I’m excited to see what the Paladins are cooking up.

Many news slots have come open from last fall’s 10-3 season and a last-second loss in the FCS third round.

To wit:

Kickoff for the Purple-White spring game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Paladin Stadium

The game, which will showcase the progress of Furman’s spring practice that began on Feb. 21, will feature the program’s 91 players, among whom are 30 lettermen and 14 players with starting experience.

Gates open at 11:30 a.m., and fans can enjoy live music until 1 p.m., as well as food, drinks and inflatables. None of the inflatables is likely food and drink.  Furman’s players and coaches will be available on the field for autographs following the contest.

Unlike almost anything anymore, admission is free.

Also expected to be present on Saturday about 190 high school prospects as part of Furman’s Junior Day.

Five spring practices will remain following Saturday’s games, scheduled for Mar. 19, 21, 23, 26, and 28.

Furman, reigning Southern Conference champion, opens the season against Ole Miss on Aug. 31.

Furman signed 12 recruits in December’s early-signing period and added four more on Feb. 7 National Signing Day.

The Paladins are under the direction of 2023 SoCon Coach of the Year Clay Hendrix ‘86, who is entering his eighth season at the helm of Furman’s football program and 31st year of service at his alma mater.

Two significant contributors to Furman’s men’s basketball team have entered the transfer portal.

Second-team All-Southern Conference player Marcus Foster, and Carter Whitt, who played a year at Wake Forest and two at Furman, has also opted for a potential exit.

Furman women’s lacrosse closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a two-game road trip beginning on Saturday afternoon when it travels to Charlotte for a 12 p.m. opening draw against the Queens Royals at Dickson Field.

The Paladins (1-6) fell to Virginia Tech, 20-9, on Tuesday at Paladin Stadium. Furman forced Virginia Tech into 10 turnovers throughout the contest while totaling 15 draws and 10 ground balls.
Anna Roser led the Paladins offensively with three goals while Hannah Dintino contributed three points on two goals and an assist. Sophie Shaw also scored twice.

Katelyn Sousa won a career-high five draws and Grace Gibson picked up a season-best three ground balls. Paige Harman and Andrea Fisher both caused two turnovers. In goal, Sailor Henderson had a career high six saves to go with two ground balls.

Queens (N.C.) is 5-3 after defeating Gardner-Webb, 16-4, on Thursday in Boiling Springs, N.C.

The Royals are under the direction of second-year head coach Kelly McQuilkin.

Furman and Queens (N.C.) are meeting for the first time in program history.
The Paladins conclude their road trip and non-conference play next Tuesday, traveling to Gainesville, Fla., to take on 13^th-ranked Florida at noon.

Furman’s Megan Marvin and Carson Williams are named Southern Conference Indoor Track Athletes of the Month for February.

Marvin, a senior from Chapel Hill, N.C., earned her second straight SoCon athlete of the month award after also receiving the citation in January. She won two titles at the SoCon indoor championships, successfully defending her crown in the 800 meters in 2:08.85 and running the third leg on the winning distance-medley relay team, which turned in a time of 11:31.07. Marvin, who became the league’s first four-time 800 champion, teamed with Camryn Wennersten, Callie Harper and Sierra Bower to win her fourth straight and the Paladins’ eighth consecutive DMR title.

Williams, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., also repeats as the SoCon athlete of the month.  He opened February by posting a time of 8:02.87 in the 3,000 meters at the Boston Valentine Invitational, then turned in a third-place performance in the 800 at the USC Indoor Open, recording a time of 1:57.56.  At the SoCon Indoor Championship, Williams won the 3,000 with a time of 8:12.77 and finished second in the 800 with a time of 1:51.55.  He also qualified for the NCAA Championships in the mile, where he earned a second-team All-American citation.

Anna Morgan is Southern Conference Women’s Golf Athlete of the Month for February.  

A senior from Spartanburg, Morgan was a two-time SoCon Women’s Golfer of the Week selection in February.  She won the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, P.R., after posting rounds of 68-71-67 for a tournament score of 206 (-10).  The victory marked the seventh of her career, extending her program record for individual career wins.

Morgan went on to finish third at the 2024 Chevron Classic with an 11-under par 205, just one shot behind co-champions Isabel Sy (-12) of Illinois and Nicha Kanpai (-12) of Maryland.

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