FLORENCE, Ala. (August 15, 2023) – The University of North Alabama Department of Athletics hosted its annual fall media day on Monday, welcoming a number of local news stations, print journalists, website platforms for interviews with UNA coaches and student-athletes.
Additionally, "The Boomo Bugg Show" aired on 93.9 The Score (WYTK) live from UNA Fall Sports Media Day, featuring eight segments with guests associated with North Alabama Athletics.
The event was hosted on Monday at noon inside the Stricklin Hotel on Court Street. The event was catered by 306 BBQ across the street. The sports represented at the event were cross country, football, soccer and volleyball.
Each head coach had the opportunity to give a statement about their team during a press conference, then the coaches and select student-athletes were made available for one-on-one opportunities with the media.
CROSS COUNTRY
First year head coach Evans Kiptoo was on site with assistant coach Amberly Melendez. They were joined by men's cross country graduate runner
Brandon Lee and women's cross country junior
Beth Ann Tucker.
The cross country season gets underway Sept. 2 at the Memphis Twilight Cross Country Classic, followed by UNA's premiere home event of the season — the UNA Invitational — set for Sept. 9 at McFarland Park.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank athletic director Josh Looney for giving me the opportunity to lead this team," said Kiptoo in his opening remarks. "I'm really excited for this season. This year we lost two athletes on the men's side, but we are adding two more freshmen. On the women's side, we lost one but we are adding four new freshmen. I think this year is going to be exciting for the UNA Cross Country team."
FOOTBALL
Another coach entering his first at the helm is head football coach
Brent Dearmon. Coach Dearmon was joined by assistant coaches
Kevin Wewers,
Brock Caraboa and
De'Von Lockett, as well as redshirt senior wide receiver
Takairee Kenebrew and redshirt junior defensive back
K.J. Trujillo.
The football program had a busy day outside of media day, taking team and group photos in the morning and then practicing in the afternoon. One surprise that came after practice put the cherry on top of a productive and exciting day for the program.
Coach Dearmon called up linebacker
A.J. Phillips to honor him as the practice player of the day, but instead told him he would be receiving a scholarship. Phillips is a junior from Mobile, Ala.
SOCCER
The most veteran of the head coach consortium is UNA Soccer's
Chris Walker, who becomes the longest-tenured coach in program history this season with 11 years at the helm. Walker was joined by assistants
Adam Sportsman and
Tara McQueen, as well as captains
Hannah Guthrie,
Izzi Gurney-Harper and
Alice Bussey. The latter of the three is a senior, while the other two are graduate students.
The Lions started the 2023 season with a splash, defeating Middle Tennessee State by a 1-0 final in a home exhibition. The match was highlighted by a goal to end the first half and a penalty kick save in the second half to preserve the shutout.
The season officially opens Thursday, August 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Nashville against Belmont.
"We just kicked off preseason in the last two weeks, starting July 31 and then practice August 1," said Walker. "We've hit the ground running with roughly two sessions every day, mixing in team bonding and fitness and then obviously getting on the ball and working as much as possible there."
VOLLEYBALL
Returning for his second season leading the volleyball program, Coach
Tristan Johnson represented the UNA volleyball team. He introduced his coaching staff for this season,
Caitlin Bullock-Pederson,
Isabel Theut and
Kyle Anema, as well as graduate middle blockers Anna Katherine "AK" Griggs and
Maggie Sullivan.
The Lions begin the season with an exhibition at Alabama, followed by the A-State Invitational set to begin August 25 in Jonesboro, Ark.
"This is a really exciting time — not only for the volleyball program but for the entire department," said Johnson. "We're really eager just to get things going…one of the things we talked about in our first meeting was that we have enough incredible quality and depth that there's never going to be a day where someone can look across the next and say 'there's no way you can beat me out for my spot.' That's an incredible thing to have in the gym."
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
