ATHLETICS REVIEW
2018-19 Life University Athletics Team-by-Team Review
Men ’ s Soccer
The men ’ s soccer program ended the year with a 9-10-1 overall record , advancing to the semifinals of the Mid-South Conference Tournament . The Running Eagles showed a tremendous amount of progress in the classroom with a program-high 10 All-Academic MSC selections . The program also saw two members garner First-Team All-MSC accolades with two more earning Second-Team All-MSC honors . Five individuals were named NAIA / Daktronics Scholar Athletes , in addition to the team being named a NAIA Scholar Team . Thierry Jules was named MSC Player of the Week twice during the season .
Women ’ s Soccer
The women ’ s soccer program completed its third year with a program-best 6-12 record . The women recorded 10 All-Academic MSC selections with one member of the team earning First-Team All-MSC honors . Two members of the team earned Second-Team All-MSC honors with one athlete being named a NAIA Daktronics / Scholar Athlete . Sydney Young and Josie Davis each were named MSC Players of the Week as the program was named a NAIA Scholar Team . The Running Eagles also recorded their first upset win over Bryan College 2-0 early in the season .
Women ’ s Volleyball
The women ’ s volleyball program entered its fourth year of competition and finished with an 11-22 record . The season was highlighted by performances from senior Liz Mann , who became the all-time career kills leader within the program with 1,142 . Mann was also named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American . The team earned four All-Academic MSC selections with one First-Team All-MSC nod , as well as two Second-Team honors . Three athletes were named NAIA / Daktronics Scholar Athletes . Mann earned one MSC Player of the Week honor as libero Marin Black earned the honor twice in her freshman campaign . The team was also recognized by the NAIA as a Scholar Team .
Women ’ s Cross-Country
The women ’ s cross-country team competed in the fall as well and captured fourth place at the MSC Championships . The team tallied two All- Academic MSC selections with Elizabeth Skipper earning her second NAIA / Daktronics Scholar Athlete recognition .
Men ’ s Basketball
The men ’ s basketball program finished the season 19-14 and narrowly missed an entrance into the NAIA National Tournament . The season was full of highlights , including an 87-81 victory over No . 11 Dillard on the road , a 74-68 upset of No . 19 University of the Cumberlands and back-to-back upsets over No . 10 Campbellsville ( 82-68 ) and No . 6 Georgetown ( 97-88 ). Georgetown went on to win the 2019 NAIA National Championship . During their run in the MSC Tournament , the men ’ s basketball team upset host No . 13 Pikeville in triple overtime , in which Cam Horton finished with 29 points . Horton also won Individual Performance of the Year at the Life University Student-Athlete Awards Banquet . The team earned one All- Academic MSC selection and one First-Team All-MSC honor . Jay Jay Simpson and Deven Dorsett were each recognized as MSC Player of the Week once during the season .
Women ’ s Basketball
Also , in its third year of competition , the women ’ s basketball team recorded its first-ever winning season at 18-11 . The Running Eagles finished the year on a on a high note , knocking off nationally ranked No . 19 Lindsey Wilson on the road 87-85 to end the regular season . It was the first victory over Lindsey Wilson and a ranked opponent in program history . The effort was named the Team Performance of the Year at the Student-Athlete Awards Banquet . Academically , the team earned four All-Academic MSC selections and was recognized by the NAIA as a Scholar Team . Tierra Tullis earned Second Team All-MSC honors as well at the end of the season .
Women ’ s Track and Field
The women ’ s track and field program sent a pair of athletes to the NAIA National Championships during the indoor season , and former national champion Bria Sands traveled alone in the outdoor season . The team captured five individual MSC Titles as Iantha Wright was named the MSC Indoor Freshman of the Year . Wright also finished as an NAIA Runner-Up in the 60-meter dash , and Sands picked up second in the triple jump at nationals . The program earned two NAIA All-American honors for Wright and Sands during the indoor season with six Second-Team All-MSC finishes . The team finished third at the MSC Indoor Championships as well .
Men ’ s Wrestling
The men ’ s wrestling program set new records during the 2018-19 campaign with a secondplace finish at the NWCA National Duals that included upsets over No . 4 Providence and No . 2 Indiana Tech . The program achieved its highest ranking within the NAIA in program history at No . 3 . Nosomy Pozo claimed his second consecutive NAIA National Championship at the 157 lb . weight class as the program featured three wrestlers in the finals . Both Randy McCray Jr . and Lucius Van Rensburg finished as a national runner-up . The team also recorded its highest finish at the NAIA National Championships in third with 82.5 points . Five athletes were recognized as NAIA All-Americans , which also marked a program high . Seven athletes were named to the All-Academic MSC team with three MSC Champions and one runner-up . Chase Zemenak was named the MSC Wrestler of the Week and also was recognized as the NAIA Wrestler of the week . At the Student Athlete Awards Banquet , Pozo earned the Male Student Athlete of the Year award , Van Rensburg received the Resilient Running Eagle Award , McCray Jr . was named the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year and Head Coach Omi Acosta was named the Coach of the Year .
Alumni . LIFE . edu | 2019
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