Newspaper Article

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer Jose Hernandez

Luke Thierfelder is a member of Belmont Abbey’s track and field team, with a focus in the men’s javelin throw. Growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Luke is an Interdisciplinary Studies major with a focus in Psychology. In his freshman year, Luke went undefeated in the season, winning six meets in a row before breaking his own school record and winning the Conference Carolinas Championship in 2022 with a mark of 58.69m. Now a sophomore, Luke has thrown past the provisional standard for the national qualifier with a mark of 64.59m at the UNCW Seahawk Invitational. Here is some insight with the Belmont Abbey phenom:   

How did you get involved with track and field, and what drew you to the javelin? 

I wasn’t involved in track and field at all until my senior year of high school. Up until that point I had only played football, but I knew I wanted to compete in a sport at the collegiate level. I had to make a decision between football or another sport and I chose to pursue another sport because I knew I wasn’t going to be given an opportunity to play football in college. I asked my Dad, who is a former D1 and Olympic athlete who was also a long time D1 track coach, what event he thought I should do and he said “why don’t you try javelin.” I had no idea what javelin was until my Dad suggested it to me. I got a javelin that Christmas and I threw in my first AAU meet at UNC Charlotte the following spring.

With exceptions to the members on the team, people don’t know that your dad is actually your coach. How do the two of you balance between father-son to coach-athlete?  

My Dad and I have a very strong relationship outside of track so the transition to him being my coach was effortless. His coaching style is very unique in the sense that he knows exactly how to tailor to the individual. He knows me better than anyone so as a coach he knows exactly how to work with my personality as it relates to training and competing. My Dad and I are very similar in the sense that we are both incredibly intense and competitive people and we are constantly trying to improve. I think what makes the situation work so well is that we equally want it, meaning he’s not pushing me to throw javelin and I’m not pushing him to be my coach, we are both doing it because we love the sport and enjoy working together.

Describe one of your least favorite workouts. 

There really isn’t a workout I don’t genuinely enjoy, I don’t want to be “that guy” but it’s true, I absolutely love training and improving and working through the process of the offseason. I think as long as you have a vision and a goal in mind no amount of training is too difficult or challenging. To love training is to love the sport itself, without it you have nothing. 

Along with being a javelin thrower, what are some hobbies or skills you have that may surprise people? 

Along with being a javelin thrower I enjoy singing, mainly in the operatic genre and classical setting. I work with a voice teacher weekly and we are currently preparing for the metropolitan opera council auditions this coming July. 

Where has been one of your favorite meets to travel to? 

One of my favorite meets that I’ve traveled to was to the University of Tennessee last season. I got to compete alongside some very advanced throwers, including Olympic qualifiers and US national qualifiers. 

Who are some people in your daily life that you find as good mentors or sources of inspiration? 

I could fill pages with people in my life that inspire me and drive me to be the best person I can, certainly my family, all my brothers and sisters inspire me every day with their example and my parents of course are huge inspirations to me and I am incredibly grateful to God every day that I have them. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a mentor of mine that recently passed away, his name was Tom Savoy. He was my piano teacher and accompanist and he was a very dear friend and mentor to me, not just in music but in life as well. I will always remember the lessons and advice he shared with me in our time together. 

What are some lessons you’ve learned, while being a college athlete, you feel you can carry throughout the rest of your life? 

I think as a student athlete in college you have to learn balance early on. Balance in training, school work, relationships, and everything else in between, it’s essential. If I had to pick just one thing though that I’ve learned from being a student athlete, it would be discipline. What are some other events in track and field do you enjoy watching? I love track, so every event is really fun to watch but if I had to pick my top 3 I would choose 100m, 400m and triple jump.

This article was originally posted in the Spring 2023, Issue 3 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer Jake Snelgrove

Here at Belmont Abbey College, we pride ourselves on academics and athletics. There are over a dozen different sports under our athletics department. Countless games are played, home and away, throughout all teams’ fall and spring seasons. Most people love to attend our sporting events on campus, but for those who cannot make it, there is the BASN.  

The Belmont Abbey Sports Network (BASN) broadcasts as many games as possible for fans to enjoy, no matter where you are. Geoffry Chiles is the network’s head play-by-play announcer, working as many games as possible. His job is to provide the viewers with color commentary throughout every match, whether soccer, baseball, basketball, etc. I got the chance to sit down and watch him work for a few baseball games and also had the opportunity to help run the live broadcasts.

It was amazing to see the production’s behind-the-scenes and what goes into it, as there is much more to it than you think. First, Chiles has to know everything that goes on throughout the games he covers, so he always carries a giant stat sheet with him to help him with his commentary. Regarding the production, there is a producer and at least one camera person at each game. The BASN prides itself on having a student-run production team, thus generating valuable experience for students looking to go into the field of broadcasting. They communicate with each other to get the best camera angles, as the producer also seems to clip highlights, ensure the correct graphics are showing at the right time, and ensure the broadcast runs as smoothly as possible. 

The BASN is still young, only in its 11th season, and looks to grow every game. The viewers can expect great games with great production and commentary on top of them. It is only a matter of time that the production value of the BASN reaches the levels of division 1 programs, as I’ve seen firsthand how good the network is already.  If you are looking to have the opportunity to help work for the BASN you can take the class (Practicum Digital and Sports Media) if you are a sports management major. You can watch any game for the rest of the semester on the BASN at abbeyathletics.com. 

This article was originally posted in the Spring 2023, Issue 3 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.

Author: The Crusader Staff Writer Hannah Schudlik

 

Belmont Abbey provides its students with several academic opportunities with around thirty majors and forty-eight minors. Declaring a minor at Belmont Abbey College allows students to study things that interest them on a personal level. So, whether or not a minor correlates to your future career, it may pique your interest and enhance your qualifications in a vast number of professions. Amongst the lengthy list of minor programs, the Abbey offers a minor in Writing.

The Writing minor is versatile for anyone who wishes to declare it. Students must complete fifteen credits in various English classes to earn the minor. Some of these courses include Creative Writing, Social Media Writing, Editing and Writing for Publication, History of the English Language, Newspaper Production, etc. Although the classes are subject to change and may vary per semester, students can see that a minor in writing entails loads of creativity.

As a writing minor myself, I can speak on the benefits of taking English courses. Classes like Professional and Technical Writing and Editing and Writing for Publication, have strengthened my communication skills and taught me how to write in a professional setting. Upon completing these courses, I have been able to improve and add to my resume. Newspaper Production and Writing for Social Media allowed me to implement creativity into my writing and understand how to write for different areas. The environment in these types of classes is professional and activity-based. After a period of lecturing, students often complete in-class assignments and peer-edit their classmates’ work – fostering their ability to edit papers and communicate with others.

Dr. Erin Jensen is the faculty advisor of the college newspaper and coordinates the Writing minor program. Recently, the college has opened a Writing Center to assist students in becoming better writers. Students that are pursuing English majors or Writing minors typically work as tutors in the Center, where they edit papers and help fellow students succeed.

If you’re interested in improving your communication skills, developing your ability to effectively make an argument, and gaining qualifications for future employment, consider minoring in Writing!

This article was originally posted in the Spring 2023, Issue 3 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue here.