University of New Orleans Athletics 2023-2024: Year in Review

NEW ORLEANS - The 2023-2024 academic year marked another chapter of success for New Orleans Athletics fueled by relentless work ethic, mental resilience, and strong administrative support. This year saw long-standing records shattered, national recognition, and most important, another graduating class of student-athletes ready to make their mark on the world.  

Here is a look at the best of 2023-24 for University of New Orleans Athletics by sport. 
 

 Men's and Women's Cross Country 

• The women's cross country team finished as the Southland Conference Championship runner-up under first-year Associate Head Coach Clayton O'Callaghan. 

• Six Privateers, the highest number among Southland institutions, achieved GPAs above 3.40, earning spots on the Southland All-Academic team. 

• Fifteen Privateers across both teams earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2023 Fall Commissioner's List. 

• Tshwanelo Maruping (1st Team), Alexandra Weir (2nd Team), Emma Bourg (2nd Team), and Evan Pardo (2nd Team) were named All-Southland. 

• Emma Bourg was recognized as both Louisiana's and the Southland's Freshman of the Year, becoming the first All-Conference cross country freshman for New Orleans since 2000. 

• Evan Pardo was named Southland Newcomer of the Year. 

• On the men's side, four of the top 5k times in program history were set at the New Orleans XC Opener. 

• Matthew Hansen recorded the second-fastest 10k time in program history. 

• Evan Pardo and Cade Litolff secured the fourth and fifth spots in school history for the 10k event. 

• Tshwanelo Maruping, Alexandra Weir, Rebecca DeKay, and Sophia Wolf each posted top-10 marks in school history at the UNO XC Opener. 

Volleyball 

•  The Privateers finished in the top 100 nationally in digs for the second consecutive season. 

• The team won their first conference tournament match as a Southland member. 

• Thirteen Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2023 Fall Commissioner's List. 

• Karen Cordero Barr earned All-Louisiana honors, leading the Privateers with 329 kills in 98 sets. 

• Cordero Barr finished in the top five in the Southland in both kills and service aces. 

• Lani Alleman finished in the top ten in digs as a true freshman. 

Men's Basketball 

•  Jordan Johnson was named the Associated Press and United States Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week. He is the first to earn a national Player of the Week award in program history since 1993. 

• Johnson and Tyson Jackson became the 25th and 26th Privateers, respectively, to reach 1,000 career points. 

• Johnson earned Southland All-Conference Honors and a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches First Team All-District. 

• Seven Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List. 

• The Privateers announced Stacy Hollowell as their 13th men's basketball head coach ahead of the 2024-25 season. 

 Women's Basketball 

• Under first-year Head Coach Trelanne Powell, the Privateers increased their overall win total by three and their conference win total by one from the 2022-2023 season. 

• DeArica Pryor earned All-Southland and All-Louisiana honors.  

• Alexis Calderon earned All-Defensive honors. 

• Justice Ross ranked second in blocks, while Pryor and Calderon were among the top four in steals in the Southland. 

• Pryor, Nora Francois, and Jayla Kimbrough averaged double figures, the most players to do so since 2017-2018. 

• Seven Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List. 

Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field 

• The women's team placed fourth at the Southland Conference Championship with 93 points, the highest in program history at any conference championship. 

• The men's and women's teams combined for seven gold medals at the Southland Conference Championships, the most in program history. They also had two silver and three bronze medalists. 

• Fifteen Privateers across both teams were Southland All-Conference selections. 

• The women's distance group scored 66 points at the Southland Championships, the most by any distance group at the event. 

• Sophia Wolf broke two school records this season: the 600m and 800m. 

• Matthew Hansen broke three school records: the 3000m, 5000m, and then his own 3000m record. 

• Trinity Bracey set the school's 400m record at the Southland Championships. 

• Alimot Alowonle set a program record in the long jump with a distance of 6.11 meters, surpassing the previous record of 5.95 meters set in 2017. 

Men's and Women's Tennis 

• The women's tennis team improved by four wins in conference play from 2023. 

• Marcel Volz won his second Southland Player of the Year award. 

• The team featured three All-Southland doubles teams and three All-Southland singles members. 

• Laurie Barendse became the fourth Privateer in the last five years to win Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year. 

• Luke Joujan earned two singles wins against Tulane. 

• Fourteen Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List. 

 Beach Volleyball 

• The team started the season with a historic 4-1 win over the Oregon Ducks on the opening weekend. 

• Serena Baumgart and Anne Hardouin earned All-Southland honors. 

• Ten Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List. 

Men's Golf 

• The Privateers set a new program-low stroke average of 288.633, breaking the previous record of 289.950 set by the 2019-2020 team.  

• The team recorded twelve rounds below par, surpassing the school record of eleven set during the 2007-2008 season. 

• Privateer golfers tallied 41 rounds under par this season, with eight of the eleven golfers having at least two rounds under par. 

• Kyle Bennett's scoring average of 71.93 ranks third in school history. 

•  Matt Weber earned Second Team All-Southland honors. 

•  Kyle Bennett and Thomas Artigas were named to the league's All-Academic team. 

• Coach Lorio has produced at least one member of the Southland's All-Academic golf team in all eight of his seasons at the Lakefront. 

• Eight Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List. 

 Baseball 

• New Orleans baseball finished third in the Southland Conference . 

• The Privateers had four players on the First Team All-Southland, the most in the conference. 

• Mitchell Sanford became the third consecutive Privateer to win Southland Hitter of the Year.  

• Head Coach Blake Dean reached 250 career wins. 

•  Miguel Useche tied the career program mark with 54 doubles. 

• This season marked the sixth 30-plus win season in the last eight full years of competition. 

• Twenty-six Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List. 

 Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field 

• The teams combined for nine All-Southland selections at the Southland Championships, including two gold medals. 

• John Adesola was named a Second-Team All-American after finishing 13th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a school record-breaking performance, marking the highest finish of any Privateer in school history at an NCAA Championship. 

• Adesola was named Southland Newcomer of the Year after winning the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles at the Southland Championship, with Jorim Bangue securing the silver. 

• Adesola, Madonna Favour, Darryl George Jr., and Christopher Murphy were part of the 4x100 relay team that set the top three marks in program history, advancing to the NCAA East Regional in Lexington. 

• Adesola was the first Privateer student-athlete to qualify for NCAA Regionals in three separate events (100m, 110m hurdles, and 4x100 meter relay). 

• Evan Pardo broke the school's 5k record. 

• Christopher Murphy broke the school's long jump record four times at the Southland Championship. 

• Sophia Wolf set program records in the 600m and 800m, making her the holder of four total records in her first season. 

• The women's program achieved 12 marks in the top five in school history this season and 21 in the top ten. 

• The men's program achieved 12 top-five marks/times in program history and 23 in the top ten. 
• Twenty-six Privateers earned a 3.0 GPA or higher, making the 2024 Spring Commissioner's List.

WE ARE YOUR KREWE

For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests.  Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win.  Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play, and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day.  Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe! 

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