Nelson Bobb

After more than a quarter-century as the Spartans’ athletic director — the only full-time A.D. the university has had — Nelson Bobb has stepped down.

A national search for Bobb’s successor is under way.

“Nelson Bobb's leadership of Spartan athletics for the past 26 years has been transformative,” Chancellor Linda P. Brady said. “In addition to moving the program from Division III to Division I in only five years, he has championed a commitment to the welfare of our student athletes that extends well beyond their performance on the field or court. That commitment remains a permanent part of our culture.”

Bobb thanked many individuals, past and present, including chancellors, trustees, faculty, staff and coaches. “But most of all, there are the student-athletes who have played on our fields and courts,” he said. “They are the ones who have had the greatest impact on my time here, and I will be forever grateful for their efforts in the classroom and in competition.”

Bobb joined UNCG in 1983 when eight teams competed in Division III. The university authorized the move to Division I in 1987, and Bobb guided the program through the transition in competitive status in only five years.

Other changes during his tenure included joining the Big South Conference and later the Southern Conference.

Under Bobb’s guidance, Spartan student-athletes consistently graduated at a rate equal to or higher than the general student population at UNCG. The teams won 37 conference tournament titles, 28 as a Division I member. They also won 67 conference regular season titles — 41 since moving to Division I.

Rod Wyatt, associate director of athletics for student welfare, is serving as interim athletic director till a new A.D. is named.

The men's basketball team's home court will be the Greensboro Coliseum.

The prospect of ACC action is getting a big reaction.

“Clemson …Wake Forest … Maryland … N.C. State.” Rising senior Joey Burridge listed the ACC men’s basketball teams the Spartans will host this year.

Joey, a UNCG Athletics intern, is a part of the Blue Crew student cheering organization. “We’re all really excited!”

The team will take on those four Atlantic Coast Conference opponents this season in the Greensboro Coliseum, the men’s new home court.

Their home schedule there also includes a full slate of SoCon games and ECU.

Season tickets, which start at $99, are on sale.

Season tickets may be ordered here.

Orcun Seyrak became the the top seed in 2008-09.

It’s rare for a freshman to emerge as a tennis team’s top seed.

That seed takes a certain mindset. You’re taking on every opponent’s premier player. “You have to think you’re going to win every single time,” says Coach Thomas Mozur.

Andrey Bubnov, a senior this past season, had been top seed his sophomore and junior years.

In the fall, it was not clear who’d be top seed. An incoming freshman, Orcun Seyrak, already had plenty of experience. “I’ve grown up practicing with the best players in Turkey,” he says, and played in many tournaments. “I gained a lot of confidence in my game.”

Bubnov had seen him play. “I was extremely excited he may be coming … I knew what he was capable of doing.”

The players competed for spots. “They have to play for it every day,” Mozur says.

“Orcun has a little bigger game, a little more strength,” he says, describing Seyrak’s skills. “Big lefty forehand, with lots of action. Backhand very good….

Then Mozur adds, “He’s confident. He’s fiery, pumped up. It energizes the rest of the team.”

Bubnov recalls that when Seyrak returned from winter break, he’d elevated his game. Seyrak emerged as the top seed.

“Andrey was a pretty good ‘one’ — a great ‘two,’” Mozur says.

“It’s quite a bit easier,” Bubnov concedes, of playing “two.” He finished conference play with 9 wins, 1 loss, to earn second-team All-SoCon honors for the second time.

He’ll be an assistant tennis coach this year, while working toward his MBA at the Bryan School.

The rest of the team returns, including Seyrak. He finished the spring with 9 wins and 1 loss, and was named both SoCon Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year — the first to ever win both awards.

He ultimately wants to be a professional player, but first, “I want to win at least one SoCon championship as a team.”

They had a tremendous turnaround year, improving their win-loss record by 12 games, with 15 wins, 8 losses.

“We have the foundation now,” Mozur says. “We have to keep it up.”

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Tomatoes grow under the scoreboard at the soccer stadium.

Here’s hoping the women’s and men’s soccer seasons are as fruitful as the garden grown every year behind the northern goal.

Tomatoes, sqash and other vine crops are all enjoyed by the Sports Turf and Athletics staff.

“I’m infamous for taking the tomatoes!” says Michael Parker, men’s soccer coach. “I love tomatoes.”

Eddie Radwanski ’97, women’s soccer coach, likes a good tomato too – though being from New Jersey, he says he prefers Jersey varieties.

What they’d both like more is a strong start to the soccer season.

Women’s soccer played a very tough early schedule last year, before claiming its third straight Southern Conference regular-season title. The Spartans, who have not lost a league game over the last three years, will have the rare opportunity to have their seniors finish their careers undefeated in conference play.

Disappointment marked the end of last season. They gathered to watch the NCAA pairings telecast, knowing that they were “on the bubble.” They never saw their name called. “That’s incentive and motivation,” says Radwanski.

Their early season this year is exceptionally challenging. They travel to play Duke and national champion UNC Chapel Hill. They host Wake Forest and Stanford. All finished last season nationally ranked.

“By the time we get to conference play, we’ll be ready,” he says, though he adds that repeating the previous years’ regular season success will not be easy. “Our conference gets better every year.”

On the men’s side, Parker last year saw his team founder through the season, with their first losing record in 30 years. Entering the SoCon tournament as the No. 7 seed, they came together to take the title and then, with the automatic NCAA tournament bid the title gave them, to advance to the NCAA Final 16.

That type of underdog run through the tournaments will be impossible this year, Parker explains. Because of budget cutbacks, only four teams will get into the SoCon tournament. Every conference game is critical if you’re going to advance to the post-season.

Before the season began last year, they lost their best goal scorer, Thomas Campbell, to a knee injury. That was a major loss, Parker says. “He’s back this year – a big plus for us.”

And they return seven of the 12 players who started 10 or more matches. They’re particularly experienced on defense.

He hopes to get off to a stronger start. “That’s the plan. We have to be more consistent this year. And I think we will be.”

The highest of highs. The lowest of lows.

Kristen Boone describes her Spartan basketball career as a roller coaster ride.

As a freshman, she led the nation in steals. She was named SoCon Freshman of the Year.

Her sophomore and junior seasons, she earned first team All-SoCon honors, as the point guard racked up lots of points, assists and steals. The team had records of 18-12 and 20-10.

Her senior year, she and the team were poised for even greater success.

Then, just before the season, she took a long stride during a lay-up and tore an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in one of her knees.

She had surgery in January, as the team stumbled to a 7-24 season. She rehabbed till September. She was able to redshirt, allowing her one more chance at leading the team to a special season. When she saw teammates in late summer and early fall, they couldn’t wait for her to return. They’d ask, “When are you coming back?”

As practices started, she felt good being back on the court, with a ball in her hands — “where it’s home.”

The team began the season against Va. Tech. Three minutes into that first game, she worked her way past two defenders, came to a jumpstop — and her leg buckled. The same knee, the same spot.

“It shifted. It wasn’t right…”

“I thought, ‘I did it again!’”

Oh no.

A sub came in. She made her way off the court. “I knew I’d never play again at UNCG.”

Coach Lynn Agee was stunned. “It was devastating, emotionally. We didn’t know how to react,” Agee says.

“My mind’s blown. But I can’t go fall apart. I can’t go spend everything on her. I have to try and get to the people on the floor.” At the half they were down by 22 points.

For Agee, who has had a 31-year career and has coached teams to 578 wins, facing the team in the locker room was “one of the worst challenges of my life.” The team had lost its floor general — again. Not only could they lose by 50 — their whole season was in jeopardy. “I tried hard to motivate and keep them focused.”

“It’s about you all now,” she told the other players before the second half. “You are all going to have to step up.”

The team came together and rallied, cutting the lead to two before losing a close game.

Boone remained a supporter from the bench the rest of the season, giving positive feedback and being a cheerleader. “I tried to get them up.”

The team lost five of their first six, but picked themselves up, finishing the regular season with five wins in seven games.

On Senior Day, the four seniors were recognized before the game. Boone finally heard her name. The announcer said, “Direct your attention to the rafters.”

Her jersey hung there. It was only the second women’s basketball jersey honored at UNCG, joining that of Rita Wiggs ’74. The list of accomplishments echoed from the sound system. Spartans’ career leader in steals. 2006-07 SoCon Preseason Player of the Year. Two-time All-SoCon First Team … The crowd applauded. Some wiped their eyes. “It made it all real,” Boone recalls. “This was my final go-round.

“I came through it a better person,” she reflects, acknowledging that it’s been “a really rough ride.” She is halfway through her graduate program in kinesiology (exercise and sport science), with a concentration in community youth sports development. She says four or five years ago, she would never have imagined getting her master’s. “I wouldn’t trade [this experience] for anything else.”

A new school record in the 1,500 meters. And the 5,000 meters. Capped off with a big win in the 3,000 meters at the Wake Forest Open, breaking the school record by seven seconds.

Not a bad freshman year, huh?

Joey Thompson is matter of fact about it. “I like to race. I like a challenge. Through running, I get that.”

His goal? To get to the NCAA championships.

As trainers iced his left ankle after a spring practice, Joey reflected on his first year and shared some thoughts for other aspiring runners:

His style of racing I vary my racing style, almost every time … Every race is different. It all depends on how you feel that day.

His current mileage Right now, I am doing about 50 miles a week…For me, that’s a huge jump [from high school distances]. I’ve gotten my mileage up, which has increased my endurance.

About workouts. We do intervals … It’s shorter distances at faster pace, to get your muscles moving. To get those fast-twitch muscles fibers, keep those active … so you can tap into that quickness, so at the end of the race when you’re trying to kick it in for the win, you have the speed to do that.

The longest runs Sundays are our long runs, which for me is 13 miles.

Practices he especially likes I enjoy cross-country. Running around a track can get repetitive and boring at times. With cross country it’s a change of scenery …

A tip for aspiring runners? Vary your training so your muscles are getting used to different things….If you’re doing steady distance every day, you’re not really working on your speed work. You’re getting used to your slow twitch muscle fibers, but you’re not tapping into your fast twitch muscle fibers, where you’ll get speed from.

What he focuses on In races you don’t really think. You’re pushing yourself to your limit and focusing on whoever is right around you and staying in front of them or sticking behind them till the last lap or so, and making your move.

How does he know when to try to pass the leader? When you see the weakness in the other runner, you see him start to fall off, and you feel good, you go for it. That’s when I want to make my move. And there’ve been times I’ve tried to make a move and I can’t make a pass on the other runner, but at least I know I tried.

One more tip The best advice I can give, stay relaxed when you’re running. When you’re keeping all your muscles tense and tight, you’re straining yourself even harder than you need to. So if you stay relaxed and still put in the effort, it’ll pay off a lot better.