Athletics

UMBC volleyball wins fourth-consecutive America East championship

They may say the best things come in threes, but that’s not good enough for UMBC volleyball. Over the weekend, the number one-seeded Retrievers captured their fourth-straight America East championship. After outright winning the season title, they went on to topple Bryant University in the America East semifinals, and they sealed their victory with a sweep of third-seeded Binghamton University on Saturday.  Continue Reading UMBC volleyball wins fourth-consecutive America East championship

a woman in a black dress outfit stands outside

The long shot—4-time Olympian Cleopatra Borel ’02 inducted to Athletics Hall of Fame

Cleopatra Borel had no athletic aspirations when she arrived in Baltimore from Trinidad and Tobago in 1997. She enrolled at what was then Coppin State College on the advice of her high school math teacher, a Coppin alum. Powerfully built and an eager learner, Borel quickly developed in the throwing events and broke Coppin’s shot put record early in her tenure there. After the Eagles’ coach left the program, UMBC offered Borel an athletic scholarship and she made the move to Hilltop Circle. Borel ’02, interdisciplinary studies, flourished both academically and athletically at UMBC. She earned All-America honors (top eight)… Continue Reading The long shot—4-time Olympian Cleopatra Borel ’02 inducted to Athletics Hall of Fame

A volleyball game at UMBC

Meet a Retriever—Aysia Miller ’24, volleyball player and biology major

Meet Aysia Miller, a senior on the America East championship women’s volleyball team at UMBC. Originally from Mililani, Hawaii, Aysia is majoring in biology and minoring in bioinformatics. As a student-athlete and scholarship recipient, Aysia says she’s found a community at UMBC that lets her dive deep into the STEM fields that interest her while supporting her on and off the volleyball court. Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?  A: UMBC has people that can fit you perfectly. There will always be someone that… Continue Reading Meet a Retriever—Aysia Miller ’24, volleyball player and biology major

musicians play in front of a carnival at homecoming

Celebrate Your Retriever Spirit at Homecoming 2023

Homecoming this year is full of fun events for canine and human Retrievers alike, whether they’re students, staff, faculty, alumni or friends and family. The week kicks off with the women’s soccer game on October 8, followed by a Maryland-themed dinner event and the Homecoming Bonfire.  Homecoming Saturday on October 14 has something for all the good pups on and off campus. While dogs have always been a large part of UMBC’s culture, UMBC has been creating new traditions with its furry friends in the past few years, like the RAC’s new Laps with Officer Chip and the now annual… Continue Reading Celebrate Your Retriever Spirit at Homecoming 2023

black and gold flags span across academic row

Standing Ovation for Outstanding Retrievers

At UMBC, we celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni community year round, but our annual Athletics Hall of Fame induction and Alumni Awards ceremony and reception give us a chance to cheer extra loud for the outstanding Retrievers among us.  Stanyell Odom, director of alumni engagement, says it best about the incoming class of awardees: “These award winners embody so many of the characteristics that make UMBC such a special place. They are leaders in their professions and fields—innovative teachers, educators, and scientists—and are engaged and proud members of this UMBC community.” The 23rd Hall of Fame induction  Coming up… Continue Reading Standing Ovation for Outstanding Retrievers

Jamie Gurganus, second from left, poses with softball players displaying their 2022 America East Championship jewelry.

Faculty Unleash Their Inner Coach

In spring 2022, UMBC softball swept all three tournament games to win their third America East championship. The Retrievers held their opponents scoreless, becoming the first team in conference history to achieve this milestone. And no one cheered louder for their success than Jamie Gurganus, faculty in engineering and computing education and mechanical engineering. Decked out in softball gear (and now with a championship ring necklace gifted from the team engraved with “Prof. G”), Gurganus ’04, M.S. ’11, Ph.D. ’20, mechanical engineering, ended her inaugural semester as honorary faculty coach to the record-breaking team on a high note. (UMBC Softball… Continue Reading Faculty Unleash Their Inner Coach

A man sits in a production booth with computer monitors showing him information

Broadcasting Retriever Success

Eli Eisenberg came into the world of Retriever sports not as a recruited athlete or a walk-on but from a completely different angle—broadcasting. Capturing the energy of the fans, the maneuvers on the court or field, and the cheers and camaraderie of UMBC Athletics hooked Eisenberg early on. When Eisenberg enrolled at UMBC in the 1980s, he used his interdisciplinary studies (INDS) major to develop a curriculum that primarily focused on broadcasting, American culture, and business and economics. To this day, he credits UMBC for his success and it’s something he’s been adamant about returning tenfold to the Retriever community.… Continue Reading Broadcasting Retriever Success

A young woman with dark hair smiles at the camera, posing with a statue of a dog

Class of 2023 reflects on UMBC as a community that values and supports the whole person

Kayla Tomas ‘23, information systems, maintained a challenging schedule during her undergraduate years. There were days she rose early, studied, and attended classes in the morning and afternoon, headed to volleyball practice in the late afternoon, paused a half hour for dinner, and then dashed off to lead a dance class in the evening. “It was the support of my friends, my family, and the mentors here at UMBC that made it easier,” she says. Continue Reading Class of 2023 reflects on UMBC as a community that values and supports the whole person

two men stand next to a surf board at the beach

Hang Ten with New Friends

When UMBC’s volleyball team headed to the University of Southern California (USC) for a tournament, Athletics reached out and invited West Coast Retrievers to an LA happy hour before the game. Eager to reconnect with their alma mater and meet other alumni in the area, folks gathered together and new friendships were formed.  Despite the decades between their UMBC experiences, Matt Sheriff ’00, political science, and Nathenael Dereb ’21, computer science, bonded over a quintessential California connection—surfing. Specifically, Dereb, a recent relocator, wanted to learn how and Sheriff, who’s been on the West Coast for years, had the skills to… Continue Reading Hang Ten with New Friends

A volleyball player prepares to hit a ball back over the net

Then & Now—Band of Sisters

At the 2022 Homecoming alumnae volleyball scrimmage, Kasey Crider, who joined UMBC as head volleyball coach earlier this year, got a firsthand view of the connections the program has forged over the last 50 years—connections that he considers the foundation of the team’s success. “I exist in that ecosystem of this legacy, which hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m walking out of there going, ‘Man, this is why you do it. You have these incredible people.’” The volleyball players over the years would tell you that common values and hard work unite a team that comes from all… Continue Reading Then & Now—Band of Sisters

Coach David Bobb '97 and his daughter Caitlyn Bobb '24 smile on the track

Think Fast

The only things faster than David and Caitlyn Bobb themselves, perhaps, are the zingers they toss at one another.  As Caitlyn, a rookie running star now in her sophomore year, describes what it’s like to have a father as head coach of track and field at UMBC, her dad dryly turns it into a bit.  “My dad has many sides to him, okay?” Caitlyn laughs as Coach Bobb literally acts out everything she’s saying while seated beside her.  “There’s the coach side, where he’s stern, and he’s got the stopwatch in his hand, arms crossed, hat on, and ‘GO!’…And then… Continue Reading Think Fast

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