2015-16 2015 20 015 15-1 -16 16 YE YEAR EAR R IIN N RE REVIEW EVI VIEW
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2015-16 20 2 01 15 5--1 16 YEAR YEA YE AR R IIN N RE REVIEW EV VIIE EW W
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
ON THE INSIDE Introductory Letters.........................2-3 Mission, Vision & Core Values ...........4 Unprecedented ..................................5 In the Classroom ............................6-8 In Competition ..............................9-13 In the Community .......................14-15 Attendance ......................................16 Big Events .......................................17 Revenues ........................................18 Mocs Club........................................19 Porky’s Open ...................................20 Coca-Cola Scrappy Awards.............21 Marketing .........................................22 Partnerships ....................................23 Exposure .........................................24 MocsVision ......................................25
Men’s Basketball Review.................26 Women’s Basketball Review ...........27 Cross Country Review .....................28 Football Review ...............................29 Men’s Golf Review...........................30 Women’s Golf Review .....................31 Soccer Review.................................32 Softball Review ................................33 Men’s Tennis Review .......................34 Women’s Tennis Review..................35 Track & Field ...................................36 Volleyball .........................................37 Wrestling..........................................38 Awards.............................................39 What’s Next? ...................................40
CREDITS The 2015-16 Year in Review is a product of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Department under the supervision of Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics David Blackburn. The book was written, designed and edited by the UTC Athletics Communications & Media Relations Office - Dr. Jay Blackman, Senior Associate Athletics Director; Jim Horten, Director; Anne Wehunt, Assistant Director; and Kaylene Chadwell, Assistant. Cover design by Anne Wehunt. Copy editing by Pam Henry and Lisa Tarr. Photography by Tom & Pat Cory, Ben Dodds, Jeff Hurndon, Sam Janicki, Frank Mattia, Laura O’Dell, Dale Rutemeyer, Billy Weeks and SoConPhotos.com. This publication was printed as a courtesy by Mr. David Ingram and the Modern Way Printing and Fulfillment Co. at no charge to the taxpayers of the State of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is an equal opportunity/affirmative action/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT CHATTANOOGA I have said it many times in my three years at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Athletics Department is the front porch of our institution. So many people are introduced to UTC through athletics and the positive brand it has built for our University. The hard work and success of our student-athletes, coaches and Athletic Department staff keep alumni connected and create a vehicle of outreach into the Chattanooga community. They have decorated our front porch with trophies, banners and diplomas, while representing UTC in an exemplary fashion. Their accomplishments over the past year are a source of pride, not only for myself, but for the entire campus. To be the first in the history of the Southern Conference to win the football, men’s and women’s basketball championships in the same year is amazing. Couple that with five straight semesters of a 3.0 grade-point-average or better, and there is a lot to celebrate on the front porch of UTC. If you haven’t already joined the Mocs Club, I encourage you to do so. Your support is vital to continuing the success of the last year. If you are a member, I thank you for helping make possible the many achievements you will read about in this publication. I plan to be at as many events as I can, cheering on our teams. Together we will continue to build a winning environment in our athletics program as we strive for excellence in everything we do at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Sincerely,
Dr. Steve Angle Chancellor
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW CHATTANOOGA ATHLETICS One quick look at our athletics program in 2015-16 and it is easy to see that we had an outstanding year. Two more semesters with a 3.0 grade-point-average, five sports winning seven Southern Conference titles and a continued positive growth of the Mocs brand. Accomplishments like these have become so common that we need to make sure we take a moment and celebrate them properly. It is hard to believe that in the 95-year history of the SoCon, we were the first to win both basketball titles and the football championship in the same year. Not only did we top a 3.0 GPA both semesters, but we actually had over a 3.1 both terms while setting a school record 3.113 in the fall. We had record numbers at graduation and dozens of Mocs walked with honors. We are also reaching the community like never before. As far back as you can check attendance records, no one led the league in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball until we did it last year. We repeated that feat again this year in the regular season. It is tough to hit on every single accolade we enjoyed over the last year, but I hope you enjoy reading about as many as we could fit in this publication. I firmly believe that there is still another level of success that we can reach, but we will need your continued support to do so. In the mean time, flip through the pages of this Year in Review and relive some of our best moments from another championship season. Sincerely,
David Blackburn Vice Chancellor & Director of Athletics
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MOCS MISSION VISION & CORE VALUES
OUR MISSION Equipping for Success OUR VISION To Achieve Excellence OUR CORE VALUES • Integrity • Accountability • Respect • Gratitude • Competitiveness • Pride • Commitment • Innovation
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
UNPRECEDENTED NCAA PARTICIPATION SETS NEW STANDARD N D
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga had its three marquee sports in the NCAA Tournament in the same year for the first time in school history. In fact, it was the first time in Southern Conference history both men’s and women’s basketball teams from the same school won the league tournament in the same year. Below are a few notes on how few of the 351 NCAA Division I programs also accomplished such a feat in 2015-16. • Chattanooga is one of 24 schools in the country to have both their men’s and women’s basketball programs competing in the NCAA Tournament.
Women’s basketball sophomore Kianna Gilbert in action in the NCAA Tournament against Mississippi State.
• UTC is one of eight schools that won both its men’s and women’s basketball conference tournaments. • The Mocs are one of 12 programs that put their men’s and women’s basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament and had their football team in the postseason/bowl game. • UTC and South Dakota State are the only two FCS programs to have their football and men’s and women’s basketball teams in the NCAA Tournament this season.
earned No. seed the Th Mocs The Mocs ear ned d a No N o 12 se ed d and d to ttook ook k on Ind IIndiana Indi dian iana iin n tth he fi he firrst stt round round ro d of the NCAA Tournament.
UTC h hosted t dF Fordham dh iin th the firstt round d off th the NCAA FCS Pl Playoffs ff att Fi Finley l St Stadium. di Th The M Mocs d defeated f t d th the R Rams 50 50-20 20 tto advance d tto th the second round for the second year in a row.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN THE CLASSROOM FIVE-STRAIGHT TERMS WITH A 3.0 GPA F
Teams With 3.0 GPA Fall Women’s Basketball 3.36 Men’s Cross Country 3.79 Women’s Cross Country 3.71 Men’s Golf 3.65* Women’s Golf 3.76 Soccer 3.33 Softball 3.40* Men’s Tennis 3.39 Women’s Tennis 3.42 Women’s Track & Field 3.63 Volleyball 3.31 Wrestling 3.04*
Spring 3.296 3.699 3.659 3.284 3.792 3.414* 3.448* 3.049 3.483 3.570 3.481 3.154*
It is tough to find many NCAA Division I athletics programs that can compete with the academic success of the student-athletes at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Mocs have posted an overall 3.0 grade-point-average in each of the last five semesters and are always among the leaders in the Southern Conference in academic honors. Chattanooga also recorded a school-record 3.113 in the fall of 2015 and followed that with a 3.106 in the spring. UTC is enjoying a run of 14-straight terms with over half of the Mocs earning a 3.0 or better. A total of 12 teams have also posted a 3.0 for six straight semesters.
*Highest team GPA on record
In the Top 25 UTC had five programs finish the year with a team GPA that ranked in the top-25 in the nation in their respective sports. Men’s Cross Country 1st 3.785 Women’s Golf T5th 3.776 Women’s Cross Country 8th 3.739 Women’s Track & Field T12th 3.57 Wrestling 15th 3.196 More Academic Honors in 2015-16 • 88 student-athletes named to the fall, winter and spring Academic All-Southern Conference teams. • School-record eight student-athletes earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. • School-record 177 made the SoCon Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA for the 2015-16 academic year. • Tied a program-record with 12 teams posting a 3.0 GPA in both the fall and spring semesters.
This success starts with the coaching staffs and how they recruit. They target individuals who can succeed both on the field and in the classroom. Then, from the moment they arrive at UTC they are guided by an outstanding Office of Student Support Services. This office was the first in the SoCon to earn full accreditation by the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) in 2012. UTC is still just one of 31 schools across the nation to hold this distinction from the national organization. The N4A Certification Program was established in 2010 to raise the professional standard among academic support programs. According to the N4A, the purpose of program certification is to verify that an academic support unit can provide a basic set of services to student-athletes as outlined in N4A guidelines and Code of Ethics. Over the last year, three Mocs programs finished in the top25 in the nation among their respective sports for team GPA. Both Paul Stuart (XC) Derrick Craine (FB) earned CoSIDA Academic All-American honors and the SoCon champion g team topped pp a 3.0 for the first time. wrestling
• Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams were named USTFCCA All-Academic. The men led the nation with a 3.785 team GPA while the women were 8th at 3.739. • Soccer had a program-record 3.414 team GPA in the spring. • The volleyball team earned its third consecutive AVCA Academic Award for having a 3.30 team GPA. • Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams earned the ITA Team Academic Award. • The softball team set program records with a 3.40 team GPA in the fall and a 3.448 in the spring. • The men’s golf team had a program record 3.65 team GPA in the fall. • The wrestling team set program records with a 3.04 team GPA in the fall and a 3.154 in the spring.
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The men’s cross country team had the highest team GPA in the nation with a 3.785. It is the third time in the last five years the cross country team led the nation in team GPA.
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
The Mocs’ continued success in the classroom is also showing up at commencement. Chattanooga had its biggest student-athlete graduating classes in both the fall and spring. Of the 93 who earned their degrees over the last year, 25 did so with honors, while 62 won at least one SoCon title in their careers.
2015-16 STUDENT-ATHLETE GRADUATES 2015 Fall Graduates Zach Darby Cross Country Biology Rebecca Greenwall* XC/T&F Nursing Paul Stuart* Cross Country Accounting Keeley Stewart* XC/T&F Education Dennis Haskins Men’s BasketballTheater & Speech Shelby Hill (Mgr.) Women’s Basketball Nursing Craig Camay Football Health & Human Performance Hunter Dockery Football Eng. Tech. Mgmt. Josh Freeman Football Psychology Brian Fitzgerald Football Health & Human Performance Marquis Green Football Psychology Synjen Herren Football Integrated Studies Jacob Huesman Football Business Casey Hybarger Football Integrated Studies Kevin Niethammer* Football Accounting Nick Pollard Football M.B.A. Whit Shelton Football Health & Human Performance Channing Smith Football Integrated Studies Taharin Tyson Football Integrated Studies Nick Ungos (Mgr.) Football Criminal Justice Shelby Carter Softball Psychology Marina Wilkerson Softball Communications Andrea Argueta Soccer Rehabilitation Science Skylar Brewer* Soccer Biology Sarah Ghale Soccer Health & Human Performance Loryn Queen Soccer Health & Human Performance Lauren Thomas Soccer Health & Human Performance Gino Delavalle* Men’s Tennis Economics Pavels Grigorjevs Men’s Tennis Engineering Jovana Pecovski Women’s Tennis Biology Briana Reid Volleyball English Dean Pavlou Wrestling M.P.A. Nick Soto Wrestling Marketing
2016 Spring & Summer Graduates Alex Bran Men’s Basketball Health & Human Performance Casey Jones Men’s Basketball Business Tre’ McLean Men’s Basketball Integrated Studies Dee Oldham Men’s Basketball Criminal Justice Eric Robertson* Men’s Basketball Political Science Justin Tuoyo Men’s Basketball Health & Human Performance Willie Young Men’s Basketball Integrated Studies Jordan Clark (GA)Men’s Basketball M.P.A. Queen Alford Women’s Basketball Criminal Justice Alicia Payne* Women’s Basketball Social Work Sydney Vanlandingham Women’s Basketball Health & Human Performance Jonathan Goldberg (GA) Women’s Basketball M.S. - HHP Oluwatosin Ayotunde* Cross Country Biology Marquis Carter* Cross Country Psychology Austin Casassa* Cross Country Psychology Makala Diggs XC/T&F Health & Human Performance Austin Ethridge* Cross Country Business Teghan Henderson* XC/T&F Business Kiaana Howard* XC/T&F Health & Human Performance Helena Kis* XC/T&F Biology Geoff Nelson* Cross Country Electrical Engineering Katie Ray* XC/T&F Biology Nicole Sumida* XC/T&F Integrated Studies Ryan Bossung Football Health & Human Performance Drae Bowles Football English Toyvian Brand Football Business A.J. Hampton Football Environmental Science Jeremiah Hay Football Criminal Justice Robert Hill Football Health & Human Performance Tommy Hudson Football Engineering Sema’je Kendall Football Business
Jesse LoScudo Football M.S.- Eng. Mgmt. Brandon Morgan Football Integrated Studies Nikolay Timoshchuk Football Health & Human Performance Josh Toon (SC) Football Health & Human Performance Wes Gosselin* Men’s Golf Psychology Kory Webb Men’s Golf Business Emily McLennan Women’s Golf Communications Logan Higgins Soccer Health & Human Performance Clare Latham* Soccer Early Childhood Education Alanna Warrick Soccer Health & Human Performance Hannah Wyatt Soccer Business Cricket Blanco Softball Health & Human Performance Katie Henderson Softball Health & Human Performance Kaiti Kelley Softball M.A. - Secondary Education Anyssa Robles* Softball Health & Human Performance Amanda Ross Softball Criminal Justice Alyssa Taylor* Softball Business Sam Taylor* Softball Middle Grade Education Luke Saunders Men’s Tennis Communications Roberto Vieira Men’s Tennis M.S.-Eng. Mgmt. Kayla Jones Women’s Tennis Biology Katie Polk Women’s Tennis Political Science Alison Storie* Women’s Tennis Business Sarah Batterton Volleyball Nursing Lauren Gainer Volleyball Integrated Studies Trevor Humes (Mgr.) Wrestling Biology Jared Johnson* Wrestling Chemical Engineering Sean Mappes Wrestling Health & Human Performance Austin Sams Wrestling Business *Honors Graduate
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN THE CLASSROOM APR SCORES GAIN NATIONAL ATTENTION A OVERALL STUDENT-ATHLETE GPA GROWTH 3.113
3.11 3.1 3.07
3.106 3.04
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2.97
2.97
2.95
2.99 2.93
2.92
2.92
2.9
2.87 2.86
2.8 2.78 2.69
2.7
2.62 2.6 2.61
2.51 2.5 Spring 2007
Fall 2007
Spring 2008
Fall 2008
Spring 2009
Fall 2009
Spring 2010
Fall 2010
Spring 2011
Fall 2011
Spring 2012
Fall 2012
Spring 2013
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Fall 2015
Spring 2016
T The chart above shows the dramatic rise in student-athlete grade-point-averages by semester d since the athletics department began tracking the s data in 2007. UTC has topped a 3.10 GPA in each of d tthe last three semesters. The numbers below are the most recent APR T scores. The Mocs men’s and women’s cross couns ttry teams, women’s tennis and women’s track & field all earned public recognition from the NCAA. In I addition, eight of UTC’s 14 teams had perfect single-year marks and beat the national average for s Junior Derrick Craine was a CoSIDA FootJunior Paul Stuart was a CoSIDA Cross four-year scores. ball Academic All-American. Country Academic All-American.
UTC’S TEAM-BY-TEAM ACADEMIC PROGESS RATE (APR) SCORES TEAM
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
4-YEAR AVG.
Men’s Basketball
941
980
936
935
949 (+5)
Women’s Basketball
969
1000
1000
1000
991 (--)
Men’s Cross Country
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000 (--)
Women’s Cross Country
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000 (--)
Football
962
975
962
992
973 (+12)
Men’s Golf
1000
1000
1000
968
993 (-7)
Women’s Golf
962
1000
1000
964
982 (-9)
Soccer
1000
962
986
988
982 (-2)
Softball
944
985
1000
979
987 (+4)
Men’s Tennis
950
1000
929
1000
967 (+13)
Women’s Tennis
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000 (--)
Women’s Track & Field
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000 (--)
Volleyball
977
1000
978
1000
989 (--)
Wrestling
967
968
920
1000
964 (+9)
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN COMPETITION MOST SOCON TITLES OVER LAST THREE YEARS M S
14
8
SoCon Titles Since 2013-14
6
Regular Season
12 10
Tournament
4 2 0
Chattanooga Ch Cha ttanooga b tt brought rought ht home h seven S Southern outhern th C Conference onference f titl tit titles les iin n fi five ve spo sports rts t in in 20 2015 2015-16, 15 16 including includi l di ding v volleyball, oll lleyb ball ll ffootball, ootb tball b ll men’ men’s ’s and d women’ women’s ’s b basas ketball and wrestling. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, the Mocs have won more combined SoCon Championships than any other school in the league. The chart above shows Chattanooga’s 12 regular season and nine tournament crowns in league play. Furman is second with five regular season and 13 tournament trophies. g p s
Junior Corey Levin won the SoCon Jacobs Senior Emily McLennan was the SoCon co- Kamaal Shakur was the SoCon Freshman of Blocking Award as the top lineman in the Player of the Year. She finished 29th at the the Year and the Most Outstanding Wrestler at NCAA Regional in Shoal Creek, Ala. league for the second year in a row. the league tournament.
Junior Kristy Weiser was a first team All-So- Junior Justin Tuoyo was the SoCon Defensive Senior Alicia Payne led the Mocs to the NCAA Con pick for the Mocs. She led UTC to its first Player of the Year for the second year in a row, Tournament all four of her years at UTC. She was helping UTC to a school-record 29 wins. SoCon volleyball title since 1998. a two-time Defensive POY and the tourney MVP.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN COMPETITION SEASON REVIEW
Athletic Notes from 2015-16 • The men’s basketball team set a program record with 29 wins. The Mocs won their 11th SoCon regular season and tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA tournament for the 11th time. UTC’s 29-5 mark with wins at Georgia, Dayton and Illinois gave it an RPI of No. 56 in the nation. Matt McCall was the SoCon Coach of the Year in his first season at UTC, while junior Justin Tuoyo was the Defensive Player of the Year and junior Greg Pryor was the tournament MVP. • The women’s basketball team claimed its SoCon-record 20th regular season title and 17th tournament crown. The Mocs advanced to the NCAA Championships for the 14th time. UTC opened the season ranked in the top-25 by the Associated Press for the first time in school history, and finished with an RPI of 40. Senior Alicia Payne was the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and the tournament MVP. • Chattanooga football won its third consecutive SoCon title with a 9-4 record. UTC was 6-1 in league action and advanced to at least the second round of the FCS Playoffs for the second year in a row. Senior Jacob Huesman was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year for the third time, while junior Corey Levin won the Jacobs Blocking Award for the second straight season. Huesman, Levin and junior Keionta Davis all garnered All-American honors.
The 2015-16 campaign will go down as a signature year in the annals of the athletics department at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For the first time in the history of the Southern Conference, the same school took home the league’s football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball championships. This unprecedented success was not limited to simply these three sports. All totaled, five teams won seven league titles, while eight programs represented the University in NCAA postseason competition. The football team kicked the year off by winning its third consecutive SoCon title. UTC advanced to at least the second round of the FCS Playoffs for the second year in a row and finished with a No. 8 national ranking. As much fun as the football team brought the Chattanooga community, it was not the only highlight of the fall. The volleyball squad won its first SoCon title since 1998 with an impressive 26-6 record and a 13-3 finish in league play. UTC dominated winter sports, with the wrestling team also tying for the SoCon title. The wrestlers finished the regular season with a No. 25 national ranking and sent six individuals to the NCAA Championships. The men’s basketball team had a record-breaking year with its school record 29-5 mark. UTC won its 11th SoCon tournament title and took the regular season crown with a 15-3 league talley.
The women’s basketball program also won the SoCon regular season and tournament titles. Chattanooga is the first women’s program to win four-straight tournament • The volleyball team won its first Southern crowns, claiming its 17th overall. Conference regular season title since 1998 with a 26-6 overall record and a 13-3 mark in league action. Travis Filar was named the SoCon Coach of the Year as the team equaled the most wins in school history. UTC began the season on a 15-2 run that included a win at Virginia Tech.
Not to be outdone was the women’s indoor track & field team. UTC won the Distance Medley Relay title at the SoCon Indoor Championships, and Maddison Melchionna took home the 800M crown. Teghan Henderson went on to claim the 10K at the SoCon Outdoor meet.
• The wrestling team grabbed a share of the SoCon Championship for the 16th time since the league began recognizing a regular season winner in 1994. Kamaal Shakur was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year and the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the league championships after winning the 157 title. Junior Scottie Boykin won at 197 and was one of six Mocs to compete at the NCAA Championships. • Track & Field scored a number of SoCon Champions during the indoor and outdoor seasons. The women’s DMR team won the indoor title, while junior Maddison Melchionna won the 800M indoors. Senior Teghan Henderson went on to win the 10K at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. • Women’s golf finished second at the SoCon Championships with sophomore Megan Woods claiming the individual title in a playoff. Senior Emily McLennan was the SoCon co-Player of the Year and competed at the NCAA Regionals. • Men’s golf junior Wes Gosselin competed at the NCAA Regionals as an individual.
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Senior Jacob Huesman was named the SoCon Junior Maddison Melchionna won the SoCon Male Athlete of the Year, the second straight Indoor 800M title and was a part of the Indoor season it has gone to a Mocs football player. DMR league championship team.
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW SoCon Champions (7) VolleyballR FootballR Men’s BasketballR-T Women’s BasketballR-T WrestlingR R-Regular Season • T-Tournament
Postseason/NCAA Participants (8) Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Men’s Cross Country Women’s Cross Country Football Men’s Golf (Individual) Women’s Golf (Individual) Wrestling Senior Kayla Jones was named first team All- Junior Wes Gosselin earned a spot at the Southern Conference for the third year in a NCAA Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where he row as the top women’s tennis player at UTC. finished in the top 25.
All-Americans (3) Keionta Davis - Football - 3rd Team Jacob Huesman - Football - 2nd Team Corey Levin - Football - 1st Team Capital One Academic All-Americans (2) Derrick Craine - Football - 2nd Team Paul Stuart - Cross Country - 2nd Team SoCon Players of the Year (5) Jacob Huesman - Football (Offensive) Corey Levin - Football (Lineman) Emily McLennan - Women’s Golf Alicia Payne - Women’s Basketball (Defensive) Justin Tuoyo - Men’s Basketball (Defensive) SoCon Tournament MVPs (3) Alicia Payne - Women’s Basketball Greg Pryor - Men’s Basketball Kamaal Shakur - Wrestling
Sophomore Megan Woods won the SoCon In- Junior Greg Pryor was the SoCon Tournament dividual title in a five-hole playoff at the league MVP. He helped the Mocs to their 11th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. championships.
SoCon Individual Champions (6) Scottie Boykin - Wrestling 197 Teghan Henderson - Outdoor T&F 10000M Maddison Melchionna - Indoor T&F 800M Kamaal Shakur - Wrestling 157 Megan Woods - Women’s Golf Indoor T&F Distance Medley Relay Team SoCon Freshmen of the Year (1) Kamaal Shakur - Wrestling SoCon Coach of the Year (3) Travis Filar - Volleyball Bill Gautier - Women’s Cross Country Matt McCall - Men’s Basketball
Junior Scottie Boykin was one of six Mocs to Senior Teghan Henderson won the 10K title at compete at the NCAA Championships. He qual- the SoCon Outdoors and was a member of the ified by winning the SoCon title at 197 pounds. DMR Indoor championship team.
All-SoCon (48) SoCon All-Freshman (13) CoSIDA Academic All-District (8) Academic All-SoCon (78) SoCon Honor Roll (177) SoCon Commissioner’s Medal (51)
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN COMPETITION WINS OVER THE POWER 5
Team Men’s Basketball Men’s Basketball
Result 92-90 (OT) at Georgia 81-77 at Illinois
Conference SEC Big 10
Date 11/13/15 11/21/15
Women’s XC Women’s XC
Beat Georgia Tech by 5 spots Beat Tennessee by 7 spots
ACC SEC
Men’s Golf Men’s Golf
Maryland (9 strokes) Virginia Tech (10 strokes)
Big 10 ACC
9/22/15 – VCU Shootout 9/22/15 – VCU Shootout
Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Golf
Kentucky (6 strokes) Mississippi (1 stroke) Iowa (18 strokes) Maryland (18 strokes) Penn State (25 strokes) Nebraska (26 strokes) Wisconsin (1 stroke) Virginia Tech (2 strokes) Notre Dame (4 strokes) Illinois (8 strokes) Indiana (28 strokes) Illinois (5 strokes) Louisville (7 strokes) Kansas (16 strokes) Virginia Tech (41 strokes) Maryland (53 strokes)
SEC SEC Big 10 Big 10 Big 10 Big 10 Big 10 ACC ACC Big 10 Big 10 Big 10 ACC Big 12 ACC Big 10
9/22/15 – Mercedes-Benz 10/6/15 – Fall Invite 10/13/15 – Pinehurst 10/13/15 – Pinehurst 10/13/15 – Pinehurst 10/13/15 – Pinehurst 10/20/15 – Cardinal Cup 10/20/15 – Cardinal Cup 10/20/15 – Cardinal Cup 10/20/15 – Cardinal Cup 10/20/15 – Cardinal Cup 10/27/15 – Palmetto Cup 10/27/15 – Palmetto Cup 10/27/15 – Palmetto Cup 10/27/15 – Palmetto Cup 10/27/15 – Palmetto Cup
Volleyball
3-2 win at Virginia Tech
ACC
9/19/15 at the Hokie Invite
Wrestling Wrestling Wrestling Wrestling
Beat Michigan State by 7 pts Beat Michigan by 23.5 pts 22-13 win vs. Arizona State 19-18 win at No. 19 Virginia
Big 10 Big 10 PAC 12 ACC
11/13/15 – NCAA Regional 11/13/15 – NCAA Regional
1/2/16 at the Southern Scuffle 1/2/16 at the Southern Scuffle 1/9/16 at the Virginia Duals 2/14/16
Total Wins – 27 Men’s Basketball - 2 Women’s Cross Country - 2 Men’s Golf – 2 Women’s Golf – 16 Volleyball – 1 Wrestling – 4
UTC had 27 wins over teams from the Power 5 conferences during the 2015-16 season. Above is a shot of the Mocs’ 92-90 overtime win at Georgia on Nov. 13, 2015.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN COMPETITION WHERE THE MOCS RANK NATIONALLY W
Chattanooga scored points in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup in football (53), men’s (25) and women’s basketball (25) and wrestling (18.5) in 2015-16. The Mocs placed 142nd among all NCAA Division I schools and second in the SoCon behind Furman (95th).
UTC'S ALL TIME FINISHES IN THE NACDA DIRECTORS' CUP 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 75 99 117
140
136
142
136
142
149
Place
156 176
175
UTC consistently ranks in the top half of all 351 NCAA Division I programs in athletic performance. Over the past three years, the Mocs have been either first or second in the SoCon in the Directors’ Cup standings.
120
134
125
194
160
163
156
160 171
194 182
194 198
225 238
Wrestling finished the regular season with a No. 23 national dual meet rank- The women’s basketball team entered the season ranked in the top 25 ing. Junior Jared Johnson was the No. 13 seed at heavyweight at the NCAAs. for the first time. Junior Jasmine Joyner led the nation in blocks (3.9).
again the best the FCS. The Mocs’ No. The me Th men’s n’s ’ b basketball asketb k tb tball ll tteam eam fini nished ished h d with ith one off it iits ts hi high highest hestt RPI R RPIs PIs iin PI n The Th ffootball ootb tball ll tteam eam was ag ain i among th eb estt iin n th e FCS F CS T he M ocs’’ N o 8 final national ranking tied a school record. school history, checking in at No. 56 in the final poll.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
IN THE COMMUNITY MOCS ARE A PROUD PART OF CHATTANOOGA
Men’s Basketball • Participated in a Mental Fitness Sports Day at the Avondale Recreation Center. • Participated in the Coaching for Literacy program. • Donated an individual basketball camp spot to Westview Elementary School silent auction. • Volunteered to help students at Ringgold Primary Elementary School improve their reading skills. • Participated in “Santa Night” at The Hamilton Place Mall. • Collaborated with Team Impact to adopt P.J. Tolbert as an honorary member of the Men’s Basketball team. Women’s Basketball • Worked in the children’s area at the Hamilton County Fair. • Read to kids and helped with school work at Clifton Hills Elementary School. • Held a youth clinic at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe. • Facilitated after school dodgeball at Brown Academy. • Worked with the CK Now program, talking with elementary students about the importance of nutrition and being a studentathlete.
The Mocs have an established reputation of being heavily involved in community outreach efforts. Our student-athletes, coaches and staff regularly take part in service projects and volunteer countless hours in the Scenic City. The athletics department at UTC is also highly visible in the community through coverage in the local media and at promotional events around town. Some of these activities are organized through the department and others are spearheaded by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). For example, over the past four years many of the women’s teams have worked together to host the annual Play, Believe, Achieve event. This is a day of mentoring that is sponsored by the UTC Women’s Center in recognition of National Women in Sports Day in early February. Another case of UTC’s commitment to the community is its involvement with local elementary schools. Mocs Week takes part in the fall and features studentathletes visiting local schools to promote physical fitness. During the first week of March, the Mocs can also be seen all over Chattanooga, taking part in National Read Across America week. UTC student-athletes are popular readers on Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Teams may also work individually on community service projects, such as football recruiting students on campus to ‘Get in the Game’ and become a part of the ‘Be the Match’ bone marrow registry. This is done in conjunction with the on-campus Bloodanooga Blood Drive. There are also a number of coaches who serve as celebrity volunteers on the Ronald McDonald House “Day of Change.” Regardless of the event, the Mocs are always working hard to be positive representatives of the University in the Community.
Cross Country/Track & Field • Worked the FCA Road Race. • Assisted with the River Bend Fun Run. • Volunteered at the Chattanooga Marathon. • Worked the ADPi 5K run for the Ronald McDonald House. Football • Hosted a ‘Wednesday’s Child’ at practice. • Took part in Mocs Week where they spoke to local elementary school students about the importance of physical fitness. • Volunteered at Bloodanooga and Get in the Game. • Participated in Read Across America. • Conducted a free Kids Clinic prior to the Spring Game. • Helped with the Ronald McDonald House Day of Change.
14
Members of the football team help with the Bloodanooga blood drive and the ‘Get in the Game’ bone marrow registry event in the University Center.
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW • Volunteered at the Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. Men’s Golf • Took part in the Jack McKenna Junior Golf Clinic. • Partnered with the UTC Student Veterans Organization to host a round with veteran Andrew Smith at the team’s practice facility. Women’s Golf • Volunteered at the Jack Mckenna Day. • Conducted a Drive, Chip and Putt Women’s Clinic at Council Fire.
Emily Moseley of the soccer team read to lo- All-American Keionta Davis and other Mocs talkcal elementary school kids as a part of Read ed to local elementary students about the imporAcross America. tance of physical fitness during Mocs Week.
Soccer • Participated in Read Across America. • Took part in the Play, Believe, Achieve event. • Conducted a free clinic in East Ridge. • Participated in the Tops Soccer Clinic. Softball • Helped with a Holiday Food Drive for the Chattanooga Food Bank. • Read to students at Signal Mountain Elementary. Men’s Tennis • Visited the VA Clinic during Veterans Affairs Week. • Volunteered at the Hamilton County Fair. Women’s Tennis • Read to first & second graders at Barger Academy.
Members of the women’s basketball team vol- Members of the Cross Country/Track & Field unteered to work the Kid’s Zone at the Hamil- program helped put on the Fellowship of ton County Fair. Christian Athletes 5K race.
Volleyball • Helped with the Ronald McDonald House ‘Keep the Change’ day. • Participated in Read Across America. • Volunteered at Girls Inc. during the Spring semester. • Conducted free skill clinics at the YMCA. • Participated in the Student Veterans Organization’s seated volleyball tournament to benefit local veterans. • Participated in UTC’s Play, Believe, Achieve event. Wrestling • Volunteered at the FCS 5K and 10K races. • Provided set up and support for the Hydrocephalus Walk at AT&T Field. • Volunteered at the Hamilton County Fair. • Held tutor sessions for YCAP.
Members of the men’s basketball team worked Volleyball head coach Travis Filar worked the the Orange Grove Field Day at GG Ranch in drive-thru lane at the annual Ronald McDonald Chattanooga. House Day of Change.
15
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
ATTENDANCE OVER 155,000 FANS IN 2015-16 O 6
The Mocs drew over 155,000 fans to home events in 2015-16. Chattanooga was the first in Southern Conference history to lead the league in football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball home attendance when they did it in 2014-15. UTC repeated that feat during the 2015-16 regular season events.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 10-YEAR ATTENDANCE AVERAGES 2,800 2,600 2,550 2,400
2,379
2,177
2,200
2,089
2,176
1,954
2,000
2,087
2,043
1,800
1,883 1,628
1,600 1,400 2006Ͳ07
2007Ͳ08
2008Ͳ09
2009Ͳ10
2010Ͳ11
2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
The Mocs consistently lead the Southern Conference in average attendance, and have topped 2,000 fans per game each of the last four years.
FOOTBALL 10-YEAR ATTENDANCE AVERAGES 13,000
12,699
12,000
11,204
11,000 10,503
10,000
10,436
7,000 6,264
5,748
5,000
The women’s basketball team dominates the annual attendance race in the SoCon every year. UTC averaged 2,087 fans during the 2015-16 season, the fourth year in a row Chattanooga has drawn over 2,000 per game. The 6,104 fans that came to McKenzie Arena to see UTC host No. 1 UConn was the largest home basketball crowd (men or women) for any SoCon team last season. The men’s basketball team remained a league leader in attendance, averaging 3,530 fans per game last year. The Mocs drew over 5,500 fans for eech of their last two home games. The 5,718 at the UNCG game was the largest home crowd for a SoCon men’s team this year.
9,521
7,482
6,000
The football team went on to average 11,204 fans in five regular season home games. That is the second highest mark on record for UTC football and the second year in a row Chattanooga topped the 10,000 mark.
10,492 9,922
9,000 8,000
Chattanooga opened the 2015-16 year with the largest crowd on any SoCon campus when the football team hosted Jacksonville State. A total of 15,182 fans filled Finley on Sept. 5 for the third largest crowd in school history.
4,000 2006
2007
2009
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
The football team has led the SoCon in regular season attendance each of the last two seasons. The 11,204 fans per game in lasy year’s regular season is the second-highest mark in school history.
MEN’S BASKETBALL 10-YEAR ATTENDANCE AVERAGES
Mocs Home Attendance in 2015-16 Sport
4,500 4,233
Total
Avg. SoCon Rank
Men’s Basketball 49,415
3,530
1st
Women’s Basketball 31,310
2,087
1st
FootballReg Season
56,022 11,204
1st
Soccer
1,787
223
7th
Softball
6,207
258
2nd
Volleyball
3,319
237
6th
Wrestling
7,408
926
1st
4,040
4,000
3,895
3,492
3,500 3,199
3,530
3,384
3,233
3,000 2,953 2,500
2,788
2,000 2006Ͳ07
2007Ͳ08
2008Ͳ09
2009Ͳ10
2010Ͳ11
2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
The Mocs led the SoCon in attendance for the second year in a row, averaging over 3,500 fans per game. UTC averaged over 4,000 fans in SoCon play and over 5,500 for each of the last two home games.
16
The Southern Scuffle continues to be a vibrant event for the Mocs wrestling program. UTC has built the two-day tournament in McKenzie Arena into the top in-season collegiate wrestling event in the nation. The Scuffle drew a two-day total of over 5, ,000 fans for the fourth ye yyear ar in a row. 5,000
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
BIG EVENTS
MOCS BRING BIG CROWDS TO CHATTANOOGA M
The home-opening football game against Jacksonville State on Sept. 5, 2015, Over 6,000 fans and a national TV audience came to McKenzie Arena drew 15,182 fans to Finley Stadium, the third largest crowd in school history. when the Mocs hosted national champion UConn on Nov. 30, 2015.
hosted Southern Scuffl the Th Mocs The Mo b bask basketball asket ketb tbal ball ll game g ag against ain i stt UNC UNCG G drew d a season season-high high h 5 5,718 718 UTC has 718 has h ha ostted d th the So S outh uthern th S Sc cuffl uffle ffle sin since i 2012 201 2 and and d bui b ilt it int built iinto to tth he he top in-season collegiate wrestling tournament in the nation. fans to McKenzie Arena on Feb. 20, 2016.
Th M The Mocs h hosted t d th the S Southern th C Conference f T Tennis i Ch Championships i hi att Th The F Frostt Cl Classic i iis one off th the b bestt mid-major id j softball ftb ll ttournaments t iin th the the Champions Club in April. region, welcoming a number of teams to Frost Stadium and Warner Park.
17
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
REVENUES TICKET SALES TOP $1 MILLION
The Mocs have enjoyed their two highest ticket sales numbers in the last two years. After setting a program record with $1,081,705 in gross sales in 2014-15, Chattanooga topped $1 million again in 2015-16.
GROSS TICKET SALES SIX-YEAR NUMBERS $1,100,000
$1,081,705
$1,050,000
$1,041,957
$1,000,000 $950,000 $900,000 $850,220
$850,000 $800,000 $750,000 $700,000
Football stayed above the half-million dollar mark for the second year in a row, while men’s basketball pulled in over $280,000.
$707,080 $702,152
$650,000 2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
The women’s game against No. 1 UConn brought in over $45,000 in single-game sales. That led to $137,000 in revenue from women’s basketball. The Southern Scuffle also brought in nearly $50,000 in ticket sales for the two days of the tournament.
The Mocs have topped over $1 million in gross ticket sales in each of the last two years.
Finally, licensing royalties were at an all-time high in 2015-16, topping $60,000 for the third time in the last five years.
FOOTBALL TICKET SALES SIX-YEAR NUMBERS
LICENSING ROYALTIES FROM RETAIL SALES
$550,000
$70,000
$547,665
$64,362
$531,973
$65,000
$500,000
$450,000
$62,783
$61,436
$60,000
$56,803
$55,000
$439,089
$54,589
$403,935
$50,000
$400,000
$47,497 $45,000
$396,706 $365,735
$42,393
$350,000
$40,000
2010Ͳ11
2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
2009Ͳ10
2010Ͳ11
2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
Football grossed over $530,000 in ticket sales last year, its second When a Power C is printed on an item, UTC receives a royalty fee. The Mocs highest total on record and the second straight year over $500,000. have generated over $50,000 through licensing each of the last four years.
MEN’S BASKETBALL TICKET SALES SIX-YEAR NUMBERS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TICKET SALES SIX-YEAR NUMBERS $141,532
$300,160
$135,000
$300,000 $283,511 $250,260 $250,000
$137,138
$116,580 $115,000 $95,000
$214,290
$82,365
$209,004
$75,000
$200,000
$55,000 $37,483
$162,607 $150,000
$35,000 2010Ͳ11
2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
2010Ͳ11
$39,287 2011Ͳ12
2012Ͳ13
2013Ͳ14
2014Ͳ15
2015Ͳ16
Men’s basketball brought in over $250,000 for the third year in a row The Mocs hosting No. 1 UConn helped them generate over $137,000 in with a final total of $283,511. women’s basketball ticket sales for the second year in a row.
18
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MOCS CLUB BUILDING CHAMPIONS
The Mocs Club is the annual fund-raising arm for UTC Athletics. Support from each member benefits all student-athletes at UTC. Remaining in the forefront of scholarship, innovation and intercollegiate competition requires an incredible commitment from a generous group of supporters. The Mocs Club has three main goals, beginning with increasing the amount of scholarship funding it provides. Each new member helps us offer more scholarships to more studentathletes who can compete for more championships. Other goals include enhancing the athletic facilities for our student-athletes and increasing compensation to the top of our conference to attract and retain the best and brightest coaches and staff members.
The Mocs Club hosted an event with UConn coach Geno Auriemma and National Player of the Year Breanna Stewart prior to the UConn game.
Currently over 1,000 members commit themselves to help offset the rising educational costs for the athletics department. The Mocs Club has enjoyed record growth since its inception in 2006. UTC set a new benchmark with 1,247 members in 2015-16. The increase in membership is also showing an increase in giving. Last year, the Mocs Club raised $1,869,493 for studentathletes at UTC. That’s the second highest number since the Club began in 2006. If you are not a member of the Mocs Club and would like to join, or if you want to know more about how to support student-athletes at UTC, be sure to contact the Mocs Club at MocsClub@utc.edu.
UTC MOCS CLUB MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
Members of the Mocs Club get an inside look at the next game from men’s basketball coach Matt McCall at the monthly coaches luncheon.
GROWTH IN ANNUAL GIVING REVENUES
MOCS CLUB MEMBERS
MOCS CLUB ANNUAL GIVING
1300
1,247
1200
$2,037,792
1,099
1100
1,010
900
$1,650,000 $1,450,000
800 661
700
597
600
506
500 445
400 300
$1,869,493
$1,850,000
1,058
1000
$2,050,000
367
441
2006Ͳ07 2007Ͳ08 2008Ͳ09 2009Ͳ10 2010Ͳ11 2011Ͳ12 2012Ͳ13 2013Ͳ14 2014Ͳ15 2015Ͳ16
$1,381,275
$1,250,000 $979,415
$1,050,000 $864,030 $850,000 $650,000
$764,620
$911,710
$790,966 $712,601
$842,846
2006Ͳ07 2007Ͳ08 2008Ͳ09 2009Ͳ10 2010Ͳ11 2011Ͳ12 2012Ͳ13 2013Ͳ14 2014Ͳ15 2015Ͳ16
Membershi Membership M hip in in tth the he M Mocs ocs Cl C Club l bh lub has as grow grown n ttrem tremendously endousl d ly iin n th the pa past stt 10 IIn conj conjunction junction ti with ith th tthe he gro growth wth th iin n th the e Mocs M Cl Club, ub b annuall gi giving i i iving revyears, topping 1,000 members for four years in a row. The Mocs Club enues also rose over the last year. The Mocs Club’s total dollars raised jumped nearly $500,000 from the 2014-15 total. set a new record this year with 1,247 members.
19
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
PORKY’S OPEN
SOLD OUT FIELD HIGHLIGHTED 2016 EVENT S T T 17th annual Porky’s Open was held at Council Fire Golf The Club on May 3, 2016. A full slate of 35 teams took part in the six-flight event on a near-perfect day in the Scenic City. Presented by BlueCross BlueShield Community Trust and Dr. David Adair, this year’s tournament topped the $100,000 mark ffor the second time. The Porky’s Open has raised well over $1 million for student-athlete scholarships at UTC during its nearly two-decade run. Football coach Russ Huesman took up his normal spot, putting ffor the participants on the ninth green and men’s basketball head coach Matt McCall hit tee shots on the par 5 sixth hole.
The Porky’s Open is named for long-time supporter of UTC Athletics and volunteer organizer Frank “Porky” Kinser.
Former Mocs quarterback Jacob Huesman hit shots on the par 3 seventh and women’s golfers Cris Perez and Monica San Juan hit tee shots on No. 2.
M Men ’s bask ’s b asket ketb tbal ball ll coach c h M att tt McC M cCal Call ll hit hit tee tee sh hots t on No N o 6 as ea ch h Win Men’s basketball Matt McCall shots No. each Winners Wi ners off th tthe he Ch he Chancell Cha Chancellor’s llor’s ’ Fl Fli Flight ight igh ht iincluded ncllude uded d d Brend B Brendan dan Wi dan Wil Wilson, lso Tony lson Ton group came through. Boyd, Porter Nelms and Brian Millican.
Russ Huesman R H gets t a fist-bump tb after ft sinking i ki another th bi birdie di putt tt on N No. G Gold ld Fli Flight ht Wi Winners iincluded l d dM Mark kS Smith, ith J Johnny h U Underwood, d d D Dustin ti 9 green at Council Fire. Gill, and Brian Renneau.
20
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
THE SCRAPPYS ALL-SPORTS GALA CONTINUES TO GROW A W
UTC continued its annual tradition of celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of its student-athletes with the fifth annual Coca-Cola Scrappy Awards. This night has quickly grown into a must-see event for all Mocs fans. The awards show was held at the historic Tivoli Theater in downtown Chattanooga on April 14 and covered the previous calendar year of achievements in the classroom, in competition and in the community. Student-athletes decide on the categories, vote on the awards and present the winners. Those in attendance are treated to a fun evening of celebrating it all. Awards were handed out for Rookie of the Year, Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year, just to name a few.
The Coca-Cola Scrappy Awards have grown into a must-see event at the historic Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga.
Those who made it to the Tivoli were treated to a fun-filled evening of awards and highlights from the last year of Mocs Athletics. 2016 Coca-Cola Srappy Awards Recipients UTC College of Business Freshman of the Year ... Kamaal Shakur - Wrestling Play of the Year ....................... Anyssa Robles - Walk-off HR vs. Mercer Behind the Scenes Award .........Rhonda Watts (Athletic Performance) Individual Performance ....................... Derrick Craine - 4TDs vs. WCU Professor of the Year ....................................Libby Byers - Psychology Victory of the Year ........................ Volleyball’s 3-2 win at Virginia Tech McDonald’s Fan of the Year ......................................... Jeremy Bryson Comeback of the Year ............................. Volleyball’s 3-2 win at ETSU SVO Leadership Award ........................Luke Saunders - Men’s Tennis Coach of the Year ................................Matt McCall - Men’s Basketball Coca-Cola Male Student-Athlete of the Year ..... Jacob Huesman - Football Coca-Cola Female Student-Athlete of the Year... Alicia Payne - Women’s Basketball College of Health, Education & Professional Studies Scholar Athlete of the Year ....Derrick Craine - Football FSG Bank Team of the Year ......................................Men’s Basketball
Student-athletes shots on the Blue Carpet St Stu dent athl dent athlete etes t pose for fo sh hots hot t o n tth he Bl he Blu e Carp C ett as th the buzz bu grows in the lobby before the start of the show.
S Soccer’s ’ Katie K ti Emig E i and d Ashley A hl Simmons Si served d as presenters t att the th A Alicia Ali i P Payne accepted t d the th Scrappy S for f Coca-Cola C C l Female F l Athlete Athl t off th the Year from Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics David Blackburn. Coca-Cola Scrappy Awards.
21
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MARKETING SPREADING THE WORD
The Mocs’ Athletics Marketing Department is a nationally recognized group of individuals who are dedicated to promoting UTC Athletics. Over the last eight years, UTC has won 13 national NACMA Best Of Awards for the innovative ways it promotes the Mocs. Last year, UTC took over Night Fall, created the Meet the Mocs at the Market, put photos of fans on the basketball game floor and spent countless hours generating buzz about home games on campus.
Right before football single game tickets go on sale, Scrappy and the Mocs promise to deliver season tickets within 30 minutes or less, or they are FREE!
All of these efforts have shown up in the stands at home events. For the last two years, UTC has led the Southern Conference in attendance in football, and men’s and women’s basketball and wrestling. That is a feat that had not been accomplished by the same school in a single year until Chattanooga did it in 2014-15.
Meet the Mocs at the Chattanooga Market exposed all student-athletes to the The annual Swag Swap on campus gave UTC students the chance to trade thousands of patrons at the weekly market in the First Tennessee Pavilion. in gear from other schools for their choice of premier Mocs apparel.
As a part of basketball Fan Appreciation Night, the Power C was filled with Lucas Webb served students on campus at the football team’s Ice fan photos taken in the crowd throughout the season. Cream Social in the fall.
22
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
PARTNERSHIPS BUILDING THE BRAND B
Partnerships are an extremely important part of the success of UTC Athletics. They tie the Mocs to the community, while providing resources to help promote the success of all student-athletes. UTC is lucky to benefit from a number of strong partnerships throughout Chattanooga. Whether it is Phillip D. Glass holding the Mocs helmet on Amnicola highway, or UTC Night at the Lookous, Chattanooga gets a lot of help from the community. Another strong partnership the Mocs enjoy is with adidas. UTC is in a long-term agreement with the shoe and apparel company that allows all Chattanooga student-athletes, coaches and staff to be outfitted with the best in athletic gear. From a sponsorship standpoint, Mocs Sports Properties (MSP), a division of Learfield, is the official multimedia rights holder and sports marketing arm for the Mocs. MSP provides one-stop shopping for businesses and corporations looking to target loyal Mocs fans and alumni.
Phillip D. Glass holds the Mocs’ football helmet for downtown commuters to see everyday on top of the Tennessee American Water Tank.
Some of the notable sponsors include EPB Fiber Optics, FSG Bank, IBEW Local 175, Total Health Chiropractic and Erlanger. Add these to the long-time sponsors of UTC Athletics – Chattanooga Coca-Cola, Unum and McDonald’s, among others – and MSP has an impressive list of corporate partners who see value in working with the Mocs. MSP also handles all of the radio broadcasts and coaches shows promoting Mocs athletics. Advertising through football and men’s and women’s basketball contests is facilitated by MSP. All corporate sponsorships affiliated with Inside Chattanooga Football and Inside Chattanooga Basketball are also handled by MSP.
Th Mocs The Mo and d th e Ch C hatt hat ttanoog tan aL ook koutts D oubl oub ble le A baseb b ball bal ll team t en the Chattanooga Lookouts Double baseball enjoy cross-promotional events that drive attendance for both teams.
Above are some of the more popular corporate sponsorships cultivated by MSP. Partnerships also extend to venue signage, radio broadcasts, internal and external promotions, print and game programs, fan fest, tickets and hospitality, digital and social media and titleships.
23
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
EXPOSURE MOCS IN THE MEDIA M
The Mocs are fortunate to receive outstanding coverage from the local Chattanooga media. The athletics department enjoys a strong working relationship with print, television and radio outlets in the region. This relationship leads to a tremendous amount of exposure. UTC’s recent success has also garnered plenty of national attention. Whether it is an appearance on the NCAA Selection Show, or an article on ESPN.com, the Mocs brand continues to grow through the media. GoMocs.com, the official website of Chattanooga Athletics, is the leading source of information on the Mocs. It works in conjunction with social media outlets to deliver timely information to the fanbase. Senior Keionta Davis on the radio at SportTalk 102.3 FM with the late Dr. B (Gary Haskew). The Mocs get excellent coverage from all of the local media outlets.
The Mocs also have a strong presence on Twitter (@GoMocs), Facebook (/ChattanoogaMocs) and many other social media outlets.
Members of the women’s basketball team talk to the media prior to their The Legend 96.1 FM is the flagship radio station of the Mocs, while a number of other events are broadcast on ESPN and ASN. game at Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament.
The men’s basketball team, and an auditorium full of Mocs fans, got a big UTC athletics enjoys regular front page coverage in the Chattanooga kick out of taking part in CBS Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. Times Free Press.
24
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MOCSVISION IN-HOUSE VIDEO PRODUCTION
MocsVision is the in-house video production crew for the UTC Athletics Department. Most notably, this group produces the video board shows at home football and basketball games. In addition, MocsVision is also responsible for all of the video pieces used to promote the athletics department. This includes ticket spots for social media and television use, coaches shows, interviews, highlights and live web broadcasts of home events. All of these videos can be found on demand on GoMocs.com. It is a tremendous tool used to promote UTC Athletics. New in 2016-17, MocsVision will be producing home basketball games for ESPN3. As a part of the Southern Conference’s agreement with ESPN, this will expand to football games in the fall of 2017.
All of the videos produced by MocsVision can be found on the video tab on GoMocs.com.
Members of the MocsVision crew work with football student-athletes C Coaches h shows h ffor men’s ’ and d women’s ’ b basketball k tb ll and d ffootball tb ll are all ll on a video to unveil the new adidas uniforms. produced in-house by MocsVision and available weekly on GoMocs.com.
Ticket spots are popular pieces produced by MocsVision. Above is the opening frame from MocsVision is also responsible for producing home events for the online the ad promoting last year’s season-opening football game against Jacksonville State. SoCon Digital Network.
25
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHOOL-RECORD 29 WINS S
• Head Coach Matt McCall • Southern Conference Coach of the Year • 29-6 Overall • 15-3 SoCon • 1st • Southern Conference Regular Season Champions • Southern Conference Tournament Champions • NCAA East Regional • The 29 wins is a school record eclipsing the 1977 NCAA Division II National Champions (27-5) and 1982 SoCon Title squad (27-4).• 11th Southern Conference Regular Season Championship. • 11th SoCon Tourney title is the most among active conference members and one off league record (Davidson-12). Matt McCall’s debut 29-win season ties for the seventh-best by a firstyear head coach nationally since 1963.
• 11th NCAA DI Tournament Appearance (16th overall) in school history, first since 2009. • Matt McCall claimed SoCon Coach of the Year honors. It is the seventh time a Mocs basketball coach won the award. • Junior Justin Tuoyo repeated as SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league (27th nationally) in blocks per game (2.3). He surpassed Stanley Lawrence as the school’s all-time blocks leader (181). • Senior Casey Jones tallied his 1,000th career point at Iowa State. The senior was injured prior to the Dayton win and missed the remainder of the season. • Junior Tre’ McLean made the coaches All-SoCon squad after leading the team in scoring, rebounding and steals.
Junior Justin Tuoyo repeated as SoCon Defensive Player of the Year. It’s the third straight year the Mocs boast the league’s top defender.
• Junior Greg Pryor became the first SoCon Tourney MOP for tthe pr p og gram since Stephen Step phen McDowell (2009). (2009). ) program
Junior Tre’ McLean earned first team All-SoCon honors, leading the Men’s basketball won its 11th regular season and 11th tournament title team in scoring, rebounding and steals. in SoCon play.
26
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FOUR-STRAIGHT NCAA TOURNAMENTS F
• Head Coach Jim Foster • 24-8 Overall • 12-2 SoCon • Tied-1st • Received first-ever preseason ranking in AP Top 25 • Southern Conference Regular Season Co-Champions • Southern Conference Tournament Champions • NCAA Bridgeport Regional • UTC defeated regular season co-champion Mercer in the SoCon Tournament finals to advance to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and 17th appearance overall. • Senior Alicia Payne was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year. She was also selected as the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player. • The Mocs received their first-ever preseason AP Top 25 ranking coming in at No. 25.
Senior Alicia Payne was named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year and SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
• Junior Jasmine Joyner finished second in the nation in blocked shots (3.9). She was a first team All-SoCon pick by the league’s coaches. • Payne, junior Queen Alford and sophomore Keiana Gilbert were each named second team All-SoCon by the league’s coaches. • The Mocs hosted No. 1 UConn at the McKenzie Arena in front of 6,401 fans. It was the largest home crowd (men or women) in the SoCon in 2015-16. • UTC head coach Jim Foster moved up three spots to eighth place on the NCAA all-time wins list with 865. The Mocs are the only program in the SoCon to win four-straight tournament titles. UTC also accomplished that feat from 2001-04.
Junior Jasmine Joyner ended the season ranked second in the nation Head Coach Jim Foster moved to eighth on the all-time wins list in the in blocked shots (3.9 bpg) after leading for most of the year. NCAA with 865 in his career.
27
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
CROSS COUNTRY MOCS POST NATION’S TOP GPA
• Head Coach Bill Gautier • Southern Conference Women’s co-Coach of the Year • Men • 7th SoCon • 20th NCAA Regional • Women • 2nd SoCon • 12th NCAA Regional • Women Ranked No. 12 in Final South Region Poll • Men No. 1 in the Nation with a 3.79 Team GPA • Women ranked 8th in the Nation with a 3.74 Team GPA • Men Named USTFCCCA All-Academic Team • Women Named USTFCCCA All-Academic Team • Stuart named CoSIDA Academic All-American • Paul Stuart was named second team CoSIDA Academic AllAmerica. He earned All-Southern Conference second team honors at the league championships. The men’s cross country team posted the nation’s top GPA and were named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
• Teghan Henderson and Emily Drouin earned first team AllSoCon recognition. Henderson finished second overall. • Anna Kate Chance and Hannah Chamblin were both named All-SoCon second team at the league championships. • Richard Guiry earned a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman team at the league championships. • Teghan Henderson was named NCAA All-South Region after she finished 13th overall at the regional meet. • The men’s squad earned the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors after posting a 3.79 g.p.a., the highest mark in the nation. This is the third time the men have posted the top g.p.a. in NCAA Division I. • The women’s team had the eighth highest g.p.a. in the nation and was named All-Academic by the USTFCCCA. The Mocs posted a team g.p.a. of 3.74.
Teghan Henderson earned all-conference and all-region honors, leading the Mocs to a runner-up finish at the SoCon Championships.
Paul Stuart was selected a CoSIDA Academic All-American second team and The women’s team placed second at the Southern Conference earned all-conference second team honors at the SoCon Championships. Championships and were named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
FOOTBALL
THREE-STRAIGHT SOCON TITLES T • Head Coach Russ Huesman • 9-4 Overall • 6-1 SoCon • T1st • No. 8 Final National Ranking • NCAA FCS Playoffs Second Round • Craine named CoSIDA Academic All-American • UTC capped off another outstanding season with its third consecutive SoCon title in 2015. Chattanooga posted a 9-4 record and tied with The Citadel for the SoCon title at 6-1 in league play. • The Mocs advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs for the second year in a row and ended with a No. 8 final national ranking. Chattanooga earned the SoCon’s automatic bid where they opened with a 50-20 win over No. 14 Fordham at home. Chattanooga’s season ended in overtime at No. 1 Jacksonville State (41-35) in the second round.
Jacob Huesman was just the fourth in FCS history with 40 rushing (43) and 40 passing TDs (64).
• Senior quarterback Jacob Huesman became the first in league history to be named Offensive Player of the Year three times by the coaches. • Junior Corey Levin was named the SoCon Jacob’s Blocking Award winner for the second year in a row. • Huesman, Levin and junior defensive lineman Keionta Davis each earned multiple All-American recognition. • The 2015 senior class graduated with 34 victories in their career, tying the school record set by the 1980 class. • Junior RB Derrick Craine set the school’s single-season rushing record with 1,251 yards. He also became the second Academic All-American in school history.
Keionta Davis earned All-American honors after setting the Mocs’ single-season record with 13.5 sacks.
Corey Levin is one of only 11 in the history of the Southern Conference Derrick Craine set a new UTC single-season rushing record with 1,251 to earn the Jacobs Blocking Award twice. yards in 2015.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN’S GOLF GOSSELIN EARNS NCAA BERTH G
• Head Coach Mark Guhne • Fourth at the Southern Conference Championships • Top 100 Ranking for 11th Straight Year • Junior Wes Gosselin made the school’s third individual appearance in NCAA Regionals (Neil Connolly-1992, 1993) tying for 25th in Tuscaloosa, Ala. • The No. 94 ranking nationally marks 11 straight in the top 100 in the nation. That streak dates back to the 2005-06 season. • Gosselin earned All-SoCon honors, while Lake Johnson made the All-Freshman team.
Junior Wes Gosselin had one of the program’s top scoring years, earning g an at large g berth at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regionals. g
• Gosselin’s 72.37 stroke average is the fifth-best in school history trailing only Stephan Jaeger (71.14, 2012), Jonathan Hodge (71.41, 2008), Jaeger (71.67, 2011) and Derek Rende (72.14, 2008). He just missed matching Jaeger’s schoolrecord 22 par or better cards. The Knoxville native’s 21 this year is tied for second with Hodge’s total from 2007-08. • The squad’s best performance came in February’s Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate. The Mocs finished second behind 4th-ranked Auburn and four shots clear of secondranked Wake Forest in third. • Their spring scoring average of 292.38 was nearly a fourstroke improvement over the fall (296.00).
Junior Kory Webb paced the Mocs, finishing 4th at the SoCon Championships par 214. p with a career-best 2-under p
Freshman Lake Johnson’s first career top 10 (T8) led the Mocs to their best finish of the season at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate (T2).
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• Another solid year in the classroom with all seven team members earning Dean’s List with Gosselin and Stuart Thomas notching 4.0s. The group turned in a program-record 3.65 in the fall and Gosselin was named to the Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar team.
Sophomore Andrew Weathers was second to Gosselin in scoring average in 2015-16.
2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
WOMEN’S GOLF MCLENNAN NAMED SOCON POY
• Head Coach Colette Murray • Second at the Southern Conference Championships • SoCon co-Player of the Year Emily McLennan • SoCon Individual Champion Megan Woods • WGCA All-Scholar Team Award • T5th in NCAA Division I with a 3.776 team GPA • Runner-up finish in the Southern Conference Championships marks eight straight years the Mocs have won (5 times) or ended up second (3) in the event. • Senior Emily McLennan is the third SoCon Player of the Year in school history joining Emma de Groot (2011) and Jordan Britt (2014). McLennan shared the honor with Furman’s Alice Chen. • Sophomore Megan Woods captured her first collegiate title in thrilling fashion. She out-dueled Chen in five playoff holes.
The ladies celebrate after Megan Woods’ dramatic 5-hole playoff win at SoCon Championships. p p
• McLennan and Woods made the All-SoCon team, while Monica San Juan was on the All-Freshman squad. McLennan became just the third SoCon performer all-time to notch four All-SoCon honors while also claiming SoCon Player of the Year (2016), Medalist (2014) and Freshman of the Year (2013). • McLennan set new school records for season scoring average (73.34), season (6) and career (10) rounds in the 60s, season par or better cards (14), 36-hole (136, -8) and 54-hole (205, -11) totals, season birdies (110) and career birdies (328). • The team finished first (2 times), second (5) or third (1) in eight of 12 events, averaging a school-record 296.43 strokes per 18. • Led all Mocs programs with a 3.792 GPA in the spring. All seven team members earned Dean’s List honors, while McLennan, Woods and Sarah Dolmovich turned in 4.0s.
The squad won twice and finished second five more times in 2015-16.
Senior Emily McLennan tallied a school-record 73.34 scoring average, winning twice en route to SoCon co-Player of the Year Honors.
Sophomore Megan Woods became the fifth Moc in the last six years to capture medalist honors at the SoCon Championships.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
SOCCER
MCKINNEY BEGINS NEW ERA • Head Coach Gavin McKinney • 4-12-3 Overall • 2-6-1 SoCon • 8th • Latham named CoSIDA Academic All-District • Head Coach Gavin McKinney became just the third Chattanooga women’s soccer head coach prior to the start of the season. • UTC posted its best Southern Confernece record since 2010 . • Freshman Peyton McCollum recorded a hattrick in the Mocs’ w win over ETSU. It was UTC’s first since 2010 (Donna Kay Henry vs. Georgia Southern). The Mocs defeated UAB in a thrilling double-overtime match. Emily Moseley scored on the very last second of play.
• UTC snapped a 21-game Southern Conference losing streak with a 2-2 tie against Wofford. The Mocs would go on to beat T The Citadel and ETSU. • The Mocs played six overtime games, beginning with the first and ending with the last, and had four straight during the season. • UTC hosted VMI in the SoCon Tournament first round. It was tthe first time the Mocs hosted a postseason match. • The Mocs hosted TOPSoccer for a clinic at Scrappy Moore Field. • Senior goalkeeper Lauren Thomas ranked fourth among active players for saves.
Sophomore Peyton McCollum recorded a hattrick in the Mocs win over East Tennessee State.
• Senior Clare Latham was selected to the CoSIDA Academic A All-District team.
The Mocs hosted the TOPSoccer orgainzation for a clinic at Scrappy Sophomore Samantha Hogan was named SoCon Player of the Week. Moore Field in the spring. She had the game tying goal against UAB and assisted on the winner.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
SOFTBALL FRESHMEN AND SENIORS LEAD WAY • Head Coach Frank Reed • 30-29 Overall • 7-11 SoCon • 6th • Five Mocs were selected to All-Southern Conference Teams in 2016. Seniors Criket Blanco and Sam Taylor and freshmen Amanda Beltran and Jordan Fortel were named to the second team, while Beltran, Fortel and Ashley Conner were honored as All-Freshman selections. • Sam Taylor was named to the the CoSIDA Academic AllDistrict Team. She boasted a 3.76 GPA as a Middle Grades Education major, in addition to leading the team with 66 hits, 14 doubles and 48 runs scored. Taylor started all but three games at center field and was the leadoff hitter. • Amanda Beltran was named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team after hitting six RBI in the Mocs’ first round against Western Carolina, a single-game SoCon Championship record. She finished the season tied for a team-best eight home runs, while batting in 29 on as many hits. Beltran saw time at first base, catcher and designated player, leading the squad with a .644 slugging percentage.
Senior Sam Taylor posted a .347 batting average and five homers, while driving in 26 runs.
• Sophomore Cori Jennings earned 16 wins from the circle. She tossed 20 complete games including four shutouts. The Brush Creek, Tenn., native fanned a team-best 122 strikeouts, in addition to being named February SoCon Pitcher of the Month. • Head coach Frank Reed was inducted into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. He has compiled a 1,030-430 all-time career record, including a 583-343 mark at UTC. Senior Criket games, the S Sen ior Crik ior C rike ikett Blanco Blanco Bl lanco played pla l yed ed d in in al all ll 59 59 game g ames s leadi lleading eading tth he Mocs he Mocs with ith 40 RBI and 96 total bases. She boasted 19 multiple-hit games. p g
H d coach Head h Frank F k Reed R d has h racked k d up up eight i ht S SoCon C Ch Championships i hi Freshman F h Amanda A d Beltran B lt emerged d as a young power hitt hitter, bl blasting ti and nine regular season titles in his tenure at Chattanooga. eight home runs including two grand slams.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
MEN’S TENNIS SAUNDERS WINS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD S
• Head Coach Carlos Garcia • 7-15 Overall • 1-6 SoCon • 7th • ITA All-Academic Team Award • The Mocs went 7-15 in 2016, including a 1-6 mark in Southern Conference action. It was a two-win improvement from the previous year. • Junior Lucas Plesky led the team with a 20-10 singles record. He was 12-9 in the spring and 9-9 at the No. 1 position. He also won the Georgia Southern Invite in the fall.
Senior Luke Saunders was named second team All-SoCon in doubles with teammate Lucas Plesky.
• Senior Luke Saunders won the SoCon’s Don Buch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award for the second year in a row. He is the second Moc to win that honor twice in a career (Jason Ontog 2002 & 2003). • Senior Nick Wingord finished with a 16-13 singles record. He played mostly the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in the spring. • Saunders and Plesky combined for an 8-4 record at No. 1 doubles in the spring. They were both named to the All-SoCon second team. • Plesky, Wingord and sophomore Michael Birnbaum all represented the Mocs on the Academic All-SoCon team. • Chattanooga hosted the SoCon Tournament at the Champions Club.
Junior Lucas Plesky led the team in singles wins (20) in 2015-16. He spent most of the spring in the No. 1 position.
• The Mocs earned the ITA Team Academic Award for the second year in a row. Birnbaum, Wingord, Nic Wilson and Pablo Llebeili were named ITA Scholar Athletes.
Senior Nick Wingord wrapped up his UTC career with 16 singles victo- John Peacey was a four-year letterwinner for the Mocs. He was 5-5 at ries in 2015-16. No. 4 in spring action.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
WOMEN’S TENNIS FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS WITH 15 WINS F
• Head Coach Jeff Clark • 15-8 Overall • 5-2 SoCon • 3rd • ITA All-Academic Team Award • The Mocs went 15-8 in 2016. It is the fifth-straight year with at least 15 wins. UTC also finished third in the SoCon race with a 5-2 league record. • Senior Kayla Jones was named first team All-SoCon for the third time in her career. She went 16-8 in singles, including 13-6 at No. 1. • Senior Kelsey Coots earned a spot on the All-SoCon second team in singles. She went 14-10 overall and 10-6 at No. 2. • Jones and Coots were named first team All-SoCon in doubles action. They had a 19-8 record, including a 17-3 mark at No. 1 and 6-1 in league play.
Senior Kayla Jones made the All-SoCon first team in singles for the third time in her career.
• Sophomore Samantha Caswell was named second team All-SoCon in doubles with a 14-7 overall mark and 6-1 in league matches. • Senior Katie Polk went 19-3 in singles, including an 11-1 record at No. 6. Senior Alison Storie finished with an 18-12 mark in singles and was 14-8 in the spring. • Chattanooga hosted the SoCon Tournament at the Champions Club. • UTC earned the ITA Team Academic Award, while Mckenzie Barco, Samantha Caswell, Sydney Patton, Katie Polk and Alison Storie were all named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
Senior Kelsey made All-SoCon fi doubles S ior Sen ior Kel K else lsey Coots Coot oots t m ade d the the All A ll SoC S C SoCon firrst stt team team in tea in d oubl oub bles les wi with ith Kayla in singles. y Jones and was a second team pick p g
S i K Senior Katie ti Polk P lk h had d an outstanding t t di season with ith a 19 19-3 3 singles i l record, d S Sophomore h S Samantha th Caswell C ll made d th the All All-SoCon S C second d tteam iin including an 11-1 mark in the spring. singles play.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
TRACK & FIELD MELCHIONNA BREAKS SCHOOL RECORDS M S
• Head Coach Bill Gautier • 6th SoCon Indoor • 6th SoCon Outdoor • Ranked 12th in the Nation with a 3.57 Team GPA • Named USTFCCCA All-Academic Team • Melchionna named CoSIDA Academic All-District • Sophomore Maddison Melchionna was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. • The Distance Medley Relay team of junior Maddison Melchionna and Hannah Chamblin and seniors Kiaana Howard and Teghan Henderson claimed their second straight DMR title at SoCon Indoor Championships. Sophomore Maddison Melchionna won the SoCon 800m Indoor title. She broke the school record in the distance in both indoor and outdoor.
• Sophomore Maddison Melchionna broke the school record in the 800 meter in both the indoor (2:11.06) and outdoor (2:08.88) seasons. • Teghan Henderson won her second career 10,000 meter Southern Conference Championship title at the outdoor meet. • Maddison Melchionna claimed the 800 meter title at the SoCon Indoor Championships. • Junior Hannah Chamblin earned all-conference honors with a second place finish in the 800 meter at the SoCon outdoor championships. • For the third year in a row, the women’s track & field team ranked among the nation’s best in team GPA, finishing 12th w a 3.57 mark. with
The women’s Distance Medley Relay team repeated as SoCon Champs at the 2016 Indoor Championships.
Junior Hannah Chamblin earned all-conference honors with a second J Junior i T Teghan h H Henderson d earned d All All-Conference C f h honors ttaking ki firstt in i place finish in the 800m at the SoCon Outdoor Championships. the 10,000 meter run at the SoCon Outdoor Championships.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
VOLLEYBALL RECORD-BREAKING SEASON R • Head Coach Travis Filar • Southern Conference Coach of the Year • 26-6 Overall • 13-3 SoCon • 1st • Southern Conference Regular Season Champions • Batterton named CoSIDA Academic All-District • AVCA Academic Excellence Award • Travis Filar coached the Mocs to a historical 26-6 record and the first regular season Southern Conference trophy since 1998 with a 13-3 league mark. He was named SoCon Coach of the Year, only the second UTC coach to earn the honor. • Chattanooga got off to its best start in school history, racing out to a 15-2 record that included an 11-match winning streak. The Mocs also earned their first win against a “Power 5” school since 2004 with a 3-2 victory at Virginia Tech on Sept. 19.
Junior K Junior J Kristy riistty Wi W Wieser ieser fi fini nished ish hed d th the season rranked ank ked d 49t 49th hn nationally ationall ti lly with ith a .369 attack percentage. Wieser also posted 66 blocks and 321 kills.
• Allie Davenport and Kristy Wieser were named to the AllSoCon First Team. Davenport led the team with 404 kills, averaging 3.58 per set, while Wieser boasted a squad-best .369 attack percentage. • Catherine Chason and Lauren Greenspoon represented the Mocs on the All-SoCon Second Team. Chason led the backcourt, posting 581 digs with a 4.8 average per set. Greenspoon ran the Mocs’ offense with 1,133 assists and 10.12 per set. • Sarah Batterton saw success on the court and in the classroom. She was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, in addition to racking up 68 blocks and 320 kills in 2015. • UTC won the Scenic City Showdown and the Hokie Invitational. Chattanooga also finished second in the SoCon Championships for the first time since 2001.
Seniior C Senior Catherine ath therin i e Ch C Chason hason rea reached ched h d double-digit doubl ble di digit it di dig digs s in i every m match atch t h but b three. She led the Mocs with 39 service aces.
J i Alli Junior Allie D Davenportt was named d tto th the All All-SoCon S C Fi Firstt T Team after ft hit hit- Sophomore S h L Lauren G Greenspoon was named dS SoCon C Off Offensive i Pl Player off ting double-digit kills in 24 matches. She averaged 3.99 points per set. the Month for September, while earning spots on three All-Tourney teams.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
WRESTLING SOCON TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
• Head Coach Heath Eslinger • 12-4 Overall • 6-1 SoCon • T1st • SoCon Regular Season co-Champions • No. 23 Final National Ranking • No. 15 in the Nation With a 3.196 Team GPA • NWCA All-Academic Team Award • Lampe & Johnson named CoSIDA Academic All-District • The Mocs posted a 12-4 overall record and went 6-1 in the Southern Conference. UTC won the regular season title for the 16th time since the league began awarding a season winner in 1994. The Mocs finished second at the SoCon Tournament in Asheville, N.C., falling to Appalachian State by a 1/2-point.
Kamaal Shakur was the SoCon Freshman of the Year and the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the SoCon Tournament.
• Chattanooga sent six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, including Michael Pongracz (141), Kamaal Shakur (157), Sean Mappes (174), John Lampe (184), Scottie Boykin (197) and Jared Johnson (285). • Kamaal Shakur was named the SoCon Freshman of the Y Year after leading the team with a 24-8 record at 157. He w was the SoCon Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler at tthe SoCon Tournament. • Junior Scottie Boykin won the SoCon title at 197 pounds to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. • Junior Jared Johnson was ranked in the top-15 at heavyweight most of the season. He finished second at the SoCon Championships and was the 13th seed at the NCAAs.
Junior Scottie Boykin was the SoCon Tournament Champion at 197 pounds and earned All-SoCon honors for the third year in a row.
• Senior John Lampe won the Dayle May Award for having the highest cumulative GPA among all UTC senior male studentathletes.
Junior Jared Johnson was the No. 13 seed at the NCAA Tournament at Senior John Lampe made his first appearance at the NCAA Tournaheavyweight and finished with a 23-7 record. ment, earning an at-large bid at 184 pounds.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
AWARDS
DESERVED RECOGNITION
Softball head coach Frank Reed was inducted into the Greater Chat- The football team received the Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award tanooga Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. from the NCAA for having the most improved scores in the SoCon.
Senior Luke Saunders earned the SoCon SSenior Sen ior Al ior Ali Alicia iciia Payne P recei received ived the ived the th he SoCon S C EnV SoC EEnVeritas Veri erititas tas Group Gr po poststt Sen S ior Luk ior L uke ke Sau S aunde nders d ear ned d th eS oCo C nD Don Di Director Director t off Athletic Athlleti Ath tic P Performance erfformance Scott Scott tt Brincks B incks Bri k graduate scholarship and was a NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. Buch/Buddy Hartsell Sportsmanship Award. was named Master Strength Coach by the CSCCA.
D Mik Dr. Mike J Jones was named d tto th the iinaugurall S Southern th C Conference f All All- Th The men’s ’ b basketball k tb ll poster t was No. N 4 iin th the nation ti iin th the annuall C CoSIDA SIDA Faculty team and was honored during the men’s basketball VMI game. Publications Contest.
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2015-16 YEAR IN REVIEW
WHAT’S NEXT? MAINTAINING SUCCESS
Even with the unprecedented success in 2015-16, we are always looking to the future. It takes a lot to maintain this level of success, but the dedication from our student-athletes, coaches, staff and campus administration is unwavering. The support we get from the community helps us solidify our grasp on maintaining the top program in the region. Our next big project is the new Athletics Building connected to McKenzie Arena. We have received approval to begin the planning process and have begun fundraising for the project. As we work towards this much-needed addition to our program, there are three easy ways listed below to continue to support our mission of equipping our student-athletes for success. If you feel like you are already doing all three of them, give me a call and we can talk about how you can do more.
The llocation Th ocati tion off th the new Ath Athl Athletics l tics B leti Building uild ildiing iis ild s conne connected cted t d tto oM McKenzie cKe K nzie i Arena near the intersection of 5th and Mabel Streets.
Thanks for taking the time to read this recap of 2015-16 and remember that I am always here for anything you need concerning the Chattanooga Mocs. - David Blackburn - Vice Chancellor & Director of Athletics.
THREE EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT THE MOCS
1
PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS.
Having a strong season ticket base is important for a number of reasons. Not only does it create a solid home-field advantage, but it also helps in recruiting. Increased numbers of season tickets can provide financial growth, while opening more opportunities for advertising and sponsorship dollars from corporate partners.
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JOIN THE MOCS CLUB.
3
BE A FAN! B
Among A Amo ng th the ma man many ny spa spaces ces in in th the e ne n new ew buildi b building ildi lding ng would o ld be be a m much-needed uch ch h neede eded d d Athletic Training Room to serve all student-athletes at UTC.
Membership in the Mocs Club helps to offset the rising costs of scholarships for all Chattanooga student-athletes. This group is not exclusive, any fan can start receiving great benefits for as little as $75. By joining, you are investing in the betterment of our student-athletes. Visit GoMocs.com or contact Brent McMillian (brent-mcmillian@utc.edu) for more information.
W need you to be an advocate. Come out to our We pep rallys, sport your Mocs gear, listen to Chat w with the Mocs on 96.1 The Legend and watch our ccoaches shows on GoMocs.com. We need you to help increase our presence in the community, so put those “C” stickers on your cars, fly your flags on the front porch and be a proud Mocs fan!
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H Here is i another th view i off th the llocation ti off th the new Athl Athletics ti B Building ildi connected to the front of McKenzie Arena.
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2015-16 20 2 015 15-1 --16 16 6 YE YEAR EAR R IIN N REVI REVIEW VIEW VIEW VI W
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