Dear Friends of Tribe Athletics, 

Today might be a good day to have lunch at Kaplan Arena as Men's Basketball will tip off vs. Regent at 11 a.m. You'll have plenty of company as about 1,200 middle school students, faculty, and chaperones from around Williamsburg will be in attendance at our "Education Day" game.  I'm told the kids will be very enthusiastic (loud), so it will be a fun, festive atmosphere.  If you can join us, please click here for important game day information!

Speaking of focusing on education, the Tribe continues to excel in the classroom. Just this week, the NCAA published its annual graduation report, and once again, W&M scored exceptionally high marks! To read more about the fantastic accomplishments of our student-athletes, click here.

Thank You, Doc

Virginia "Doc" Wells, M.D., our beloved Chief Medical Officer for Athletics, is retiring at the end of the year.  She began her career at W&M as Director of the Student Health Center 21 years ago, before moving to Athletics in 2019. Not only does she provide outstanding medical care to our 500+ student-athletes, but she also forges strong relationships with them that last well beyond their college years. Since I've been at William & Mary, I've come to know Dr. Wells as an enormous asset to the department, and I rely on her counsel when making decisions about what is best for our student-athletes.  Her dedication to her work and to W&M is second to none. Please join me in thanking Dr. Wells for her decades of outstanding service and wish her well in her retirement. We will miss her greatly!
 
Notable

• Congratulations to Head Women's Basketball Coach Erin Dickerson Davis, who notched her 50th win with the Green & Gold when the Tribe beat Barton earlier this month.
• Cross Country runner Hayes Trapp earned All-Region honors at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships. He had a career-best 30:14.9 to finish 23rd in the 234-runner field.
• Volleyball's Ryann Love (pictured below) was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week for her performance in the Tribe's last match of the season, a weekend sweep of Hampton.

 

• Graduate student Keegan Shackford was the CAA Special Teams Player of the Week after making all three of his field goal attempts vs. Campbell, including a game-tying 38-yard kick with :01 remaining in regulation.  He had successful kicks from 41 and 47 yards during the first half.
• Lindsay Juhlin (pictured below) was the CAA Women's Swimmer of the Week after three record-setting performances vs. George Mason.  She set a pool and W&M dual meet record in the 100 breast with a time of 1:00.80, which ranks tops in the CAA this season. She was also part of the winning 200 medley relay team and won the 200 breaststroke.

• The Women's Tennis duo of Tilda Larsson and Francesca Davis concluded their run in the ITA Conference Masters Championships after losing to the No. 40-ranked Xavier team.  Tilda and Francesca won their first match vs. Youngstown State in straight sets.
• Field Hockey's Josie Mae Gruendel was named to the All-CAA Second Team after starting all 17 matches this season.  She led the Tribe with nine points on four goals and an assist.

Fired Up!

This Saturday at 1 p.m. is our traditional rivalry game — the Capital Cup vs. the Richmond Spiders, the fourth-most-played series in Division I college football.  When the Tribe takes the field, it will mark the 136th time we've played since the first game on Nov. 19, 1898.  You may even remember the days when the game was called the I-64 Cup, honoring the longtime rivalry between the teams. Today, we are thrilled to have C&F Bank as our presenting sponsor.
 
For those of you in attendance Saturday, there's a special treat in store! HEYFARL Scholars and Walk-Ons will be recognized on the field at the first quarter break.  Many of you already know about HEYFARL, but for the uninitiated, it stands for "Hundred Each Year for a Rising Letterman." Founded by former Tribe standout Tom Mikula '48 and supported by alumni Steve McNamee '81 and Duane Ragsdale '81, HEYFARL is powered by donations from former football players, alumni and friends .There is a long list of walk-ons who have benefited from this initiative, including NFL coach Sean McDermott and former All-Americans Adrian Tracy and Lang Campbell. The game and all its pageantry promise to be a fun-filled afternoon, so grab your Green & Gold gear and get ready to head to Zable Stadium on Saturday!

Helping Out

At Women's Basketball's "Give Thanks" game vs. ODU on Nov. 16, we collected non-perishable food to help folks locally. This year, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is collecting turkeys from each team to donate to the House of Mercy for their annual Thanksgiving Meal Drive.  House of Mercy provides meals to feed over 500 families in the community.  SAAC's community service co-chairs, Alexa Mikeska (WBB) & Raiden Lafortune (T&F), have been instrumental in the effort. 
  We'll also have our annual Teddy Bear Toss at halftime of the Men's Basketball game vs. ODU on Nov. 30. Please bring brand-new teddy bears or any plush toy to participate.  Toys will be donated locally.

Giving Tuesday

A quick reminder that Giving Tuesday is Dec. 2, and I hope you will continue your generosity to the Tribe.  Each year, we rely on you to help support our 23 teams and the wonderful young men and women who wear the Green & Gold. Intercollegiate athletics is demanding on many levels—athletically, academically, and financially. Your contributions help every part of the student-athlete experience — scholarships, travel, equipment, academic services, sports medicine & the tools they need to continue to excel in competition & in the classroom. We know there are many requests for your support, and we are very thankful for all that you do for W&M.

Lord Botetourt Affair Update

After careful consideration and a recommendation from the Lord Botetourt Committee, the Lord Botetourt Affair (LBA) will be moved from its previous winter date to the fall of 2026.

With the move to a new fall date, William & Mary Athletics is committed to preserving the traditions (like wearing sneakers!) that have defined the LBA and honoring its legacy, while evolving thoughtfully to meet future needs and opportunities of both our student-athletes and the department. To learn more details, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is just a week away.  Members of the Mann family are making plans to meet in Williamsburg and attend the Capital Cup with Hilary, the boys, and me. Next week, we will hop in our cars and caravan to Charlotte for a holiday feast with my brother Jeff.   

I'm so lucky that in my four years at W&M, I've made great friends in a wonderful place. In addition to the Mann clan, Tribe Athletics is also family.  It's something for which I am truly grateful!

Best wishes for a peaceful and happy holiday!

Go Tribe!




Brian D. Mann
Director of Athletics