Former football coach and ESPN Gameday analyst once said about his Notre Dame football team, "We aren't where we want to be, we aren't where we ought to be, but we aren't where we used to be either." It is a perfect quote for Erskine Athletics in 2010-2011. I have witnessed much change over the past seven years as athletic director in numerous areas in our department. We have nearly doubled in student-athletes and staff during that time. We have seen some nice improvements to our facilities. Academics have always been at a high level in our athletics program but as the numbers have grown, academic success continues to remain high for Fleet Athletics. The one area where we have seen some success but are a long ways from where we want to be is with our competitive level. This year we won two conference tournaments, had a one runner-up in tournament play, two 2nd place regular season finishes, and two NCAA regional appearances. All of that is good but as I look back on what I wanted Erskine Athletics to be seven years ago, we have accomplished everything except the high level of winning in all our sports. My desire by year seven was that half of our teams would be in regional play every year. Seven years ago we had been to a regional only once (men's tennis) but over the past 13 months I witnessed our teams in baseball, women's tennis, and softball play in NCAA regionals and let me tell you, its fun. That is where we belong on a yearly basis in all of our sports. We were close in volleyball and men's soccer this year to getting to that point. But I realize the big push needs to be made in men's basketball. We (I) have to get men's basketball up to a regional standard of play. If basketball does it then other sports will also begin to follow. We aren't going to compromise on who we are, what we do, and what we stand for just to win, but we can have much more success here. Erskine Athletics can be a Division II player and that wasn't even a thought seven years ago. So maybe 2010-2011 wasn't exactly what we hoped for in many ways but we sure aren't where we used to be. Go Fleet!

Saturday afternoon is graduation under the Towers at Erskine. If you haven't been to Due West lately, the college has never looked more beautiful. Graduation on Saturday will be a special occasion for the seniors who have completed their journey at Erskine. Four seniors will be "in abstentia" on Saturday afternoon. Jocelyn Smith, Lindsey LaPrad, Kerry Fincher, and Kristie Fincher will miss their graduation. Four years ago they came to Erskine with a dream of earning a degree and leading the Flying Fleet softball team to the Conference Carolinas Championship. Each of the four distinguished themselves academically, all earning diplomas. In fact, Jocelyn Smith was still in the discussion for valedictorian honors as late as Wednesday night. But despite earning those degrees, Jocelyn, Lindsey, Kerry, and Kristie will not be receiving degrees in Dr. David Norman's first graduation at Erskine. Instead, they will be in Dahlonega, GA competing in the NCAA Southeast Regional. They achieved all of their dreams but by an unfortunate timing of circumstances they can't be at two places at once. Saturday is a day of history for these four young women. They are achieving a college degree and playing as a part of a conference champion in the NCAA Tournament, the first ever for an Erskine softball team. I know all four wish they could be under the Towers Saturday afternoon with their classmates but I also know they would not trade being in Dahlonega for anything. They have memories that will last a lifetime and all of us in Erskine Athletics are so proud of their accomplishments. They might be "in abstentia" Saturday but they got all they could out of their Erskine experience. And who knows, their might be a College World Series they still need to attend!