Seahawk greats: Top 10 UNCW athletes of the decade
Another decade of UNCW athletics is soon coming to a close, and with it, another crop of Seahawks have left their mark.
While only a fall season left before 2020, the StarNews decided to take a look at the school's athletic successes since 2010, namely the athletes who shaped those memories.
So who's the best of the best? The StarNews received suggestions from current and former reporters on which athletes stood out above the rest. Here is our top 10 — and, no, they are not ranked hence listed in alphabetical order — along with five that just missed the list but no doubt also made an impact.
Lori Beth Adams
Women’s golf, 2010-14
Qualifications: Currently an LPGA golfer. Named CAA Women’s Golfer of the Year as a junior. Earned first-team All-CAA in junior and senior seasons. Named second-team All-CAA as a sophomore. Selected to compete as an individual entry in NCAA East Regional as a senior. Shot a career-low 68 in first round of NCAA regional and finished event tied for 29th.
Rafael Aita
Men’s tennis, 2010-13
Qualifications: Led UNCW to CAA team title and became the first to be named CAA Player of the Year as a junior. Named First-Team All-CAA in singles and doubles. Earned an at-large entry into NCAA Men’s singles championships and finished with final singles ranking of No. 52. Scaled as high as No. 17 nationally. Moved into 11th on all-time singles wins list with 50-13 career record. Named First-Team All-CAA in singles as a sophomore.
Lyberty Anderson
Women’s golf, 2016-18
Qualifications: Named CAA Player of the Year as a senior in a unanimous vote of the league's head coaches. Selected first-team All-CAA and earned individual medalist honors at the CAA championship for the second consecutive season after finishing with a seven-over-par 223. She became the second student-athlete in CAA history to win back-to-back women's golf individual titles.
Mat Batts
Baseball, 2012-14
Qualifications: Selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 17th round with the 500th pick overall. Named CAA Pitcher of the Year back-to-back seasons, along with first-team All-CAA honors. Named third-team All-CAA as a sophomore. Led CAA as a senior for third straight season with 105 strikeouts. Finished career with 336 total strikeouts, ranking third on 2014’s active career leaders for the NCAA. Ranked 23rd nationally in total strikeouts and 17th in strikeouts per walk (5.83).
What they said: “Batts was one of the most consistent pitchers in UNCW history while winning two pitcher of the year awards." - Jackson Fuller, StarNews reporter
Colin Bonner
Men’s soccer, 2012-15
Qualifications: Drafted by FC Dallas in third round of Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Named first-team All-CAA senior and junior seasons. Selected as second-team All-CAA as a sophomore and named to the CAA All-Rookie squad as a freshman. Earned NSCAA All-Midwest Region first-team honors as a senior. Is in the program’s all-time top 10 record book for career points, goals, game-winning goals, shots attempted, shots on goal and minutes played.
What they said: “Colin Bonner was a dynamic player for the Seahawks who finished in the top-10 all time in career goals and assists before getting drafted by FC Dallas.” - Jackson Fuller, StarNews reporter
Devontae Cacok
Men’s basketball, 2015-19
Qualifications: The 6-foot-7, 240 pound forward signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer after a standout performance in NBA Summer League competition. He set 21 records during his time with UNCW. Cacok led the nation with 22 double-doubles his senior season. His 1,238 career rebounds are a UNCW record and the third-most in CAA history. He is fourth in UNCW’s all-time scoring with 1,593 points to become one of only three players in school history to reach 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds. During his four-year career, he made 97 starts and appeared in 129 games. He is the first three-time all-CAA pick from UNCW, making first-team his senior and junior years and third-team as a sophomore.
What they said: "No one could've forseen the finish of Cacok's career after his freshman season. To go from afterthought to school, CAA and NCAA record holder is unreal. Without a doubt, he's one of the hardest working athletes I've ever been fortunate enough to cover. And he'll go down in the same breath as (Brett) Blizzard, (Brian) Rowsom and (John) Goldsberry when you talk UNCW basketball." - Alex Riley, former StarNews UNCW beat writer
Moe Holmes
Track and Field, 2014-18
Qualifications: Holmes became the first UNCW track star to earn CAA Track Athlete of the Year honors his junior season. He finished his career with six individual CAA championships. He scored 36 points in the CAA championship as a junior, winning the long jump, triple jump and high jump and finishing third in the 110 hurdles. Earned CAA titles in the 110 hurdles and high jump as a redshirt senior. Won a CAA high jump championship as a freshman.
Greg Jones
Baseball, 2018-19
Qualifications: Became the highest Major League Baseball draft pick in program history when he was selected 22nd overall by the Tampa Bay Rays. Helped lead UNCW to its second consecutive NCAA regional appearance. Named CAA Player of the Year and first-team All-CAA as a sophomore and CAA All-Rookie team as a freshman. In 2019, led the CAA in triples (9), runs scored (70), walks (55), on-base percentage (.491) and stolen bases (42).
What they said: "He arrived in Wilmington with a lot of hype and, amazingly, he didn't dissapoint. The kid who turned down more than $1 million out of school had a two-year impact that will certainly be hard to rival by anyone for a long time. Jones proved that you don't have to go to Chapel Hill or Raleigh to make a splash on the national scene." - Alex Riley, former StarNews UNCW beat writer
Keith Rendleman
Men’s basketball, 2009-13
Qualifications: Is one of three UNCW players to eclipse both 1,000 career points (1,516) and 1,000 rebounds (1,055). Named first-team All-CAA as a senior and junior. Led the CAA in field goal percentage (.582) as a sophomore. His freshman season, he finished ninth among CAA rookies in scoring and third in rebounding.
Stephanie Rose
Women’s soccer, 2009-2012
Qualifications: Named First-Team Mid-Atlantic All-Region and First-Team All-CAA as a senior. Led the CAA in goals (14) and points (40) while ranking second in assists (12). Holds the program’s single-season mark for assists in a season. Leads UNCW in career assists with 20. Named Second-Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie team selection as a freshman. Selected to third-team All-CAA as a sophomore and a junior.
HONORABLE MENTION
Brittany Blackwell
Women’s basketball, 2007-11
Qualifications: Helped lead UNCW to its first-ever postseason with WNIT berth in 2011. Named first-team All-CAA and CAA All-defensive team as a senior and second-team All-CAA as a junior. In 2010-11, Blackwell was ranked first among CAA leaders in field goal percentage, second in steals, fourth in rebounding and sixth in scoring. She ranked 13th in the nation in steals and 15th in field goal percentage. She finished the season as the program’s single-season leader in steals with 103.
What they said: "The 6-foot-1 guard/forward led the team in points, rebounds, steals or assists in a season a whopping 12 times in her career, including all four of those categories as a junior. Her versatility on the court made her the CAA Rookie of the Year as a freshman, building to first-team all-CAA status as a senior during the league's strongest years on the court." - Dan Spears, StarNews Assistant Managing Editor
Chris Flemmings
Men’s basketball, 2014-2017
Qualifications: Named First-team All-CAA for second consecutive season as a senior. Named CAA Preseason Player of the Year as a senior. Helped UNCW to two NCAA tournament berths. Seventh overall pick in the G League Draft.
Phillip Goodrum
Men’s soccer, 2016-present
Qualifications: Named CAA Player of the Year as a junior and first-team All-CAA. Led the CAA with 12 goals and 28 points. Also named to First-Team CAA as a sophomore and CAA All-Rookie as a freshman. Competed in two NCAA tournaments. Has 57 starts and 21 career goals heading into senior season.
Ryan Jeffers
Baseball, 2016-18
Qualifications: Second round draft pick (59th overall) of the Minnesota Twins. Started all 62 games between catching and the outfield. Led the CAA with 22 doubles, 16 home runs, on-base average (.460) and slugging percentage (.635). Reached base in 31 straight games. Led team with career-high .328 batting average as a sophomore.
Nicole Lott
Women’s volleyball, 2013-17
Qualifications: Named First-Team All-CAA in 2015 and 2016, All-Rookie and second-team All-CAA in 2014. Helped lead UNCW to a CAA championship and first NCAA appearance in 2015. Finished with 385 kills in 2015, the eighth best in program single-season history.