Posted on Friday, March 07, 2025
Wheels up!
The Aviation program’s home base at LaGrange-Callaway Airport served as the battleground for a regional competition, where LC students served a direct role as volunteer judges for the three-day event held Feb. 28-March 3.
The National Intercollegiate Flight Association’s Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, known as the ‘March Madness of Aviation,’ brought Region IX teams from Auburn University, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology, Jacksonville University and Polk State College to compete in a series of events for a bid to the national championship that will take place in May in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Freshman Jackson Ball was among the judges for the message drop event, which has been called a crowd favorite. It involves hitting a target with a container dropped from an aircraft 200 feet above the ground.
“The way it was set up was seamless, and seeing the designs the different schools came up with for their ‘message container’ was interesting,” he said. “Then watching the schools use trial and error to get closer to the target with each heat also intrigued me.”
Sophomore Isabel Rocker, who is eager to potentially compete for LC at a future event, said she used the
opportunity while serving as observer and judge to learn from experienced people in the field.
“I gained a lot of knowledge from other judges (who had competed before) as well as team coaches,” she said. “I look forward to the day when LC begins a flight team, which will help us as pilots refine our skills in a fun setting and benefit us later in our careers.”
Prior to the competition, a group of LC Aviation students took a trip to the Delta Operations Center in Atlanta, where they toured the facility and used its state-of-the-art flight simulator.
“It was an excellent opportunity for our students,” said Aviation Advisor Dr. Bill McCoy. “In addition to seeing how the pilots work, our students found out about a wide variety of positions that require different skill sets working in the operations center and elsewhere at the company.”
Freshman Rhet Walker said he was soaking in all the information being given by experts in the industry.
“What resonated with me most was when the representatives talked about three key aspects that a pilot should possess to excel in the field of aviation: professionalism, focus and ambition,” he said.
Ball and Rocker, who also took part in the Delta tour, said the experience helped them get a better understanding about the industry and prepare them for their future careers.
“The advice they gave us for ‘being professionals in everything we do’ really hit home for me,” he said. “Specifically, how important it is to always be organized. Seeing how the airline operates on a daily basis was truly inspiring.”
“The trip to Delta allowed me to see not only how their flight crews are trained, but also what the work environment is like there,” she said. “One of the things that was emphasized was the importance of an internship. Should the opportunity arise, I would love to work as an intern with them.”
Azalea Storytelling Festival
Friday, March 7-Sunday, March 9
7:30 p.m. (March 7), 9:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. (March 8), 9:30 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. (March 9), Callaway Auditorium
The annual event, which has been recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the Top 20 Events in the 12 Southeastern states, will feature well-known tellers Shelia Arnold, Donald Davis, Josh Goforth and Michael Reno Harrell. Carol Cain ’82 will serve as emcee.
Women’s Basketball
LC ended its postseason run on Friday, Feb. 28 after a 72-54 loss to Piedmont in the semifinal round of the Collegiate Conference of the South Tournament. Senior Zyhia Johnson led the Panthers offensively with 17 points, picking up six rebounds and two assists in the process.
Baseball
The Panthers enjoyed a clean sweep this past weekend, toppling NC Wesleyan 6-4, 18-9 and 11-3 in a three-game series. Head Coach David Kelton now sits one victory away from the 300-win milestone since taking over the helm in 2014. He will have the opportunity to notch his 300th this weekend, with a pair of games against Berry (home Friday and away Sunday) and Marietta College (Massachusetts) on Saturday.
Softball
LC competed in the NFCA DIII Leadoff Classic this past weekend, going 2-4 against stiff competitors Tufts, LeTourneau, Gettysburg and Spalding. Senior Alexa Gonzalez and junior Jenna Yeary reached career-milestones over the weekend, surpassing the century mark in hits (Gonzalez) and strikeouts (Yeary), with 100-apiece. They return home this week to host Millsaps College for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8 (tomorrow).
Men’s Golf
The Panthers began their spring season with an 11th place finish at the Port City Classic March 3-4 in Savannah, Georgia. LC was led individually by junior Eli Rogers. He finished in a tie for 17th at 14 over par, shooting rounds of 77-77-73, respectively.
Lacrosse
The Panthers are primed to open conference play on Saturday, March 8, at Pfeiffer University. “This will be a challenging opponent for sure,” noted junior goaltender Jonah Polhemus. “But I am confident in [our] ability to fight back and win this game. We are focusing on the little things that matter and hammering fundamentals in practice as well as scouting for the upcoming game.” Faceoff is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Pfeiffer University's Lefko-Mills Field.
Tennis
LC enjoyed a solid outing this past week, facing off with MUW, Rust College, Oglethorpe and Buena Vista. Freshman Karla Wiley earned the team's nomination for the CCS Player and Rookie of the Week after a pair of singles wins against MUW and Buena Vista, as well as a doubles victory against MUW.
For the men, junior Nic Bodin and sophomore Connor Golden earned CCS Men's Doubles Team of the Week honors after a dominant 3-1 performance this past week, edging MUW, Rust College and Buena Vista in the process.
Beach Volleyball
The Panthers hosted a doubleheader last weekend, taking on Emmanuel College for a pair of games. The team fought hard and won a handful of sets throughout the day but ultimately dropped both matches by respective 2-3 and 1-4 scores. They return to action on March 18 when they take on Huntingdon College and the University of Mobile.
(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)
Friday, March 7 – Baseball (Home) vs. Berry College, 2 p.m., Cleaveland Field
Saturday, March 8 – Lacrosse at Pfeiffer University, 1 p.m., Misenheimer, North Carolina
Saturday, March 8 – Baseball vs. Marietta College (@Berry), 1 p.m., Rome, Georgia
Saturday, March 8 – Softball (Home) vs. Millsaps College, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., LC Softball Complex
Sunday, March 9 – Baseball at Berry College, 4 p.m., Rome, Georgia
Monday, March 10 – Men’s Tennis vs. Cornell College (Tournament), TBD, Orlando, Florida
Monday, March 10 – Women’s Golf at South Georgia Invitational, Statesboro, Georgia
Tuesday, March 11 – Women’s Golf at South Georgia Invitational, Statesboro, Georgia
Tuesday, March 11 – Men’s Tennis vs. Marymount University (Tournament), TBD, Orlando, Florida
Tuesday, March 11 – Baseball (Home) vs. Oglethorpe University, 6 p.m., Cleaveland Field
Tuesday, March 11 – Lacrosse (Home) vs. Piedmont University, 7 p.m., Callaway Stadium
Wednesday, March 12 – Men’s Tennis vs. Hampden-Sydney College (Tournament), TBD, Orlando, Florida
Thursday, March 13 – Men’s Tennis vs. Dallas Baptist University (Tournament), TBD, Orlando, Florida
Storyteller to share Scotland’s musical influences at LaGrange College, LaGrange Daily News, Feb. 28
Category: Academics, College, Community
Keywords: Aviation, Careers
