Centenary Athletics: Winter 2022 Recap

The winter months can be dark, cold, and long wherever you are. Luckily the Centenary College campus is a constant wheel of athletic events in motion at the same time to keep you energized and entertained. Now that the basketball and swimming seasons have been completed, let's take a look back at all of their highlights here:

Women's Swimming:

The Ladies finished fourth at the 2022 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships last month in Garland, Texas. Centenary, which also finished fourth last season, earned 363 points for the event

Freshman Madeline Vacula (Belton, Texas) and senior Brianna Serret (Alexandria, La.) highlighted the final day of competition for Centenary as they each earned all-conference honors and Serret was named the 2022 SCAC Women's Swimming & Diving Elite 19 award winner. Established prior to the 2018-19 academic year and meant to recognize the best of the best within each conference sponsored-sport as it relates to both academic and athletic achievement, the SCAC Elite 19 is awarded to the student-athlete who has completed the equivalent of at least 60 credit hours at his or her current institution and has at least a cumulative 3.25 GPA. The student-athlete must also have earned All-SCAC First, Second or Third Team honors in his/her sport for that particular season.

Serret earned all-conference honors with her third-place finish in the 200 Yard Backstroke (2:10.00), just ahead of Vacula who finished fourth in a time of 2:12.17. Vacula finished third in the 1650 Yard Freestyle, swimming a time of 17:56.27 to earn all-conference honors. Her time at the 1,000 split (10:51.54) is the fourth-fastest 1,000 time in school history. Serret and Vacula were each named SCAC Women's Swimmer of the Week during the season.

Vacula finished an impressive rookie season with seven individual wins and four runner-up finishes. Serret recorded 11 individual wins this past season and earned all-conference honors for the second season in a row. Last season as a junior she won the 100 back at the SCAC Championships with a time of 59.29, marking the program's first individual win in the event and just the third individual win by a Centenary women's swimmer at the SCAC Championships since the Maroon and White joined the conference prior to the 2012-13 season. Serret also earned additional all-conference honors in two other events - the 100-fly, as she finished third with a time of 58.30 and in the 200-yard medley relay, as her team placed third with a time of 1:51.42.

Men's Swimming:

The Gents finished seventh at the SCAC Championships, earning 173 points. Senior Mitchell Lulich (New Orleans, La.) had the Gents' top individual finish of the meet as he finished fifth in the finals of the 100 Yard Breaststroke (57.81) and also he placed seventh in the championship final of the 200 Breast, swimming a time of 2:12.40. Six Gents claimed wins against Austin College on Jan. 29 in their final home meet of the season and also won the 200 free relay.

Lulich finished the season with seven individual victories. He highlighted the meet versus Austin College on Jan. 29 for the Gents with three individual wins and was a member of the winning 200 free relay squad. Lulich won the 50 back, swimming a time of 28.39, claimed a win in the 200 IM (2:13.81), and won the 100-yard breast (1:04.24). Freshman Cash Coats (Andrews, Texas) won the 50 free (24.12) and finished third in the 100 free (54.74). He also teamed with Lulich, sophomore Aiden Peterkin (Zachary, La.), and senior Tripp Montgomery (New Iberia, La.) in the 200 free relay victory. Montgomery also won the 50 breast, swimming a time of 30.38.

Peterkin won the 50 fly (29.11) and finished in the 50 free (26.04) and fifth in the 100 free (56.51). Montgomery also finished third in the 100 breast (1:09.96) and placed fourth in the 100 free (54.75). Sophomore Jules Reny (Lille, France) earned a pair of runner-up finishes in the 200 free (2:11.15) and 50 fly (29.43) and finished fourth in the 50 free (26.28). Freshmen Nathaniel Batiste Jr. (Vacherie, La.) finished second in the 50 free (25.96) and third in the 50 breast (33.01). In total, the Ladies and Gents combined for 48 individual wins this past season.

Women's Basketball:  

The Ladies finished 4-20 overall and 2-14 in conference play this past season, but their record was deceiving as they lost 13 games by 15 points or less and five were single-digit losses displaying the toughness and determination by the Maroon and White all season.  

Centenary finished its regular-season on a high note by snapping a 12-game losing streak on Senior Day with a 61-53 victory over St. Thomas in the Gold Dome, winning its Senior Day game for the third-straight season.

Centenary sophomore G Addy Tremie (Sulphur, La.) and junior G Destini Powell (Minden, La.) each earned a spot on the All-SCAC Team as Honorable-Mention selections. Tremie followed up a fantastic freshman season with a sensational sophomore campaign as she started all 24 of the Ladies' games and finished second on the team in both scoring (11.6/game) and rebounding (7.0/game) and ranked 11th in the conference in both scoring and rebounding. Tremie ranked sixth in the league in 3-point FGs made and 12th in 3-point FG %. She ranked ninth in defensive rebounds and 14th in blocked shots.

She led the league in minutes played, averaging 37.1 MPG and played all 40 minutes in a game seven times including five times during conference play. She reached double figures15 times this season, 10 times in league play, and did so seven-consecutive times to end the season. She posted three double-doubles during the season and topped 20 points four times. She scored a career-high 25 points on 9-15 shooting in 40 minutes of action versus Trinity on Dec. 19 at home. She was 3-6 from beyond the arc, 4-4 from the free throw line and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. Tremie hit at least three treys in a game seven times during the season and finished 32-35 (91.4 %) at the free throw line.

Powell had a superb season for the Ladies as she played in 21 games and made 15 starts. She ranked in the top 10 in the conference in five different statistical categories and in the top 15 in one more despite missing the last four games of the season. She averaged a team-high 12.9 PPG and team-best 7.6 rebounds/game as she ranked fifth in the league in scoring and sixth in rebounding. Powell ranked second in the league in defensive rebounds, 10th in both minutes played and 3-point FG/s made and 14th in free throw %. She scored a career-high 33 points in an 89-82 win at Birmingham-Southern on Dec. 4, the fourth-highest single-game total in the conference all season. Powell reached double figures an impressive 14 times this past season and did so in 13 of her final 15 games. She topped 20 points four times and had three double-doubles.

Men's Basketball:  

The Gents finished 13-13 (7-9 in conference play) and continued their impressive play at home as they went 9-3. Centenary has now finished .500 or better in all five seasons under head coach Chris Dorsey.

Senior G AJ Hall (Thibodaux, La.), junior F Seth Thomas (Kilgore, Texas), and junior G Ralph Johnson (White Castle, La.) were named all-conference as Hall and Thomas earned spots on the Third Team and Johnson was an Honorable-Mention selection. Three Gents averaged double figures this season, led by senior F Jarrell Taylor (Leesville, La.) who finished at 11.4 PPG. Eight players averaged 6.4 PPG or better this past season, Taylor led the team in rebounding (5.3/game) and Thomas was next at 4.8. Hall and Thomas were each named SCAC Player of the Week during the season.

The Gents have made nine-straight appearance in the SCAC Tournament, four trips to the championship game, and also have two semifinal appearances as they have established themselves as one of the most successful programs in the event throughout the conference. Centenary now has 45 conference wins in the last five seasons and its 38 wins from 2017-21 season led the conference in that span. The Gents are now an impressive 25-13 in their last 38 conference games dating back to Jan. 25, 2020. Centenary is also a stellar 24-6 in its last 30 home games over the last three seasons.

Centenary once again thrived on defense, ranking in the top five in the conference in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, 3-point FG % defense, turnover margin, and assist to turnover ratio. The Gents were also a top-five team in free throw %, blocked shots, and steals. Centenary was also an outstanding 3-point shooting team as the Maroon and White ranked in the top two in both 3-point FG % and 3-point FG's made. The Gents finished eighth in the country in turnover margin and tenth in the country in turnovers forced. Centenary also ranked 27^th in the nation in steals.  

The Gents were not just a defensive team, though, as they won eight games by 21 or more points, four by 25 or more, and in a 14-day span in January Centenary won four games by 31 points or more. The Gents recorded a historic 105-69 win over Southwestern on Jan. 12 in the Gold Dome when they hit a program (and Gold Dome) record 22 three-point baskets, breaking the previous record of 20 three pointers in a game which happened on two prior occasions. Centenary also scored 100 points for the first time since a 111-109 overtime home win over Johnson and Wales on Dec. 1, 2017. Individual history was also made that night against Southwestern as Hall tied the single-game school record for three pointers by an individual as he drained nine treys in 14 attempts (64 %) and ended with a career-high 34 points. Hall's nine treys are also the most in a single game this past season by a SCAC player and his 34 points are the second-most points scored in a game by a SCAC player this season.

Senior G Kile Mingo (Cypress, Texas) also made individual history this past season as he moved into the program's all-time top 10 list for 3-point baskets made with 152. Mingo hit a trey in the second half of the Gents' regular-season finale at Texas Lutheran on Feb. 19 to enter the top 10.

Be on the lookout for the Spring Sports Recap in May where we will take a look back at gymnastics, lacrosse, track and field, golf, baseball, and softball. Go Ladies and Go Gents!

Keep track of the Ladies and Gents here with the composite athletics schedule: https://www.gocentenary.com/composite

Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.

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