Men’s Rugby at Elon
October 9, 2015 Emma Flaherty During Homecoming 2015 celebrations, Elon University’s men’s club rugby team is celebrating its 20th anniversary. However, the first mention of men’s rugby in the student-run newspaper, The Pendulum, came seven years before the team’s founding in 1995. In 1987, the men’s rugby team at Elon was a small organization under a parent team, the Dan-river rugby club based out of Danville, Virginia. Elon team members travelled to Virginia to practice with the Dan-river team and a few Elon students even played in several of Dan-river’s matches. Unfortunately, the Elon rugby team could not get a $400 fee to cover spring dues in 1987 from the college; after this news, the men’s rugby team disappears from The Pendulum until 1995.Throughout its history, the men’s rugby team has consistently overcome a lack of experience with the sport, primarily because many students had no previous exposure to rugby…
Read MoreSpecial Olympics at Elon
Betty Garrison April 11, 2014 Elon and the Special Olympics have always had a special bond. Elon College hosted the first state Games in 1972, just four years after the first national Special Olympics Games were held in 1968 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Over the years, Elon has supplied thousands of volunteers, from those who plan the event to those who partner with an athlete for the day to all those who sit in the stands to cheer them on. Each athlete is a winner and each receives a medal on the day they compete.
Read MoreCelebrating Women’s Athletics at Elon
Jennifer Smith March 14, 2014 On March 11th, 2014 the Elon University Women’s/Gender Studies Program and the Athletics Department sponsored a panel about the history of women’s athletics at Elon. Panelists for the event included: Ana Nicksic ’16: Elon sophomore from Valparaiso, Ind., exercise science major and setter on the volleyball team. She was named to the NCCSIA All-State Second Team, and earned Elon’s top newcomer award in 2012. Sloane Kessler ’17: Lacrosse player, first-year Elon student and communications major from Owings Mill, Md. At McDonogh High School, she was a 2012 IAAM all-star and also won awards in basketball and field hockey. Priscilla Awkard ’95: Starting setter for Elon’s volleyball team from 1991-94 where she broke numerous records that still stand today. She is a member of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame, continues to play competitive volleyball and is a coach and administrator at Jammers Volleyball Club. Jackie Myers:…
Read MoreBryan Burney, 1991 Elon Sports Hall of Fame
Shaunta Alvarez January 31, 2014 You may have seen him strolling into the library during the late afternoon as he makes his way to the newspaper rack. To look at him, you would never know that this quiet man with laid-back mannerisms set impressive records during his time at Elon.
Read MoreWomen’s History Month: Women’s Athletics at Elon in the 2000s
Julia Mueller March 29, 2013 On May 14, 2010, the Elon women’s softball team, coached by Patti Raduenz and seeded number two, defeated the number four seed UNC-Greensboro Spartans in the Southern Conference Championship. Prior to playing UNC-G, the Phoenix defeated UT–Chattanooga Mocs, which was the number one seed in the SoCon tournament. This was the first time in the season that the Mocs lost. The championship was a first for Elon as well–it was the first time an Elon women’s sports team won a conference tournament title since joining the Southern Conference in 2003. This was also the first tournament title for Elon women’s athletics since the soccer team brought home the Big South tournament title in 1999.
Read MoreWomen’s History Month: Women’s Athletics at Elon in the 1980s-1990s
Julia Mueller March 22, 2013 The 1980s and 1990s at Elon was a time of great transition as the college sought to gain public recognition. The student body profile, in addition to the alumni and faculty, was changing in that Elon became more engaged in academics, networking, and athletics. This in part was due to the “Plan of the 90’s” that worked to increase the quality of Elon and develop programs. In 1991, the South Atlantic Conference moved to NCAA Division II from the NAIA. However, the Division II was considered “No Man’s Land,” and on June 17, 1996, Elon officials decided it was time to go to Division I in the NCAA. Elon participated without conference affiliation for the first two years before joining the Big South Conference in 1999. Most of the Elon sports teams struggled in Division I due to the increased competition, but in 1999, women’s…
Read MoreWomen’s History Month: Women’s Athletics at Elon in the 1960s-1970s
Julia Mueller March 15, 2013 The 1960s and 1970s were a time of different turning points in both American and Elon history. The Vietnam War, the Civil Rights and women’s movements were just a few of the milestones that occurred. This impacted women’s sports in various ways. The Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was soon recognized, and America faced a time of subsiding societal restrictions. This in part was due to increased coverage of the Olympics, where women had been at least to some extent competing since the 1900 Paris Games.
Read MoreWomen’s History Month: Women’s Athletics at Elon in the 1940s-1950s
Julia Mueller March 8, 2013 “Archery for skill, volleyball for coordination, and riding for the figure is Elon’s way of turning out healthy, ‘well-rounded’ girls.” – Phi Psi Cli, 1953 World War II caused lasting impacts at Elon College, especially the changed role of sports for both men and women. In 1942, men’s intercollegiate activities were temporarily abolished, and the soldiers stationed on campus used the gymnasium for training. It was not until 1944 that sports became a part of Elon activities once again. Due to the effects of the war, fitness became a more crucial factor in individuals’ lifestyles on local and national levels. It was soon acceptable for women too to physically train to improve overall health and strength.
Read MoreWomen’s History Month: Women’s Athletics at Elon in the 1920s-1930s
Julia Mueller March 1, 2013 During the beginning decades of Elon as an institution, society held a very different impression about women than the contemporary opinion. Lady-like behavior was strongly encouraged, and women were often protected against potential masculinity that was incorporated in notions about sports and physical training. At the turn of the twentieth century, women were confined to calisthenics and recreational tennis. Over the next twenty years, the Young Women’s Christian Association at Elon College was formed and requests for more athletic opportunities were expressed. As views of women changed in America from delicate to more durable, the trend in sports was reflected accordingly.
Read MoreElon and the Olympics
Katie Nash June 29, 2012 Elon has a long-standing connection with the Olympics, going back to 1980. However, not all of the connections have been related to sporting events. We have highlighted below all of the documented connections Elon has had with the Olympics through the years.
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