Southern Wesleyan Athletics
Grace Eckert, Sports Information Director
CENTRAL – Head Coach Greg Thiel, Assistant Coaches Jake Simms and Roman Wright and the Track and Field and Cross Country programs are excited to welcome the 2020 signing class. Joining the Warriors in 2020 are Lauryn Tate, Meshayla Maddox, Avrel Jean, Carmen DeVries, Ceccelia Crossett, Sophie Thiel, Sydney Palmer, and Blessing Laudermilch. The class consists of sprinters, hurdlers, distance runners and throwers.
“It is a momentous time for SWU T&F / XC. God continues to bring us high character student-athletes that excel both in the classroom and on the Track,” said Head Coach Greg Theil. “We are thankful and humbled by the growth of this program and are excited about how the rest of this class will shake out.
“As a staff we are encouraged by the large number of Student-athletes signing this early for many reasons, the main one being that we can begin to grow our relationships with these young people for the purpose of pointing them toward Jesus. This team is a ministry for us and we believe that this environment is the primary reason why so many are being drawn to SWU and why they are thriving here.”
Lauryn Tate will join the Warriors from Tampa, Florida where she attended Tampa Catholic. A sprinter, she was named MVP during the 2019 season. She also went to State in Volleyball and Track and field. Her favorite quote is “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”
Meshayla Maddox will travel to Central, South Carolina from Seneca, South Carolina where she attended Seneca High School. A hurdler, Maddox also loves to dance. Her favorite quote is “work hard in silence, and let the success be the noise.”
Avrel Jean will join Southern Wesleyan from Tampa, Florida where she attended Plant High School and was a sprinter on the track and field team. During her time at Plant High School, Jean was named the event champion in the 400 meter dash at the Berkeley Invitational. She is very outgoing and her favorite quote says “do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
Carmen DeVries joins the Warriors after transferring from University of Jamestown. She has participated in sprints and jumps. Her high school accolades include being a four-year state qualifier, the 2015 Newcomer of the Year and four time all conference. Her athletic accolades from University of Jamestown including being a two-time national qualifier and being named the conference champion in the 4×400 outdoor. She does not like pizza. Her favorite quote comes from Allyson Felix who said “Track doesn’t define me, my faith defines me. I’m running because I have been blessed with a gift.”
Ceccelia Crossett is the next Warrior in line. Hailing from East Berne, New York, Crossett attended Berne-Knox-Westerlo High School. While there she ran cross country and competed in the 1500 and 3000 meters. Her high school athletic accolades include her personal record in the 3000 meter with a time of 13:37 and her 12th place finish in a 3-mile race with a time of 22:17.92. In her spare time, she loves to make chocolate chip cookies. Her favorite quote comes from C.S. Lewis. “You can’t go back and change the beginning. But you can start where you are and change the ending.”
Next up is Sophie Thiel. Thiel comes to Southern Wesleyan by way of D.W. Daniel High School. The Central, South Carolina native plans to compete in javelin for the Warriors. She loves bug taxidermy and her favorite quote comes from Bob Ross. “We don’t make mistakes just happy accidents.”
Sydney Palmer comes to Central by way of Charleston, South Carolina. Her high school athletic accolades include being award the coaches award and being named MVP for three years in a row during her high school career. She loves to spend her free time traveling. Her favorite quote is “you’re so busy doubting yourself, while others are intimidated by your potential.”
Blessing Laudermilch joins Southern Wesleyan from Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. In high school, Laudermilch set the school record in the triple jump. She loves to dance and her favorite quote comes from C.S. Lewis. “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”