Like a fine wine or a prime roast, college athletics needs some time to breathe, and July is certainly the season of rest in the Pirate Nation.
It’s not complete radio silence — facilities improvements and strength and conditioning continue on campus — but it’s pretty eerily quiet compared to the carnival that will open in the fall with games and matches in a half a dozen different East Carolina sports.
So Pirate fans turn to more granular pursuits — tracking the stats of ECU baseball players in summer leagues, speculating about new conference members, booking hotel rooms for football weekends.
And for those in a particularly nerdy subset (me), there’s always the search for common themes on the Comprehensive Pirate Roster.
The CPR does not exist in a public format, although I’m sure someone in the Ward building has a thorough list of every 2019-20 student-athlete. Mine was compiled by mashing together all of the rosters on the program’s website, deleting graduated seniors and adding recruits when possible on the sports that had not been updated for the new year, and printing out all 24 pages of it (because sometimes trees need to die in the pursuit of serious study).
Will this pursuit ensure winning records or conference titles? Not at all likely. But it is guaranteed to give listless Pirate fans a temporary break from their ennui, and perhaps those who are unusually starved for stimulation will do some nomenclature investigation of their own. (If you do so and are willing to admit it publicly, please share your findings with me.)
We start our fun with the Pirate athletes that are the most likely to provide some nourishment, a category presided over by Victoria Cooke (track and field). For healthy eaters, Nat Romaine (cross country) and Myles Berry (football) are here for the fruits and veggies, but if you’re looking for junk food turn to Fernando Frye (football) dusted with Addison Salz (soccer). And we shouldn’t leave out the budget-conscious option for college students, Ammahtullh Abdel-Rahman (cross country) or a crunchy treat for a four-legged friend from Taylor Kibble (soccer).
Colors? It’s not exactly Roy G. Biv territory, but we can offer Trevon Brown and Julia Brown from football and track and field, Christina White and Mary Katherine White from lacrosse and swimming and Terrell Green, also from football. Zoe Feingold from the swim team might be a stretch, but she offers a bright touch and an ECU color. Is it too much to ask for Pirate recruiters to search for a talented athlete next year whose mother christened her Lavender?
The richest offerings on the CPR are ready for those who want to plan some summer (Sommer Knight from track and field) activities to help fill the 58 days until the Pirates and the Wolfpack line up for kickoff. The track and field squad is packed with ideas for destinations, with India Williams, Savannah Wood and Atlanta Woodall in consecutive order on the roster, and Mia Alamo-Worley inviting you to experience a slice of Texas history. California dreaming? Take a trip to the Golden Gate (heading in the direction of swimming’s Lily West) inspired by Thomas Francisco from the Diamond Bucs.
If your destination is too far for a road trip, Madison Lear (lacrosse) is the ticket to speedy air travel, and Pirate athletics provides a dizzying array of pursuits for those who love the outdoors. Start at the coast with A.J. Beechler (golf) and Alyssa Sandy (track and field), possibly tossing a line in the surf as a tribute to Elijah Gill (baseball). Then check out some of America’s protected lands with your guides Skylar Parks and Tavia Ranger (both track and field). Do you prefer the forest over the beach? Available for your nature walk are Logan Wood (softball), Bri Wood (volleyball), Mydreon Vines (football) and Skylar Brooks (baseball).
Maybe you lean more toward quiet contemplation than frenzied activity in the summertime. There are Pirate athlete monikers for the thinkers too, starting with Justice Gee (basketball) and Jake Verity (football). And if truth and justice aren’t sufficient, an even deeper spiritual quest is available through the Biblical pillars of Faith Jarvis (softball), Necole Hope (basketball) and Trey Love (football).
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