FGCU Eagle News

11/02/2024

Editors pick - Great photos this week featuring two new photographers!

1️⃣ Baseball season is approaching! The Eagles host two scrimmages next week against Miami and FSW!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

2️⃣ The FGCU club hockey team beat Arkansas 7-3.
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3️⃣ Students participated in an art workshop with professor Michele Marincola!
📸: .cavalier

4️⃣ Coach Chambers walks out of the tunnel at the second annual Basketball Block Party.
📸: // FGCU Athletics

5️⃣ Tanner Swank throws to first base during Thursdays scrimmage!
📸: .metcalf

6️⃣ An early morning outside of Edward’s Hall.
📸: Abby Alves

7️⃣ Women’s soccer beat New College of Florida 4-0!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

10/28/2024

Our October print is on campus! Grab a copy next time you’re here🎃

10/27/2024

Editors pick - Photo of the week!

1️⃣ Swim & Dive hosted the “Eagle Invitational.”
📸: // FGCU Athletics

2️⃣ A community cleanup was hosted on Sanibel Island after hurricane Milton.
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3️⃣ PumKAns for a cause! hosted their annual pumpkin patch on library lawn!
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4️⃣ Students volunteered at a horse sanctuary for service learning.
📸: Julianna Bendeck

5️⃣ Food trucks and our October print is the perfect lunchtime combo!
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10/04/2024

Editors pick - Our favorite photos from the week!

1️⃣ The Eagles “killed” West Georgia in a quick three sets.
📸: // FGCU Athletics

2️⃣ The sun peeks through over Cohen.
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3️⃣ Men’s basketball had a beach photoshoot to celebrate the start of the season!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

4️⃣ #28 Brooks Beeman celebrates after scoring a goal against Keiser!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

5️⃣ The sun sets over SoVi.
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6️⃣ Azul celebrates the sweep against West Georgia!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

09/30/2024

September print is out!!! Grab your copy today 💙💚

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09/22/2024

Editors pick - A busy week calls for great photos!

1️⃣ Women’s soccer wins their ASUN home opener with a score of 2-0! Coach Blankenship brought home his 450th career win!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

2️⃣ Volleyball faced off against No. 24 Dayton!
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3️⃣ FGCU cheerleaders entertain the crowd at Volleyball’s “Taylor Swift Night!”
📸: .decastro

4️⃣ Swimmers competed in the Wings Up Classic, the first home meet of the season!
📸: .demelo

5️⃣ Divers warming up for the Wings Up Classic!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

6️⃣ Student-athletes participated in an international student athlete panel.
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7️⃣ Rounding off the week with a great men’s soccer game against Jacksonville! The eagles dominated the ASUN home opener with 1-0 final score!
📸: // FGCU Athletics

09/13/2024

Editors pick - Our favorite photos from this week!

1️⃣ Men’s soccer battled Utah Valley at their home opener on Pickering Field.
📸: // FGCU Athletics

2️⃣ Car club had the first meet up of the school year.
📸: Marvin Hernandez Jr.

3️⃣ The men’s soccer club faced Miami on the Campus Recreational Field.
📸: Adrian Roper

4️⃣ A beautiful sunrise over Marieb Hall.
📸: Abby Alves

5️⃣ Students lounge on Library Lawn after class.
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09/08/2024

Editors pick - Our favorite photos from this week!

1️⃣ Hockey season has started! Players worked on multiple skills during a drill at practice.
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2️⃣ A sunny day on the campus boardwalk behind Whitaker Hall.
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3️⃣ The handmade skateboard chair in FGCUs Food Forest.
📸: Destiny Nguyen

4️⃣ A hammock sunset at West Lake.
📸: Hannah Smith

5️⃣ #23 Shanelle Puetz sets the ball in an intense set against NDSU.
📸: // FGCU athletics

08/30/2024

06/21/2024

The 2023-24 season for FGCU Athletics was notable for the university, as the Eagles had numerous moments across different sports that will be solidified in their history. We ranked the top eight FGCU athletics moments throughout the past season.

1) Men’s Basketball Defeats No. 7 Florida Atlantic University Owls

The FGCU’s men’s basketball team had a lackluster season after finishing with a 14-18 record, including an early exit from the first round of the 2024 ASUN Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. The only upside of the season came on Dec. 30 when FGCU was scheduled to host the Florida Atlantic University Owls.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📸 Jessica Piland
📝 Jeffrey Hrunka

06/19/2024

FGCU’s softball program has been a dominant force in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) competition over the past 16 years. The success has previously been exemplified by two Eagles being inducted into the ASUN Hall of Fame. On May 30, Courtney Platt added her name to the list.

Platt found her passion in softball at a young age when her parents dragged her and her twin sister, Casey Platt, up to her mother’s slowpitch league in Ohio. They would watch her mother play from the dugout, making it an activity that her whole family participated in.

“It’s something that I have always stuck with,” Platt said. “But being able to grow up with my family and do that. It’s what helped me to play this sport for so long.”

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📸 Courtesy of Ryan Field/FGCU Athletics
📝 Jeffrey Hrunka

05/17/2024

For the first time in 12 years, the FGCU softball team brought home an ASUN title. The Eagles beat the University of North Florida Ospreys 7-6 from a walk-off home run for their second title in program history.

The Eagles entered the 2024 ASUN Softball Championship tournament with a 16-8 record after losing their final conference series against the Kennesaw State University Owls. This granted them the fourth seed, which allowed them one additional rest day against those having to play in the single elimination round.

FGCU’s first game of the tournament was against the fifth-seed University of North Alabama Lions. The Lions advanced to the second round of the tournament after defeating the Austin State Peay Governors 3-0 to compete against the Eagles on May 8.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📸 Jessica Piland/ FGCU Athletics
📝 Jeffrey Hrunka

05/16/2024

For the fans sitting in the stands, FGCU’s game against the Florida Atlantic University Owls was a typical midweek game. However, for many Eagles on the field, it would be their last game playing inside Swanson Stadium.

The Eagles dominated their last non-conference game of the season against the Owls, winning 28-18.

The team was on a hot streak going into this game, winning their last two ASUN Conference series. They dropped one game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and another to the FAU Owls on May 7, making the Eagles have a 25-24 season record.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📸 Lexi Harbach/FGCU Athletics
📝 Jeffrey Hrunka

05/08/2024

Entering the final series of the season, the Eagles had everything to play for as a chance to enter the 2024 ASUN Softball Championship as second-seed was up for grabs. However, FGCU faltered against the Kennesaw State University Owls, losing two out of the three games in the series and a chance at an additional bye.

The Eagles carried negative momentum into the weekend, dropping their final two games in their series against the Austin Peay State University Governors the previous weekend. The Governors sat eighth in the conference standings with a 6-15 record. The Eagles won the first game of the series with a commanding 8-3 victory, while they faltered in the following two games. They lost those matchups with a combined score of 6-14.

FGCU looked to end this losing streak against the Kennesaw State University Owls, who sat ninth in the standings with a 6-15 record. The Owls needed to win one more game than the Governors over the course of the weekend to have a shot at the postseason, so they had everything to play for.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📝 Jeffrey Hrunka
📸 Lexi Harbach/FGCU Athletics

05/07/2024

Struggle has been the theme for FGCU’s baseball team, which has lost five out of its last six games. They looked to change this narrative in their series against the Jacksonville University Dolphins from May 3 to 5. The Dolphins walked into Swanson Stadium, leading the ASUN conference standings with a 15-6 record. Their lead diminished as the Eagles dominated the weekend by sweeping the series.

FGCU entered this matchup, having lost its last two conference series. The first of these series came against the Austin Peay State University Governors, which the Eagles won dominantly 11-2 to open the series on April 19. However, the Eagles did not carry this momentum into the next two games, losing those matchups with a combined score of 18-28.

This trend continued the following week against the Lipscomb University Bisons. The Eagles won their first game in dominant fashion, outscoring the Bisons by nine runs for an 11-2 victory. They dropped the next two games, losing both by 6-7. They look to turn this around against the ASUN conference team at the top of the standings.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📝 Jeffrey Hrunka
📸 Lexi Harbach/FGCU Athletics

05/02/2024

Ending their season in heartbreak, the FGCU women’s tennis team fell short in their conquest to win their first ASUN Championship Tournament title. After making an unexpected run to the finals, toppling over the second and third-seeded teams, the Eagles lost to the Stetson University Hatters in the tournament’s final round.

FGCU clinched their spot into the 2024 ASUN Championship Tournament after defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on April 7. The Eagles would split their next two matches, losing against the Stetson University Hatters 4-3 on the road. The Eagles concluded the regular season with a 7-0 win against the University of Central Arkansas Sugar Bears at home.

Entering the first round, the Eagles were set to play the third-seeded University of North Florida Ospreys on April 19. The Ospreys came into the tournament with a 12-9 record, losing their last matchup against the Eagles 5-2. FGCU looked to do the same to start tournament play.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📝 Kevin Rollins
📸 Lexi Harbach

04/26/2024

Beginning its season in February, the FGCU beach volleyball team wrapped up the regular season with a record of 14-18. Even though the Eagles finished with an under .500 winning percentage, there were plenty of highlights throughout the season with a chance at more success in the 2024 ASUN Beach Volleyball Championship tournament.

The Eagles opened up the season on Feb. 23 and 24 with three consecutive wins over Southern Mississippi, Mercer and Eckerd in DeLand before dropping their first match of the season to conference rival and No.16 Stetson 4-1.

In Jacksonville for the following tournament on March 1 and 2, FGCU went 3-1 again with wins over Jacksonville and Mercer while splitting two matches with North Florida. During the win against Jacksonville, senior Kacie Johnson broke the all-time win record for the Eagles in her 70th win.

To read the full story, click the link in our bio.

📝 James Curtis
📸 Jessica Piland/FGCU Athletics

04/24/2024

Many racing fans will never get the opportunity to attend a Formula One Grand Prix in person. Red Bull brought this opportunity to FGCU students by promoting their upcoming Formula One Miami Grand Prix on campus over the course of two days from April 10 to 11.

Red Bull brought racing simulators, a mocktail bar and Red Bull Racing’s championship winning RB19 to campus for students’ enjoyment. There was a contest on the line challenging students to run the fastest lap around the Miami International Autodrome on the video game F1 23. The fastest driver won a $250 gift card to the Red Bull Shop for their efforts.

“Red Bull is partnered with FGCU. We are sold at several campus outlets,” Red Bull Student Marketeer Frankie McMahon said. “So, in working with business services, [the] Programming Board and ShopFGCU, I wanted to bring something memorable to campus to connect the brand to the student body…”

📝 Jeffrey Hrunka
📸 Abigail Muth