EMORY, Va. – In conjunction with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference office, the Emory & Henry College Department of Athletics wishes to honor seniors whose seasons were unexpectedly cut short this spring by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
RELATED - ODAC Softball Senior Recognition
Our recognitions continue today with softball. These five seniors have been part of one of the most successful periods in program history, winning 98 games, finishing as the ODAC runner-up in 2017 and 2018 and playing in a pair of NCAA Division III Tournaments (2017, 2019).
As freshmen in 2017, they set program records for overall wins (35) and league wins (13) on their way to their first appearance in the ODAC title game since 2004. The team earned a berth in the 2017 NCAA Division III Tournament, finishing third at the Mount Berry, Georgia Regional. In 2018, the Wasps made it back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time in program history and returned to the ODAC title game. The 2019 season saw Emory & Henry take fourth in the ODAC Tournament and make its second NCAA postseason appearance in three years.
This season, the team held a 7-10 (1-1 ODAC) record when play was suspended after playing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. The Wasps played six of their 17 games against NCAA Division III Top 25 teams and faced national-caliber programs at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona.
Lyndsay Boyd
Lyndsay is a native of Abingdon, Virginia and a graduate of Abingdon High School. A 2018 All-ODAC Second Team selection and team captain, she holds a career .272 batting average, with 26 runs on 52 hits, 19 RBI, seven walks and 11 extra-base hits. She has also posted a career on-base percentage of .298 and a slugging average of .346. Lyndsay is a member of the Blue & Gold Society and has been an Orientation Leader. A mathematics education major, Lyndsay will also complete her Master of Education Degree from E&H this spring and has already accepted a position teaching eighth grade math at E.B. Stanley Middle School in Abingdon.
"Thank you to my parents who have loved and supported me in everything I have done. Thank you for pushing me to be my best and believing in me. Thank you to my former and present teachers, coaches, and professors for all you have done to help me get to where I am today. Thank you to my current and former teammates, who have helped make memories on the softball field that I will cherish forever. I am extremely blessed by my E&H experience!"
Tiffany Cole
Tiffany is a native of Wise, Virginia and a graduate of John I. Burton High School. A standout in the circle and a two-year team captain for the Wasps, Tiffany sits third all-time in career wins (34) and shutouts (nine) with the fifth-lowest ERA in program history (2.62) and fifth-most innings pitched (342). She has also struck out 160 batters with a 3.02 K/BB ratio, facing a total of 1,516 batters. Off the field, she has been a member of the Cognitive Community Team since its inception, volunteered over 100 hours between the Emory, Wise and Bristol communities, and has been a four-year student-worker for the E&H Sports Information Department. A sister of the Delta Omicron Pi sorority, Tiffany is an exercise science major and plans to attend the Emory & Henry School of Health Sciences to study occupational therapy.
"Thank you to my parents, family, friends and teammates; none of this would have been possible without each one of you by my side. First of all, I want to thank God for giving me the opportunities I have had and all I've been blessed with. A huge thank you to my parents for providing me everything that I've needed to become who I am today and supporting me to pursue all the opportunities that have come my way. Thank you to my teammates and coaches for pushing me, holding me accountable and becoming some of my best friends and family. Thank you to my fiancé, Patrick, for keeping me sane and grounded, and supporting me in everything I've done throughout college. Thank you to Delta Pi for accepting me for who I am and growing my family of people to love, and the rest of Greek Life for introducing me to so many wonderful people who I'll be lifelong friends with. And lastly, thanks to Emory & Henry and all the people who work there for allowing me to meet some of the best and kindest people; for making it possible to live out my dreams; for being the place that I will never forget and will always enjoy coming back to. I have enjoyed every moment and memory I have made while being at Emory and I am so thankful that it is where God decided to take me."
Alex Thomas
Alex is a native of Vero Beach, Florida and a graduate of Foundation Academy. A four-year letterwinner for the Wasps, Alex has posted a career batting average of .273 with a .364 on-base percentage and a slugging average of .458. She has scored 26 runs on 68 hits with 13 doubles 11 home runs, driving in 50, adding 24 walks. Alex has been a volunteer with the Emory Fall Softball League and Little Wasps Camps and was a four-year student-worker in the E&H Sports Information Department. She has also done a pair of internships with Emory & Henry Athletics and is assisting with this year's virtual Blue & Golden Globes Awards. A member of the Alpha Beta Chi sorority, Alex is a sport management and human dynamics major with a minor in management. She plans to work in facilities management at the Jackie Robinson Sports Complex in Vero Beach while pursing a master's degree in management and coaching iwith the Central Florida Sting Vero Softball Program.
"I would like to thank my family which is extensive. Obviously, I have my parents and grandparents. I thank my dad for his consistent advice, and my mom for her continual craziness of Wasp Signs, Go Fingers and Cheerleading attire. I had no bigger fans than my grandparents. My granddad learned how to use an iPad so he could watch me play! I was very blessed to have many more family members. Kara & Chondra Stewart were there every day for me. While Kara was my "stink bug killin" #1 roomie, Mama Stewart made sure I didn't starve. My softball family includes coaches, players, athletic trainers & staff and my teammates' parents. Each of you continually loved and supported me unconditionally. I always had shoulders to lean on, arms to hug me and words of encouragement. To my teammates, thank you for the uncommon efforts on and off the field, the massive moments of laughter and the unforgettable memories."
Leanna Toler
Leanna is a native of Abingdon, Virginia and a graduate of Abingdon High School. After spending her first two seasons at Longwood University, Leanna transferred to Emory & Henry and made an immediate impact on the team. She was a 2019 All-ODAC Second Team selection and is a team captain. In her time with E&H, Leanna has a .349 batting average, a .406 on-base percentage and a .503 slugging average. She has scored 41 runs on 68 hits with 10 doubles, six home runs, and 44 RBI. She has also drawn 19 walks and stolen 38 bases. An accounting major, Leanna has plans to work as an Auditing Associate with BDO following graduation.
"Mom and dad, thank you both for all of your sacrifices throughout the years and making sure I had every opportunity to play softball. I have enjoyed the travel tournaments, extra swings outside in the batting cage and all the things in between that helped me get to where I am today. Those memories will be carried with me forever and I love you both so much."
Caitlyn Yates
Caitlyn is a native of Coeburn, Virginia and a graduate of John I. Burton High School. In her four years with Emory & Henry, Cailtyn has put up a .243 career batting average with a .353 on-base percentage and a .326 slugging average. She has scored 49 runs on 35 hits while also drawing 23 walks. Caitlyn also has six doubles, two home runs, 16 RBI and 21 stolen bases to her credit. She also appeared in two games as a pitcher her freshman season, earning a win in relief. In addition to softball, she is a member of the Blue Key Honor Society, Psi Chi Pychology Honor Society and is the Light It Up Blue Autism Awareness president. A member of the Alpha Beta Chi sorority, Caitlyn is a psychology major and has plans to attend Liberty University to pursue a master's degree in developmental psychology and continuing on two her PhD. She will continue working with Blue Mountain Therapy upon graduation, transitioning into a full-time position as a Applied Behavior Analyst.
"I would like to thank my parents, Debbie & Terry Yates, for always being there for me, supporting me through everything, and being my biggest fans on and off the field. Thank you for your continuing love and support through this next phase in my life. I love you both more than I could ever express."
Up Next
Emory & Henry and the ODAC will continue recognizing senior student-athletes over the course of the next two weeks. The schedule for each sport is listed below (sports without seniors and those that E&H does not sponsor have been omitted from the schedule).
Senior Recognition Schedule
Friday, April 3 - Women's Golf
Monday, April 6 - Men's Golf
Friday, April 10 - Men's Tennis
Tuesday, April 14 - Softball
Wednesday, April 15 - Baseball
Friday, April 17 - Men's Outdoor Track & Field