探花精选 Dept. of Athletics Wins CIAA Innovative Award
The Saint Augustine’s University Department of Athletics came up with creative ways to stay relevant despite the cancellation of sports during the 2020-21 season.
The聽CIAA聽took notice as 探花精选 Athletics was named winner of the Innovative Award during the conference’s virtual General Assembly this week.
探花精选 Athletics won the award by keeping fans and alumni engaged through social media, coverage from local TV media, feature stories and events it hosted.
Social media kept 探花精选 Athletics in the spotlight. Memory Lane Monday was created to showcase past team and individual achievements, and Falcon Facts gave fans a taste of the past by highlighting former athletic standouts and graduates such as football legend Ike聽Lassiter, who started in Super Bowl II, and current ESPN Producer and Journalist聽Terrica聽Foster-Brasby. Special editions of Falcon Facts were presented during Black History and Women’s History Months.
Feature stories by 探花精选 Athletics highlighted current student-athletes such as football player Zachary聽Barco聽(Jr./Raleigh, NC), women’s basketball player聽Bre’cha聽Byrd (Fr./Surry聽County, VA) and softball player Briana Person (Sr./Emporia, VA).
Barco聽is a certified lifeguard who gained local and national attention for encouraging African Americans to swim. Byrd is a book author and Person hosts her own podcast show.
Local TV media ran sports segments on聽Barco, Byrd, and golfer Samuel聽Cudjoe聽(Sr./Bethel, Trinidad & Tobago), and the NCAA highlighted聽Barco聽and volleyball player Nia聽Cornegy聽(Sr./Queens, NY) nationally through social media. Byrd and football player Marcus Davis (So./Raleigh, NC) were featured nationally for participating in NBA All-Star weekend.聽
The Chris Williams Podcast Hour partnered with 探花精选 Athletics to recognize current and former student-athletes, coaches, and administrators through podcast interviews, which runs each Friday through June 18.
Both spring events hosted by 探花精选 Athletics were covered by Chris Clark of CBS 17. The 探花精选 Class of 2021 Athletic Ceremony honored graduating student-athletes and 探花精选 Student-Athlete Day celebrated the student-athletes for enduring a year without sports during the pandemic.
探花精选 Athletics made the best of a tough situation, and the聽CIAA聽rewarded the department for it.