Up & Coming Weekly

April 03, 2018

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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24 UCW APRIL 4-10, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MICHAEL NEAL, FTCC athletics director. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweek- ly.com. 910-484-6200. EDUCATION FTCC Trojan athletics expanding by MICHAEL NEAL e Fayetteville Technical Commu- nity College Trojan Athletics Program returned to the basketball court in the fall of 2016 after a 41-year hiatus. Along with men's basketball, FTCC added women's basketball and men's and women's golf as new sports. Students and members of the community were excited to see FTCC add athletics to the college atmosphere. e Trojans worked hard, and it did not take long for them to achieve suc- cess. e women's golf team won an early event at Anderson Creek hosted by Central Carolina Community College in October 2016, and the men won the same event in spring 2017. In addition to this win, the men beat NCAA Division III La Roche College at Tobacco Road. Neither team was eligible for the post-season due to National Junior College Athletic Association guide- lines for first-year programs; however, each brought home hardware in just their first season of play. Coach Eric Tucker, who has a great deal of experi- ence and local connections, leads the women's basketball program. He pulled together a full roster of players from the greater Fayetteville area and achieved some great wins. From the beginning, Tucker's goal was to be competitive and constantly build from there. He completed the season with a 9-15 record. Recruitment went well for the second season. At the guard position, the team improved but without enough depth in the post to go deep in the strong conference. In their first year eligible, the Trojans finished at 8-18 with a win in the first round of the NJCAA Region 10 Championships. e men's team had a more challenging start. e men were able to succeed in a few early wins before a 20-game losing streak. ey broke the losing streak with a win on Sophomore Night as the season ended. e men's second season proved to be much bet- ter. Coach Brian Hurd recruited a high-quality team. ey won their first two post-season games and made an appearance in the Region 10 Final Four. With an overall 17-13 record, the team set a good course for the future. e expansion of athletics teams at FTCC begins in the 2018-19 season with the addition of volleyball, softball and baseball. e coaches are recruiting players for each of these sports, and the teams are starting to shape up. e Trojans compete in the NJCAA, in Divi- sion II in all offered sports. FTCC is in Region 10. FTCC appreciates the support of students, faculty, staff and the community as the school's athletic program expands to give students the wonderful elements that sporting programs contribute to the college experience. If you are interested in learning more about a particular program, contact the appropriate party as listed below. FTCC Trojans Athletics • Michael Neal, athletics director: 910-486-3630, nealm@faytechcc.edu • Brian Hurd, men's basketball: 910-678-1038, hurdb@faytechcc.edu • Eric Tucker, women's basketball: 910-678-1039, tuckere@faytechcc.edu • John Michael Cole, golf: 910-486-3912, colej@faytechcc.edu • Moe Licardo, volleyball: 910-486-7343, licarlom@faytechcc.edu • Miguel Justiniano, softball: 910-486-7344, justinim@faytechcc.edu • Lee Troutman, baseball: 910-486-3630, troutmah@faytechcc.edu The 2017-18 Trojan men's basketball team with Coach Brian Hurd, center. M A G A Z I N E b y , f o r & a b o u t Fayeeville Women 3320 N. Main | Hope Mills, NC 28348 | thecrossingsathopemills.com

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