Sports

---

SPORTS 10/13/25 8:39am

Elon University men’s club rugby coach reflects on longtime position

By Benjamin Berfield

Ryan Bays has coached club rugby at Elon since 2003. While all teams are expected to have a coach, Bays’ position is unique compared to other club sports, which are coached by students serving as club presidents. Bays said the rugby program has meant a lot to him and he wants to give back to it as much as possible. “I have a lot of pride in the program,” Bays said. “I felt like I got a lot out of it when I was here. Being able to anchor a university club is a big deal.”

---

SPORTS 10/12/25 9:18pm

Intense Elon University men’s soccer match ends in 1-0 win

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team concluded Senior Night with a dramatic 1-0 victory against the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Head coach Marc Reeves said it felt extra good to win for the seniors after a tough stretch that included opponents like No. 10 the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Duke University and Clemson University. “Sometimes you can have lapses where you don’t win games, but this is an incredibly tight conference game against a really good opponent on a night where you just have to dig in for your seniors,” Reeves said. 

---

SPORTS 10/11/25 7:13pm

Elon University football falls to No. 18 Villanova in thrilling Homecoming game

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University football team fell just short of an upset over No. 18 Villanova in a back-and-forth 29-21 loss on Oct. 11. Head coach Tony Trisciani credited self-inflicted mistakes for the loss. “We can't win football games with deep balls getting over our head, with kickoff returns being returned for touchdowns and for sacks that put us out of manageable down and distances,” Trisciani said. “Those were the things that really impacted this football game.” Elon plays next at William & Mary Oct. 18.

---

SPORTS 10/5/25 4:39pm

Elon University redshirt freshman quarterback grows in first year as starting player

By Benjamin Berfield

As the Elon University football team prepared for the season, redshirt freshman quarterback Landen Clark spent the summer competing for the starting quarterback position. The previous season, Clark had played only four games where he was occasionally used as a runner. Elon had also signed Iowa quarterback Marco Lainez through the transfer portal in December. Even with the inexperience and competition, Clark said he refused to let any outside noise get to him over the offseason.  “It was just to focus on myself,” Clark said. “Don’t let anything get in my way.”

---

SPORTS 10/3/25 11:54am

Elon women’s soccer battle to draw in intense conference match

By Lennox Franks

Elon University women’s soccer fought to a hard earned 1–1 draw in their latest conference game against the University of North Carolina Wilmington, which featured aggressive play and impressive goalkeeping on both sides. Elon head coach Neil Payne emphasized the importance of ball control as a primary strategy to neutralize Wilmington's aggressive defensive style. “It was important that we try to control the ball and try to take the physicality out of it,” Payne said.

---

SPORTS 10/1/25 8:26pm

Elon University men’s soccer reaches draw after a hard fought physical battle

By Blair Mitchell

The Elon University men’s soccer team put up a gritty performance against the No. 10 ranked team in the country, the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, on Sept. 30 resulting in a 0-0 tie to chalk up their current record at 5-1-4 this season. “I was pleased with our performance, just the result was not what we wanted,” head coach Marc Reeves said. “But that, again, that's college soccer, the parody, it's really close, all teams are prepared and ready to play, and you have to compete and kind of force a way to win.”

---

SPORTS 9/28/25 4:54pm

Tennis player reflects on experiences from playing in Mexico to U.S. Division I sports

By Riley Hale

Junior Mariana Reding has the word “fly” written inside her shoe, which is a nod to the advice her dad would give back home during her matches. She said playing tennis often reminds her of her cultural heritage and her family. “My dad used to tell me, ‘Fly Mar fly!’ in my matches,” Reding said. She said she loves when people watch her matches because it makes her feel more supported and involved with Mexican culture. In Mexico, she said people are always very supportive, asking her family, “What is her score, and where can I watch it?” 

---

SPORTS 9/28/25 4:54pm

Jugadora de tenis reflexiona sobre sus experiencias de jugar en México a jugar División I de los Estados Unidos

 

Mariana Reding, estudiante de tercer año, lleva la palabra "fly" escrita en el interior de su zapato, un guiño a los consejos que su padre le daba en casa durante sus partidos. Dijo que jugar al tenis a menudo le recuerda su herencia cultural y a su familia. "Mi papá solía decirme: '¡Fly Mar fly!' en mis partidos", dijo Reding. Dijo que le encanta que la gente vea sus partidos porque la hace sentir más apoyada e involucrada con la cultura mexicana. En México, comentó que la gente siempre la apoya mucho y le pregunta a su familia: "¿Cuál es su puntuación y dónde puedo verla?".

---

SPORTS 9/27/25 9:32pm

Elon University football finds ground game, triumphs over Hampton on Family Weekend

By Miles Hayford

An explosive rushing attack propelled the Elon University football team over Hampton University 41-20 on Family Weekend. Elon was coming off a 26-16 loss against East Tennessee State University last week and looked to win their Coastal Athletic Association opener. Sophomore running back TJ Thomas Jr. got involved early, breaking a few tackles en route to a 22-yard catch from redshirt freshman Landen Clark, who scrambled out of a sack. Thomas then ran in a 23-yard touchdown on the following play for his first rushing attempt of the day.

---

SPORTS 9/26/25 11:57pm

Elon men’s soccer battles against Campbell to scoreless draw in physical, gritty match

By Shaan Gandhi

On a night where space was scarce and chances even rarer, Elon University and Campbell University men’s soccer fought to a 0-0 draw in a tense affair at Rudd Field under the lights Sept. 26. Despite the lack of goals, Elon’s defensive solidity remained a bright spot. The Phoenix has conceded just three goals through its first nine matches. “I don’t think we gave up much tonight,” head coach Marc Reeves said. “That’s where you want to be — hard to beat.” 

---

SPORTS 9/24/25 10:29pm

Elon volleyball sweeps sets to win 3rd straight match

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University volleyball team capped off their three-game homestand with its third straight victory over North Carolina Central University. Like the previous two matchups, Elon won in three straight sets, which now marks nine consecutive sets the team has won. Offensively, the Phoenix were efficient tallying 39 kills in all three sets, 12 more than NC Central. “Every hitter that’s on our floor has the ability to score at any moment,” head coach Matt Troy said. “It’s finding where we can get the one-on-one, or where we can take advantage with our speed when we’re in transition play.”

---

SPORTS 9/20/25 7:42am

Elon men’s soccer team hopes to build on solid 2024 season

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University men’s soccer team is zeroing in on a fresh start, following a year in which they went 10-7-1. Head coach Marc Reeves said in order to repeat last season’s strong performance, they must put aside any talk about the previous year. He acknowledged the team’s four-win improvement from the year before was something to be proud of, but emphasized the importance of handling expectations. “It’s a brand new team,” Reeves said. “If we talk about what we did last year and just expect that to replicate, it won’t be the case. You have to reset standards.”

---

SPORTS 9/16/25 11:28pm

Elon men’s soccer controls match to stay undefeated

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team beat Davidson College 2-0 to win their fifth game of the season. It is the fifth consecutive win for the team after tying their season opener against Old Dominion 0-0. Elon controlled the majority of the match, leading for almost the entirety of the game. Head coach Marc Reeves said he was proud of the team’s ability to lead the game wire-to-wire for that extended amount of time. “Coming away with the win feels really good and to know that we are leading most of the time just helps build our confidence,” Reeves said.

---

SPORTS 9/16/25 6:08pm

Los Carolina Cowboys suben en la clasificación por equipos de los Professional Bull Riders

By Sarah T. Moore

El Coliseo First Horizon en Greensboro suele hospedar conciertos y partidos de baloncesto. Pero del 12 al 14 de septiembre, el Coliseo se llenó de tierra mientras los jinetes de toros captaban la atención del público. Con una mano en la cuerda del toro y la otra en el aire, los jinetes animaban al público mientras un cronómetro contaba hasta ocho segundos. Cowboy Days es un evento anual de tres días que se celebra en el Coliseo First Horizon. Cada día se disputan cinco partidos con un total de 10 equipos. 

---

SPORTS 9/16/25 12:55pm

Sophomore running back embraces high expectations before Elon University's football season

By Benjamin Berfield

Sophomore running back TJ Thomas Jr. enters this season as one of the notable returning skill positions for Elon University football. As a freshman, Thomas made an immediate impact as the second running back on the depth chart behind senior Rushawn Baker, accounting for 696 total yards from scrimmage. Despite a shoulder injury that cut Thomas’ freshman campaign short, he has his sights set on a comeback. “I want to just do what I do,” Thomas said. “Don’t even think about anything. Just keep my mind on football and get the job done.”

---

SPORTS 9/16/25 7:08am

Elon University cross country enters 2025 with a sense of direction

By Kathan Gandhi

After a year defined by both growing pains and promising steps forward, Elon University’s cross country team enters the 2025 season with something they lacked in 2024: consistency. Elon was under the guidance of first-year head coach Mark Rinker in 2024, who was hired from the University of Eastern Michigan after the departure of head coach Kevin Jermyn, who had been in the position for seven years. “Obviously, we are disappointed to have not won the women’s conference championship,” Rinker said. “Finishing third is not what we wanted, but we had a really young team and a lot to look forward to.” 

---

SPORTS 9/15/25 12:40pm

Elon University women’s soccer uses 2024 turnaround as fuel for fall

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University women’s soccer team saw a huge turnaround during the 2024 season. After winning just three out of 17 games during the 2023 season, they improved their record by 10 games en route to an appearance in the Coastal Athletic Association semifinals. Looking back at their turnaround season, redshirt junior forward Isa Murdock and junior defender Grace Gelhaus said they believe the team was able to use its mindset to their advantage on a consistent basis. “The mindset is there now,” Gelhaus said. “It’s more competitive and we’ve learned from our mistakes in the past two seasons.”

---

SPORTS 9/14/25 2:44pm

Carolina Cowboys move up in Professional Bull Riders team standings

By Sarah T. Moore

The First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, typically hosts concerts and basketball games. But from Sept. 12 to 14, the Coliseum was filled with dirt as bull riders captured the crowd’s attention. With one hand on a bull rope and the other in the air, the riders had the audience cheering as a timer counted up to eight seconds. “Being able to see them do something that matters so deeply and that they put their entire life into — risking their lives on a day-to-day basis — that was the best part,” High Point University student Kylin Starr said. 

---

SPORTS 9/14/25 1:16pm

Elon men’s soccer wins physical match to remain unbeaten

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University men’s soccer team beat University of South Carolina Upstate 1-0 to win their fourth game of the season. It is the second consecutive year the Phoenix have opened the season unbeaten through the first five games. “You have to compete first,”head coach Marc Reeves. “I thought we did a really good job of that. They’re a very strong team with some really good players and I thought we dealt with it all well.” The Phoenix will host its next game against Davidson College at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Rudd Field. 

---

SPORTS 9/14/25 7:38am

Elon men’s soccer regains key offensive piece for 2025 season

By Kathan Gandhi

As Elon University men’s soccer kicks off its 2025 campaign, it’ll be looking to deliver on promising developments from 2024, with contributions from new leaders and returners such as senior Colin Veltri, who is returning after an injury stalled his 2024 season. Despite his injury, Veltri is excited to return to the pitch this season. “I want to be a part of helping us get the win,” Veltri said. “If that means changing my role or doing more to help the offense, I’m willing to do that.” 

---