Shenandoah University

The Shenandoah University Marching Band, alongside members of the Shenandoah Conservatory Studio Big Band and the SU cheerleading squad, is set to travel across the pond and perform in the 2025 London New Year's Day Parade. It will be the first international performance for the marching band, which debuted with 73 members in 2022 and has grown to include over 150 students this year.

Shenandoah University's Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing has announced its undergraduate and graduate awards for the December 2024 graduating class.

Shenandoah University's football team had four players named to the 2024 D3football.com All-Region 3 team, in selections announced by the website on Dec. 11. Offensive tackle David Munoz led the honorees with first-team recognition, while defensive back Sean Perry was named to the second team. Quarterback Steven Hugney and running back Jalen Redfearn rounded out Shenandoah's selections with third-team honors.

Shenandoah University senior Dylan Weaver made history for the Hornets' wrestling program on Dec. 6 when he became the first SU wrestler to reach 100 career victories. Weaver, competing at 174 pounds, reached the milestone with his second win during the Petrofes Invitational at Messiah University.

Eva Gary '25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre) will join "Pretty Woman: The Musical," for the last leg of its U.S. national tour in 2025. Gary will play the lead role of Vivian Ward in the production based on the 1990 film of the same name.

The Shenandoah University field hockey program had five student-athletes named to the 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region VI team, the NFHCA and Apex Field Hockey announced on Dec. 3. Graduate students Cassidy Morrison, Farren Winter and Elise Velasquez and senior Mairead McKibbin were first-team selections, while sophomore Camryn DeLeva earned a spot on the second team.

Shenandoah University senior offensive tackle David Munoz has been named to the 2024 American Football Coaches Association Division III All-America Team, the AFCA announced Tuesday, Dec. 3. Munoz, a team captain for the Hornets, is the first Shenandoah football player to earn All-America honors since Ben Burgan accomplished the feat in 2021 and the first offensive player to do so since fellow offensive lineman Daniel Small achieved the recognition in 2019.

Shenandoah University announced the destinations for its 2025 Global Citizenship Project during its 34th International Convocation on Nov. 20. During spring break next March, GCP participants will travel to Colombia, Nepal, Poland, Taiwan and Tanzania.

Shenandoah University's Nathan Yared and Chinedu Ikem earned spots on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region VI team after leading the Hornets' men's soccer team to its first 10-win season in over 20 years.

Shenandoah University education student Mairead McKibbin '24 is the recipient of a Hattie M. Strong Foundation Scholarship to help defray costs incurred during student teaching. The $5,000 scholarships are awarded to "reduce financial pressure during the student-teaching semester, when a student's ability to offset expenses with outside employment is curtailed by the rigor of full-time work in the classroom," according to the HMSF website. The scholarship recipients, who are candidates for initial teacher licensure, are commonly known as Strong Scholars.

Shenandoah University forward Mairead McKibbin '24 and goalkeeper Taylor Swann '25 were among the 60 student-athletes across NCAA Division III to be named to the 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Senior Team. Selection to the NFHCA's Senior Team highlights a student-athlete's performance as well as their impact on and off the field.

Shenandoah University senior quarterback Steven Hugney and head coach Scott Yoder headlined the 2024 All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference football selections as the Hornets earned three major awards and 11 all-conference selections. Hugney was named the Offensive Player of the Year and ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Yoder was voted Coach of the Year. Joining Hugney on the first team were running back Jalen Redfearn, receiver Broden Domenico, offensive lineman David Munoz, linebacker Matt Conroy and defensive back Sean Perry. Offensive lineman Dominic Gulli, defensive linemen Ethan Brown and Corey Kidwell, and defensive back Ahvyon Boothe were second-team selections, and receiver Guy Hayes was named to the third team.

Shenandoah University's men's soccer team continued to make its mark in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference as three players earned All-ODAC recognition for the 2024 season. Senior Nathan Yared and junior Chinedu Ikem were named to the first team, while senior Kyle Welch was a second-team selection.

The Shenandoah University women's cross country team had two individuals earn All-Region accolades during the NCAA South Region Championships on Nov. 16 in Jackson, Mississippi. Senior Makenna Thrush and first-year Maddy Chorney finished 24th and 27th, respectively, to lead the Hornets to a fifth-place finish. Thrush completed the 6K race in 22:59.01, while Chorney finished with a time of 23:11.95. All-Region honors are awarded to the top 35 individuals in each of the NCAA Division III regional competitions.

Three Shenandoah University women's soccer student-athletes were named to the 2024 All-ODAC team in selections announced by the conference on Nov. 13. Senior Chandler Gallant was selected to the All-ODAC second team while Lauren Duffy and McKenna Newcome represent SU on the third team.

Shenandoah University's field hockey team had an impressive showing in the 2024 All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) selections released on Tuesday, Nov. 12, with eight Hornets earning All-ODAC honors and the program netting four of the ODAC's five major awards.

Shenandoah University student Travis Gawason '25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre design & production - costume design) served as a stitching and wardrobe apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera (SFO), a unique outdoor opera company in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this past summer. This apprentice program offers instruction, practical experience and hands-on professional training. Gawason stitched the costumes during the day and at night, worked wardrobe on "La Traviata," "Don Giovanni" and the premiere of "The Righteous," as well as "Der Rosenkavalier" and "The Elixir of Life" as part of the SFO's 2024 season.

Shenandoah Conservatory student Darian Angel '26 (Bachelor of Music in performance) won first prize in the College Division of the Sidney Forrest Clarinet Competition at the University of Maryland on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Shenandoah University has announced the 50 individuals who were selected for the 2025 Global Citizenship Project (GCP). Those individuals will travel to one of five international destinations during spring break in March 2025. Participants will learn their destinations and trip leaders at International Convocation on Nov. 20. The Global Citizenship Project will celebrate its 20th year in 2025. Since its inaugural year in 2005, the Global Citizenship Project has sent over 1,400 students, staff, faculty, and trustees to 69 countries and seven U.S. states and territories so that each participant might learn more about the world and themselves. To learn more about GCP, visit su.edu/gcp.

Shenandoah University's softball program had 17 players earn Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete honors for the 2023-24 academic year, in selections announced by the NFCA on Aug. 6. As a program, the Hornets posted the best team GPA among the four Old Dominion Athletic Conference schools represented on the list of 118 NCAA Division III programs that achieved a collective GPA of 3.0 or better. SU student-athletes Kristen Blee, Rachael Blumenschine, Makayla Boone, Tiffany Bower, Abigail Campbell, Makayla Cox, Paige Eagleton, Kelsey Freeman, Kelly Hartman, Danielle McNeill, Sarah Medellin, Riley Nace, Lexie Reid, Taylor Smith, Kayla Stephenson, Kara Watkins, and Brenna Westwood each were named Easton/NFCA All-Academic Scholar-Athletes. To qualify for this distinction, student-athletes must have maintained at least a 3.50 or better cumulative GPA for the 2023-24 academic year. As a team, the Hornets tied for the 60th-best GPA (3.55) in Division III, edging out Virginia Wesleyan and Bridgewater (T-72, 3.51) and the University of Lynchburg (T-78, 3.50).

Shenandoah University student Kira Sledge '28 was crowned 2025 Miss Apple Blossom and will serve as an official hostess of the 98th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, Virginia, next spring, festival officials recently announced. As Miss Apple Blossom, Sledge, 18, will ride as festival royalty during the Firefighters' Parade on May 2, and the Grand Feature Parade on May 3. Additionally, Sledge will represent the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival at the 2025 Miss Virginia Competition in February.

Shenandoah University's women's lacrosse team had eight student-athletes named to the 2024 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Roll in selections announced on July 24. SU's Ainsley Buckner, Julianna Fohner, Emily Kravalis, Emily Lerch, Emily Onorato, Gabriella Raspanti, Madison Re and Kate Vendemia each earned the recognition. To earn a spot on the Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must be a junior, senior, or graduate student and have earned a cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or higher. Additionally, Shenandoah was named an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad for the 2023-24 academic year, an honor bestowed upon teams who post a GPA of 3.20 or higher. It's the 12th consecutive year the Hornets have been named an Academic Honor Squad, excluding the 2020 season that was canceled due to COVID-19.

Shenandoah University junior Katya Hoover was named an All-Academic Athlete by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on July 15. SU's men's and women's programs also earned All-Academic Team distinctions from the USTFCCCA. Hoover, a national qualifier during the 2023-24 indoor and outdoor seasons, holds the program record in the high jump for both seasons at 1.68 meters. The field athlete achieved each mark at the indoor and outdoor ODAC Championships this season. The All-Academic Athlete award rounds out a year for Hoover where she was named All-ODAC, All-Region, and All-America. As a team, Shenandoah's women were awarded All-Academic Team distinction for the 16th straight year after they achieved a 3.45 GPA in the classroom. The SU men posted a 3.21 GPA and earned the honor for the sixth consecutive year.

Four members of the Shenandoah University men's basketball team were named to the 2023-24 National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court on July 15. Graduate students Jaylen Williams and Davion Roberts, senior Gavin Bizyak and junior Kendrick Robinson represent the Hornets on the list, which includes more than 2,100 players. Robinson and Williams lead the quartet of Hornets by achieving a career GPA of 3.80 or higher. The honors court recognizes men's basketball student-athletes from all collegiate levels who achieve a 3.20 cumulative GPA or higher. Student-athletes must be a junior, senior, or graduate student to earn the academic award. This marks the fifth consecutive year the Hornets have had at least one player on the honors court, and the fourth season in which SU has had multiple honorees. Roberts has earned this distinction for the fourth time, while Williams and Bizyak earned the award for the third and second time, respectively.

Six Shenandoah University student-athletes were selected to the 2023-24 Virginia Sports Information Directors Association (VaSID) Academic All-State Team in selections released by the association on July 11. The six Hornets honored were Farren Winter (field hockey), David Munoz (football), Devin Kohout (men's soccer/track & field), Emily Williams (women's basketball), Mark Isabelle (men's lacrosse), and Karlie Zamora (women's golf). Thirty-six schools and 216 student-athletes were represented on this year's VaSID Academic All-State Team.

The Shenandoah University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics set a new school record with 329 student-athletes on the 2023-24 Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Academic Team in selections released by the conference on July 11. This year's total is an increase of 33 student-athletes from SU's previous best of 296 set during the 2022-23 academic year. For student-athletes to qualify for the ODAC All-Academic Team, they must've had a 3.25 GPA or higher for the 2023-24 school year. Of the 329 SU student-athletes on the team, 256 posted a 3.50 GPA or better, and 46 had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Shenandoah University is pleased to announce the 1,247 graduates who received their degrees and/or certificates during the 2023-24 academic year. These included 206 August 2023 graduates, 353 December 2023 graduates and 688 May 2024 graduates. Shenandoah's 2024 University Commencement took place on May 18.

Shenandoah University pitcher Jacob Bell earned 2024 Third Team Academic All-America honors in selections released recently by College Sports Communicators. Bell, a graduate student and the ace of SU's pitching staff in 2024, earned this prestigious award for the second consecutive year, joining 11 other Division III players to earn the distinction in 2023 and 2024.

Shenandoah University track and field student-athletes Katya Hoover, Mackenzie Plowman, Janelle Anderson, Dylan Tubbs and Devin Kohout were named to the College Sports Communicators 2024 Academic All-District Team. The five Hornets each posted at least a 3.30 GPA, with two of them gaining a 4.0 GPA in the spring.

The Old Dominion Athletic Conference recently announced the 2023-24 ODAC Sportsmanship Teams in each of the conference's 25 sponsored sports. The squads are composed of a student-athlete selected by the coaching staff of each team competing under the conference banner, with all sports and schools fully represented.