< Previous58 WWW.FAYTECHCC.EDU 1 Hitting: Charles Jordan — .345 batting average Production: Johnnie Lowery — .429 slugging percentage, 21 hits, 5 doubles, 13 RBIs Fielding: Charles Jordan — .986 fielding percentage Fielding: Johnnie Lowery — .976 fielding percentage Pitching: Tamaris Palmer — 36.1 innings pitched, 34 strikeouts 2 3 4 MEN'S BASEBALL TEAM STAT LEADERS 5 I was a leader ... Bruce Elmore thought he was done with baseball. Well into his 20s and on the tail- end of a military career cut short by injury, Elmore figured he’d missed his chance to be a competitive college player — or more. But almost a decade after he graduated high school, Elmore returned to the classroom and the field as part of Fayetteville Tech’s inaugural baseball team. “I love playing baseball, and it’s the reason I’m going to college,” he said. “If there wasn’t baseball here, maybe I’d be doing something else and not enjoying my time.” Elmore had grown up in Fort Myers, Florida, a hotbed for baseball development. By the time he was a junior in high school, the right-hander was throwing in the low 90s and weighing his options for a college career that might propel him into the majors. By his senior year, however, the sport was losing its luster. A head injury suffered near the end of his freshman season sidelined Elmore through the next season, leaving him benched while his team, Riverdale High School, reached the state championship. He returned to the field the next season but was shifted from the starting rotation to closer, a move As a paratrooper, Bruce Elmore was a leader. He loved the purpose his life had while he was in the military. Then, after an unexpected accident, his life changed completely. He was looking for a way to get things back on track, and that track turned out to be FTCC. As part of the Trojan baseball team, Elmore said he found his new purpose in leadership. part of the journey to success. that didn’t sit well with a young, eager Elmore. “I didn’t really understand what a closer was, and I had been a starter my whole life up until then,” Elmore said. “I don’t want to sit around and wait. I want to play.” The frustration was enough to make Elmore transfer to Lehigh, a Riverdale rival, in a move that turned out to be a game-changer. It was there, just 15 minutes from his old school, that he discovered there was more to the world than just baseball. “I enjoyed meeting new people and adapting to a new environment,” Elmore said. “A couple of my buddies were already set on going to boot camp, and I decided maybe I might look into it.” Eschewing his baseball scholarships, Elmore drove to the recruiting office and signed up. “I woke up one morning and decided this is what I want to do,” he said. “I didn’t really care what type of job I got. I just wanted to be in the military. I feel like God was pushing me in that direction.” Elmore reported to basic training in September 2010, and he calls the next eight years “a spiritual battle” of overcoming the challenges of his job as a field artillery specialist while serving at home and on deployment. “The military molds you into a leader, whether you like it or not,” Elmore said. “For me, I didn’t like letting people down. Whatever came to task for me, I wanted to give it 110 percent. That was one of the things I liked about being in the military. I really enjoy being pressured into doing something. Even if you fail, you still learn something, and you see how far you can be pushed.” While Elmore thrived during the high-pressure moments of his service, there were times he couldn’t help but wonder if he should have stuck to baseball. “All my life, I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do, and I’m still like this,” Elmore said. “At the time, I was always questioning and asking God, ‘Was I supposed to play baseball? Was I supposed to go to college?’ Just always second-guessing.” CURVEBALL It was just a matter of time before life threw him another curveball. On Oct. 6, 2016, Elmore’s parachute failed to open during a training jump at Sicily Drop Zone on Fort Bragg. “I jumped out, looked up, and I had a squid roll, which is where your parachute is pretty much wrapped up and not opening,” Elmore said. “My reserve (parachute) opened up and caught air, but at the same time, I was twisting. My main got wrapped around my reserve, and I just fell.” From what Elmore can remember and gather from the fellow soldier who found him and cut the cords off his parachute, he fell between 500-600 feet. “I heard what sounded like a giant bat getting cracked,” Elmore said. “I don’t know if that was my leg or my body. I don’t know. But I do FTCC ANNUAL REPORT 59 “I started getting back into pitching, working on my slider and my split. It all came back to me like it was something natural, and it felt really good.” — Bruce Elmore, FTCC Baseball Team As a paratrooper, Bruce Elmore was a leader. He loved the purpose his life had while he was in the military. Then, after an unexpected accident, his life changed completely. He was looking for a way to get things back on track, and that track turned out to be FTCC. As part of the Trojan baseball team, Elmore said he found his new purpose in leadership. Wherever his path might lead, Elmore wants to use his experiences to help others, showing them that the stumbles along the way are part of the journey to success. know I was getting dragged and choked about 100 yards.” He had a shattered lower left leg that required three surgeries, a plate and 20 screws, plenty of time to heal, and medication to manage the pain. “I went through a lot of therapy with the Army, but I really wasn’t getting any better,” Elmore said. “Finally, one of the doctors said they were going to have to med-board me out of the Army.” Between the pain from his injuries, stress of undergoing the medical retirement process, and an additional surgery to address an unrelated respiratory issue, Elmore found himself with a growing dependence on prescription pain relievers. “I didn’t understand that those pills were supposed to be a short-term solution,” Elmore said. “That went on for over a year, and I didn’t even realize it was a problem at first. And I was still in pain.” Elmore, separated from the Army since June 7, 2018, sought a different course of treatment through the civilian health care system and credits the successful physical therapy and treatment he found there with helping him ditch his need for medication. “I woke up one day and I said, ‘You know what? Things are going to change, and you’ve got to figure it out,’” Elmore said. “I spent some money to get good therapy. I started working out and getting stronger.” Despite those improvements, Elmore missed the structure and the camaraderie of military life. “There’s almost too much freedom once you’re out,” Elmore said. “Yes, you have the freedom to make certain choices when you’re in, but you have mentors and leadership to help you. And you have people who understand what you’re going through. You really only get that in the military or on sports teams.”60 WWW.FAYTECHCC.EDU ABOARD Elmore’s first foray back into sports was with an on-post softball team. Then, he reached out to an amateur baseball league in the Raleigh area. “I started getting back into pitching, working on my slider and my split,” Elmore said. “It all came back to me like it was something natural, and it felt really good.” While Elmore was out shopping for cleats, he heard that FTCC was starting up a baseball program with the inaugural season planned for the 2018-19 school year. “When I heard about that, instantly, I thought that I might be able to contribute,” Elmore said. Elmore played in a baseball game in Raleigh the following Saturday and showed up to tryouts for FTCC on Sunday, thinking back-to-back days of playing wouldn’t be a problem for a then-26-year- old getting back into baseball shape. “Absolutely not,” Elmore said, laughing. “Once you get older, it’s not the same. On top of that, I’d just got claimed with 19 different things. I’ve got arthritis in my wrist, my shoulders, my back, both of my ankles have been broken.” Elmore needed two more tryouts to make the Trojans’ inaugural roster. Elmore’s return to school and sports was part of a major adjustment period for him, his wife of three years, Danielle, and the couple’s daughter Kaia, who will turn 2 this winter. “I had to adapt to the new environment of being a civilian again. It’s still hard,” Elmore said. With almost a decade of age and experience on most of his teammates, Elmore expected to step into a leadership role smoothly. It didn’t take. “I was an NCO. I was a leader. I thought I could lead these guys.” Elmore said. “It was hard to adapt to the younger students. Their thought process, the way they look at life, the way they manage their time, the things they complain about. It was hard for the NCO background not to come out.” Fayetteville Tech baseball coach Billy Gaskins could see the value of having someone with Elmore’s experience on a new, young squad. “He’s a great presence to have in the dugout or the locker room for our younger guys,” Gaskins said. “He’s a great human being with a great work ethic. Being retired military, he brings that background to our team.” Elmore decided to focus on improving his own game, pouring his time and energy into sharpening his skills as a pitcher. “I saw him grow as the season went along,” Gaskins said. “He saw himself as a starter, but I told him he was a long-relief guy or a closer. I told him to trust the process and work toward that.” Elmore eventually settled in as a closer, tying teammate Tyler Dove for most appearances on the mound with 10. He relished the chance to enter a game in a tense situation. “Since my mental game is where it’s at, I can go into stressful situations and be very calm,” Elmore said. “And I love that. Bases loaded, one out, top three batters from the other side coming up — I love that. I love to show people what I got.” Back in a regimen of training and competing, Elmore has again to kick up the idea of chasing his dream of being a professional ballplayer. “I really have to dig deep and decide what I want,” Elmore said. “Doing this at my age with a wife and a kid and bills and everything that I have, it can be very stressful. It’s a sacrifice. But if you want to make your dream and really do it, you have to sacrifice some things.” Wherever his path might lead, Elmore wants to use his experiences to show others that stumbles are part of the journey to success. “I really want to use my story to help others get out of that rut. You have to be able to bounce back from your failures and succeed. The only reason you can’t is if you quit. Then your whole life, you’re going to wonder what would have happened if you didn’t quit.” Despite injury, Elmore made his way back to solid ground and recovery through sports. He wants his story and struggles to inspire others to get themselves out of a rut. As Elmore says, " You have to be able to bounce back from your failures and succeed. The only reason you can’t is if you quit."FTCC ANNUAL REPORT 61WWW.FAYTECHCC.EDU NEVER STOP FTCC ANNUAL REPORT 63 P REACHING Taylor Rowe from the Lady Trojans basketball team reaches to shoot the ball in the basket during a home game. The Trojans capped the season with their second straight Region 10 Division II tournament appearance. The season highlights from basketball, volleyball and softball show the growth of the sports department at FTCC64 WWW.FAYTECHCC.EDU FTCC’s women’s basketball team opened the 2018-2019 season full of promise, winning five of its first six contests. That stretch included three wins over conference competitors USC Salkehatchie, Wake Tech, and Lenoir CC, and the Trojans looked buoyed after coming off the program’s first postseason appearance in March 2017. The Trojans entered the holiday break at 6-4. But stretched thin by injuries just as they entered the toughest part of their conference schedule, the Trojans tacked on just three more wins to the season total in January and February. Nonetheless, the Trojans capped the season with their second straight Region 10 Division II tournament appearance. Freshman guard Kiana Gravely led the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game. She shot better than 20 percent from behind the 3-point arc and averaged 3.1 steals per game. Forward Rarshara Gilbert added 11. 6 points on average and pulled down a team-high 10.1 rebounds per game. The season would be the team’s last under the direction of head coach Eric Tucker, who coached the team since its inception in 2016-2017. Tucker, who entered FTCC with decades of coaching experience under his belt, posted a 26-48 record in three seasons. This season brings challenges and triumphs to the Lady Trojans Men's Basketball makes its second straight regional tournament appearance Fresh off an appearance in the 2018 Region 10 tournament, the Trojans opened the 2018-2019 season on a hot streak. After a narrow loss in the season-opener, FTCC went on a seven-game tear and entered the winter break at 8-5. “We were very long and athletic, and we had a bunch of sophomores, so we had some experience that helped us get wins early against some quality teams,” head coach Brian Hurd said. The Trojans overcame some key injuries, including the loss of starting point guard Josh Haymer, who tore his ACL after two games. Despite those losses, the Trojans made their second straight regional tournament appearance, claiming the No. 10 seed in the 12-team bracket. The team pulled an unkind draw, facing off in the opening round against Davidson County, which was leading the NJCAA in points per game at the start of the tournament. FTCC ANNUAL REPORT 65 TEAM STAT LEADERS Men's Basketball makes its second straight regional tournament appearance Fresh off an appearance in the 2018 Region 10 tournament, the Trojans opened the 2018-2019 season on a hot streak. After a narrow loss in the season-opener, FTCC went on a seven-game tear and entered the winter break at 8-5. “We were very long and athletic, and we had a bunch of sophomores, so we had some experience that helped us get wins early against some quality teams,” head coach Brian Hurd said. The Trojans overcame some key injuries, including the loss of starting point guard Josh Haymer, who tore his ACL after two games. Despite those losses, the Trojans made their second straight regional tournament appearance, claiming the No. 10 seed in the 12-team bracket. The team pulled an unkind draw, facing off in the opening round against Davidson County, which was leading the NJCAA in points per game at the start of the tournament. The result was a season-ending loss for the Trojans, although two Trojans earned individual recognition as members of the All-Region 10 Division II team. Forward Johnny Hughes was a second-team honoree, while guard Zach Boggs made the third team. Boggs led the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game, and shot 41.3 percent from the field. Boggs was also an NJCAA All- Academic honoree. Hughes averaged 15.1 points and pulled down 11 rebounds per game, second best in the conference. “We had seven of our nine sophomores go on to four-year schools,” Hurd said. “We may not have reached our potential in wins and losses, but our players really excelled at the junior college experience, which is to come in, develop, get your education, and prepare for the next level.” 1 Scoring: Kiana Gravely — 14.4 points per game, 30.4 3-point percentage Rebounding: Rarshara Gilbert — 10.1 rebounds per game (5.3 offense, 4.8 defense) Assists: Kiana Gravely — 2.9 points per game Steals: Kiana Gravely — 3.1 steals per game 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Scoring: Zach Boggs — 15.4 points per game, 37.5 3-point percentage Rebounding: Johnny Hughes — 11.0 rebounds per game (3.6 offense, 7.5 defense) Assists: Stephon Lloyd — 3.6 assists per game Steals: Joshua Haymer — 2.0 steals per game MEN'S BASKETBALL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL66 WWW.FAYTECHCC.EDU Trojan women's volleyball opens inaugural season 1 Hitting: Da’Nya McPhatter — 166 kills, 3.07 kills/set, .242 attack percentage Setting: Krislyn Bullard — 255 assists, 4.32 assists/set Serving: Jessica Ware — 42 aces Digs: Jessica Ware — 242 digs, 4.03 digs per set Blocks: Da’Nya McPhatter — 33 blocks, 0.61 blocks/set 2 3 4 WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM STAT LEADERS 5 In the program’s inaugural season, the Trojan volleyball team fielded an 11-player roster of mostly local talent, recruited by coach Moe Licardo, who had decades of coaching experience in the area before stepping in to build the FTCC program from scratch. “We were looking for players that were coachable, and we found them, obviously, because we got better as we went along,” Licardo said. “We progressed every day, and our record showed that. We were a much better team at the end of the season than we were at the beginning.” The team suffered through the typical growing pains of a novice program, opening the year 0-5. But the Trojans showed promise and a penchant for big play at the net, averaging 9.73 kills per set to opponents’ 7.73. Quality setting by freshman Krislyn Bullard and sophomore Emily Bresee fed the attack. Bullard tallied 255 assists at a pace of 4.32 per set by season’s end. Bresee had 182, averaging 3.03. Six-footer Da’Nya McPhatter bolstered the Trojans up front. The middle blocker led the team in kills with 166, averaging 3.07 per set, and blocks, tallying 33 on the season. By early October, the team had turned a corner, marching to six wins in two weeks before ending the season with a 6-11 mark. Sophomores Jessica Ware and Christiana Murray earned All- Region 10 honors. Ware, who moved from libero to outside hitter to fill in for injured players, averaged 4.03 digs per set, while outside hitter Murray averaged 2.17 kills. “Jess was a catalyst for us, and she gave the team someone to look at and model themselves after,” Licardo said. “Our players did whatever it took to succeed without worrying about their own comfort level.”FTCC ANNUAL REPORT WE PROGRESSED EVERY DAY, AND OUR RECORD SHOWED THAT — COACH MOE LICARDONext >