The Bell Ringer | Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 Vol. 68 Issue I

Remembering Bloodworth:

The man who helped shape this university

By Rakiyah Lenon, Aaron Smith Editor in chief, Staff writer

A celebration of life event for William A. Bloodworth Jr. was held in the Maxwell Theatre Monday, Sept. 12 as family and friends gathered to say their goodbyes to the president emeritus of Au gusta College and Augusta State University.

Born in San Antonio, Tex as, Bloodworth obtained his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate from Texas colleges, majoring in English education, English and American civilization. He took on jobs as a pro fessor, provost, chairper son and vice chancellor between multiple colleges before becoming the uni versity president from 1993 to 2012.

After retiring, he returned to the classroom as a his tory professor, connecting with many students.

Bloodworth is well-known for the improvements he made to the Summerville Campus during his tenure as president, successful ly lobbying for the con struction of Allgood and University Hall, the Jaguar Student Activities Center (JSAC) and the D. Douglas Bernard Jr. Amphitheatre.

A caring husband, father and grandfather, Blood worth had a love for life and a love for teaching. He will be dearly missed.

“I really think he fought so long against cancer because he didn’t want to stop being with us,” said his daughter Nicole Bloodworth.

AU gets ready to welcome new athletic director

By Rakiyah Lenon Editor in chief

Augusta University an nounced that Ryan Erlacher of Clayton State University will serve as its third athlet ic director beginning Oct. 17 after the retirement of Clint Bryant.

Eager to start his new position as athletic director, Erlacher said, “Get ready. I can’t wait to share some of the ideas I have.”

He said he aims to contin ue supporting the coaches and student-athletes, en suring they have what they need to be successful.

“We have a very bright fu ture ahead of us for Augus ta athletics,” he said.

Until his arrival at Au gusta, Erlacher said he has been working to ensure the transition is carried out smoothly at Clayton.

“They’ve been wonderful to me,” he said. “We have an amazing staff here and I want to make sure those guys are taken care of on my way out.”

Originally from Florida, Erlacher said he grew up around sports and later moved into administrative work at several institutions. He has worked at Flagler College, Newman Univer sity, Northwood University, Florida State University and Stetson University prior to his role as director of ath

letics at Clayton.

“I started out my career coaching basketball and then fell into adminis tration and never looked back,” he said. “I love what I do.”

He added that AU for him is “a great fit, personally and professionally.”

A married father of two, Erlacher said he and his family also hopes to bring excitement and enthusiasm to each of AU’s athletic programs.

“I’m big on building culture and maximizing our potential,” he said. “We need our students out there supporting their fellow student-athletes.”

Portrait of President Bloodworth by E.E. Wimberly, housed in Reese Library.

Ryan Erlacher will begin his new position at Augusta University as athletic director in the coming days. (photo courtesy of Kevin Liles)

“I realized this was a place that paid a lot of attention to the students.”

- William Bloodworth Jr., 2021

Chiming in: It’s time we talked about this

By Rakiyah Lenon Editor in chief

As the fall season approach es once again, so does stan dard time. However, some people want to make this be the last time it does, which is a big mistake.

Earlier this year, the Sen ate passed a bill that would eliminate standard time permanently. It has not yet been voted on by the House of Representatives.

Daylight saving time, which starts in spring, skips our clocks ahead, result ing in us losing an hour. From the perspective of a college student, I can’t help but think of all the ways I would have used that hour, and the others I seemingly lost afterward.

Though it’s been said that it saves energy, a claim like this can be disputed.

Georgia’s summer nights are often hot, humid and long thanks to “daylight saving time” causing air

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

conditioners to continue running. We don’t have enough time to cool down and relax by the end of the day.

According to scientists of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, standard time is more in tune with the body’s natural cycle as our interal clock recieves cues from sunlight. Sleep experts have concluded switching clocks back and forth isn’t great for sleeping habits, but settling on the right time is essential.

It’s been reported that farmers have said it inter rupts their schedule with the animals. They must wait longer to begin the normal daytime routines. As a pet owner, I find this to be true with my dog.

I get it. The sun sets late in winter. But that’s how it is. After all, we wouldn’t try to grow crops out of season. It just wouldn’t work.

If we want more daylight

NEWSPAPER STAFF:

Social Media Editor

Mikaela Graf mgraf@augusta.edu

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

EDITORIAL POLICY

in our lives and schedules, we should advocate for that in other ways instead of making such a large change. More can be done to work around the time that comes with the seasons on their own.

As people, it’s fair to say we have grown to realize that what we want, or think we might want, is not al ways beneficial to us. Most people would rather eat junk food than turnips. As children, it was fun to stay awake past bedtime, but as adults, we can see that isn’t the best practice. Starting the day off late and ending the night late isn’t the best idea.

The country should also be allowed the opportunity to be educated on a matter like this. Other thoughts and opinions should be considered, allowing more of us to have a say. Afterall, there is a time for every thing.

CALENDAR of EVENTS:

October 4

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Augusta National Day - Summerville Campus at Roscoe Williams Ballroom

October 5

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Augusta National Day - Health Sciences Cam pus at Harrison Educaiton Commons Building

October 7

• 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — Augusta University Brew-N-Que at Douglas Bar nard Amphitheater

October 17

• All Day — Spring Registration begins

October 24

• 7:30 p.m. — AU Jazz and Friends: Nothin’ But the Blues at Maxwell The atre

October 28

• 7 p.m. — The Cinema Series: Hal loween Double Feature at Maxwell Theatre

Kai Brickey kbrickey@augusa.edu

Angela Stephan astephan@augusta.edu

Advisor Rachel Balducci rbalducci@augusta.edu

Address all correspondence to:

The Bell Ringer JSAC Building, Room 237

2500 Walton Way Augusta, Ga 30904

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.

CORRECTIONS POLICY

We strive to bring you accurately reported news. If you wish to report an error, please provide your name, email address and a detailed description of the error and the necessary correction.

PRINTER

Aiken Standard 326 Rutland Dr. NW P.O. Box 456 Aiken, SC 29802

Student spotlight:

AU STEM student shines in Sand Hills Literary Magazine

Rachel Kaufman, a third-year medical student at the Medical College of Georgia, published the award-winning poem

“On Body Donation” in the Sand Hill’s Literary Magazine.

While Kaufman’s ideas for creativity come through many forms, her field of study has continued to be a driving factor.

To read the full article, visit www.aubellringer.com. (photo courtesy of Madeline Snipes)

Student Life

AU Study Abroad and Away programs for upcoming semesters

By Rakiyah Lenon Editor in chief

Augusta Uniiversity stu dents are once again learn ring across the globe with new study abroad and away programs planned for the upcoming spring and sum mer 2023 semesters.

Many courses are struc tured to allow students to complete work that will prepare them for their trip.

Students will need to check with their advisors and financial aid resources as needed as each course has varying due dates for payment.

This year, there are several trips planned to Europe. A large focus has been directed toward Europe, the United Kingdom and Scot land following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Elizabeth Huggins, direc tor of first and second year experiences, said there is a sense of togetherness in the country.

“That’s got to resonate well with visitors and tour ists,” she said.

Giada Biasetti, a professor of Spanish, said that stu dents who take the course abroad in Spain improve on their language skills after

the two weeks of being im mersed in the culture and language.

A New Zealand trip that focuses on biology will be the first one taken by a AU study abroad group led by Jessica Reichmuth, a profes sor of biology.

Politcal science professor Sudha Ratan and history lecturer Carol Quinn are leading the travel to India.

In addtion to internation al studies, several programs are also traveling within the

country.

“It’s a fun, student-run, student-led class,” said Na dia Jiani-Hyler, the political science professor and leader of the Model U.N. course. Jiani-Hyler and politcal sci ence professor Craig Albert will lead the studies for the class as they take a trip to New York.

Randy Pace and Chad Tolley of AU’s Department of Art and Deisgn will also lead a trip to New York for based art class.

Seretha Wlliams, a profes sor of English and Women’s and Gender studies leads a program about Gullah medicine traditions in St.

Helena Island, S.C.

As part of the Study Abroad office initiative to inform students about available study abroad op portunities, the department held a Study Abroad and Away fair in the JSAC last month on Sept. 21. Atten dants took part in a scaven ger hunt trivia as well.

Katherine Grego, direc tor of Study Abroad, said though the fair was one of the best ways for students to learn about each of the events offered, students are always encouraged and welcome to visit the office and website for informa tion.

The Study Abroad office is located in room E134 of Allgood Hall on the Sum merville Campus. The website is www.augus ta.edu/studyabroad/ .

AU professor discusses Hispanic Heritage Month

By Aaron Smith Staff writer

Augusta University is hon oring National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, with sev eral on-campus Hispanic organizations and faculty hosting events and sharing the love of their culture.

Annually, Americans take part in National His panic Heritage Month by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of those whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Christopher Botero, asso ciate professor of Spanish in the Department of English and World Languages in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sci ences, who is of Hispanic heritage, feels that Hispanic heritage is well represented in the United States.

“Currently, the United States has more native Spanish speakers than Spain does,” he said. “And, if you pull the Latinx popu lation from around the U.S., you’ll see that we have the fifth strongest economy, so I believe these indicate just how strong the Hispanic heritage dynamic is in not just in the CSRA, but also the entire country.”

While AU offers several clubs like the Spanish Club, Botero works with Alpha Mu Gamma, the honor society of which he is the faculty advisor.

He said that Alpha Mu Gamma often works to ward learning the historical significance of Hispanic cultures around the world.

“We will often get togeth er and watch movies from

other parts of the world, mainly from Latin Ameri ca and Spain,” Botero said.

“Sometimes, things from different cultures aren’t very delightful, but we then have intense discussions about the movies afterwards to empathize with other cultures. It may not be the culture that we talk about or are happy about, but it’s culture nonetheless.”

Botero said that he tries to incorporate Hispanic heritage not just from his birthplace of Colombia, but also from other Hispanic countries as well.

“While we don’t have any cultural events, I try to have my classes do greetings from different parts of the world,” he said. “The greet ings from Spain are differ ent than the greetings from Argentina, therefore I try to incorporate that along with teaching grammar.”

Much like many Hispan ic or Latino Americans, National Hispanic Heritage Month has a special mean ing to Botero.

“It’s definitely a time to take a moment and be proud of what my heritage is,” he said. “Hispanic Heritage Month is a time in which I’m remind ed of where I come from and I’m proud of who I am and where I’m from.”

AU held a Study Abroad and Away Fair on the Summerville Campus in the JSAC Roscoe Williams Ballroom Sept.17. (photo by Rakiyah Lenon)

“Hispanic Heritage Month is a time in which I’m reminded of where I come from and I’m proud of who I am and where I’m from.”

Christopher Botero, Associate professor of Spanish

Dining

Fall in love with Rooted Coffeehouse drinks

By Mikaela Graf Staff writer

As seasons change, so do our favorite flavor profiles.

Rooted Coffeehouse in Evans, Ga. has already jumped mug first into fall with their series of seasonal beverages.

Their specialty menu in cludes a total of six drinks, four of which are included in this review.

1. Pumpkin Spice Latte

The pumpkin spice latte is a staple of fall culture, and Rooted keeps it classic by adding a housemade pump kin spice syrup to their signature latte and topping it with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice.

This drink has a rich and smooth flavor that delivers the traditional seasoning while maintaining enough taste of espresso. Rather than overpowering the base, the spices add a subtle, complimentary flavor for those who want to enjoy an essence of fall without sacri ficing the coffee aspect. This drink delivered every thing I expected, but not much else. It was a good drink, but when compared to the others I tried, it did not stand out. Perhaps in a ranking against other pumpkin spice lattes, it would have ranked higher, but as far as Rooted’s spe cialty menu goes, there are better-tasting options.

Rank: 6/10

2. Pumpkin Cream Cold

Brew

If you prefer your coffee cold and pumpkin spice powerful, then the pumpkin cream cold brew may be a better choice. The base for this drink is a housemade pumpkin spice cold brew that is enhanced with a topping of deliciously sweet pumpkin cold foam. This combination creates a flavor that is reminiscent of a whipped cream-topped slice of pumpkin pie, bringing back memories of fall feasts and sneaky second help ings. The smooth, mild taste of cold brew still shines through the seasonal spices, though, and mixes well with the creamy cold foam. In my opinion, this drink was a step up from the latte. The double pumpkin spice delivered a much more prominent taste, and the cold brew itself tasted fresh and sweet. The cold foam was the star of the show, though, so if you are going to try it, make sure to get some in every sip. Still, it was not as good as some of the other drinks I tried.

Rank: 8/10

3. S’mores Latte

Fall is not only about pumpkins and their sea soning. When some people think of the season, they picture cool nights warmed by a fire and sweetened with a toasted marshmallow. The s’mores latte combines Rooted’s housemade vanil la syrup, mocha, and white

mocha to create a rich, sweet latte. The real s’mo res flavor comes from the toppings that include whip, crushed graham cracker, and mini toasted marsh mallows.

If you are not a fan of im mensely sweet coffee, this is not the drink for you. I, however, prefer my coffee extra sugary, so I enjoyed the flavor that felt closer to a hot chocolate than a latte. It truly tasted like a s’more to me, and the only thing that I did not like about this drink was how the graham cracker crumbs turned soggy and fell to the bottom of the cup. Every sip was enjoyable until the last five or so because of this.

Rank: 8/10

4. Apple Crisp Refresher Apples are another import

ant staple of the season, and this drink puts a unique spin on the classic apple cider. Served cold, the apple crisp refresher starts with an apple juice base and includes digestion-aiding aloe, assorted freeze-dried fruit. If you do not want to have coffee but still want any energy boost, you are in the right place, because this drink also has 160 mg of plant-based caffeine. Hold ing true to its name, the drink is crisp, refreshing, and full of apple flavor. The refresher was my personal favorite by far. As someone who prefers cold beverages over hot and apple flavor over pumpkin spice, I was excited to see this option on the menu. By taste alone, it came close to a 10, but I think there is still

some room for improve ment. This drink contains almost twice the amount of caffeine as an 8 oz cup of coffee or tea, and while you can reduce it by 100 mg by removing the unflavored shot, the remaining 60 mg comes from a flavored shot that would affect the overall taste if removed. There are people who do not or can not consume caffeine, and it would be nice to have a caffeine-free option, so more people can enjoy the unmatched flavor that this drink brings to the table.

Rank: 9/10

The salted caramel cold brew and snickerdoodle iced americano were not included in this review but are still offered on the sea sonal menu for those who wish to try them.

Craving bread pudding this season? Metro Diner is a must try

By Arionna Gantt Staff writer

Fall season has just arrived and what better way to bring it in than to try one of Metro Diner’s featured fall menu items?

Metro Diner is a wellknown eatery in the area. Just by that statement, I’m sure you can imagine how crowded they are on week ends and even during lunch time on weekdays.

After leaving class, I drove to Metro Diner and ordered their pumpkin bread pud ding drizzled with pumpkin cream icing and walnuts. I placed my order on their website and picked it up via curbside because I was in between classes.

The presentation of the bread pudding alone was top tier! I was tempted to tear bits and pieces off and eat it while driving but I decided not to-- I know I’m not the only one. I wait ed until I arrived back at school to put the taste to test.

As I dug my fork inside the bread pudding and tore it apart, I could tell that it was moist and would melt in my mouth. The first bite was one to remember. It wasn’t as pumpkin-y as I thought it would be but it was still good! The bread pudding was a perfect mixture of soft, crunchy, and sweet. Texture wise, it reminded me of peach cobbler with

out the peaches which isn’t a bad thing because I’m a fan of that dessert as well. The serving was enough to satisfy my taste buds and well worth the $5.92.

Along with the pump kin bread pudding, Metro Diner also has a pumpkin waffle and pumpkin pan cake. Next time, I’m going to order the chicken and waffles and substitute the original waffle for a pump kin waffle. I can’t wait!

If you haven’t already, go try this scrumptious des sert! You won’t regret it.

Metro Diner is located at 2820 Washington Road Augusta, Ga. 30906. Their hours are Monday-Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The drinks at Rooted Coffeehouse can satisfy the fall flavor cravings. (photo by Mikaela Graf)

Bread pudding at the Metro Diner makes a great autumn dessert. (photo by Arionna Gantt)

Plantation Blood continues to scare CSRA

By CM Wahl Staff writer

With Halloween around the corner, locals may find themselves seeking enter tainment of the scary kind.

Plantation Blood, the CSRA’s only haunted theme park, is an option for those willing to brave the 30,000 square foot facility full of darkness, jump scares, and chilling actor portrayals. Located in South Augusta, the brick ranch includes four separate houses on one spine-tingling tour, with shows beginning at 8 p.m. all season long.

According to Mike The berge, Caretaker at Plan tation Blood, every actor there is a volunteer and most work every day of the season. Anyone 16 or older can take a role, even for just one night, and the haunt is always hiring. Parents and younger children can also work together, teaming up to scare patrons in their own special way.

“It’s a different breed of people,” he said. “Some of them really get into what they’re doing.”

Theberge says they never know what an actor will do. Plantation Blood gives parameters of what can and cannot be done, then gives the actors freedom to make their characters their own. He walks through the houses several times a night, monitoring both actors and customers to

ensure things run smoothly. Having helped design and build the sets, it’s important to him that everyone has a good time.

“It’s the best feeling in the world to see someone get scared from something you built.”

Theberge says every worker pitches ideas for the attractions, so guests can always expect new features. The staff changes the lights, sounds, and even room locations to give repeat attendees a different experi ence every year. Somewhere around 8,000 people visit during each season and the energy rises closer to Halloween. Live bands, cos tume contests and outside vendors help add to the overall spirit.

Manager Paul White agrees. To him, the best part of Plantation Blood is the atmosphere and “seeing people’s reactions.”

Whether in the front house, the asylum, the voodoo swamp, or the clown area, he says his staff takes a lot of time, effort and detail to make the entire experience unique and authentic.

“It’s all different. Nothing is the same throughout the whole deal.”

As soon as the season ends, the staff begins work ing through the winter, spring and summer on scares for the following fall. White took over operations of Plantation Blood last

year, but recalls once being a volunteer clown. Now, he is proud to have his 7-yearold daughter in the Doll Room as a terrifying addi tion to the cluster of scares around her. He states there is no age minimum for customers, leaving it up to parents’ discretion on what their children can handle.

White states that if patrons of any age ever struggle to get through the haunt, Plantation Blood has people who can walk them to the exits or escort them through the houses. This includes anyone who is too scared to continue, crying or panicking in any way.

“In all honesty,” he said, “we got a very good staff. They do very well with that.”

Both Theberge and White offer advice to future at tendees to take their time walking through the haunt and keep their belongings stowed away. Every sea son, the lost and found has numerous cell phones, earrings, glasses, keys, and bizarrely, a collection of left shoes.

They said there’s no need to rush, as tickets are sold until midnight and the haunt won’t close until the “last victim” goes through the queue line.

“It’s a good time,” com mented Theberge. “Fami ly-friendly. If you like to be scared, come here. We’re good at it.”

Movie Review: See ‘Barbarian’

By Noah Bowers Contributor

It’s that time of year again, get ready for the spooky, scary, screaming movies to be crawling their way into the theaters and streaming services as we get closer to Halloween.

A new horror movie has taken cinemas by storm, and for good reason.

“Barbarian” is the new horror film by Zach Creg ger. If you don’t recognize the name, it’s because this is the director’s first ven ture into horror films. He previously worked on less er-known comedy movies and shows, much like another highly regarded horror filmmaker, Jordan Peele.

Peele has made a name for himself after the box office success of “Get Out”, which was a terrifying allegory to modern-day racism and its effects on society. Peele has gone on to make multiple films with terror-filled plots that center around a powerful message.

“Barbarian” does just that, providing some of the scariest tension I’ve ever seen, while also cleverly delivering a poignant mes sage on toxic masculinity in today’s world. Creg ger’s comedic roots shine through in the characters’ writing as well, giving some genuine laughs in the otherwise claustrophobic, paranoid film.

The cinematography and chilling score do an excellent job in keeping you painfully waiting for the next scare. Each new corner crossed and door

creaked open sends your heart rate racing as you, and the characters, desper ately look for answers.

The performances by the leads were another pleas ant surprise. Their chemis try makes it easy to relate and support them, and the fear that was shown gave me goosebumps.

Perhaps most important ly, the story serves as a fan tastic setting for realistic scares with believable char acters going through some rather traumatic events.

Cregger’s critique on masculinity comes through clearly, through the unique characters and the origin of the main horror of the movie. It left me thinking about all the ways it was hinted at and spoken about in the movie without me initially realizing; signs of effective writing.

I hope to see more from Cregger in the horror genre, having both him and Peele competing for the most compelling scares means more quality terror for us!

That’s about as much as I can say without giving away too much of the film because this is one that is best experienced blind. No trailers, no Wikipedia summaries, the twists and paranoia of the film are ex pertly made for an incred ibly fun ride that would be hindered by spoilers.

One of the most original and fun horror films I have seen in a long time, and one I highly recommend going to see.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5 Must see it!

Plantation Blood located in Augusta is the city’s only haunted theme park this season. (photo by CM Wahl)

“Barbarian” is being shown in many theaters across the CSRA. (photo by Madison Keel)

Jaguars Volleyball team completes sweep of Pacers

By Payton Willis Sports writer

The Augusta Jaguars defeat ed the USC Aiken Pacers in a five-set collegiate volley ball match at Christenberry Fieldhouse on Saturday, Sept. 24, to make their way to the top of the Peach Belt Conference standings.

Following a clean threeset sweep by AU on Friday, the Pacers proved to be a more formidable opponent for the Jaguars on Saturday.

USC Aiken took Augusta

to five sets in the two pro grams’ most recent match. With the two wins, the Jaguars now sit atop the conference with a 4-1 re cord in the PBC and a 12-4 record overall. Saturday’s triumph also marked their 10th consecutive win over their conference rivals and third straight win overall— and AU’s 11th win in its last 13 matches. The overall series record between the two teams is 20-10 in favor of Augusta.

Sophomore middle hitter

Jada Suguturaga led the way for Augusta with 15 kills and a blazing .480 hitting percentage. Senior setter Samantha Zittrauer totaled 35 assists.

“Because of Friday night’s win, we were not pres ent and ready to go at the start,” AU Coach Sharon Quarles said after the match. “We changed things up between the second and third sets. We went from a 6-2 to a 5-1 set. That meant

there was only one setter on the court the entire time instead of two. That was the big difference for us.”

The Pacers (1-4, 10-6) won the first two sets of the match by scores of 25-19 and 25-14, meaning the Jaguars would have to mount a major comeback to beat their rivals.

The Jaguars won the next two sets 25-17 and 25-16 before winning the match with a 15-6 win in set No. 5. Ally Thees had the

match-winning kill, with Zittrauer providing the assist.

Junior outside hitter Jazmyn Wheeler had 11 kills for the Jaguars, while senior defensive specialist Kiera Barr had 19 digs. Emily Lammers and Sadie McKay each had 16 kills for USC Aiken. Mallory Barash added 24 assists for the Pacers.

For updates on the vol leyball team, visit www. aubellringer.com.

AU golf teams begin season with some new faces

By Chris Rickerson Sports writer

Augusta University men’s and women’s golf teams recently began their fall season after an offseason filled with coaching and roster changes.

The AU men’s golf team is beginning the season with new Head Coach Steven Paine. Paine was previously an assistant coach at Mis sissippi State University and was also the head men’s golf coach for Point University for six seasons.

“I consider myself a Geor gian, I lived in Columbus, Ga., for 13 years, and my wife is from Columbus, Ga.,” Paine said. “We are

very happy to be back in the state of Georgia. It feels like home and to be at a place like Augusta where we can win at the highest level, the excitement is high.”

The Jaguars also add ed an assistant coach in Ben Nelson, who recently graduated Mississippi State University where he played golf for five years.

AU also added three new golfers in the offseason in Behn Heyns, Ian Pienaar, and Dean Wilken.

Despite adding some play ers, the men did lose one of there best golfers in Alex van Wyk after he decided to transfer to Coastal Caroli na.

AU men’s golf opened the season at the Badger Invita tional in Wisconsin, where they finished 14th overall. Wilhelm C. Berg von Linde led for the Jaguars, shooting 3-under par and finishing in 15th.

Newcomer Pienaar began his collegiate career with a 34th place finish, shooting 1-over par for the tourna ment.

The Jaguars also finished 10th overall at the Windon Memorial Classic at the Evanston Golf Club. Heyns finished tied 18th, shooting 3-over par total.

AU women’s golf added new Assistant Coach Oliver Rubenstein and three new

golfers in Daniela Burgos Ortega, Chiara Sola and Mirabel Ting.

Rubenstein was previously a head coach at Bethany College for both the men and women’s golf team.

The Jaguars women’s golf team lost a few key mem bers from last years team, including former freshman star athlete Chloe Holder and seniors Nicole Page and Natalia Yoko. Holder transferred to Clemson University.

AU women’s golf opened the season at the Mer cedes-Benz Collegiate in Knoxville, Tenn., where they finished 14th. Bur gos led the Jaguars with a

53rd place finish, shooting 10-over par for the tourna ment.

Their second tournament was as the Lady Paladin Invitational in Greenville, S.C., where they finished 17th. Senior Napabhach Boon-In finished in 11th place, shooting 2-over par for the tournament.

The women will continue their season at the Southern golf tournament on Mon day, Oct. 17, in Savannah, Ga.

The men will have their next tournament at the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate on Sunday, Oct, 9, in Johnson City, Tenn.

Jaguars celebrate after winning over USC Aiken. From left to right: Dariana Luna (7), Coach Sharon Quarles, Kiera Barr, Jazmyn Wheeler (16), Samantha Zittrauer (10), Jada Suguturaga and Madelyn Eden (15). (photo by Madison Keel)

Jaguar baseball excited about 11 transfer players

By Shelbie Summerlin Sports writer

The transfer portal allows athletes to find their fit and coaches to bring in some different college playing backgrounds to their team.

Augusta University’s base ball coach Chris Howell was able to add new levels of maturity to his roster by adding 11 transfers for this upcoming season.

Adding players with pre

vious experience in college ball is huge for Howell after losing key players last season.

“We’ve had some transfers come in that have some ex perience under their belt,” said Howell. “A bunch of ‘em have played high-level baseball and also in our league, so they understand the league. It’s important for these guys that they have that experience.”

Howell found what he was looking for in the portal to fill in defensive needs.

“We added some depth on the mound. That’s some thing that we went after very aggressively,” said Howell. “We lost a lot of infielders, so we went after some position guys.”

At the end of the day, Howell trusts his transfer players to improve his team this season.

“They’re gonna come up here and help us be better.”

Athlete: Previous School

Koby Ayala: Lawson State Community College

Rushton Bowles: Uni versity of South Carolina Salkehatchie

Parker Ingram: University of North Georgia

Turner Sircy: Florida A&M University

James Schlegel: East Ten nessee State University

J. Ben Haynes: University of North Georgia

Michael Morrison: Louis burg College

Jojo Oldknow: Chatta hoochee Valley Community College

Logan Howell: Middle Georgia State University

Vince DiMauro: Pat rick & Henry Community College

For updates, visit www.aubellringer.com.

AU prolific scorer Cracknell signs first professional contract

By Carlos Rodriguez Sports editor

The Reading Rockets of the National Basketball League (NBL) of England announced on Aug. 31 the signing of former Augusta University men’s basketball player Troy Cracknell.

“It’s always been a dream of mine when I first started playing,” said Cracknell about playing profession ally. “To accomplish that dream is surreal and hope fully I can keep playing for a while.”

Cracknell, from the Charlotte, N.C., metro area, played for the Jaguars the past five seasons and just graduated with a master’s

degree in business admin istration this past summer. His undergraduate degree was in finance.

Over his career, Cracknell eclipsed the 1,000-career point mark, helped the Jaguars win two Peach Belt Conference regular-season and tournament titles and earned All-PBC second team honors his graduate year while helping AU advance to the NCAA Division II national cham pionship game.

“Being at Augusta the last five years has allowed me to grow a lot,” said Cracknell.

“It showed me the highs and the lows of basket ball from my freshman

year to my graduate year. I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience there.”

Cracknell mentioned what he’ll miss most about leav ing Augusta.

“I’m going to miss the camaraderie the most with my teammates and the great fans at Augusta,” he said. “Coach Dip (Metress) has been a great mentor and so was Drew Gibson for the two-year stand at Augusta. The training staff was also great, and I will miss them dearly.”

Cracknell has some specif ic things he’d like to work on as he starts his profes sional career.

“I can always work on

ball handling and putting on some more muscle,” he said. “My goal is to be able to play the point guard and the shooting guard position in the future.”

Cracknell spoke about the adjustment to living in a new country and being with a new team.

“My sleep schedule has been the hardest thing so far to get adjusted to, but all my teammates and coaches out here are great and really supportive,” said Cracknell. “This is a great starting place for my first year pro and I’m excited for what the future holds for my profes sional basketball career.”

Metress said Cracknell is

in line with many of his past players.

“Troy is the 22nd play er in my tenure to sign a contract and to get paid to play the game of bas ketball,” Metress said. “He was instrumental in our success last year because he was a guy we could count on every day to show up, work hard and was about winning.”

Cracknell has helped the Rockets start off the 202223 season 3-0 and recently scored 27 points to go along with nine rebounds to lead them to an 87-72 win over the Thames Valley Cavaliers.

Transfer Vince DiMauro in motion to throw a pitch. (photo by Shelbie Summerlin)

New AU cross-country coach Jacob Burgamy leads Jags to strong start

By Angela Stephan and Kai Brickey Sports writers

Augusta University recent ly tabbed Jacob Burgamy to lead the cross-country and track-and-field pro grams for 2022-2023.

Burgamy replaced the highly successful Adam Ward, who took a simi lar post at the University of Maine in August. In the teams’ first races of the season, both the men and women took home the first-place trophies at the AU invitational at Redcliffe Plantation. AU’s Riley Triplett and Tripp Miller were the individual winners.

Both teams also im pressed by beating out a few Division I schools during their second meet at the Virginia Tech Alum ni Invitational on Friday, Sept. 16. AU was the only Division II school in the race.

The men finished fifth out of nine teams with Patrick Motes leading the pack finishing in 20th place. The women finished eighth out of 10 teams with Cas sie Lagan leading all AU runners with a 54th-place finish.

Burgamy grew up in small-town Tennille, Ga., about an hour southwest of

Augusta. He began run ning in the fifth grade. By high school, he actually started his coaching career.

As a 15-year-old soph omore, he was coaching other students who wanted to perform better. He saw some of those runners qualify for the high school national championships, and some of them signed college scholarships.

While in college he con tinued to coach through his online business, 478 Athletics. Once he graduat ed, Burgamy continued to coach athletes online.

Burgamy also coached at his high school, Brentwood School, which helped him gain more coaching expe rience.

“Coaching’s changed so much,” he said. “Back when I started, I had no idea what I was doing.

Coach Ward had a huge impact on me, because I would come sit in here like three to five hours a week and just talk to him about training.”

Burgamy attended Brent wood in Sandersville for most of his high school career, but graduated from Washington County High School. He started at Emmanuel but finished his undergraduate degree

at Campbell University with an exercise science degree, and then joined AU’s master’s program in kinesiology for graduate school. Burgamy received his master’s degree in kine siology with an emphasis on coaching.

“I think that master’s degree helped me out a lot, but if I’m going to be hon est, if you’re going to coach a sports team, you don’t really learn that in the classroom,” he said. “The program did help me from the psychology side and everything, but the actual training and coaching of distance runners that came more from the three to five hours a week that I used to spend in Coach Ward’s office.”

Sitting in Ward’s old chair, Burgamy said taking over for his former coach was a bit strange.

“It felt so weird, because I used to, in this little tiny hallway right here, I used pull-up a milk crate and sit on it,” he said. “I didn’t even know this second desk was back here. I used to sit there for three hours just on a random day of the week. It feels so weird being on the other side of it now and kids coming in here talking to me about

training.”

Burgamy is ecstatic about coaching at Augusta Uni versity.

“There is not a program that I’d rather be coaching, so I am glad to be sitting in this chair,” he added. “There is no sports team in the world that I’m a bigger fan of than Augusta cross-country and track, even before becoming the coach.”

Burgamy’s dream was to one day become the cross-country and trackand-field coach at AU. Since he graduated with his master’s degree, he had kept up with the program at AU, and he knew all members of the team, their times and what their train ing looked like. This was all before knowing that Ward was leaving for Maine.

“It helped me a lot, now as their coach, that I kept up with the team and everything they’ve been doing,” he said. “It made it so much easier for me.”

His strategy for the sea son is to get Jaguar runners to peak at the right time.

“Right now the emphasis is really just on staying patient, because it’s a long season,” Burgamy said.

“Nationals is Dec. 2 and re gionals is two weeks before

that, so we’ve got two and a half to three months before we really need to be sharp and at our best. That’s a long time. We’re just trying to preach patience to the kids, and not have them in peak shape in October when we need them in peak shape in November and December.”

Burgamy expressed his love for Augusta, and Augusta University, de spite living an hour away growing up. He recalls all the places he used to go to, even his doctors’ appoint ments.

“I am happy to be here, because I am from a small town,” he said. “A lot of my doctors were up here, so I know Augusta really well. I’m also not far from family, just an hour from home.”

Hard work and passion brought Coach Burgamy to the chair he always wanted to fill, his grow ing skills and experiences landed him exactly where he wanted to be.

“If we are not growing, then what are we doing?” he asked.

Burgamy and the Jaguars will continue their journey at the Royals Invitational in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 7.

AU women’s cross-country team begins the race at the Jaguar XC Invitational. (photo by Madison Keel)