A world without base hits, track lanes, match points, goals, and tee times is proving to be quite empty for the Winthrop Eagles.
Like numerous universities around the country, Winthrop saw a heartbreaking close to all of its spring sports in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Not only affecting the athletes, but their coaches, families, Eagles fans and Winthrop Athletics staff.
Despite the absence of live play and broadcasts, the professionals in the athletic department have been doing all they can to keep the athletes and the Winthrop community engaged.
“Through the good times [and] the bad, Winthrop #EverStand,” reads a tweet from the WUEagles twitter page.
Athletics is proving to remain tech savvy by producing inspiring content, helping the community remember momentous occasions from years past, and participating in popular social media challenges.
Whether sharing a photo slideshow of athletes and their furry friends on National Puppy Day or a video of skillfully tossed toilet paper in the #StayAtHomeChallenge, marketing is going a long way to keep spirits alive.
Many athletes have been seen sharing cheerful messages or heartwarming smiles, helping make the posts more personal.
For some of those athletes, there is hope of returning next season, for others their path is questionable.
As a response to the cancellation of competition, NCAA officials passed legislation granting an extra year of eligibility for spring sport athletes.
“I know there are going to be a lot of tricky things to go along with figuring that out, but I can assure you my colleagues and I are all excited to figure out how to do that,” Dr. Ken Halpin, Winthrop Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, shared in a video on March 20.
Halpin further expressed that there is a want to grant those individuals that opportunity, and they are working on a possible solution.
Despite the disheartening news, there still has been much excitement for the competitive Eagles.
Alongside volleyball and men’s basketball, Winthrop Esports claimed a PantherLAN championship title.
Men’s basketball gained further recognition by ranking third amongst teams with the most conference tournament titles since 1999–the Eagles have 11.
In more men’s basketball news, DJ Burns Jr. was named to the “Kyle Macy Freshman All-American team.”
Hunter Hale, men’s basketball, and Alisa Soleveva, women’s tennis, were named Eagles of the Month for March.
Zak Butt (men’s golf), Sara McGuire (lacrosse) , Will Metcalf-Shull (cross country) and Taryn DeLeon (track) were all named National Strength and Conditioning Association’s “All-American Strength & Conditioning Student-Athletes of the Year.”
McGuire was also recognized by the home team–through being awarded the Winthrop Office of Diversity and Student Engagement “Woman of Distinction” Award.
The continued recognition of the athletics teams, shows the strength of the programs and the strength of the university.
The absence of athletics has left a hole in the hearts of many, but the courage to continue everyday is a true representation of the ever stand mission.
Despite today’s woes, the Eagles will soar again–and will always rock the hill.
For more information on any of these stories, visit winthropeagles.com.
Photos provided by Winthrop Athletics
