This story appeared in the 2024 Spring/Summer issue of Onyx Anneau.
By Kevin Lanke, associate vice president for athletics
The third NAIA year for Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College included history-making success, as the Pomeroy athletic teams continue to enhance their reputation on a national level.
The men’s basketball team provided the most media coverage and its first-ever trip to the NAIA National Tournament. The Pomeroys set a school record with 25 wins, led by NAIA All-American and River States Conference (RSC) Player of the Year, Cobie Barnes. First-year head coach Jesse McClung was named RSC Coach of the Year after inheriting a roster of six players in June, recruiting a strong roster for the 2023-24 season, then leading the team to a 17-1 record in conference play. The season included an opening night game against crosstown NCAA Division I Indiana State University, propelling the Sycamores and Pomeroys to historic seasons.
The women’s basketball team also enjoyed success with an 18-11 record under second-year head coach Terry Bowe for the program’s most wins in a season since 2013. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted RSC Tournament games, marking the first time SMWC competed in on-campus postseason basketball action.
Outside of basketball, the SMWC equestrian teams enjoyed arguably the most successful season in program history under eighth-year head coach Tabatha Taylor. The Western team finished 9th at the IHSA National Championships at Tryon, North Carolina, in May, while the Hunt Seat team brought home a 10th-place national finish. This marked the first time that both SMWC equestrian teams finished in the top 10 nationally, and SMWC was the only college to place both of its teams in the national top 10.
The second-year sprint football program also enjoyed significant success under head coach Blaine Powell. The Pomeroys hosted the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) championship game for the first time after winning a share of the regular season title. The team reached the MSFL championship game with a 23-13 win over Quincy on November 11, before falling to Calumet St. Joseph in the title game that featured a program record of nearly 1,000 fans watching the matchup at West Vigo High School.
Individual sports were led by standout Krislynn Bailey, who finished 11th in the women’s pole vault at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships and added a 20th-place finish at the NAIA Outdoor Championships.
junior nursing major and cheerleader
with Onyx.
The women’s volleyball team also hosted RSC Tournament action for the first time in program history after a school record 28-7 season under third-year coach Ashley Harris. The team’s 14-5 record and fourth-place finish in the RSC standings also marked NAIA school record performances.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College also sent the softball and women’s soccer teams into RSC postseason tournament play. The softball team reached the 30-win mark for the third straight year, led by all-region honoree Lyric Krause. The women’s soccer squad finished 4-3-3 in league play, allowing just 10 goals in 10 regular season matches. An early highlight of the upcoming 2024-25 season will be the women’s soccer team traveling to Indiana State to open both team’s season on August 15.
The women’s golf and men’s volleyball programs also enjoyed extremely successful seasons. The women’s golf team came home third at the RSC Championships, highlighted by a 4th-place finish from Renae Jaeger. The men’s volleyball team compiled a winning record in just its second season as a varsity sport, finishing 17-15 overall. Men’s volleyball will join the remaining NAIA sports team by competing in the River States Conference starting in 2024- 25, increasing the chances of even more program success.
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College student-athletes also continued to enjoy success in the classroom as well as the playing field. Members of the women’s basketball, men’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s soccer, softball, men’s track and field, women’s track and field, men’s volleyball and women’s volleyball team were each crowned Academic All-District by College Sports Communicators. A total of 48 student-athletes also earned NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete honors for having grade point averages of 3.50 or above and completing varsity participation status in their sport.
The future of SMWC athletics continues to shine brightly with two facility improvements that took place due to external grants. A locker room complex has been installed at the outdoor sports complex, providing lockers and changing rooms for the soccer, softball and sprint football teams. The equestrian facility has also undergone external classroom renovations. Both projects were completed without spending SMWC funds, ensuring strong competition opportunities for these students in the future.
We look forward to the continued support of SMWC student-athletes, families, friends, alumni and fans as we look to achieve more excellence on the field and in the classroom during the 2024-25 academic year!
Kevin Lanke is the associate vice president for athletics and has had a career in higher education athletics for almost three decades. He graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in economics and earned his master’s in recreation and sport management from Indiana State University. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he became the men’s sports information director for the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC). He then returned to Rose-Hulman, where he spent over 20 years in athletic administration.
0 Comments