From the Stables - Notes From the Desk of Director of Athletics Nico Yantko
12/9/2022 12:10:00 PM | General
Happy Holidays, Racer Nation!
We are just passing the 90-day mark since we came back "home." Marnie, Chaney, and I could not be more appreciative of the support and, warm welcome as we have continued to settle in!
As we all know, basketball season is here! Both our men's and women's programs are off to an impressive start! This past week we had two MVC Players of the Week – Rob Perry & Katelyn Young!
We hope you can join us on December 13 for a doubleheader at the CFSB Center to see both teams in action! And then, we need you back at "The Bank" on December 16th when the men take on… that school from Clarksville. WE NEED A PACKED HOUSE! As part of our partnership with Max's 641 Towing and the Governor's Office, we are hosting a toy drive and Teddy Bear Toss at halftime.
Also, be sure to request your MVC Arch Madness & Hoops in the Heartland Tickets NOW!
Information for the MVC Arch Madness Below:
We also had an opportunity to thank our Board of Regents and President Jackson at our inaugural MVC Basketball game against Illinois State, where the men picked up a big win in overtime. We are incredibly grateful for our Board of Regents and Dr. Jackson for their leadership and unwavering support of Racer Athletics.
Since our last "From the Stables," we wanted to give everyone a quick fall update!
As the fall semester is coming to a close and before we turn our sights to the spring, let's take a moment to cover some highlights from the past few months!
Soccer – Coach Lodge and our soccer program made it to the Championship Game against Missouri State in our inaugural year in the MVC!
Additionally, through new engagement strategies and excitement around the MVC transition, we saw a 10% increase in NEW season ticket sales!
Men's Basketball topped #24 Texas A&M in the Myrtle Beach Invitational!
Women's Basketball has won four-straight games!!
Congratulations to Ja Morant for becoming the Memphis Grizzlies franchise leader for triple doubles.
Tennis – Congratulations to Natalie Slezakova and Paola Campigotto for winning MVC Individual Championships this fall!! Murray State's first ever MVC Championships!
Track & Field/Cross Country – This fall, the team was recognized for their 2022 outdoor championship. Additionally, several school records were set in their first meet this fall: Amirr Evans (#1 All-Time 100m, 2:56.50), Rachel Hagans (#3 All-Time Long Jump 6.01m), Kayla Bell (#3 All-Time 600m, 1:33.47), Jenna Pauly (#4 All-Time Pentathlon 3,539).
Softball – This fall we were able to present the softball team with their championship rings as part of their celebration on their first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Baseball – Coach Skirka announced Steve Adkins as new pitching coach!
Men's & Women's Golf – We had a competitive fall with both our new head coaches Jacob Miller and Philip Nelson. Also, John Buchanan set a new competitive round record at Miller Golf Course!
M Club – Since launching the M Club (letterwinner society), we have engaged with over 600 Racer letterwinners to get reconnected with Murray State Athletics! Are you a former letterwinner? – let us know what you are up to.
Racers Rally Program Members – We have engaged over 200+ new business through this initiative.
Engagement & Fundraising Efforts…
This week, we announced a $250,000.00 commitment from Swift & Staley, Inc out of Paducah. This is the largest gift to Racers Athletics since 2014! We want to express our sincere gratitude to Swift & Staley, Inc. and Regent Leon Owens for their belief in our plan to create a transformational experience for each of our Murray State student-athletes.
Additionally, over the past three months, we have seen a significant increase in giving to our department through several efforts.
A look ahead…
Student-Athlete Development Programming: We are in the process of developing a holistic leadership program that will create a transformational student-athlete experience that serves our student-athletes from recruitment to retirement. The programming will be centered around four pillars: Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, Leadership & Community Engagement, NIL Preparedness & Brand Management…Stay tuned for an exciting announcement coming in January.
Missouri Valley Football Conference Transition: Now begins our journey into the MVFC transition. We have announced the 2023 season Family Weekend and Homecoming dates. The annual Family Weekend game will take place September 30 against Indiana State, while Homecoming is set for October 14 against Southern Illinois.
Sports Science Committee: In my first three months on the job, one thing we wanted to be intentional on was our approach to our student-athlete well-being (strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental health, rehab, sports medicine, and beyond!) initiatives and a deliberate focus on player development. We have recently assembled a Sports Science Committee with parts of our staff and campus partners.
Since establishing this committee, we recently announced a gift from Chris Andrews for a Senaptec Sensory Station to assist with vision training and sensory performance.
Strategic Plan: Early this coming spring, we will begin a strategic planning process with staff, coaches, student-athletes, campus partners, community members, and members of Racer Nation! This will help us lay out a strong road map as we continue to transition into the MVC and sustain our tradition of excellence!
Racer Club Renewals: This coming spring, for the first time, we will be implementing a renewal process for our Racer Club contributions. Our goal is to make investing in our sports programs as user friendly as possible. We anticipate these renewals hitting mailboxes and emails (via TicketMaster Account Manager) closer to March. This will help us as we continue to explore opportunities to simplify donor experience for all Racer Club members. We will communicate more information after the holidays.
We look forward to checking in with everyone after the holidays. Until then, Happy Holidays from your Racers Athletics Family!
Go Racers!
Nico Yantko
Director of Athletics
Murray State University
We are just passing the 90-day mark since we came back "home." Marnie, Chaney, and I could not be more appreciative of the support and, warm welcome as we have continued to settle in!
As we all know, basketball season is here! Both our men's and women's programs are off to an impressive start! This past week we had two MVC Players of the Week – Rob Perry & Katelyn Young!
We hope you can join us on December 13 for a doubleheader at the CFSB Center to see both teams in action! And then, we need you back at "The Bank" on December 16th when the men take on… that school from Clarksville. WE NEED A PACKED HOUSE! As part of our partnership with Max's 641 Towing and the Governor's Office, we are hosting a toy drive and Teddy Bear Toss at halftime.
Also, be sure to request your MVC Arch Madness & Hoops in the Heartland Tickets NOW!
Information for the MVC Arch Madness Below:
- To guarantee tickets in the Murray State section, you must buy (all-session) tickets through our ticket office by Monday, January 16th for $155.00 (price point set by MVC)
- No limit to how many tickets you can purchase
- The tickets are all-session tickets
- Seats will be allocated by Priority Point Rank order
- If you do not buy tickets through our ticket office by January 16th – tickets increase to $175 and will need to be purchased through Enterprise Center directly (seats will not be in the Murray State section block)
- Reserve your room at Murray State Team Headquarters – Marriot St. Louis Grand – GoRacers.com/stl
We also had an opportunity to thank our Board of Regents and President Jackson at our inaugural MVC Basketball game against Illinois State, where the men picked up a big win in overtime. We are incredibly grateful for our Board of Regents and Dr. Jackson for their leadership and unwavering support of Racer Athletics.
Since our last "From the Stables," we wanted to give everyone a quick fall update!
As the fall semester is coming to a close and before we turn our sights to the spring, let's take a moment to cover some highlights from the past few months!
Soccer – Coach Lodge and our soccer program made it to the Championship Game against Missouri State in our inaugural year in the MVC!
MVC Recognitions: Lauren Payne and Saraya Young were named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team!
Football – The Football Program achieved their 500th win in program history! This is an exciting milestone as we begin the process to officially transition into the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Additionally, we set a new Homecoming record crowd 15,122 (largest since 1994).We ranked #36 in the nation (FCS) in average attendance (11% increase from 2021).
Conference Recognitions: Levi Nesler, Eric Samuta, Taylor Shields and Cade Shupperd we all named to the All-OVC Second Team, while Cody Goatley was named to the All-Newcomer Team.
Volleyball – Volleyball made the MVC Tournament in our inaugural year in the conference.
Season Recognitions: Bailey Demier and Dahlia Miller earned MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team recognitions, as well as earning CSC Academic All-District honors. Additionally, Bailey DeMier earned the MVC State Farm Good Neighbor award and Darci Metzger earned a spot on the MVC All-Tournament Team.
Rifle – Coach Lollar and the team had an incredibly competitive fall and the team is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation!! We can't wait to see this crew back in action in January.
Basketball –
This year we announced a 96% renewal rate for our Men's Basketball season tickets! This is a huge reflection of Racer Nation's commitment – THANK YOU!Additionally, through new engagement strategies and excitement around the MVC transition, we saw a 10% increase in NEW season ticket sales!
Men's Basketball topped #24 Texas A&M in the Myrtle Beach Invitational!
Women's Basketball has won four-straight games!!
Congratulations to Ja Morant for becoming the Memphis Grizzlies franchise leader for triple doubles.
Tennis – Congratulations to Natalie Slezakova and Paola Campigotto for winning MVC Individual Championships this fall!! Murray State's first ever MVC Championships!
Track & Field/Cross Country – This fall, the team was recognized for their 2022 outdoor championship. Additionally, several school records were set in their first meet this fall: Amirr Evans (#1 All-Time 100m, 2:56.50), Rachel Hagans (#3 All-Time Long Jump 6.01m), Kayla Bell (#3 All-Time 600m, 1:33.47), Jenna Pauly (#4 All-Time Pentathlon 3,539).
Softball – This fall we were able to present the softball team with their championship rings as part of their celebration on their first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Baseball – Coach Skirka announced Steve Adkins as new pitching coach!
Men's & Women's Golf – We had a competitive fall with both our new head coaches Jacob Miller and Philip Nelson. Also, John Buchanan set a new competitive round record at Miller Golf Course!
M Club – Since launching the M Club (letterwinner society), we have engaged with over 600 Racer letterwinners to get reconnected with Murray State Athletics! Are you a former letterwinner? – let us know what you are up to.
Racers Rally Program Members – We have engaged over 200+ new business through this initiative.
Engagement & Fundraising Efforts…This week, we announced a $250,000.00 commitment from Swift & Staley, Inc out of Paducah. This is the largest gift to Racers Athletics since 2014! We want to express our sincere gratitude to Swift & Staley, Inc. and Regent Leon Owens for their belief in our plan to create a transformational experience for each of our Murray State student-athletes.
Additionally, over the past three months, we have seen a significant increase in giving to our department through several efforts.
- $204,000 for Racer Athletics first-ever Day-of-Giving
- $100,000.00 contribution from an Anonymous Donor
- $40,000.00 from the Racer Football Alumni Association
- $34,000.00 for Racers Athletics first-ever Giving Tuesday efforts
- $25,000.00 from an Anonymous Donor
- $25,000.00 – from an Anonymous Donor
A look ahead…
Student-Athlete Development Programming: We are in the process of developing a holistic leadership program that will create a transformational student-athlete experience that serves our student-athletes from recruitment to retirement. The programming will be centered around four pillars: Career Readiness, Financial Literacy, Leadership & Community Engagement, NIL Preparedness & Brand Management…Stay tuned for an exciting announcement coming in January.
Missouri Valley Football Conference Transition: Now begins our journey into the MVFC transition. We have announced the 2023 season Family Weekend and Homecoming dates. The annual Family Weekend game will take place September 30 against Indiana State, while Homecoming is set for October 14 against Southern Illinois.
Sports Science Committee: In my first three months on the job, one thing we wanted to be intentional on was our approach to our student-athlete well-being (strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental health, rehab, sports medicine, and beyond!) initiatives and a deliberate focus on player development. We have recently assembled a Sports Science Committee with parts of our staff and campus partners.
Since establishing this committee, we recently announced a gift from Chris Andrews for a Senaptec Sensory Station to assist with vision training and sensory performance.
Strategic Plan: Early this coming spring, we will begin a strategic planning process with staff, coaches, student-athletes, campus partners, community members, and members of Racer Nation! This will help us lay out a strong road map as we continue to transition into the MVC and sustain our tradition of excellence!
Racer Club Renewals: This coming spring, for the first time, we will be implementing a renewal process for our Racer Club contributions. Our goal is to make investing in our sports programs as user friendly as possible. We anticipate these renewals hitting mailboxes and emails (via TicketMaster Account Manager) closer to March. This will help us as we continue to explore opportunities to simplify donor experience for all Racer Club members. We will communicate more information after the holidays.
We look forward to checking in with everyone after the holidays. Until then, Happy Holidays from your Racers Athletics Family!
Go Racers!
Nico Yantko
Director of Athletics
Murray State University
