Athletics Archives

A.B. “Happy” Chandler tops list of Pioneer Hall of Fame inductees

Posted on April 30, 2012July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

A.B. “Happy” Chandler, Class of 1921 LEXINGTON, Ky.—Former Kentucky governor and baseball commissioner A B. “Happy” Chandler and basketball star Orbrey Gritton top a list of seven new inductees into Transylvania University’s Pioneer Hall of Fame. The 2012 class was inducted on April 27, following a reception and dinner. The latest additions bring the total number of Pioneer Hall of Fame members to 102, plus one team, since inductions began in 1992. The newest members include Chandler, a 1921 graduate who played baseball, football, and basketball at Transylvania prior to a long career in politics; Gritton, a 1989 graduate who ranks 13th on the all-time men’s basketball scoring list and was district player of the year and an NAIA All-American as a senior; and Mark Turner, a 1977 graduate who retired as the winningest coach in the history of the women’s basketball program. Also entering the Hall of Fame this year are swimming All-American Jay Ecleberry, a member of the Class of 1992 who still holds two school records; tennis standouts Elizabeth Boyd Fryar ’81 and Andrea Barton Lane ’90, both of whom starred on regional championship teams; and Emily Veeneman ’96, a field hockey and softball player who holds the field hockey records for most goals in a game, in a season and for a career. The Pioneer Hall of Fame was founded by the school’s alumni office and the athletics and physical education department to recognize former athletes,

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Verax named top player, Lane best coach in HCAC

Posted on March 4, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

Joey Verax LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania’s Joey Verax has been named 2008-09 Player of the Year and Brian Lane Coach of the Year by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Verax, a senior forward from Falmouth, Ky., was the leading scorer on a 21-5 Transy team that won the HCAC co-championship, then captured the league tournament and the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. Lane was named Coach of the Year for the third time after leading the Pioneers to their third regular season conference title and third NCAA berth in four years. He was also honored after the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Transy won 20 or more games for the third time in his eight years as the Pioneers’ head coach. His career record is 136-77. Verax was joined on the All-HCAC first team by senior guard Aaron Cash, a Rockcastle County product. Senior forward Brock Jones (Madisonville, Ky.) and junior Tim Tierney (Ft. Wright, Ky.) were honorable mention picks. Verax, who made the All-HCAC first team for the third straight year, led Transy in scoring with 16.2 points a game. He is also the team’s top rebounder at 5.8 a contest. Earlier this season, he became the 41st Pioneer to surpass 1,000 points for his career. Brian Lane His current total of 1,275 is 25th all-time. Cash was an honorable mention selection as a sophomore while Tierney was a first-team pick last year. Jones is on the squad for

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Transylvania men’s and women’s basketball teams win Heartland Conference tournaments, move on to NCAA Division III Championships

Posted on March 2, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Transylvania’s men’s basketball team spotted Franklin a 14-point lead Saturday, then roared back for a 76-72 win in the men’s Heartland Conference basketball tournament final at the Beck Center, grabbing the HCAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championships. Transylvania’s women’s team outscored Hanover by 16 points in the second half Saturday and went on to claim the Heartland Conference’s automatic bid to the women’s NCAA Division III Championship with a 79-69 victory in the HCAC Championship game, also at the Beck Center. The men’s basketball team will travel to Centre for first-round NCAA Division III Championship action this weekend while the women’s squad will head to Washington University in St. Louis. The NCAA Division III Championship pairings for the men’s and women’s tournaments were announced Monday. Coach Brian Lane’s Pioneers (21-5), HCAC regular-season co-champions, will play Guilford (21-5) Friday in Danville. Coach Greg Todd’s HCAC regular season champion Pioneers (22-5) drew last year’s title-winners, Howard Payne (23-5) on Friday. On the women’s side, Washington University (21-4) is ranked second in the country and will face Capital (22-5). The winners will play Saturday. Centre’s men, who lost to Transy in this season’s first game, will meet Averett (20-8). Centre brings a 23-4 mark into tourney play. More details to follow when they become available. For more information, contact Glenn Osborne, sports information director, at (859) 233-8284 or gosborne@transy.edu.

Transy basketball teams make history

Posted on February 25, 2009July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—For the first time since the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference began holding post-season basketball tournaments, the same school—Transylvania—will serve as host for both the men’s and women’s events Friday and Saturday. Transy’s women won the HCAC regular season outright with a win over Anderson Saturday and earned the No. 1 seed. The men also defeated Anderson and were co-champions with Franklin. The Pioneers got the top seed and the right to host the semifinal and final rounds by winning a tie-breaker. The women’s semifinals will be held at 2 and 4 p.m. on Friday at the Beck Center with Transy playing in the opener against Franklin. The men’s semifinals are set for 6 and 8 p.m. Friday with the Pioneers taking the floor in the second game against Anderson. The women’s finals are set for 5 p.m. Saturday with the men’s championship game following at 7 p.m. Anderson is the No. 2 seed in the women’s event and Franklin is the second seed for the men. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and students. For more information, contact Glenn Osborne, sports information director, at (859) 233-8284 or gosborne@transy.edu. Friday, Feb. 27 Women’s Semifinals at the Beck Center Transylvania (20-5) vs. Franklin (15-10), 2 p.m. (Boxscore) Anderson (15-10) vs. Hanover (18-8), 4 p.m. (Boxscore) Saturday, Feb. 28 Women’s Finals, 5 p.m. (Boxscore) Friday, Feb. 27 Men’s Semifinals at the Beck Center Franklin (16-9) vs. Defiance (18-8),

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Transy announces Athletes of the Year for 2008

Posted on May 20, 2008July 14, 2020 by Office of Marketing and Communications

LEXINGTON, Ky.—Men’s soccer All-American Matt Vogel, two-sport standout Liz Meredith, and All-Heartland Conference golfer Rhea Badgett were named male and co-female Pioneer Athletes of the Year during Wednesday’s 15th annual Transylvania Athletic Awards ceremony. Vogel, a native of Lexington and a graduate of Lexington Christian Academy, was a two-time All-American and a three-time All-Region choice for the Pioneers. He was also the HCAC Player of the Year this season after leading Transy to its third straight NCAA Division III Championship appearance, where the Pioneers advanced to the round of 16. For the third time since the award has been given, there were co-female Pioneer Athletes of the Year in Meredith and Badgett. Badgett, a Madisonville North Hopkins product, was a four-time member of the All-HCAC first team and was the conference’s Freshman of the Year, when she finished second in the league tournament. A two-time team captain, she never finished lower than seventh in the HCAC Championships. Meredith was a starting outfielder on the softball team and a team captain on the swimming and diving squad. She played on the first Transy softball team to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2006 and scored points in all three of her individual events at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Swimming Championships. She also established personal best times in all her events as a senior. Brent Roach, a four-year member of the baseball team, received the George H.

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