Members of the Campbell softball take a break from posing for pictures with their coach, Todd Bradley. Pictured below is Brooke Bellomy and Lisbeth Brooks of the women’s golf team.
BUIES CREEK — On Saturday, May 9, Brooke Bellomy and Lisbeth Brooks were in Raleigh helping the Campbell University women’s golf team advance to its second straight NCAA Championship.
As a result, Bellomy and Brooks couldn’t be in Buies Creek that morning to receive their diplomas with their classmates during the main graduation ceremony held in the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center. Neither could seven seniors on Campbell’s softball team because of conflicts with the Big South tournament.
But the nine student-athletes still got their commencement. Campbell held a special ceremony Monday afternoon in Butler Chapel and presented the student-athletes with their diplomas in front of university leaders and their teammates, coaches, family and friends.
“It’s special that Campbell took time out of their day to put this on for us since we weren’t able to be here on Saturday with everybody else,” Bellomy said.
“It’s special we got to do it together,” Brooks added. “A lot of the seniors that have graduated in the past, they were the only seniors. We got to share it with someone.”
It is the seventh straight year that Campbell has held the special graduation ceremony. In Monday’s iteration, the student-athletes got the full processional, wore their caps and gowns, posed for photos, and heard a keynote address from Campbell President Jerry Wallace.
“There may have been some games and matches you have lost, but I want to tell you that the biggest victory that you have achieved thus far in your life and one that will go with you all your life is what we are celebrating today,” Wallace said.
The nine student-athletes recognized Monday:
Women’s golf
Brooke Bellomy, B.S. in Sport Management
Lisbeth Brooks, Bachelor of Business Administration (Cum laude)
Softball*
Julia Callicutt, B.A. in Communication Studies—Public Relations
Maggie Christopher, B.S. in Kinesiology
Erica Johnson, Bachelor of Business Administration—Healthcare Management
Stephanie Jones, B.S. in Sport Coaching
Ericka Nesbitt, Bachelor of Social Work
Camise Patterson, B.S. in Kinesiology
Kerstine Womack, B.S. Elementary Education
* Brittany Bruce, Bachelor of Business Administration—Healthcare Management, also graduated but could not attend Monday’s ceremony.