Craig McPhail, an alumnus from the class of 1993, lived on the third floor of Bancroft during his freshman and sophomore year at Winthrop, which now houses the history and political science departments.
“[My friends and I] did everything together and made incredible memories,” McPhail said. “We all went to eat dinner together, played basketball late at night in Peabody Gym, did road trips, went home with each other during holiday breaks, and still stay in touch with each other.”
McPhail stated that some of the residents living in Bancroft ventured out into Hurricane Hugo.
“Probably not our smartest decision,” McPhail said.
A few of the friends he mentioned are Matt Short, Chad Caulder, Ron Schick, Troy Hodge, Andrew Getz, John Schmoll, Lee Thomas.
Now, Bancroft Hall has been transformed into classrooms and offices for various departments.
“I miss the incredible times we had, and the friendships made, but I understood the need for the space to be reconfigured in a different way,” McPhail said.
When he was not hanging out with his friends from the third floor of Bancroft, McPhail competed as a student athlete on the men’s cross-country team and states his last race as a Winthrop athlete was his best race.
“I think the realization my career was over after that race gave me extra incentive to go with no regrets and push myself past point of comfort to test my training” McPhail said. “It was fulfilling to know I gave my best effort. So many young people have regrets over their season finale, and I try to talk about how short the experience is and to make the most of it.”
As a Winthrop athlete, McPhail was coached by Dr. Ed Guettler.
“He was an amazing man,” McPhail said. “[He] impacted my life in so many ways. A lot of who I am today was from his lessons to our team.”
McPhail said that being an athlete at Winthrop right now is a “special time.”
“What a special time it is to be a Winthrop student-athlete. New president and new athletic director who have your best interests at hand and want to provide you with a great experience” McPhail said. “In doing so, make the most of those opportunities to take advantage of the resources provided to you by Athletic Training, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, Sports Psych to give you the best chance to succeed. Work with your teammates through adversity because it will not be the only time you face it. Also, use the time to meet other people, support other teams, get engaged and involved in the community, those are your biggest supporters and fans.”
As a student, McPhail remembers the various events that happened on campus during homecoming week.
“There were parades and float making that culminated the homecoming week” McPhail said. “Each day was something differently themed and we took part in some of these. A lot of events occurred during the week to encourage campus participation and seeing people come back and telling their stories made for great experiences.”
Aside from being a student athlete, McPhail had the opportunity to complete an internship in the athletic department his senior year and worked in the marketing office with Howard Klein.
Aside from athletics, McPhail majored in mass communication with a minor in interpersonal speech.
Currently McPhail worked as the Vice President of Athletics and Club Sports at Lees-McRae College, a NCAA Division II school in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
“I manage 25 sports teams, over 330 student-athletes, 40 staff members,” McPhail said. “Each day is different as you try to provide resources to create great memories for the young people who are using their talents to get an education in a very unique setting.”
McPhail has remained active with the Winthrop community as an alumni by being an Eagle Club member and staying in touch with current and former coaches and staff.
Sam – thanks for capturing my thoughts on the special time I had at Winthrop. I owe a great debt of gratitude for those who helped me while I was there. Best. Craig