Sports

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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.”

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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.” 

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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.”

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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. 

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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. 

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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.” 

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SPORTS 9/13/25 9:11am

Elon football team looks to carry last season’s momentum after key offseason losses

By Miles Hayford

After starting the 2024-25 season 1-5 with four losses at home, the Elon University football team bounced back and won their last four games. Head coach Tony Trisciani said the team is hoping to carry that momentum into this season. “I expect us to be highly competitive,” Trisciani said at the Coastal Athletic Association Football Media Day on July 24. “We got a lot of juice, a lot of energy in our building, and these guys are ready to go.” 

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SPORTS 9/12/25 3:23pm

Elon University dance team sets sights on maintaining team chemistry

By Benjamin Berfield

Going into her senior year for Elon University’s dance team, Olivia Ferranola said she would love to achieve a first-place finish in next year’s hip-hop and pom categories. However, she said that she doesn’t want competition to be the team’s only measure of success. She said she hopes everyone can show enough growth to the point where they will be able to make strong adjustments from last year. “If it does happen, that would mean the absolute world,” Ferranola said.

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SPORTS 9/11/25 9:34pm

Western Alamance High School strikes a pose, striking down McMichael in three sets

By Emma Citro

Wednesday night, Western Alamance High School's volleyball team's front line struck more than just volleyballs. Flashy or not, the Warriors' momentum was proven effective as they swept Dalton McMichael High School in three straight sets. Western opened strong with a 25-16 win, edged McMichael 25-22 in a fiery second set, and sealed the win 25-14 in the third behind consistent offense from junior Reese Walker. "Reese has been a dominant force for us,"Nadeau said. "One hit from her can change the whole momentum of our team."

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SPORTS 9/11/25 12:41pm

Elon University volleyball team enters season under new leadership

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University volleyball team is entering the 2025 season with a new face at the helm. Head coach Matt Troy is entering his first season as a coach for the Phoenix after coaching at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, where he led them to a 2019 NCAA Division III Championship amid a 151-17 record. Troy said the players immediately welcomed him in at Elon and he didn’t feel like a stranger. “There was already a solid culture coming in, the players are very connected with one another,” Troy said.

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SPORTS 9/10/25 10:53pm

Historic defensive performance lifts Elon University women’s soccer over South Carolina State

By Benjamin Berfield

The Elon University women’s soccer team defeated South Carolina State 6-0 to win their sixth game of the season, pushing the Phoenix to its seventh straight shutout. After a first half that involved lots of defense, the Phoenix scored five goals in the second half to seal the victory. Head coach Neil Payne said the team takes lots of pride in their defense and team performance. “We celebrate defending as much as we celebrate goals,” Payne said. “Every single player helps out and it’s not just defending our goal."

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SPORTS 9/7/25 1:12am

Dominant team performance propels Elon University football to historic first win of season

By Benjamin Berfield

Nine days after their 45-17 loss against Duke, the Elon University football team made an immediate impact in its first home game of the season with a convincing 55-7 win over Davidson College. Even with multiple delays before the game due to inclement weather, Elon came out firing on all cylinders in what was the largest win of head coach Tony Trisciani’s tenure. “It was really just to be in the moment and win the moment,” Trisciani said. “These guys just went out and played one snap at a time."

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SPORTS 9/6/25 5:42pm

Elon University football home opener postponed

By Nia Bedard

Elon University football’s home opener against Davidson College on Sept. 6 was postponed until 8 p.m. according to an e alert sent out at 6:20 p.m. The game officially started at 8:17 p.m. over two hours after the expected start time. In addition to the game being delayed, Rhodes Stadium did not open to the public until 7:30 p.m. The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for Alamance, Davidson, Randolph and Guilford counties until 8 p.m. due to excessive rainfall 

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SPORTS 8/30/25 9:32am

Elon University club sport presidents plan to recruit new members at Fall Organization Fair

By Benjamin Berfield

For most of the club sports teams at Elon University, the beginning of fall semester is an ideal time to recruit new freshmen. This includes the club baseball and frisbee teams, who eye events such as the Fall Organization Fair on Sept. 4 as an opportunity to get students to join their team. Club Baseball President and senior Case Marino described the organization fair as the team's biggest outlet for recruiting new members. 

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SPORTS 8/29/25 1:05am

Elon football falls to Duke in season opener, gives up 35 points in second half

By Benjamin Berfield

Elon University’s football team was defeated by Duke University 45-17 in its first game of the season. Despite the loss, head coach Tony Trisciani said he was encouraged by the team’s performance.“When we play hard one snap at a time, and just trust each other, then we can be very successful,” Trisciani said. “We can win a lot of football games.” Next for the Phoenix, they will face off against Davidson College at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Rhodes Stadium.

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SPORTS 8/24/25 5:57pm

Freshman football players embrace life at Elon University

By Benjamin Berfield

As the Elon University football team prepares for its season opener against Duke on Aug. 28, freshman athletes are starting to navigate life on the team as well as the campus. Defensive back Tyler Hart and offensive lineman Sean Tanner arrived at training camp with different expectations, but they are each beginning to get a sense of not only being on the team, but students at Elon. “When I came here in January, I knew it was gonna be high intensity,” Hart said. “I used spring ball to help me get used to it.” 

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SPORTS 8/6/25 3:27pm

Elon University Athletics sees record high transfer numbers

By Kathan Gandhi

A successful college sports team requires many things such as premier coaching, experienced leadership and quality team chemistry. But since 2018, a new factor has become essential to building a winning program. The transfer portal. Every school has been impacted by the rise of the transfer portal, including Elon University. Elon’s Athletic Director, Jennifer Strawley, said she has seen that impact first-hand. “College athletics is operating in a more transactional nature, nationally and holistically, as opposed to  more relationship and development-based.” In 2024, 24 student-athletes transferred from Elon athletic teams. In 2025, the number increased to at least 33, a program high.

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SPORTS 7/11/25 6:22am

Elon University athletic director outlines Phoenix Rising initiative

By Benjamin Berfield

When Elon Athletics released its new program initiative Phoenix Rising, it was with the intention of establishing a refreshed vision of the athletic program through a five-year strategic course plan. With elements such as name, image, and likeness, the transfer portal, and the House v. NCAA settlement ruling in favor of colleges to pay athletes, Phoenix Rising is an opportunity for Elon Athletics to become more innovative in their approach toward navigating the college athletics. “We have to bring it to life through the student athletes, coaches, and the people in our department, and engagement with the campus,” Athletic Director Jennifer Strawley said. 

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SPORTS 7/5/25 2:02pm

Elon University athlete returns to his love of football

By Evan Bennett

It was 6 a.m. in a windowless basement gym tucked beneath a London student residence. While classmates slept upstairs, Tkai Wade lifted, ran and sweated in solitude. A week earlier, he’d made the Elon University football team. Now, across the Atlantic Ocean in the dead of winter, he refused to let the momentum slip. “It was definitely tiring the first few practices, confusing because I didn’t know the protocol,” Wade said. “But everybody was welcoming and they were genuine and they kind of gave me some time to acclimate.”

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SPORTS 6/4/25 4:46pm

Elon Men's Ultimate Frisbee places fifth at D-III National Tournament

By Kathan Gandhi

Elon’s men’s ultimate frisbee team placed fifth in the 2025 USA Ultimate Division III College Championship. It was their first appearance at nationals in 10 years, and their second-best finish in team history. Of the 25 players on Elon’s roster, 23 made the cross-country trip to Burlington, Washington, where the tournament was held from May 17-20. Club president Brady Jackson said that while placing fifth was not what the team hoped for, he thinks the season was a success. "Zooming out and looking at the fact we hadn’t been there in 10 years, getting fifth is a pretty big accomplishment,” Jackson said.

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