Author name: The Bulldog Beat

Written By Tyler Harwell The Tennessee Wesleyan Women’s tennis team has just finished up a fantastic regular season with an 11-3 record, capping it off with a second-place finish in the conference tournament and landing them with a No. 7 ranking in the NAIA. The team is currently preparing for nationals this coming May with hopes of bringing home a national championship. With a whole month to train before the big stage, the players are currently “self-motivated,” working on their own schedules while staying focused and determined. When talking about the conference finals loss, sophomore Laia Berne said, “I hope this loss will make us come back stronger.” Freshman Jenn Maria Gjos added that she feels a sense of responsibility to the seniors, saying she owes it to them for paving the way with their years of hard work and success. Last season, the Lady Bulldogs won the conference title and made it to the national quarterfinals before falling to Lindsey Wilson. This year, with a first-round bye, the team is positioned well to make another deep postseason run. In the classroom the team loves the small college atmosphere. “Everyone is generous and makes you feel welcome”, said Laia Berne. Jenn Maria Gjos loves that the professors know you by name and that they are “so understanding.” One of the most notable strengths of this squad is its chemistry. When Laia had to sit out for a month due to illness, the team rallied in her absence and continued racking up wins. Their connection both on and off the court is undeniable, creating a support system that is a key factor in their success. The Lady Bulldogs also bring a strong international presence with the majority of the roster coming from Argentina or Spain. The team communicates primarily in Spanish, and even the English-speaking players are learning the language. This cultural bond has created a unique environment that ensures everyone feels included.  As nationals approach, there’s a sense of self confidence building. This team knows what it’s capable of and with the mix of veteran leadership, a strong international presence, and remarkable chemistry, the Lady Bulldogs could be headed for a historic run. Edited By Jaci PowellPhotos By Lucia BonfanteInterview By Lucia BonfantePublished By Jordan SmithAudio By MaKaylee Torbett

Written by: Nick Collins This past weekend, the TWU indoor track and field program competed in the Appalachian Athletic Conference championships. The Tennessee Wesleyan mens and womens teams both came in 5th in the standings with the men scoring 80 overall points and the women 91 points from all of the events that took place. However, both the men’s and the women’s team found success in specific events over the weekend. KT Buchanan, Jay Ellis, Chris Harper, and Ke’andrae Campbell all came through for the Bulldogs and put them up on the scoreboard. Dakota Caldwell competed in the Mens 5000m Race walk finishing in second place earning them an outstanding 8 points. For the Women, Samantha Degrace took home 1st place in the women’s 100mH earning them 10 points. The men also placed second in the 100 meter relay race giving them another 8 points. Throughout the weekend the Bulldogs had 12 players finish in the top 3 throughout these events, drastically boosting their score. Overall, the weekend was fairly successful for both the men and the women teams leaving room for growth and improvement. The individual success they had will hopefully lead to more team success as the Bulldogs travel down to Cleveland May 10th for the Lee Last Chance Meet. Edited By: Tyler HarwellEditorial Assistance By: MaKaylee TorbettPicture By: Dakota CaldwellPublished By: Hunter Cookston

By Jacob Stephenson The Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs men’s lacrosse team played their final home game of the 2025 season losing to #2 Reinhardt Eagles 14-5 on Wednesday afternoon.  The Eagles got off to a quick start in the first quarter taking an early 4-0 lead over the Bulldogs. The second quarter was also dominated by the Eagles out-scoring the Bulldogs 3-1. After the half the Eagles began to put the game out of reach, outshooting the Bulldogs 6-2 in the third quarter. The Bulldogs were able to outscore the Eagles 2-1 in the fourth quarter bringing the game to the 14-5 final. The Eagles were led in scoring by Luke Greer and Joey Amatulli with four goals each. The Eagles were led in assists by Benjamin Shackelfor with three assists. Starting Goalie Ethan Rogers had five saves on eight shot attempts and allowed a low total of three goals. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Jack Driscoll and Hayden Harmon with two goals each. The Bulldogs were led in assists by Jack Driscoll, Carson Bowling, and Hayden Harmon with one assist each. Goalie Jack Shaw had nineteen saves on thirtythree shot attempts and allowed fourteen goals. The Bulldogs will look to rebound Saturday as they play their final game of the 2025 season against #4 Cumberlands on the road.  Edited by Jaci PowellPhotographs by Tyler HarwellEditorial Assistance by Tate GrayPublished by Lucia Bonfante

By MaKaylee Torbett On Wednesday afternoon, the Tennessee Wesleyan softball team met with St. Andrews for a doubleheader. Coming into the season, the Lady Bulldogs have had high expectations, getting predicted to win the championship before the season started. At times the team has struggled, but with a couple of weeks left in the season, the plan is to get hot at the right time. In game two of the doubleheader, Tennessee Wesleyan beat visiting St. Andrews by a score of 12-0 in five innings. Isabella Jenkins was awarded the win, giving her the 7th win of the season. She pitched four innings only allowing one hit. Gracie Calton closed the door on St. Andrews, tossing an inning of no-hit ball. Bailee Phillips hit a home run in the game and had four RBIs to go with it. Phillips led the team with two hits alongside Tatum Massengale, Courtney Sneed, and Hallie DeArman. Phillips, Macy Chastain, and Taylor Penning had a knack for scoring as they all had two runs on the day. Haven Carter, Penning, Massengale, and Sneed each had an RBI in the game. The wins for Tennessee Wesleyan put them at seventh in the conference with six games left in the regular season. The Lady Bulldogs are back in action April 14th at Union Commonwealth. Published by Cody McGillEditorial Assistance by Nick Collins Photos by Jordan Smith Graphics by Hunter Cookston

By Jaci Powell With seven seniors and one last shot at a ring, the lady bulldogs left everything they had in Kingsport, becoming the Cinderella story of the year, breaking school records, and only coming up short in the championship game to the number one team. Starting the season with a new head coach and two new assistant coaches the seasons success was very up in the air, especially considering over half the team were seniors. The season was filled with many up and downs, eventually leading the team to end with a 18-13 record on the year and snagging the number 7 spot in the conference tournament. Going into the tournament, the lady bulldogs were viewed as a team that would not advance far but instead shocked all teams making the biggest run of the season and left their mark in the school history books. The first game of a tournament is always the most nerve-raking. It’s the first game playing in a new atmosphere, and also the game teams absolutely DO NOT want to lose. This year was the second year in a row that the lady bulldogs faced the Union lady bulldogs in the first round. The Union lady bulldogs fought hard and brought the game to the wire, but Wesleyan lady bulldogs pulled through winning the game 60-57. In the second game the ladies faced #2 Johnson lady lions. This game had a very slow start with a low half-time score of 18-16 with the TWU lady bulldogs in the lead. The lady bulldogs had a big second half surge gaining a comfortable lead on the lady lions, which ultimately led to a 52-35 win. In the semi-finals game, the lady bulldogs faced off against the #3 Reinhardt lady eagle who beat the lady bulldogs by one in an intense overtime game earlier in the season. While this game was anticipated to be close, the lady bulldogs came out hot, shooting over 50% from the field and over 60% from the 3-point line. Collectively the lady bulldogs made 18 3-pointers breaking the current school record of 17 made 3’s in a game. Thanks to the hot hands, the lady bulldogs got an early jump on the lady eagles and held roughly a 20-point lead majority of the game. This big win was a great statement for the lady bulldogs to make going into the championship game against #1 Milligan lady buffs. After such an incredible run the lady bulldogs had finally made it to the championship game against the lady buffs who had dominated most teams in the conference and beat the lady bulldogs twice earlier in the season. The lady bulldogs knew that a championship title was on the line and came out playing like it as well. The team held the lead majority of the game until the last few minutes when Milligan made some much-needed shots to push the game into overtime. During overtime play the lead was back and forth for much of the period, but in a very heartbreaking end Milligan pulled through thanks to their sharp shooting skills and won the game 79-75. Though this was not the outcome the lady bulldogs hoped for, it was still considered a great tournament run, and one the seniors can look back on and be proud of. On Saturday, April 5th between Tennessee Wesleyan’s baseball double header against Truett McConnel, the lady bulldogs were recognized for their tremendous tournament run. Anna Crowder joined the 1000-point club against Reinhardt in the conference tournament and was recognized by this substantial achievement by receiving her 1000-point ball.  It was a season and a tournament worth recognizing, and we hope the next season will lead to more records broken and more great achievements. Edited by Jordan SmithPhotos by MaKaylee Torbett

Written by Gabe Katz The Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs men’s and women’s tennis teams have long established themselves as the pinnacle of elite competition in the NAIA collegiate tennis scene. Coach Francisco Gallardo has cemented his teams as regulars in the ITA and NAIA regional and national championships. The teams compete at the highest level in their sport, and now have a facility to match. On Wednesday, March 12, the Ben and Cynthia Wilson tennis facility was officially opened for use on campus. Prior to this facility, the tennis teams on campus had very little in the way of locker rooms, offices, changing rooms, etc. Ben and Cynthia Wilson have been figureheads in the Athens area for decades, always known for their charity and work in the community. They have been active throughout their church, local education, local coaching positions, and now have their name rightfully garnered upon the newest project on the Tennessee Wesleyan campus. Alongside the Wilsons, there are many other notable figures honored in this facility. Carter Runyan, Jerry Bryant, Valerie Carter Tipps, and Jim Mosher, whose lineage runs deep at Tennessee Wesleyan already, also have their names brandished throughout the facility. With the opening of the Ben and Cynthia Wilson tennis center, the Bulldogs will be able to continue to maintain their status at the top of the AAC and NAIA rankings and ensure that the program has all of the necessary perks to bring more hardware to the Friendly City. Interview by Dakota Caldwell Camera work by Noah Lones