December 14, 2016 | The Clarion
Year in Review
Page 7
BC presents new climbing team
By Florian Peyssonneaux
staff Writer - Nov. 30.
For the first time in Brevard College history
a climbing team will compete as a collegiate
sport after recent approval from the Board of
Trustees.
The team was already competing in the Appa
lachian Division, but now raise to a higher level
of acclaim by becoming the newest officially
recognized team on campus.*
For the time being, nearly a dozen students
are part of the team, and are looking forward
to competitive competition.
The Tornados climbing team will compete
against other schools under three different
categories such as sport, speed-climbing, and
bouldering. In sport climbing the anchors are
permanently on the rock, while bouldering
is a more simple form of climbing without a
rope, that requires short and strong moves. In
the speed category, the climber has to scale a
10-meter wall.
Brevard College Vice President for Strategic
Planning and Athletics Juan Mascaro com
mented on the new addition to the athletics
department, saying “Rock climbing will be
an exciting addition to our athletic program
here at Brevard.”
The climbing team follows the route that
Brevard’s cycling team took few years ago
when the team made the switch from a suc
cessful club to an officially recognized team.
Similar to cycling, BC climbing team has the
geographical advantage over other schools.
Indeed, Brevard has an ideal location for
rock climbing with spots like Looking Glass
Rock located in Pisgah National Forest, or
Brevard Rock Gym if the climbers want to
practice inside.
Travis Gray who is an alumni of Brevard
College, and sponsor of the team, as of Mon
day, Nov. 21 assumes the role of head coach
of the climbing team.
“This magnificent group of students are tme
champions on this campus, and the potential
for each of them is endless. There is truly no
height that each of them cannot reach on and
off the wall. I am truly honored to help mentor
Members of the Climbing Team pose in front of the “Welcome to Tennessee” sign as they head to one of
their competitions.
them to many more accomplishments as their
coach” said Gray.
BC student Audrey Ashbumer who is also
the president of the climbing club contributed
to make this transition from club to competi
tive team.
“I have been working towards turning the
climbing club into a competitive sports team
for the past two years of my college career,
and it has been the most rewarding experi
ence of my life,” she said.
Ashbumer also added, “I am so proud of
what the club has accomplished, and over
joyed with all of the support I received from
Brevard College and the Brevard community
in order to make this possible.”
*Article includes corrections from Dec.
7 issue
Tornados stun
#1 Bulldogs
The BC men’s soccer team stunned the No.
1 Wingate Bulldogs by a final of 1-0 in South
Atlantic Conference quarterfinal action Tuesday
night in Wingate, N.C.
“Absolutely brilliant effort by this team to
night,” head coach Shug Shinohara said. “We
dreamed this, believed in that dream and made
it happen.”
The Tornados jumped on the scoreboard early
in the first half as junior midfielder Gabriel
Garcia netted the goal that would prove to be
the game-winner at the 5:10 mark, capitalizing
on a Bulldog miscue to give Brevard the early
1-0 lead.
Brevard then turned the game over to a
brilliant defensive performance by senior
goalkeeper Heath Turner and a solid back line.
Turner ended the evening with one of the all-
time greatest performances as a Tornado.
Turner turned in the play of the evening on
a Wingate penalty kick by Callum Ross at the
62:15 mark, as the netminder dove to his right
to turn away a game-tying scoring attempt.
Turner would make three incredible saves to
close out the second half and give the Tornados
their biggest win in NCAA Division II history.
The Tornados will move on to the semifinal
round of the SAC tournament as they prepare
for the #5 Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters.
Action is schedule for Friday, Nov. 4 in Rock
Hill, S.C.
Senior goalkeeper Heath Turner saved a penalty kick In the SAC Quarterfinal victory versus eventual
National champions Wingate.