Dear Friends of W&M Athletics,

Last Saturday I attended a big event without a single ball, racket or track in sight! For the second straight year, I was invited to speak at William & Mary's annual Day for Admitted Students (DFAS) in front of nearly 3,500 newly admitted students and their families.

The occasion was more than a speaking engagement for me. I couldn't help but remember a year ago when my mom, Debbie Donovan, was in the audience and seated next to President Katherine A. Rowe. The occasion sparked memories of my first day in college. That excitement returned this year as I talked to the students and their families about the tremendous and life-altering opportunities awaiting them at William & Mary.

Swimmingly!
Hearty congratulations go to William & Mary graduate student swimmer Conor Sokolowsky, pictured below, who is the CAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  Conor compiled a 3.96 grade point average while completing his undergraduate degree in economics with a minor in data science last May. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in accounting and has a 3.93 GPA. In 2023, he was a Phi Beta Kappa inductee and a Rhodes Scholar finalist. Conor has had an impressive career for the Tribe as he owns the third-fastest times in school history in the 100 back and 200 IM and the fourth-fastest time in the 200 back. At the 2024 CAA Championship, he finished fourth in the 200 IM.
 
How's Your Favorite Team Doing?
As we near the end of the fiscal year, I've been asked about our fundraising progress. The answer is "Good, and we still need your help!" If you would like a quick snapshot of how each team is doing, click here. Spoiler alert:  a couple of programs have reached their goals, and a few more are close. Can you figure out who they are?  All of us in Athletics are grateful for every dollar and for how those funds help support our student-athletes, so please give as generously as you can and thank you for supporting the Tribe! 

Notable

• Baseball had a big week, beating #6 Duke in Durham and taking a CAA weekend series against North Carolina A&T. The Tribe has now won four straight series in league play. One big reason is the outstanding work of junior right-hander Nate Knowles, pictured below, who won his second CAA Pitcher of the Week honor on April 15 by recording two wins and allowing just two hits and one run in his outings.

• The excitement continued for the baseball program as it hosted No. 9 East Carolina on Tuesday (April 17) and played a thrilling 13-inning contest in front of a sell-out crowd of over 1,000 patrons at Plumeri Park.  While the result was not what we were after, a 14-13 setback to the Pirates, the evening provided one more example of how athletics can bring our community together!
• Men's tennis is hosting the 2024 CAA Men's Tennis Championship at the Mackesy Tennis Center, starting today and running through Sunday. As the No. 5 seed, the Tribe earned a bye in the opening round and will face No. 4 seed Monmouth in the quarterfinals on Friday, April 19, at noon. The winner earns a spot in the semifinals, which are set for noon on Saturday, with the championship to follow on Sunday at 2 p.m.
• In more men's tennis news, the doubles combo of Satchel Benn and Oliver Hague, pictured below, were named the CAA Team of the Week for the second time this season. The pair went 2-0 and pushed their win streak to 12 matches.

• Ten men's gymnastics team members will participate in the NCAA Championships hosted by Ohio State, April 19-20.
• The Tribe's Tack & Field program hosted the 58th Annual Colonial Relays, with the men's team finishing second and the women's team finishing third.  Senior Megan Heidebrecht, pictured below, had a historic day for the Tribe in the triple jump, as she set the program record and earned a win by posting a mark of 12.23m.

• Senior Jason Nwosu was named the CAA's Field Athlete of the Week on April 9, which was Nwosu's third honor in 2023-24. He posted a victory in the shot put at the Colonial Relays. He also earned fourth in the hammer throw with a mark of 54.9m, the second-best effort in the CAA this season.
• Another senior thrower, Chris Arias, posted a season-best effort of 67.56m in winning the javelin event at a meet hosted by the University of Virginia on Friday, April 12. The mark currently ranks as the best in the CAA this season and sits 14th in the NCAA East Region.
• Field hockey's Jayden Moon was named a 2023-24 CAA Institutional Female Scholar-Athlete Award winner.  
• The third annual William & Mary Women's Lacrosse Golf Tournament, hosted by Mike Tomlin and Rondé Barber on April 7 at Ford's Colony was a sellout with over 80 golfers participating.

The (Soccer) Stars Will Be Out
This Saturday, April 20 at 12:30 p.m., Tribe fans are invited to the dedication of Jill Ellis Field and the 1987 Women's Soccer Team Training Center.  Soccer legend Jill Ellis '88, L.H.D '16 and many of her teammates from the 1987 team will be there.  Please join us for a special ceremony during which we will thank our magnificent donors and marvel at our fantastic new facilities, as we honor one of our most decorated alumni and the very special 1987 women's soccer team.

Did You Know…
...that men's and women's basketball tickets are now on sale?!  It's the perfect time to buy your tickets and ensure you don't miss any of the action!  Both program's were in the top three in the league in terms of attendance last year, and optimist that I am, I predict that it will be better this year!
 
Go, Tribe!

Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics