Happy Monday Monarchs! Most people don’t approach Monday mornings feeling golden. In fact, most feel the exact opposite.

Not our own Coach Milton-Jones, she’s feeling extra golden to start this week!

We’ve got all the details on why, a look at this year’s ODU Athletics Hall of Fame Class and much more!

What else is stirring in today’s edition of the Brew? Check it out!

🥇 Golden Girl
🦁 Best Of The Best
🏈 Countdown To Kickoff
👑 And much, much more!

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Golden Girl. Let’s make it a half a dozen for Coach.

One gold medal is incredible special. But six? That’s just crazy.

That’s exactly what the ODU women’s basketball head coach DeLisha Milton-Jones has on her resume after being on the sideline for the gold medal winning Team USA squad at the recent 2023 Women’s U19 World Cup Team.

The Americans rolled through the group phase and the first three bracket play games with an average margin of victory of 49.2.

In the finals, it was a battle to the end with Team USA pulling out a thrilling 69-66 victory over Spain in front of a record-breaking crowd of over 7,000.

The gold medal goes on top of Milton-Jones’ four gold medals as a player (two Olympic and two World Cups), and one other as a coach (U18 FIBA World Cup).

🔼 The Best Of The Best. Five of the best Monarchs recently received a phone call they’ll never forget as ODU has announced its 2023 ODU Athletic Hall of Fame class that will be honored on September 23rd this fall.

A two-sport standout, a former defensive tackle from the early days of FCS football, a women's soccer member of the first NCAA Tournament team and a pair of golfers will be a part of this year’s class.

Lisa Bernardini DeJohn (Women's Lacrosse/Women's Soccer), Ronnie Cameron (Football), Samantha Morrell (Women's Golf), Eric Onesi (Men's Golf) and Katie Watson (Women's Soccer) will receive the honor on the morning of the ODU Football game against Texas A&M University-Commerce to highlight Homecoming Weekend. 

🔼 He Is A Real (All) American. The hype is real.

Jason Henderson exploded onto the scene last season for the Monarchs and this year, the preseason hype for the Dingmans Ferry, Pa. native is real and deserved.

Late last week, he was named preseason first-team All-American by Hero Sports.
 
In 2022, Henderson led the country with 186 tackles and featured 11 games with double-digit tackles, including the only player in the country with multiple 20+ tackle games. He broke the ODU and Sun Belt single-season records for tackles.
 
Henderson earned five All-America honors last season, including four second-team honors. He earned first-team All-Sun Belt Conference accolades and was named the Touchdown Club of Richmond Linebacker of the Year.

🔼 Secure Your Seat. Trying to set your plans for the fall? Make sure your secure your tickets NOW!

That’s right, ODU Football Mini Plans and Single Game tickets are now on sale and with a great slate of home games, an exciting roster and coming off the highest single-season attendance record in program history… you don’t want to miss out!

🔼 Coming To A Pool Near You. What’s the fast blue thing in the water?

That’s what you’ll probably ask yourself as you watch our swimming & diving squads dominate the water this winter.

When can you check them out? Well, we’ve got you covered with the release of the 2023-24 swimming schedules.

Go ahead and book a date to catch the Monarchs in the pool with six home dates and plenty of opportunities to catch them in a town near you (if you’re out of town).

🔼 Heart of A Champion. It’s amazing how sports can bring people together.

Several years ago, Dr. Wood Selig’s children were playing tennis and started playing locally. Selig starts chatting up some of the parents and becomes friends with the Sarris family.

And that’s where the heart of gold comes in.

Ever since a few of those initial conversations, Dr. Sarris and members of the Sentara Heart Hospital have been giving almost nearly all ODU athletes, including every one in a contact sport, a full cardiac exam before stepping on the field of competition.

It proved crucial this past year in two incidents for the ODU family.

This is a story, you don’t want to miss!

🏀 WE WORKIN’

🤔 MONARCH TRIVIA

Rising junior Jason Henderson has earned all the preseason accolades that have come his way after his record-setting year last fall.

While he was setting records, he became the fifth different Monarch to tally 100+ tackles in a single-season.

Do you know who the first Monarch to accomplish that feat?

Think you’ve got it?

Scroll down to the bottom of this email and see if you had the right answer!

🏈 COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 40 DAYS

40 days left.
40 tackles in 2022.

That’s exactly what Charlotte, N.C. native Tahj Ra-El put together last fall in a breakout sophomore campaign where he saw action in all 12 games, earning his first two collegiate starts at the safety spot.

The 40 tackles is the fourth-most by any returning Monarch.

📬 STICK WITH US

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🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Craig Wilkins in 2011.

One of our foundational pieces to the football program, Wilkins had a tremendous career and graduated as the school’s all-time leading tackler (340) and currently sits second in that category.

He became the first Monarch with 100+ tackles in a season when he piled up 111 during the 2011 campaign. That is currently tied for the third-most in a single season.

Craig was also a part of the 2022 Class of the ODU Athletics Hall of Fame!

Have a great start to the week, ya’ll!