This year, AU introduced the new esports program. While COVID-19 had previously stalled the opening of this program, the esports team has finally participated in their first few events. Esports, or competitive gaming, is a sport made up of several teams that compete against other schools in their respective video games. One interesting aspect of the new program is the inclusion of the esports “scholarship.” Interim Head Coach, Justin Lambright, commented on the new … [Read more...]
Esports team prepares for season without head coach
Last week, the head coach of AU’s new esports program resigned, leaving many with questions as to how and when the team’s season would begin. Associate Professor of Mathematics Dr. Justin Lambright, the faculty advisor for the esports program, has been working with Athletic Director Marcie Taylor to fill this newly vacant position. “Right now we're in the process of hiring a new head coach,” said Lambright. “We've got a couple of leads.” In the meantime, Lambright is stepping up … [Read more...]
Basketball star helps save lives
AU senior Maurice Knight has always been known on campus as a hero on the court, but he recently became much more than that. On Aug. 4, Knight and his friend Jake Richwine were the first on the scene of a serious two-car accident in Elwood. On their way home from doing yard work, Knight and Richwine noticed two cars in a field just off of County Roads 900 North and 750 West. “We saw two cars in a field that looked like they had wrecked,” Knight said. “I told Jake to pull over so we could … [Read more...]
HCAC postpones all fall sports
On Wednesday, August 26, in accordance with recommendations and risk assessments from the NCAA, the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) announced their decision to shut down all athletic competitions for the fall semester. Previously, the low-contact sports of men’s and women’s tennis, cross country and golf were given the green light to compete, while high-contact sports, such as men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and football, were postponed until the spring season. Now, … [Read more...]
AU Athletics adds esports program
AU is taking on a new club this year in the form of esports gaming. The sport is essentially “the competitive playing of a certain video game by two organizations, or institutions in this case,” said AU esport player Sam Wells. Wells, along with his teammates, will be competing in games of Rocket League, League of Legends, CS:GO, Valorant and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) this year. Esports head coach Duncan Vosburg stated, “I’m hoping we can continue to add to this list, … [Read more...]
HCAC moves several fall sports to spring season
The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced Monday that they are moving several fall sports—including football, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball—to the spring semester in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the country. The announcement came via a press release after months of speculation as to whether college sports would be played as scheduled in the fall semester. “The decisions on shifting the competitive seasons for these high contact risk sports … [Read more...]
Lacrosse coach discusses abrupt end to season
The lacrosse program at AU was in its second season, and Head Coach Jacob Ashton was prepared to get his boys to conference—until the season abruptly ended due to COVID-19. Ashton grew up in Virginia playing many different sports. In his youth, Ashton played baseball and football. It wasn’t until high school that he decided to make the switch over to lacrosse. Ashton had always been a fan of physical sports and wanted to give something new a try. “I fell in love with it,” Ashton … [Read more...]
AU spring athletes come to terms with cancellations
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson University announced Wednesday spring sports are canceled for the remainder of the semester. “We know this makes a significant impact on student-athletes,” AU athletic director Marcie Taylor said. “There is such a limited time to compete in college. We are particularly heartbroken for our seniors and empathize with our student-athletes and coaches who have worked so hard to prepare for their spring sports season.” The NCAA announced it … [Read more...]
Athletic season suspended amidst national COVID-19 outbreak
“All athletic competition (conference and non-conference) at HCAC member institutions is indefinitely suspended, effective immediately,” read a statement released by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) on March 13. With this statement, the busy season of AU Athletics came to a halt. Among the affected sports are men’s and women’s lacrosse, tennis, baseball and softball. “Sadly our season has come to an end with the growing concern of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” said Head … [Read more...]
Senior spotlight: Malik Laffoon
Malik Laffoon is a senior sports marketing major. He has been a member of the men’s basketball team since he began his freshman year at AU and is listed on the roster as a 6-foot-2 point guard. From his freshman year to his senior year, he has scored over 1,000 points, which is a record he broke on Feb. 28, 2020. His ability to score so many points may be due to his intense desire to put in the work to get better, as well as his pre-game ritual of trying to shoot as many shots as … [Read more...]