Elon Phoenix Athletics

A news story in the Times-News of Burlington, N.C., reports that former Elon University baseball player Chase Austin could start his first full year in professional baseball with the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

Ali Ford of the Phoenix women’s basketball team was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year by both the Southern Conference Sports Media Association and the 11 head coaches. Ford became the second straight Elon player to receive the award, after Tiara Gause picked up the honor last season. Ford was also the only underclassman named to the coaches’ All-Southern Conference team.

Supporters of the Phoenix Club and Elon athletics arrived early, stayed late and helped raise more than $87,000 for student-athlete scholarships - an event record - at the third-annual Night of the Phoenix benefit on Friday, Feb. 19. The sold-out crowd enjoyed a social hour and dinner, a silent auction, presentations from Director of Athletics Dave Blank and several student-athletes, and entertainment from magician and motivational speaker Giovanni Livera in Alumni Gym.

A fundraising effort by the Elon University men’s golf team and spearheaded by an MBA student debuts next month with “Eagles for Haiti,” a pledge drive that asks sponsors to donate money toward recovery efforts in the battered Caribbean nation for every eagle scored this season by male golfers in the Southern Conference.

Elon MBA candidate Jayson Judy and the university's men's golf program have been featured on GolfDigest.com for their idea to raise money for Haiti relief efforts in an "Eagles for Haiti" initiative.

With 39 selections, the Elon Phoenix led the way on the Southern Conference's 2009 fall Academic All-Conference team. The honorees included eight members of the women's soccer team, seven members each from the women's cross country, volleyball and men's soccer teams, and five members each from the football and men's cross country teams.

Elon University defender Steven Kinney became the first player in program history to be drafted into Major League Soccer when the Chicago Fire selected him on Thursday with the 45th pick of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.

Listening to Elon head football coach Pete Lembo speak at the weekly "Inside the Elon Huddle" luncheon on Monday, you'd think that Saturday's matchup against the Richmond Spiders is just another game.