91����Ƶ held its ninth annual Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival on Wednesday and Thursday. The campuswide event, hosted by the Provost’s Office and organized by its Intellectual Life Committee, offered students opportunities to learn and engage with one another and to showcase their research, creative projects and papers.

In her opening remarks before the festival’s keynote address on Wednesday, Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus described the ACE Festival as a “celebration of student scholarship.”

“It’s where ideas take shape, not only in papers and research, but also in art, performance, and creative expression, and in the courage it takes to share one’s thinking with others,” she said.

“Here, students learn from one another,” she added. “We engage perspectives across our fields and practice the kind of communication and collaboration that will shape our lives beyond today and this semester.”

Career fair

Students connect with local employers at a career fair in the Hall of Nations on Thursday.

A new addition to this year’s ACE Festival was a career fair held Thursday inside the University Commons Hall of Nations. The event, hosted by the Alumni Engagement Office, gave students a chance to interact directly with employers, connect with alumni professionals, explore career options, and pursue internships or jobs.

Employers represented a range of industries, including Augusta Health, Merck, Park View Federal Credit Union, and Momentum Earthworks. 

One of those employers was Kirby Dean ’92, director of parks and recreation for Rockingham County. He previously served as head coach of the 91����Ƶ men’s basketball team for 15 years, leading the “Runnin’ Royals” to the Elite Eight of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

Although his department didn’t have any full-time job openings, he said he’s always hiring part-time workers to staff the rec center desk, rake fields during baseball tournaments, or mow grass. He said the career fair was a great way to build relationships and connect with students.

“I feel like there are just good kids here,” Dean said. “They were good when I went here from 1988 to 1992, they were good when I coached here from 2003 to 2018, and they’re good now. They’re the kind of people I’m generally looking for.”

Another employer at the career fair represented the local school division. Jeron Baker, assistant director of human resources for Harrisonburg City Public Schools, said the division typically looks to fill between 50 and 60 jobs each year, mostly teaching positions in math, science, elementary education, and English Language Learner (ELL) classes.

The former associate director of 91����Ƶ admissions said 91����Ƶ graduates have a natural understanding of the diversity and complexity within Harrisonburg’s student community.

“They sense the nuances of the human component and understand that education is not just about outcomes, but about process,” he said. “The process of knowing our students more deeply and understanding their systems more fully—it’s just something that comes naturally to 91����Ƶ students.”

91����Ƶ 60% of students in the city’s public schools speak Spanish at home, Baker said, and 50 to 60 languages are spoken by students across its two high schools. 

“91����Ƶ’s ability to create cross-cultural experiences for its students while also bringing in international populations helps students develop cultural competency in ways that are unique to 91����Ƶ,” he said. “That supports our populations, our students, our families, and the broader vision HCPS has for its students.”

In an last week, 91����Ƶ sophomore Francisco Rodriguez said the event offered him a chance to look at a lot of different career paths.

“Sales is a big passion of mine,” he told the newspaper, “but understanding there are other options available here, it’s really nice to be able to check it all out.”

Presentations

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP PHOTO: Senior nursing majors Emily Guin, Kristina Suslaev, and Reina Landa give a presentation on the effects of social media use on mental health in children and adolescents. | Senior engineering major Levi Stutzman discusses gentrification trends in Washington D.C. and Denver during a poster session at the Suter Science Center. | Chase Comer, a senior majoring in political science and history, presents research on shifting voting patterns in Virginia’s Buchanan and Rockingham counties. 

Students from a wide range of majors presented their academic research Thursday in oral presentations and poster sessions across campus. Topics included the concentration of antioxidants in cinnamon bark, the effect of data centers on surrounding infrastructure and resources, the relationship between trauma and homelessness, and the impact of immigration enforcement on local communities.

Senior Emily Guin, part of a group of nursing majors presenting at Martin Chapel early Thursday morning, said her favorite thing about the ACE Festival was attending other presentations and supporting her peers. “I feel like I learn something new at every presentation,” she said. For instance, she said that last year she learned childhood obesity rates in Harrisonburg were higher than the national average.

Guin will work at Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Emergency Department after graduation. Her group presented on the relationship between social media use among children and adolescents and their emotional well-being and mental health. She said they researched the topic because of how relevant and new it is. 

“I think it’s crazy how impactful social media is, both positive and negative,” Guin said. “I can’t imagine growing up in such a digital time now. It makes me feel so old to say that, but I can’t fathom having everything posted on social media.”

Like many students on campus, engineering senior Levi Stutzman had a busy day of presentations. He was part of a cohort that tracked 91����Ƶ’s carbon emissions and presented findings showing the university is not on track to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2035 (as outlined in its Climate Action Plan).

He also delivered a poster presentation analyzing census data from 2000 and 2020 for areas of Washington D.C. and Denver to chart gentrification in those cities. Later that afternoon, he and three other students gave an engineering capstone presentation on a “single-axis shake table” they designed to simulate sesmic movement and its impact on structures. 

“It’s exciting to show off your projects and see what everyone else is working on,” Stutzman said. “It’s a special time of the year.”

Another engineering major, junior Micah Mast, presented a 3D printer he revived and upgraded. 91����Ƶ purchased the printer, a Makerbot Replicator+, in 2018. Because the machine’s parts and software were discontinued, it had largely been unused for several years. 

“It was always the printer nobody wanted to use because the prints were low quality,” Mast said. “It just kind of sat there.”

For his project, he replaced the printer’s proprietary control system with modern open-source electronics, resulting in improved print quality, a faster workflow, and long-term serviceability, all for about $150. The upgraded MakerBot adds a fourth working printer to 91����Ƶ’s collection. 

“This goes along with sustainability, using things that otherwise would’ve essentially been thrown in the trash,” he said. 

Mast said his favorite thing about the ACE Festival is showing the rest of the school what he spent an entire semester working toward.

“There were countless hours of trying to get it to do what it’s doing right now,” he said, pointing to the machine, which was successfully printing tugboats known as the “3DBenchy” test print.

Art exhibition

Senior art students Donovan Arnason, Daisy Buller, Hollyn Miller, Jasmin Ruiz, and Allie Watkins presented their capstone projects during an opening reception Thursday afternoon at the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery. The exhibition will remain on display through May 1.

Student recital

A student recital at Lehman Auditorium featured performances by vocalists Mac Rhodes-Lehman (bass) and Eli Stoll (baritone), pianists Rafael de Tablan and Micah Wenger, violinist Miriam Rhodes, violist Monica Ehrenfels, flautist Nina Dunsmore, and guitarist and vocalist Erin Yoder (alto). The musicians were accompanied by Harold Bailey and Dominic Baldoni on piano.

A wind ensemble concert was held that evening, followed by a university choir concert on Friday as part of the weeklong ACE Festival lineup. View recordings of those concerts on the .

Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation

The 17th annual Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation recognized and celebrated the winners of 91����Ƶ’s Excellence in Teaching Awards. Faculty members Dr. Ryan Good, Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas, and Kevin Carini were announced as this year’s recipients. 

Click the post below for testimonials about each recipient, the winners of the student writing and academic awards, and the faculty and student authors recognized for their published scholarly works.

Keynote address

A keynote address by Dr. Deborah Lawrence, chief scientist at Calyx Global, opened the ACE Festival on Wednesday morning. Lawrence, who taught at the University of Virginia as an environmental sciences professor for more than 25 years, reflected on Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 91����Ƶ’s Common Read this year, and spoke about her research on forests in Borneo, Mexico, and around the world. 

Read our recap of her address below:

The ACE Festival is hosted by the Provost’s Office and made possible by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; the Center for Interfaith Engagement; and the Daniel B. Suter Endowment, which supports 91����Ƶ’s commitment to fostering curiosity, discovery, and scientific learning. 

For a full schedule of ACE Festival events, visit .

Photos by Aric Berg and Jon Styer/At Ease Consulting

In two games last week Jones averaged 15.0 points, including 17 points and three assists in Saturday’s win over Hampden-Sydney. His layup started a key 9-0 run against H-SC in the second half, turning a three-point lead into a 54-42 cushion.

Heading into the final two weeks of the season, Jones is averaging 13.1 points per game, adding nearly four rebounds and four assists.

“When I’m playing, everything just feels good and I don’t second guess that,” Jones said. “I’ve worked hard this offseason to put up the numbers that I am putting up, and I’m just glad that it is showing. I also feel like how I play determines a lot in our games. I don’t necessarily have to be the one scoring, but if I can still set other people up and play good defense, it definitely helps the team.”

Coach Kirby Dean agrees.

“The biggest key to Maleke’s success this year has been his ability to stay healthy,” he said. “Over the last two years Maleke has been well on his way to establishing himself as one of the better point guards in the ODAC, only to be derailed by injuries. This year Maleke has stepped up in every facet of the game on the court as well as off the court; we are hopeful that he can finish these last two weeks strong and lead us into the ODAC Tournament.”

With his collegiate career winding down, Jones sees that in order to for the team to play well through the postseason, the men need to stick together.

“We need to continue to lift each other up and continue to push each other in practice,” he said. “If we do those things, the confidence in each other goes up, the chemistry goes up, and we play better. On top of that, we need to keep getting better defensively and trust each other to make the right plays on offense and I think we will be fine.”

A senior, the point guard has some final advice to underclassmen, and said that it is important to “make sure the team stays together. Every team goes through losing streaks, but those streaks will show you how strong the team really is.”

Having suffered season-ending injuries in previous seasons at 91����Ƶ, he added, “Play every game like it’s your last — because it just might be.”

Jones is not the only member of the men’s team closing his time at Eastern Mennonite: so is Coach Dean. Jones said he and his teammates sensed their coach’s resignation, but were still shocked to hear the news that this would be his final season.

“I personally thought it was going to be after next year,” said Jones, “so hearing him say this was his last year just shocked us and it felt weird to think about 91����Ƶ as a whole without Kirby being here. I won’t be here next year to play obviously, but I feel like basketball here won’t feel the same without him.”

Jones is a psychology major with a pre-law minor. After graduation, he hopes to attend graduate school to become a criminologist.

“Playing basketball for 91����Ƶ has been nothing short of amazing,” he said. “It has been a rough journey but it has taught me a lot about myself and other people. At the end of the day, I definitely feel I made the right choice to play at 91����Ƶ for my college experience.  I think this experience has shaped me into an even harder working person, an even more patient person that knows how to bounce back from adversity.”

In his 15th season at his alma mater, Dean is the all-time winningest coach in program history and has successfully changed the culture of the 91����Ƶ program. Over the past nine years, the Royals have had six of the seven most successful seasons in school history in terms of overall wins.

Dean cited family reasons for making the 2017-18 season his last as head coach.

“This is without question the toughest decision I’ve made in my life,” he said. “I’ve loved my time here at 91����Ƶ and the success we’ve had has surpassed the wildest expectations I could have ever had coming into the job in 2003. I never thought I’d be blessed with the players that have played for me.”

Taking over a team that finished 3-22, and a program that had earned just seven winning campaigns in the previous 37 seasons, Dean quickly doubled his win total in each of his first two years with the Royals. The 2009-10 team vaulted 91����Ƶ onto the national scene, going to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

Dean currently has a coaching record of 194-186, giving him 101 more wins than Sherman Eberly, who is second in 91����Ƶ history with 93 victories. He has earned double digit wins in each of the last nine years.

Director of Athletics Dave King said Dean not only put his stamp on the men’s basketball program at Eastern Mennonite, but on the campus as a whole.

“While understanding Kirby’s decision and respecting him putting his family first, his departure is a huge loss for 91����Ƶ,” said King. “What he has done for the men’s basketball program and the university is hard to put into words, and the impact he has had on the lives of many young men cannot be measured. The community got to see exciting and entertaining basketball, the competitiveness and the wins, but I was privileged to watch the investment in lives that Kirby carried out each day. To me, that will be his greatest legacy. There are many young men who will continue to benefit from the lessons he taught while they were part of the basketball program.”

Dean has coached 21 All-ODAC players, including three-time First Team honoree Jason Sager and 2011 ODAC Player of the Year Todd Phillips. Phillips was named to three different All-America teams, including First Team All-America in 2010.

Dean earned the ODAC Coach of the Year award in 2010, when his Runnin Royals won the ODAC Regular Season Title, twice upsetting the nation’s top-ranked team. They broke numerous program scoring and attendance records before their run in the NCAA Tournament, and hold the best record in program history at 25-5. The following year 91����Ƶ finished at 22-5, marking the two best seasons ever for the Royals. Combined with a pair of 17-win seasons from 2013-15, the basketball men have earned the program’s four best seasons during the past eight years.

While he enjoyed the success, Dean said his family life was the major factor for his decision.

“It really came down to what’s best for my family at this juncture of my life,” he explained, “and the recruiting road for the last 25 years and especially the last 15 here at 91����Ƶ has really taken a toll on me. The time away from home was far less painful back when my wife could travel with me all over the place and I didn’t have a daughter at home wondering where I was.”

He has also coached at D-I Virginia Military Institute and Waynesboro High School.

A native of nearby Penn Laird and graduate of Spotswood High School, Dean was excited to give back to his community in a new way.

“The chance to work for the county I’ve grown up in and loved my entire life was just too good to pass up especially considering the age of my daughter,” he said. “Few coaches get to leave under good circumstances, so I’m happy this process has been amicable. Working at 91����Ƶ was a dream come true, the school and the people I worked with made it everything I always believed it would be. Thankfully, back in 2003, the athletic director at that time, Larry Martin, took a chance on me. Then Dave King came along and I can’t imagine ever working for a better athletic director and a better person than he has proven to be.”

King said there are few coaches anywhere that work as hard as Dean does.

“He is a tireless recruiter, consistently optimistic and accepts every challenge or hurdle that stands in his way of being the best coach he can be and coaching the best team possible,” King said. “He has been a positive representative for the university and built connections that have benefited the university in many ways. I have often wondered if there was anyone in Virginia that Kirby didn’t know or who didn’t know him. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Kirby and will miss him greatly. He is a man of deep faith and integrity and I wish him the best in his new career.”

King said a national search for Dean’s replacement would start immediately.

“Over the summer I played a lot, I trained a lot,” he said. “I had a job for the first half of the summer, but then the second half I knew I had to get ready for my senior year of basketball.”

With an explosive breakout performance in 91����Ƶ’s win against Hood – a season-high of 24 points  – he more than doubled his cumulative points scored in the team’s first three games.

“I felt well,” Latimer said. “I mean, the team and I, we played great together, pulled out a win; that was the main thing.”

The team did play well together; with assists on 32 of their 37 scored field goals, they capitalized on their on-court chemistry.

“We’ve got a lot of seniors now,” Latimer said, “and we’ve been playing together for four years now, so like we just share the ball really well together. We know what it takes to win now. Instead of all of our individual performances, we play together so we can get the win. It doesn’t really matter who scores the most or who has the best game – it matters if we win or not.”

After a summer spent training and with three years of collegiate experience under his belt, Latimer hopes he and his team will be able to win the ODAC title this season.

“We’ve got a lot of seniors who are graduating, and that’s been our goal since we started,” Latimer said. “I think we put it all together this year. Like in past years we’ve had injuries or we had to cut some people or something, but this year everyone’s back and healthy and I think we can make a play at the ODAC title – and then make a run in the NCAA.”

Head coach Kirby Dean has seen a lot of growth in Latimer over the years he has worked with him at 91����Ƶ.

“RaShawn has shown maturation on and off the floor over the last four years, which has been a joy to be a part of,” said Dean.

Dean also appreciates the versatility of play Latimer brings to the team.

“His performance this year has been particularly impressive because he’s had to adjust his mentality from last season,” Dean explained. “Last year with all the injuries there was pressure for him to carry the offense while this year, with a healthy roster, he’s had to blend in with other capable scorers. He’s proven to be effective regardless of the situation.”

Latimer is majoring in recreation leadership and sports studies, with minors in psychology and coaching. He is currently exploring many options for life after college, ranging from pursuing a basketball career overseas, to joining the military, to coaching.

In the meantime, Latimer can enjoy one last season at 91����Ƶ playing the game he loves.

“When I was a little kid, my dad would always put a ball in my hand,” Latimer said. “Just every year I love the game more and more – I just stuck to it and kept playing. I fell in love with it in middle school and high school, and then I came to college and got to work on my education while playing basketball. It’s been awesome.”

In last weekend’s tournament at Messiah College, Harris-Winn averaged 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds over the course of the two games. In the championship game against Messiah he earned his first double-double since his sophomore season with 19 points and 12 rebounds.

“I felt we played well,” he said. “There were key plays in the championship game that we didn’t make as a team, there were some stops we didn’t make as a team, but I think we’re getting better defensively, which was our focus this year. I think we’re getting better, but I think we still have work to do.”

After a difficult junior season, Harris-Winn put in a lot of work to make sure his last year at 91����Ƶ is a success.

“I just got in the gym over the summer, made sure I worked hard,” he said. “Last year, my junior year, I went through a little bit of a slump the whole year, so this year I wanted to focus on not thinking about that too much, increasing my mental toughness, which is something I really needed to work on, making sure I got back to the roots of how I was successful my sophomore year.”

Head coach Kirby Dean has noticed the difference.

“Isaiah has made as big of a jump between his junior and senior years as any kid I’ve coached,” Dean said. “As a senior he has that ‘sense of urgency’ to find ways to be successful and now, not only is he scoring points for us, but he is also doing the little things that help a team win like playing good defense and rebounding the ball.”

Harris-Winn has high hopes for the team this year.

“My goals for the team is to win the conference and then go to the NCAA Tournament, and then hopefully make a run there,” he said. “I want us to be better defensively and offensively.”

He also loves the camaraderie with his team and wants to continue to build the team chemistry.

“Each year I’ve been around a funny group of people,” he said. “I think that’s something I look forward to each year. When the season starts we’re all around each other so much, we can joke around. I can relate to them. So I think the brotherhood aspect is something I really like that 91����Ƶ has in the basketball program. The family. I like the family environment.”

When Harris-Winn was in middle school he played three different sports: football, basketball and baseball. Eventually he dropped the other two sports; basketball is the one he kept coming back to.

“Basketball is the sport I was best at,” he said. “I stuck with that.”

A business administration major, Harris-Winn hopes to own his own store someday.

“My friend and I have been talking about starting a store where we buy vintage clothes — go thrifting basically. Then we’re going to resell those clothes for a higher price to people. So, like, finding old streetwear, you know, for two dollars or something like that and then selling it for ten or fifteen dollars.”

For now, however, Harris-Winn will focus on making the most of his last season at 91����Ƶ.

“This is my senior year,” he said, “so I’m realizing that every game is my last here.”

After seeing how Harris-Winn has approached the opening weeks of the season, Dean expects to see great things from him.

“I think the sky is the limit for his senior year, if he continues with this type of mentality for the entire year,” he said.

Wherever basketball takes R.J. Sims, he’s always asked a few of the same questions.

In one aspect, Kirby Dean thought his Eastern Mennonite men’s basketball squad almost resembled the Golden State Warriors too much Wednesday night.

Last week, the wing helped the Runnin’ Royals to victories over The Apprentice School and Moravian College, averaging 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds. Apart from his individual performance, Jones paid tribute to his teammates for stepping up when it was most needed.

“The coaching staff has been preaching that we have been constantly getting better since the first game of the season, and I agree with that 100 percent,” Jones said. “Last weekend, I feel as if we made even bigger steps. On Friday, the starting unit failed to make shots for certain parts of the game, and that’s when the second unit and guys off the bench stepped up when they were needed.”

At last weekend’s Don Glick Classic, Coach Kirby Dean tried a new strategy with keeping units together. In other words, he would substitute all five players at one time.

Jones thought the strategy worked. “The starters had trouble producing and it felt good seeing the other guys stepping up and making plays – the ‘next guy up’ so to speak. They had a level of energy that we needed and fed off of to finish off the game strong.”

His coach said Jones exemplifies the selfless attitude needed for the Eastern Mennonite basketball team to be successful.

“What makes Jerome so valuable is his improved defense and improved rebounding,” Dean said. “We knew he could shoot, but this year there are games where he is our leading rebounder, which is something we desperately need with our lack of post presence. He has also gotten better at giving a pump fake and putting the ball on the floor and going to the hoop, which only helps his offensive game.”

The Runnin’ Royals have been affected by injuries early on this season, putting Jerome into a power forward position to which he is not accustomed, but he has flourished and rose to the occasion to help his teammates out in their time of need.

Although the junior is not completely new to the position, playing some towards the end of last season, it calls for him to be more of a rebounder as opposed to strictly a sharp-shooter.

“I am undersized compared to most 4’s in the ODAC,” the 6-3 Jones said. “I knew what I was going to be up against since the off-season where I worked out hard every day and ended up gaining some muscle weight to be able to block out and secure rebounds. I think it is a great role and position for me. I will do whatever it is the team needs me to do to help us win.”

Currently, with the role of being responsible for more rebounds, Jones is 10th in the ODAC with 51 rebounds in total, noting his improvement getting shots off the glass.

Adding the defensive elements to his game, Jones has taken the positional change in stride while also keeping his offensive mentality in hand and also looking for an open teammate.

“I have been called on to be a big contributor to rebounding, and I have to buy in and take my defense to another level to help us win games,” Jones said. “But the shooting is still there, and I like to get my teammates involved also.”

In the men’s one-point win against Shenandoah Feb. 3, Jones showed just how clutch he is when he drew the foul and hit the game-winning free throw.  Three days later against Randolph-Macon, he broke a 65-65 tie with four straight points in the final minute to propel Eastern Mennonite to a 73-71 win. For his efforts, he was named the Royals Athlete of the Week.

“My expectation is that he’ll be first team all-league because there’s no reason for him not to be,” said Coach .

Jones was never the go-to player for his high school team. Dean recalls that when he was recruiting Jones in high school, he was the fourth option behind his twin brother (Charles Town, W.V./Washington).

Jones says his role  is much different than what was expected of him last year.

“My role now is facilitating the score whenever I can,” said Jones, who is a captain.  “Everyone always comes to me with questions and I like it.  I was vocal last year but this year I don’t have an option but to be, so I’m way more vocal.”

He is averaging 10.1 points, 2.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.  He is also one of the best three-point shooters in the ODAC at 47.4%.

“Personally I thought I couldn’t really shoot last year,” Jones admitted.  “So all summer I worked on ball handling and shooting.  Now I’m shooting close to 50 percent from three so that really improved and I have more control over the ball this year.  Defensively, Coach said I’m one of the top on-ball defenders so I think that improved, too.  But I always want to get better at defense and getting other people involved.  I don’t like feeling too selfish on the court but apparently I need to be that way for us to win.”

Maleke did not come up with this conclusion. His coaches did.

“To me he’s the most important player,” Dean said.  “We do efficiency ratings on our kids based on criteria established by the NBA where we plug in all of their stats and it produces a number that says how efficient they are. He’s been our most efficient player all year long. That’s a nice way of saying he’s probably our most important or most valuable player. He kind of needs to grow into that role because he’s never been that guy. But Maleke is coming into his own and he needs to continue to do that because he is really talented. He can’t just settle for being a good player; he has to be the player of the year in our league next year. In my opinion, he has that kind of talent.”

“He walked in and said, ‘Where is the place for scouts and the press?’ I told him to take his pick of seats. He could not believe it,” recalled Phillips, who now lives in Washington state. “This was such small time for him.”

Fratello would go on to be NBA Coach of the Year with the Atlanta Hawks in 1986. Campanelli would one day be the head coach at the University of California and an NBA scout for Cleveland and New Jersey. He recently published “Dare to Dream,” about taking the university now known as James Madison to the Division I level, and he writes about some of those games against 91����Ƶ.

For the first time in 40 years, the two schools, whose home gyms are about four miles apart, will meet Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

It will be their first regular-season meeting since Dec. 9, 1975, when the Dukes won, 95-67. That JMU team included Sherman Dillard, a future sixth-round draft pick of the Indiana Pacers in 1978. , now athletic director at 91����Ƶ, was a 6-foot-3 senior center on the team.

Dukes hold series advantage

JMU has won eight of 10 games in a series that began during the 1969-70 season. The two wins by 91����Ƶ came on Dec. 9, 1969, in the first-ever meeting between the schools by a score of 58-57, and Jan. 20, 1973, with a score of 72-71 at home. Art Mullet coached the 1969 team and Roland Landes the 1973 team.

“We beat (JMU) at home when I was a sophomore in 1973. I remember that the place was packed,” said . “It was a big-time win for us. I remember the place went crazy.”

One of the top players for JMU that season was George Tolliver, who went on to be a referee in the NBA and overseas.

Eberly remembers playing at Godwin Hall, the former JMU basketball home before the Convocation Center opened on the opposite and east side of Interstate 81 in 1982. “When we went over to play at Godwin, that was the biggest place we played at,” Eberly said of a venue that held about 5,000 fans.

King said the arrival of Phillips, from Norfolk Christian High School, to 91����Ƶ in 1973 and through 1978 aided the program beyond wins and losses.

“That was a really significant move. It was someone who had been extremely successful at the high school level,” King noted. “It was clear this man had a basketball mind. I would say the offensive game was where his strength was. And there was genuine care for the players.”

Playing ‘up,’ looking to improve

, a 1992 graduate and the Royals head coach since 2002, has tried to set up a game with the Dukes for several years, and he said his relationship with current JMU coach Matt Brady – on the job since 2008 – helped lead to this year’s contest.

“It is a good chance for our players to play a Division I school. We just want to get better,” Dean said.

The 91����Ƶ coach pointed out his doesn’t have any seniors or juniors and will face a strong Division I Dukes club that advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2013.

“We know what we are up against,” Dean said of the Dukes, picked to finish second in the Colonial Athletic Association in a pre-season poll.

That was also the case for the Royals back in the 1970s against Madison College, which was progressing to the Division I level by 1976 and switched its name to James Madison University one year later.

“For us to beat JMU was a big deal,” said Phillips, who later became a coach and athletic director at Seattle Pacific.

That would certainly be the case as well on Nov. 24 for the Royals – nearly 40 years after the last regular-season meeting between the schools.

To purchase tickets for the game, click . For more information on the Convocation Center and parking, click . Live stats, video and audio of the game will all be available.

Preseason polling ranked the and the in the (ODAC).

The men play their first conference game Nov. 29 at Randolph and the women host Lynchburg Nov. 24.

A for men’s only, women’s only or a combo of all men’s and women’s home games are offered. 91����Ƶ’s home games routinely host large crowds, with an average of 393 fans for the women’s games, a statistic that leading the ODAC and puts 91����Ƶ 39th in the nation among D-III teams. The men averaged 757 for their games, third in the ODAC and 28th out of 417 D-III team s in the nation.

Fans will definitely want to cheer the women on at home:  the Royals (88-22 over the past four years) also take a 30-game home winning streak into this season, with a 54-49 setback against Elizabethtown on Jan. 7, 2013, standing as their last loss in Yoder Arena.

Rheinheimer back for senior campaign

Despite the loss of five seniors, the ODAC’s coaches aren’t expecting much of a fall off for 91����Ƶ’s women.

Eastern Mennonite, riding a string of three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, received three first-place votes and totaled 106 points in the voting.  Lynchburg College earned six first-place votes and 114 total points to claim the top spot.

The Royals had a nice postseason run in 2014-15, earning a thrilling win over LaRoche in the NCAA First Round before falling to eventual national champion Thomas More. Coach claimed his third straight and fourth overall ODAC Coach of the Year award

The Royals return three starters, including the ODAC Player of the Year and All-America forward (Manheim, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite).  A 5-10 senior, Rheinheimer scored 20.0 points with 7.8 rebounds per game last year. She was named ODAC Player of the Year and was a D3hoops.com All-America Fourth Team honoree. She was recently named to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America First Team.

The women also return senior point guard (Conestoga, Pa./Penn Manor) (2.3ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.2apg) and sophomore guard/forward (Covington, Va./Covington) (6.3ppg, 2.0rpg).

Jones twins lead young squad

As could be expected, the ODAC coaches see that 91����Ƶ’s basketball men have some rebuilding to do.  A year after finishing fourth in the standings, the Runnin Royals were tabbed to finish eighth in the nation’s toughest conference.

“Our goal is to improve every game no matter what happens,” said coach , the 2010 ODAC Coach of the Year.  “Our kids are mature enough to understand that we’re in a really, really tough league, but if we can keep everyone together, we can be one of the best teams in the league again, and probably sooner rather than later.”

Eastern Mennonite returns just six men from last year’s roster, all sophomores.  Including All-ODAC performers David Falk and Marcel Crump, the men lost six seniors from a 17-10 squad.  Five of them started during the postseason run into the ODAC Semifinals.

(Charles Town, W.V./Washington) started 14 games as a freshman in 2014-15, and was fifth on the team with a 7.6 scoring average.  He shot 36.2% from three-point range and scored in double figures in ten games.  His twin brother, (Charles Town, W.V./Washington), expects to elevate after being the backup point guard last year.  (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) shot a team-best 40.0% from outside and averaged 3.8 points per game.

The Runnin’ Royals open the new year Saturday, Nov. 14, hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg 30 minutes following the completion of the women’s game, or approximately 6:30 p.m.  The men play just two games in Yoder Arena over the first semester.  They also play at D-I James Madison University on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Winter 2015 held some uncertain moments for the Eastern Mennonite men’s and women’s basketball teams, but both squads are expected to be a force in the upcoming Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament, which begins February 27 in Salem, Virginia at the Salem Civic Center.

Lady Royals Powerhouse Record Includes Home Winning Streak of 30 Games

The 91����Ƶ women’s basketball team closed regular season play out in February 2015 by solidifying their first place ranking in the ODAC. The team’s overall record is 21-3 (15-1 conference) as of February 26, 2015.

That powerhouse record includes a home winning streak of 30 games: their last loss in Yoder Arena occurred over two seasons ago in January 2013.

In early January, the Lady Royals’ versatile forward  earned her second spot on the Team of the Week and by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). This is the first season that the USBWA is recognizing national players of the week from Division III.

In February Rheinhemer was named one of five in nation to the Capital One Academic All-America First Team. A member of the 91����Ƶ , Rheinheimer holds a 3.96 GPA in the university’s well-respected , along with a minor in .

Men’s Team Seeded No. 4 in Tourney

The Runnin Royals have gathered a number of career records and personal honors even after battling through a tough non-conference and ODAC schedule.

The team has a record of 16-9 overall (9-7 conference) as of February 26, 2015.

The men clinched the No. 4 seed with an .

Some of the honors accrued this season were for senior , who was named ODAC Player of the Week after collecting double doubles during dramatic wins in mid-January.  

As of Feb. 22 the 6-6 center is ranked third in the nation for rebounds per game. Falk is , having logged 192 throughout the regular season. He is currently ranked . (More info: )

, was named Royal Athlete of the Week on January 22 after he went multiple games hitting 100 percent of his attempts from the free throw line.

Runnin Royals’ starting point guard  earned the Royal Athlete of the Week honor when he logged career bests of 18 points and nine assists.

“I like setting my teammates up to score,” said Williams, a senior from Capitol Heights, Md.  “When I give an assist I feel like I scored the bucket myself.”

Tournament Game Info in Salem, Va.

Check out the ODAC website for live stats and video for postseason games yet to be played, and scores and game reports from completed games.

Men’s basketball: 

Women’s basketball:

Games are played at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Virginia.

91����Ƶ entered the day tied with Randolph, Hampden-Sydney and Bridgewater for fourth in the league standings, but all three of them lost. The men now have a win over each of those teams muddled in the middle of the ODAC pack.

The visiting WildCats, hamstrung with a healthy roster lacking in height, executed their game plan as designed, shutting down 91����Ƶ’s All-ODAC big man,  (Madison, Va./Madison County), by swarming him with defenders every time he touched the ball. Randolph also got back on defense after every shot attempt, resulting in a halfcourt game with a combined two offensive rebounds and six fastbreak points. How would the up-tempo Royals handle that type of a game?

Eastern Mennonite responded by running their offensive sets and finding the open man. They shot 12-of-23 from the floor in the first half, including 6-10 from outside, to take a 36-34 lead into halftime, thanks to an inside jumper from  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) in the closing seconds. Randolph was almost a mirror image, shooting 12-for-25 with 5-10 from three point range.

The second half was just as tight until the WildCats scored nine straight points to build their largest lead of the day at 52-43 with 11:19 to go. Behind some hot shooting from freshman  (Charles Town, W.V./Washington), the Royals stormed back to within four points, but Randolph wouldn’t give up the lead.

The visitors matched 91����Ƶ shot-for-shot, leaving the lead between four and seven points until the game hit a pivotal moment with 5:04 remaining. With 91����Ƶ on offense, Falk jumped to gain possession of a loose ball. As he came down and turned, he collided with a Randolph defender and was whistled for elbowing and tagged with his fourth foul.

The home crowd sat in disbelief and Coach Kirby Dean was livid. The WildCats calmly went into their offensive set, drew a foul and connected on both free throws to put the lead back at 64-57. The five Royals on the floor, however, decided it was their time.

 (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) hit a jumper to trigger a run. Falk swatted a shot to start a fastbreak, which Yates converted to slice the deficit to 64-61. After a defensive stand,  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) found Jones for another three ball, this time knotting the score at 64-64 with 2:52 left and igniting the home crowd. After another big block from Falk, 91����Ƶ’s big man hit a jumper in the paint to put 91����Ƶ in front for the first time since the 17:31 mark.

Randolph looked rattled and turned the ball over on their next two possessions, leading to a knockout punch from Williams. The point guard sliced into the lane for the hoop and harm, converting a three-point play to push the lead to 69-64 with 16.1 seconds left. Williams’ effort capped a decisive 12-0 run, as the Royals clamped down Randolph for a stretch of 4:34 in the final five minutes of the game.

The final seconds were packed with WildCat layups and 91����Ƶ free throws, but the men went 3-4 from the stripe to seal the key 72-68 win.

The teams combined to shoot 50 percent from the floor and 54 percent from long range. Eastern Mennonite was 24-47 in shooting, including a season-best 10-17 from three. Randolph shot 24-49 overall and 10-20 from outside. The Royals made the difference up in quantity at the free throw line, hitting 14-21 compared to 10-11 for the visitors.

Jones made Randolph pay for every open look he got, burying 6-of-7 three pointers for a career high 22 points. Williams picked his moments and was 6-6 from the free throw line for 14 points. Yates hit a trio of threes and added 13 points.

Falk had a game high nine rebounds and three blocks. Crump turned into a distributor with a career high eight assists. He previous best was four handouts.

Reid Jacoby led a balanced Randolph attack with 14 points, as he hit four treys. Zach Desgain had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Jason Eddie added 12 counters.

The Runnin Royals are now 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the ODAC. Randolph slips to 10-7 and 4-4. 91����Ƶ stays at home on Wednesday to host Shenandoah, who just earned their first ODAC win of the season in an overtime effort over Hampden-Sydney.

“We have a lot of good players,” explained the Runnin Royals’ 12th-year mentor.  “As long as no one cares whose stats look gaudy at the end of the night, I think we’ll end up in the winner’s circle. If the only agenda is us winning games, I like our chances.”

What does that mean?  The sky could be the limit, but for starters the men must concentrate on the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.  Eastern Mennonite has two ODAC regular season titles to their claim, but they have never won the ODAC Tournament in the 37 years of the league’s existence. In fact, the Royals have only played in one title game, finishing as runner-up in 1983. 91����Ƶ also has only one NCAA National Tournament bid in program history, going to the Elite Eight in 2010.

The men were picked in a tie for third in this year’s ODAC Preseason Poll, showing them a lot of respect in one of the nation’s top men’s basketball conferences.

“I think it’s about right,” Dean admitted. “There is so much parity that there is a wide range of where you could finish based on all sorts of variables. I think we have four teams in the league that could legitimately make an NCAA Tournament run. If we don’t gel and don’t find chemistry we could finish below that. But if we do, we know we could compete with those guys above us, because we did last year.”

91����Ƶ rode a six-game winning streak into the ODAC Semifinals last spring, closing with a record of 17-11, including 10-6 in ODAC play. It was just the fourth time in program history the men charted double digits in conference wins.  Wing  is the only significant loss from last year’s squad, although the two-time All-ODAC player and 1000-point scorer will be tough to replace.

“RJ had a really, really good career,” said Dean. “One area where we might really miss him is late in games.  He made a lot of plays in the last two or three minutes of games. He was not afraid to be the goat, and if you are not afraid to be the goat then you might be the hero. But I think we have a few guys who are anxious to step into that role.”

The Runnin Royals return seven seniors, including two All-ODAC players, from a team which finished second in the league with a shooting percentage of 46.6%.  Headlining that crew is 6-6 center  (Madison, Va./Madison County), who averaged 14.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. He led the nation in rebounding and set 91����Ƶ and ODAC records for rebounds in game and 91����Ƶ marks for rebounds in a season, blocks in a season and blocks in a career as he was named All-ODAC First Team, VaSID All-State First Team and D3hoops.com All-South Region Third Team.

And Dean thinks his big man got better.

“David actually got in the gym this summer and worked on his game with an ex-D-I assistant coach,” he said. “You’ll see a much more offensively skilled athlete.  He won’t have to dunk to make a bucket.”

The other All-ODAC returner is 6-4 wing  (Richmond, Va./Highland Springs). In his first season after transferring from D-II Virginia Union to 91����Ƶ, Crump was second in the ODAC in free throws and came in fourth in scoring with 17.0 points per game. He added 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists and was named All-ODAC Second Team.

Other returning starters include 6-2 guard  (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) with his 8.3 points and 2.5 assists on 50.0% shooting and 6-4 sophomore  (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), averaging 3.9 points. Deceptively, 6-7  (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) finished last year by coming off the bench but will start again as a senior. He averaged 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals, and will likely play at the top of 91����Ƶ’s high pressure defense with his disruptive wingspan.

Dean also praised Yates as a team leader.

“Ryan is a hard-working player,” he said, “as hard as I’ve had in a long time. He gets in the gym and works. He’s very confident now and aggressive and he is making plays he could not make as a freshman.  I think he’ll have a really big year.”

Being one of only two teams in the conference to bring back multiple All-ODAC performers (Falk and Crump) is just the tip of the iceberg for the Royals.

“Obviously it’s a really good starting point to have back the best big man in the conference and arguably in the country, along with one of the top slashing players in the ODAC,” explained Dean. “They complement each other really well. But it doesn’t stop there. James and Ryan are the same level of players, they just haven’t received the recognition. There are going to be four guys out there who aren’t afraid to have the ball in their hands and aren’t afraid to make a play.”

Eastern Mennonite returns 11 players from last year’s team, and each of them played in at least 18 games. Energetic 6-2 senior  (Bridgeton, N.J./Salem) with his 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds is the only other returner to play 10 or more minutes per game. In all, the men bring back 82.5% of their offense.

Dean said the momentum from last year’s strong finish visibly carried over to this season.

“I think it created a confidence level,” he said. “It created a lot of momentum for the offseason, if anything, and led to people having a really good summer and being really anxious to come back and finish what we started the second half of last year.”

As if the host of experience wasn’t enough, Eastern Mennonite brought in a bounty of athleticism in an eight-man freshmen class. The result could be the most stacked depth chart in program history.

“I don’t think there is any question this is the most talented freshman class I’ve had in my 12 years,” Dean explained. “The class that ended going to the Elite Eight may have been slightly more top heavy with talent, but when you consider this class one though eight, this class is more talented. They have a chance to be a really special class. One thing they have to understand is that not everyone will be in the rotation as freshman simply because of our upperclassmen and what spots they play. But if they wait their turn they’ll have a chance to do some really special things.”

As Dean prepared this year’s schedule, he made sure his men would be pushed with a challenging non-conference slate to prepare them for the rigorous ODAC Tournament. As part of that, 91����Ƶ will play four, two-day classics or tourneys.

“We needed as many D-III regional games as we could get,” said Dean. “It was a problem for us in the past and it’s a problem around the ODAC. People are familiar with the level of the ODAC and sometimes people shy away from playing us.  Playing all those weekend tourneys won’t hurt us. It will help us if anything as we get used to the ‘win and advance’ mentality.”

The Runnin Royals open the year by hosting one of those weekends in the 91����Ƶ Tip-Off Classic. With the NCAA’s official start of the season on Nov. 15, the men are hosting their classic on Saturday and Sunday of this coming weekend.

Eastern Mennonite opens against Ferrum Saturday at 7:00pm, before taking on St. Mary’s (Md.) Sunday at 4 p.m. Rival Bridgewater College will play a game before the Royals each day.

“Begin with what you have,” she said, using “your little gift to change the world.”

Gbowee referred with pride in her to being a graduate of 91����Ƶ (she earned a in 2007) and to being the mother of a 2014 graduate, . “My home is 5,000 miles away from this campus, but this is a place that is very close to my heart.”

She said she chose 91����Ƶ for her eldest son because she wanted a university with “a whole lot of Jesus and lots of churches” in the vicinity, but “limited partying.”

Mensah, a major, was one of 351 students receiving bachelor’s degrees. Eighty graduate degrees were conferred, including the first graduates from 91����Ƶ’s two-year-old . Graduate certificates, associate degrees, and pastoral ministry degrees were also conferred.

Among the thousands of family members and friends in the audience were 10 relatives of , a well-known figure on campus for his basketball prowess. Less well-known is that he flunked out of 91����Ƶ after his freshman year.

Thorne appealed for re-admission, hoping to prove that he could be the first member of his extended family to finish college. The following years were not entirely smooth, including at least one brush with the law. But, in Thorne’s words, basketball coach “stayed in my ear to push me along and to be honest. He never gave up, and he’s been getting on my nerves for four years! But that’s what people need.”

An published in December 2013 showed that Thorne, in his fifth year at 91����Ƶ, was still struggling to complete his required coursework. Upon reading the article, Coach Dean posted this comment:

You need to really focus and finish strong! You can see the light at the end of the tunnel so keep grinding! Years from now, I need to be able to tell other recruits about ‘Andrew Thorne’…where he came from, what he had to overcome, the contributions you are making to society, and the successful life you are leading now. That’s where this story needs to go over the coming years. Get it done.

When Andrew’s name was called and he walked across the stage to receive his diploma, his father James waved the commencement program in the air and yelled, “It’s about time!”

Andrew’s 27-year-old brother (named James like his father) got leave from his work as a Norfolk-based petty officer in the U.S. Navy to be present. “I knew he was going to make it,” said his brother, though “it was not an easy ride for him.”

Their mother, Wanda, said she is sure “Drew” – as the family calls him – “is going to be successful – he’s proven that he can overcome a lot of obstacles in his life.”

Drew himself was all smiles as he hugged his family, but he was a man of few words in talking about his accomplishment. He simply said, “It means the world. It’s a fresh start. It’s a new beginning.”

More from commencement weekend:

Cords of Distinction ceremony��(��ǻ峦������)

Seminary commencement ceremony (podcast)

“” – WHSV/TV3 (video)

Nurses’ pinning ceremony (podcast)

Seminary Baccalaureate��(��ǻ峦������)