Tahou Shines at NCAA Championships

ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern’s Maeva Tahou concluded her trip to the NCAA Championships, in
Eugene, Oregon, on June 13 in the triple jump and marked her second First-Team All-
American performance of the week as she accomplished the feat in the long jump June 11
as well. She jumped 13.44m in the triple jump to claim sixth overall nationally.

Tahou started her series with a pair of 13.35m for a new personal best and had the mark
already clear her for the finals. She fouled on her second attempt and then got even better
on the third with a 13.38m. On her fourth she had a 13.03m and then went for a day’s best
of 13.44 on the fifth to move her up the leaderboard one last time before fouling on her
sixth. The mark ranks as a new personal best, school record, and conference record.

ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern University is saddened to announce the death of retired Coach James “Jim” C. Settle, age 88, on Tuesday, April 14.

Settle was one of the first 16 faculty members hired by the then Baptist College at ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ for its first academic year, 1965-1966, teaching kinesiology. Classes for the 1965-1966 academic year were held at the First Baptist Church of North ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ. Students were housed at the St. John Hotel (now the Mills House) in downtown ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ, and Settle and his wife, Betty, served as the house parents for the students living in the hotel that first year.

Settle came to Baptist College as assistant cross country and assistant track coach in 1965, quickly developing the program into one of the finest in the Southeast. He worked with Coach Howard Bagwell as an assistant and then later as the head coach, coaching several All-Americans, including 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist Charlie Simpkins. 

After four years out of coaching, Settle returned as head coach in 1985 and promptly led the men’s track team to an outstanding 29-0 record. The 1986 team followed up with a 31-4 record. All total, the Baptist College/ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern men’s track program posted 313 victories against only 62 defeats from 1966-92. This included five undefeated seasons. 

Settle was inducted into the ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990, the Big South Conference Hall of Fame in 2005, and was named Big South Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. In 2001, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern co-named the university track facility in his honor.

He was named professor emeritus of kinesiology in 2009 and in recent years was a member of the CSU emeriti prayer group.

Villarreal-Ortiz has been a participant in the USA Flag Women’s National Team Trials for each of the past three years, becoming one of the nation’s top players in the sport. In total, she has played flag football for six years as a wide receiver and a defensive back.

“I am incredibly honored to join the ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern University family and lead the first women’s flag football program in school history,” said Villarreal-Ortiz. “The chance to build something from the ground up is really special and I am looking forward to creating a culture built on discipline, unity and purpose. I am excited to work with our student athletes, help them grow on and off the field and build a program that competes at a high level and represents CSU the right way. Thank you to Mr. Jeff Barber for giving me this opportunity and go Bucs!”

In her working career, she has held a variety of titles in the world of coaching as well as strength and conditioning in and around San Antonio, Texas. These range from Director of Sports Performance to Personal Trainer with staffing, facility and clientele oversight. This has included leading strength and conditioning sessions for professional athletes, developing a strong staff culture among her employees and tracking athlete performance growth.

“We are proud to welcome Angela to the Buccaneer family as the inaugural head coach of our women’s flag football program,” shared Jeff Barber, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “Angela is a great mission-fit for CSU and brings an elite background as a professional player, a three-time USA National Team camp invitee, and a potential Olympic team member for the 2028 USA Team. More importantly, she has a deep passion for developing student-athletes and growing the game of flag football at the collegiate level. We are very excited to welcome Angela and David to our community as we launch this new program and build a championship culture from day one.”

Villarreal-Ortiz graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in May of 2019 with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science. In December of 2020, she completed her Master of Science in Health and Kinesiology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. While she was an undergraduate student, she was a valuable member of the women’s basketball program at UTRGV.

The nationwide search began in January following the school’s announcement of the addition of the program with their first competitive season to be in the spring of 2028. ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern was the first in the league to add it as a varsity sport and the 14th nationally at the NCAA Division I level. In March, the Big South approved the addition of Women’s Flag Football starting in the 2027-28 academic year. The conference became the first Division I multi-sport conference to sponsor this new emerging NCAA sport.

What they’re saying about ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern Head Coach Angela Villarreal-Ortiz

U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach, Saaid Mortazavi – “Angela is an exceptional choice to lead the program at ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern University. She brings a rare combination of passion, football intelligence and the ability to connect with and elevate athletes. I am incredibly excited to see the impact she will have, not just in building a competitive team, but in shaping a culture that players will be proud to be a part of. This is a big moment for the program, and they will have a good person leading it forward.”

USA Football Senior Director of High Performance & National Team Operations, Callie Brownson – “ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern has put their program in good hands with Angela Villarreal. Angela is a respected member of the elite flag football community and has earned multiple invitations to USA Football’s National Team Trials, which speaks to where she stands among the best flag players in the country. Competing at the highest level of the game gives you an understanding that you cannot get anywhere else. I have no doubt she will bring the same commitment and understanding of the game to ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern, and her players will be better for it. I am excited to see the impact she makes for the Buccaneers!”

The season will begin on Thursday, August 27, in a conference game at Lindenwood. The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. CT in the Bucs’ first-ever season opener which also serves as their conference opener.

Following this, they stay on the road for their next two games with a trip to Georgia Southern (9/5) and another to crosstown rival, The Citadel (9/12). This will mark the second official meeting of the Lowcountry Boil Bowl. Additionally, this is the first time since 2011 that the Bucs’ first three games of the year are on the road.

The Buccaneers’ home opener comes against Point on September 19 with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. After this, they will have their bye week and play for the next eight weekends until the season finale. The stretch begins with a pair of home games coming against Gardner-Webb (10/3) and South Carolina State (10/10). The first will serve as the third-ever meeting of the North/South BBQ Bowl and the other will serve as Homecoming.

ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern will then go on the road to face Clemson (10/17) for their nonconference finale. They then travel to Nashville to take on Tennessee State (10/24) to begin the run of five consecutive conference games to end the season.

The Buccaneers then host three games in a row for the second time this season. This stretch of contests has each scheduled for a 2 p.m. kickoff with them coming against Western Illinois (10/31), UT Martin (11/7) and Southeast Missouri State (11/14). The season finale will be on November 21 with them traveling to Eastern Illinois.

Information on season tickets as well as single game ticket packages will be released later in the year. Continue to check csusports.com for the latest information on ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern athletics.

Coach Jim Stintzi becomes the second all-time winningest coach in league history at the conference championship meet with his sixth victory.  Additionally, this marks the sixth time he has won Big South Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, remaining as the second all-time winningest coach for the award on the men’s side.
 
The stretch of six consecutive titles becomes tied for the second-longest run in league history as they are now tied with Radford’s 1985-1990 stretch and trail Liberty’s nine in-a-row from 2005-2013. The team score of 21 ties the Bucs’ scores at the spring 2021 and 2023 championships which marks the third-lowest total in conference history.
 
The Buccaneers continue their postseason in two weeks in Charlottesville, Virginia, to compete in the NCAA Southeast Regionals. The race is scheduled for the morning of Friday, Nov. 14 with the University of Virginia serving as hosts.
 
A full listing of CSU results, team results and awards from the championship race can be found below.
 
CSU Individual Results
1 – Caleb Kenyon – 24:55.6
2 – Hayden Goode – 25:01.0
3 – Micah Gilpatric – 25:01.3
7 – Martin Iriondo – 25:09.0
8 – Zach Mickler – 25:13.2
13 – Griffin Gillespie – 25:32.8
16 – Jeff Wedding – 25:42.6
21 – Zaiden Lane – 25:52.5
24 – Andrew Cleland – 26:03.5
27 – Lin Scott – 26:12.0
 
Final Team Results
1 – ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern (21)
2 – High Point (45)
3 – UNC Asheville (87)
4 – USC Upstate (115)
5 – Radford (126)
6 – Longwood (155)
7 – Winthrop (215)
8 – Presbyterian (234)
9 – Gardner-Webb (265)
 
Individual Champion
Caleb Kenyon, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
 
Freshman of the Year
Max Bonilla, High Point
 
Newcomer of the Year
Joshua Gillis, USC Upstate
 
Coach of the Year
Jim Stintzi, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
 
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Hayat Khan, Radford, Sr.
 
All-Conference (Top 14 Finishers)
First-Team
Caleb Kenyon, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
Hayden Goode, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
Micah Gilpatric, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
Avery Crowell, High Point
Gavin Stevens, High Point
Charlie Dance, Radford
Martin Iriondo, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
 
Second-Team
Zach Mickler, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
Jan Malek, UNC Asheville
Max Bonilla, High Point
Sam Shimanskiy, USC Upstate
Ari Snyder, High Point
Griffin Gillespie, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern
Simon Treizenberg, High Point
 
All-Academic Team
Caleb Kenyon, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern, Sr.
Michael Fletcher, Gardner-Webb, Soph.
Gavin Stevens, High Point, Jr.
Clinton Clancy, Longwood, Jr.
Noah Kaufman, Presbyterian, Jr.
Hayat Khan, Radford, Sr.
Quinn Jacquez, UNC Asheville, Sr.
Sam Shimanskiy, USC Upstate, Gr.
Jason Krell, Winthrop, Gr.

By CSU Athletics

ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern collected their first conference win of 2025 Oct. 18 in Macomb, Illinois, taking down Western Illinois by a final score of 29-24. Zolten Osborne tossed for a career-high four touchdowns in the win finding Rashawn Cunningham and Jamil Bishop twice each to lead the Buccaneers to the win.

Western Illinois was the first to get on the board using a 41-yard field goal on their opening drive for the early lead. Osborne then led the Bucs on a six-play, 75-yard drive that was capped off with a 16-yard pass to Cunningham in the corner of the endzone to go up 7-3.

The Leathernecks scored touchdowns on each of their ensuing possessions to regain the lead, now up 17-7 at the beginning of the second quarter. Before the half, Osborne found Cunningham again in the middle of the endzone from 14 yards out. This cut the deficit to 17-14 which was carried into the halftime break.

Western Illinois scored on the opening drive of the second half to move their lead back to a 10-point advantage. After this, however, the Leathernecks were able to score again, with the Bucs going on to score the final 15 points of the game to pace the way for the win.

The Buccaneers got their first touchdown of this stretch on a 42-yard completion to Bishop halfway through the third and the other to Bishop as well but from 30 yards out at the start of the fourth quarter. ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern kept their foot on the gas, converting on a two-point conversion with Osborne finding Nebanye Moore to give them the lead at 29-24. Between the scores, Jayden Hancock came down with an interception in the endzone to end a potential scoring drive for the Leathernecks at the end of the third quarter.

Western Illinois had one last chance with the ball and were able to bring it into Buccaneer territory. On the fourth and one, Markell Holman tried to rush up the middle but was stuffed by CJ Landrum and Mylan Bowen to turn the ball over on downs, setting up victory formation for the Bucs and seal the win.

Osborne finished the day going 14-26 for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Hakeem Watters collected 16 carries for 52 yards while Ke’Marion Baldwin had 10 rushed for 38 yards. Cunningham led the squad in receiving yards with 95 off four catches and two touchdowns. Jamil Bishop had three receptions for 80 yards and two scores. Mekhi Campfield had a team-high five catches for 67 yards.

On the defensive end, Steve Zayachkowsky led the Buccaneers with 16 tackles, 10 of which were solo stops. David Portu had the lone sack of the day for the squad while Champ Brantley, Malik McKinzie, Anthony Paulk and Josias Addison each had a TFL. Nick Bartalo had a pair of pass breakups and many key plays defensively down the stretch.

ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern returns to Buccaneer Field Saturday to take on Eastern Illinois as part of Homecoming weekend. The kickoff is set for 2 p.m.  on Saturday, October 25 with the game to be available live on ESPN+.

Kaden Smith officially was named the NCAA statistical champion in Runs Batted In (RBIs) per game July 21. He finished the year with an average of 1.58 per game to lead all of NCAA Division 1 to become the first-ever statistical champion in the history of the ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern baseball program.

In Smith’s 50 games played and started during the 2025 season, he collected 79 RBIs to lead the team. He was named Second-Team All-Conference along with earned ABCA Second-Team All-Region.

Beginning in April, Smith’s offensive production reached a new level across the final seven weeks of the season as he raised his batting average by .075. Also, during this stretch of 27 contests, he batted in 52 runs for an average of nearly two per game to catapult himself onto the national leaderboards.

Along with receiving the honor, the NCAA is providing Smith and the program with a pair of plaques to commemorate the honor.

Calhoun Named Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Michael Calhoun was named the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient by the Big South Conference July 21. The annual Scholar-Athletes of the Year are voted on by the Big South Sports Information Directors from a pool of each sport’s Scholar-Athlete winner during the past season. Calhoun becomes the first-ever ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern male student-athlete to receive the award in the conference’s history.

Calhoun holds a 4.0 GPA and is working on his Master of Science in biology. He recorded some of the top marks in league history in the shot put during the indoor season, as he broke and re-broke the school record in the event four times. His longest mark of 18.17m claimed him a Runner-up finish at the Big South Championships which ranks sixth all-time in the league record book. 

Calhoun was a member of the Big South’s Men’s Outdoor Track & Field All-Academic Team as well and earned a second-place finish in the shot put at the Outdoor Conference Championship. He set the CSU outdoor record in the Shot put with a mark of 17.88m at the Weems Baskin Invitational and had a PR-mark of 45.75 in the discus at the CSU Buc Open. Calhoun claimed five different podium finishes during the outdoor campaign and qualified for the NCAA East First Round in the shot put to finish his career as one of the best throwing careers in CSU track & field history.   

The Big South Male and Female Scholar-Athletes of the Year are selected from a pool of each sport’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year winners announced during the regular season. On the men’s side, Calhoun finished with 33 points (three first-place votes), ahead of UNC Asheville tennis player Tarek Erlewein (24 points) and High Point track & field runner Graham Ferguson (22 points).

The annual Big South Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award recipients are listed below.

MALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

1995-96             Tomas Malik, Coastal Carolina (tennis)

1996-97             Tomas Malik, Coastal Carolina (tennis)

1997-98             Corey Reed, Radford (basketball)

1998-99             David Steffler, Winthrop (baseball)

1999-00             Chris Malinky, Coastal Carolina (soccer)

2000-01             Bruce Kite, Liberty (cross country)

2001-02             Mike Roach, UNC Asheville (soccer)

2002-03             Jeremy Plexico, Winthrop (baseball)

2004-05             Kevin Slowey, Winthrop (baseball)

2005-06             Patrick Colas, Radford (soccer)

2006-07             Josh Hoke, Coastal Carolina (football)

2007-08             Jack Leasure, Coastal Carolina (basketball)

2008-09             Aaron Linn, Gardner-Webb (basketball)

2009-10             Austin Fleet, Coastal Carolina (baseball)

2010-11             Dusty Quattlebaum, Gardner-Webb (baseball)

2011-12             Tucker Frawley, Coastal Carolina (baseball)

2012-13             Pat Kelly, Liberty (football)

2013-14             Trey Lambert, Liberty (baseball)

2014-15             Stephen Hudgens, Radford (soccer)

2015-16             Paul O’Donoghue, High Point (track & field)

2016-17             Fraser Colmer, Radford (soccer)

2017-18             Kevin Vannatta, UNC Asheville (basketball)

2018-19             Blanton Gillespie, UNC Asheville (track & field/cross country)

2019-20             K.J. Smith, North Alabama (football)

2020-21             K.J. Smith, North Alabama (football)

2021-22             K.J. Smith, North Alabama (football)

2022-23             Victor Putter, Gardner-Webb (tennis)

2023-24             Brann Reid, UNC Asheville (tennis)

2024-25             Michael Calhoun, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern (track & field)

FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

1995-96             Angela Murphy, Coastal Carolina (cross country)

1996-97             Angela Murphy, Coastal Carolina (cross country)

1997-98             Jolene Williams, Coastal Carolina (track & field)

1998-99             Jolene Williams, Coastal Carolina (track & field)

1999-00             Jolene Williams, Coastal Carolina (track & field)

2000-01             Jeanne Lambert, Coastal Carolina (volleyball)

2001-02             Kara Koppel, Coastal Carolina (track & field)

2002-03             Kara Koppel, Coastal Carolina (track & field)

2004-05             Danielle McNaney, Liberty (track & field)

2005-06             Leslie Cook, High Point (basketball)

2006-07             Leslie Cook, High Point (basketball)

2007-08             Felicitas Mensing, Coastal Carolina (track & field)

2008-09             Megan Frazee, Liberty (basketball)

2009-10             Jill Nyhof, Coastal Carolina (volleyball)

2010-11             Chelsea Kelley, Radford (softball)

2011-12             Jane Savage, Gardner-Webb (softball)

2012-13             Megan Rhodes, Radford (soccer)

2013-14             Shaela Churchill, Campbell (softball)

2014-15             Teresa Williamson, Radford (track & field)

2015-16             Ashley Rininger, Liberty (basketball)

2016-17             Kelsey Rea, Campbell (track & field)

2017-18             Mackenize Koeller, Campbell (lacrosse)

2018-19             Jessica Wollmann, Radford (soccer)

2019-20             Camryn Brown, High Point (basketball)

2020-21             Carrie Reaver, Longwood (soccer)

2021-22             Grace Volk, UNC Asheville (volleyball)

2022-23             Jessica Donald, Campbell (soccer)

2023-24             Annah Junge, ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern (softball)

2024-25             Avery Jolley, Winthrop (volleyball) and Brianna Malone, High Point (track & field)

Freshman Ella Grace Harrison won first place in Class C American Trap at the Association of College Unions International/Scholastic Clay Target Program 2025 College Nationals in San Antonio, Texas. 

Reagan Martin was the first person signed to the newly formed Clay Target Team four years ago by Founding Coach Thomas Cousins. He graduated in May with a major in biology with a wildlife emphasis. In the ACUI/SCTP college nationals in San Antonio, Texas, he finished in the top 20% overall in Classic All Around.

Cousins said, “I had hoped when we started the team that we could compete with the schools we shoot against. In building the program, we had a few years of just learning and kind of taking our lumps, but now we feel as if we can compete with just about anyone on a national stage.” The CSU Team finished tied for 12^th out of 21 teams in Division 3 at nationals.

Freshman Evelyn Elkins also saw success at the college nationals shooting a 90 in sporting clays and finished second (class B), shooting a 95 in trap, tied for first (class B), and finishing third in the nation in her Division in Classic All Around – combined skeet, trap and sporting clays.

Harrison said her favorite memories from the year came at the national championship, “I was able to shoot my first ever 25 in a row in trap and won first place in C Class women’s trap. I was also surrounded by the best teammates and coaches having fun the whole time we were there.”

Martin said, “The traveling experiences were my favorite. I was able to compete in Nevada, Texas, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. The sights, stories, and fellowship will not be forgotten. The trophies won were rewarding because they were a result of something that I was a part of from the beginning.” 

Cousins emphasizes the commitment students on the Clay Target Team make. When he coached at the high school level, the season ran from November to March. College seasons run from September through April. “It is a big commitment for the students to be a part of a season that is so long,” said Cousins.

Team members contribute their success to having a family with their teammates. Martin said it is important to draw near to the Lord and remember that success is earned, not given. 

Harrison said, “I try to stay on top of my class work, so then I can focus on the tournament and keep up with grades.” She says sporting clays is a mental game, and you must make sure your education comes first.

She said, “The 2024-2025 season was my first season with CSU, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My teammates and coaches made this season to be some of the best memories I will forever keep, and at dinner after each tournament there was never a moment we weren’t laughing. I am looking forward to getting back to shooting and being around the team in our 2025-2026 season.”

Athletes who attended the National Championships in addition to Martin, Elkins, and Harrison were: Ethan Moore, Ryan Clark, Aubrey Latham, and Tristen Cooks.

• Radford softball player��Cassi Barbato��(4.00 in Exercise, Sport and Health Education)
• Gardner-Webb men’s swimmer��Theodore Drescher��(4.00 in Graphic Design)
• Longwood women’s lacrosse player��Elena Firestone��(4.00 in Computer Science)
• USC Upstate volleyball player��Julia Gladhill��(4.00 in Early Childhood Education)
• Presbyterian women’s soccer player��Kelly Hall��(4.00 in Business Administration)
• USC Upstate volleyball player��Ali Jansen��(4.00 in Middle Level Education)
• USC Upstate men’s soccer player��Cooper Jennings��(4.00 in Management)
• Gardner-Webb women’s lacrosse player��Reese Jones��(4.00 in Biology/Biomedical Science)
• Radford women’s soccer player��Marley Krach��(4.00 in Biology)
• Winthrop women’s soccer player��Lily Meisten��(4.00 in Biology)
• ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern women’s soccer player��Sydney Thomas��(4.00 in Management)
• Longwood women’s cross country/track & field runner��Lauren Vick��(4.00 in Communication Sciences & Disorders)

Big South member institutions nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the annual Christenberry Award, or multiple student-athletes who tie for the highest GPA on their respective campus. The honor is named for George A. Christenberry, the former president of Augusta College (now Augusta University) and one of the founders of the Big South Conference.  A member of the Big South Hall of Fame, Christenberry served as the league’s first president from 1983-86.  

Thomas (Henderson, Nev.) graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA from ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern, spending two years with the Buccaneers after transferring from Iowa State. In her two years with the Bucs, she started 28 games as a defender and played more than 2,300 minutes — including 20 matches where she played the full 90 minutes. Thomas scored a pair of goals and tallied two assists for six career points as a Buccaneer. During the 2023 season, she registered the winning goal in a 1-0 victory at Longwood.

Below are the 2024-25 CSU Christenberry Award candidates, as nominated by CSU:

ߣ�ѿ�Ƭ Southern

Sydney Thomas (soccer), Aidan McAskie (nominee – baseball)