready-to-be-served as is or over a cup of ice. It is made with almond milk and cold brew coffee and has a smooth, rich taste that nicely blends both the minty and chocolate-y flavors. My only critique is that the essence of coffee gets a little bit lost behind everything else, to the point where it tastes closer to a peppermint chocolate milk than it does a latte.

If you would rather have more control over the taste of your coffee, I suggest the Natural Bliss® All-Natural Oat Milk Creamer in Pep permint Mocha.

It is a nut-free, vegan creamer that provides a powerful peppermint punch with subtle notes of rich chocolate. It is less sweet than the previous option, but it is immensely flavorful, and a little bit will take your coffee a long way.

Using plant-based milks for a latte is great substitute for those limiting or avoiding dairy. (photo by Mikaela Graf)

Frosted sugar cookies and plant based “holiday nog” makes a perfect dessert this season. (photo by Mikaela Graf)

Jaguars Volleyball team caps off season in semi-finals of DII Southeast Regionals

By Payton Willis Sports writer

WINGATE, N.C.—The second-seeded Augusta Jaguars were eliminated from the NCAA DII South east Regional tournament by the sixth-seeded Flagler Saints on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Wingate University after a dominant season that included a regular-season conference championship.

While the team aspired to make it back to the Elite Eight the way the Jaguars did the previous year, they were defeated at Wingate University by their con ference rivals, the Flagler Saints, in a five-set match during the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional tournament.

Flagler prevailed 25-20, 25-22, 26-28, 17-25, 15-7 at Cuddy Arena. The Saints lost to host Wingate in the regional final on Sunday, Nov. 20.

The Jaguars (25-8) had a shaky start to the match against the Saints. They allowed Flagler to reach a 2-0 lead early on, and it appeared that the Saints would advance with a sweep over their rivals. However, the Jaguars

rallied and pushed the match to five sets, but were defeated late by Flagler, who saved themselves from elimination.

Prior to the matchup with the Saints, the Jags defeated the No. 7 seed, UNC Pembroke, 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the South east Regional on Friday, Nov. 18.

AU won the first set 2518, while the Braves won the second set 25-19. They closed out the last two sets winning 25-22 and 25-15.

The Jags were led in kills by middle blocker Madelyn Eden, who had 11, followed Wheeler with 10. Sopho more Abigail Breeden and senior Kiera Barr shared the best hitting percentage with a perfect 1.000.

Wheeler had 10 kills and 13 digs, while Alexis Diaz-Infante had 9 kills and 6 blocks. Kayli Cleaver totaled 8 kills and 3 blocks.

AU started out their 2022 season strong with a sweep in the Pacer Invitational and a 2-1 record in the PBC/Gulf South Cross over. They would go on to see even more success by dominating the Peach

Belt Conference with a 12-3 conference record and earning themselves the top seed in the PBC.

Individual players also earned several accolades during the season. Junior outside hitter Jazmyn Wheeler won honors as PBC player of the week in three consecutive weeks and went on to win con ference Player of the Year to end the season. Senior setter Samantha Zittrauer achieved 2,000 collegiate career assists. Wheeler and Diaz-Infante each earned PBC first team all-con ference honors while Jada Suguturaga earned second team all-conference hon ors.

AU Coach Sharon Quarles achieved 500 career wins this season.

The Jaguars won the Peach Belt Conference regu lar-season championship for the first time in the school’s history.

A late season-ending knee injury to Suguturaga had an impact on the team’s momentum, which includ ed a run of 10 straight wins before she went out. AU completed the regular-sea

son PBC title with a sweep of Young Harris on Nov. 5 at Christenberry Field house.

Although disappointment is natural following a post season elimination, many of the Jaguars that are re turning in 2023 are excited for a new start next season.

Junior libero Dariana Luna expressed her confidence in the team’s future success.

“We’ll get back next year,” said Luna.

While the team did not achieve its goal to return to the Elite Eight in Seattle, the season was far from a failure. When asked about her individual goals for the season in August, senior middle blocker Diaz-Infan te made her objective very clear.

“I want to leave Augus ta better than I found it,” Diaz-Infante said.

AU had never won a PBC Regular-Season Champi onship prior to this season. The Jaguars finally achieved it under the leadership of their senior middle blocker from Phoenix, Ariz. Di az-Infante’s guidance of the team was perceptible every time she took the court.

There was never a time when her performance and attitude did not affect the rhythm of a match.

Whenever the Jaguars scored, Diaz-Infante was always the first to credit the contributors to the point.

Whenever the Jaguars would give up a point, she was level-headed and encouraging to her team mates and made sure that mistakes and miscues were addressed. She was sensible when she needed to be and emotional when the situa tion called for it.

Diaz-Infante’s perfor mance in 2021 is one of the primary reasons the Jaguars had national championship aspirations in 2022. Her leadership manifested in every aspect of the team’s success this season, and she set the standard for success for AU’s volleyball program for years to come.

“Everyone has the capacity for greatness,” Diaz-Infante said.

While the Jaguars did not achieve a national title in 2022, Quarles and Diaz-In fante showed Augusta’s ca pacity for greatness in their leadership of the Jaguars.

Augusta University posted a 25-8 record en route to its first-ever Peach Belt Conference regular-season crown. This came on the heels of an NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance last season. (photo by Madison Keel)

AU men’s hoops team scores 70-54 win over Fayetteville State

By Carlos Rodriguez Sports editor

The No. 2 ranked Augusta University men’s basketball team defeated the Fayette ville State Broncos 70-54 on Sunday, Nov. 20, at Chris tenberry Fieldhouse.

The Jaguars picked up the win in front of an electric crowd of 1,637 that gath ered for a special honoring of former AU men’s bas ketball coach and athletic director Clint Bryant.

During halftime, AU Pres ident Brooks Keel intro duced Bryant and honored the court being officially named the Clint Bryant court. in honor of his work over the last 34 years in the athletic department. For mer Bryant players were also in attendance.

“Happy for Coach Bryant; it means the world to me,” said AU coach Dip Metress. “He’s the guy that got me as a player into college and coaching.”

The Jags (3-0) were led by Tyshaun Crawford’s dou ble-double effort with 26 points and 12 rebounds, also swatting three shots.

Tyree Myers finished with 16 points and seven re bounds and Miguel Arnold scored 11 points.

AU was without starter

Ja’Queze Kirby who tried to play through an ankle injury, but only ended up playing less than three minutes. David Viti stepped into the starting lineup in place of Kirby.

“Nothing really changes, mindset never changes, warmup never changes, so I just try to do the same thing that I do every other game,” said Viti. “The other guys picked it up for Kirby offensively, because you know I couldn’t really hit a shot today except for the dunk, but defensively I had to fill in for rebounding and stuff like that.”

Cress Worthy led the Broncos (1-5) with 20 points and nine rebounds. Nakwan Kitchen-James was also in double figures with 11 points.

The Broncos came into this game ready for the challenge and fearless, jumping out to a six-point lead after Kaleb Coleman knocked down a 3-pointer to go up 16-10 with 12:25 left.

Their presence from the 3-point line was made known in the first half as they shot 53.8-percent from deep, connecting on seven 3-pointers. The Broncos cooled off in the second

half, making only one 3-pointer.

“They shot a high percent age,” said Metress. “A couple of them were tough shots, but we had some defensive rotation issues. Especially without Kirby, we have to defend or we’re not going to outscore anybody.”

AU’s Darren Lucas-White tied the game up at 27 on a fastbreak opportunity. Tyree Myers grabbed a rebound on the defensive end, pushed the ball up the floor and slipped a bounce pass between two defenders to Lucas-White who layed it up.

The next possession Tyshaun Crawford gave the Jags the lead after bullying his defender in the paint and throwing down a dunk to lead 29-27 with 3:45 left in the half.

Fayetteville State regained the lead but a 9-2 run by AU sent the Jaguars into the locker room up 38-32.

Crawford nearly achieved his double-double in the first half with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Augusta dominated the first eight minutes of the half, going on an 18-4 run. During the run, Viti put their lead into double digits after he was open after cut

ting to the rim and scored after faking out a Bronco to go up 42-32. Despite only finishing with four points, Viti spoke about his role in the team’s success.

“We have Miguel, Tyree and Tyshaun, I know those guys are going to be our scorers and I try to add however I can offensively but I kind of have to be the stereotypical gritty and tough guy,” said Viti.

During the end of the run Timmy Sellers gave the Jaguars a 20-point lead after grabbing an offensive board and faking his defender for an easy put in.

“Timmy was dynamite,” said Metress. “Timmy didn’t play the second half of the last game because Tyshaun was playing well and he’s a great teammate. He doesn’t hang his head. He was really good and got a great offensive rebound and finished it. He did a great job guarding the ball screen too.”

The Broncos were able to trim the lead to as little as 13 twice but couldn’t get passed that. Metress start ed noticing some rushed offense from his team and wanted them to slow the game down by setting a tar get number of passes before

a shot attempt is taken.

“Five means we have to make five passes before we shoot,” said Metress. “We yell “five” we literally count out the passes because it slows the game down. We were up 12 or 14, the last thing you want to do is shoot a quick one. Kind of every time we run five, we get a good shot.”

The rest of the game remained consistent as the Jaguars continued to hold onto their lead comfortably.

The most exciting play of the game for AU came with less than two minutes left when Lucas-White dished a pass to Viti cutting to the rim and Viti rose up and threw down a contact dunk on a Fayetteville State defender.

“We practice that in prac tice, with a spread offense the backdoor is always open,” said Viti.

Augusta had their best game of the season from the free throw line, shoot ing 90 percent. Crawford shot an impressive 8 of 8 from the line. For the over all game AU shot 45.3-per cent from the field, com pared to FSU’s 34.4-percent performance.

The Jaguars will begin a three-game road trip.

Timmy Sellers (21) sends home a left-handed hook shot in the lane as teammate Miguel Arnold (5) prepares to rebound. (photo by Madison Keel)

AU men’s cross-country qualifies for nationals in Seattle

Staff report

WINGATE, N.C.—The Augusta University men’s cross-country team qual ified for the NCAA Divi sion II national champion ships with a second-place finish in the Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 19.

The Jaguars returned to the narrow and hilly course at Wingate, N.C., where they had competed in the regular season at the Bulldog Stampede. This time, they were racing for a regional championship and a spot in the NCAA Division II National Championships at Cham ber’s Creek Regional Park in University Place, Wash., on Dec. 2.

The Jaguars were last in the nationals as a team in 2019, when they finished a program-best ninth. Overall, it is the fifth time the AU men’s team has advanced to the national championship race.

Last season, Kai Brickey made it to the nationals in Florida as an individual competitor.

The Jaguar put all their five scoring runners in the top 15 to garner 58 points Saturday, earning them a second-place finish behind host Wingate at the region al championship meet.

Also on Saturday, Nov. 19, the AU women took sev enth place in the regional. This regional perfor mance was everything that the Jags were hoping for as their tight five-man spread made it difficult for rival teams such as Anderson and Catawba to get any runners past the Jaguar pack. The men had a mi nuscule 8.4 second spread from their first to fifth runner.

This was the tightest spread that Augusta has ever seen in its school his tory, and this performance was delivered on one of the toughest 10-kilometer courses on the East Coast.

Senior Hans Troyer led the Jaguar men with a PR of 31 minutes and 39.6 seconds, good for ninth place. Troyer was followed by Kai Brickey in 10th with a 31:41.0, Avery Jaynes in 12th with a 31:43.6, Pat rick Motes in 13th with a 31:45.6 and Thomas Rischar in 14th with a 31:48.0.

“It is amazing to see just how similar the fitness of our top five guys are when it’s this late in the season,” said Troyer. “We work so well together and push each other to the limits during the race.”

With a team that’s so close

in fitness, Coach Jacob Burgamy has now seen the men’s program led by three different athletes through out this one season. At Virginia Tech and Queens, sophomore sensation Motes led the team, fol lowed by the PBC Cham pionships where senior veteran Brickey led the Jags to a perfect sweep, and now Hans Troyer holds the flame on their journey to nationals.

“Avery told me after the race that there was a point where he really wanted to fall back, but the en tire reason he didn’t was because our pack was right there,” said Burgamy, in his first season as the AU leader. “That accountability to each other and the team is one of the key benefits that having that pack does for us.”

Rischar, a sophomore, remembered all too well how the team came up one point short to qualify for the 2021 national champi onship. Last year, Rischar was the team’s fifth man on a very inexperienced and young team. This year, he returns with far more wisdom and training under his belt to secure a 14th-place finish to round out the Jaguars’ regional scorers.

“It feels like a weight be ing lifted off my shoulders,” said Rischar. “We have waited a year for this and to be able to get the job done so smoothly this past Saturday was a testament to how well we have pre pared for Regionals.

Andrew Todd and Carlos Rodriguez will also make the trip to Seattle.

Joshua Chepkesir of UNC Pembroke finished first in 31:04.94. Oliver Way of Wingate was second in 31:24.03.

On the women’s side, this was a step in the right direction for a very bright future. All seven compet ing runners walked away with new personal records for the 6K.

AU has one of the young est teams in the Southeast Region, and to see the Jaguars outperforming themselves time and time again really shows what kind of team they’re going to become.

Freshman Madison Kennedy pulled off a major performance to overtake her upperclassmen as Augusta’s new No. 1 with 35th-place finish in a time of 23:19.2, which is a 63-second improvement from the last time she ran this very same course just last month.

“To represent Augusta at the regionals cross-coun try championship was amazing,” said Kennedy. “I was just glad to be able to race alongside Riley and Cassie because they are such talented runners said Kennedy.

Following up right behind her in 36th place with a time of 23:20.9 was junior, Cassie Lagan.

“It was amazing to see Madison up with me and Riley in the second half of the race,” said Lagan.

“We were both struggling and to have Madison there pushing us all along made a huge impact. For the three of us to finish within ten seconds of each other is something we’ve been wanting to see this whole season.”

The Wingate women’s team finished in a simi lar fashion to their men’s program with a first-place finish to win the meet and garner an automatic bid to the national champion ship.

“The women have im proved a ton this season, so I think the main thing that we need to do is continue to be consistent in training like we have,” said Burgamy, who was named PBC coach of the year.

(From left to right) Jacob Burgamy, Hans Troyer, Thomas Rischar, Kai Brickey, Andrew Todd, Carlos Rodriguez, Avery Jaynes and Patrick Motes take their place on the podium as the regional runner-up. (photo by Churchill Ezeokonkwo)