With the new semester entering full swing, it is time for college sports to start back up. Concord University’s various sports teams, much like every other year, are aiming to win. Students wishing to view some sporting action have many options. On the men’s side of things, there is football, cross country, soccer, golf, and, later in the semester, basketball. On the women’s side, there is golf, cross country, volleyball, soccer, and tennis, with basketball coming later on. Concord’s teams are looking solid and will hopefully do well.
According to Concord University’s sports information director, Wes McKinney, the men’s cross country team is looking to defend themselves. In the 2015 season, the men’s cross country team succeeded in becoming the Mountain East Conference champions, while the women’s cross country team also did very well, finishing their season in third place overall. Concord’s football team also seeks to improve on last season’s record of five wins and five losses. Though the women’s soccer team has a new head coach in Luke Duffy, McKinney stated that they still hope to succeed.
The hopes and dreams of all of these teams are not unfounded. While it takes an entire team to work together and push each other to their limits, there are a few athletes in each of these sports that viewers should keep an eye on. In men’s cross country, there is Justin Snyder and Jason Weitzel; both were first team all-conference in 2015. In women’s cross country, there is Bailey Knowles, who was first team all-conference in 2015, and Karleigh Thompson, who was second all-conference in 2015. Senior quarterback Brian Novak, senior offensive lineman and two time all-region Coleman Osborne, and junior defensive back and all-region Jeremiah Johnson should be noted in football. In volleyball, Brooke Heck should be closely observed, and in men’s golf, Marti Puig ought to be interesting to see in action. Finally, in soccer, the players that will potentially be of interest are Max Simpson, who was team leader in goals in 2015, and Emily Cole, who was team leader in assists in 2015.
Determination to win is only part of the game. The competition will no doubt prove to be fierce, no matter what sport is being played. McKinney stated that for those who are wondering who will pose the biggest threat to Concord’s victory, he would suggest checking out the statistics from last year to see who Concord won against and who they lost against. He also added that Shepherd University is the best in football, that Wheeling Jesuit won the championship in volleyball last year, that West Virginia Wesleyan is a perennial power in women’s soccer, and that, in the past two years, the University of Charleston has reached the final four in men’s soccer. It would seem that each sport has its own hurdles to overcome. However, with the right support, Concord University might very well win some championships while keeping the ones they already hold.
