Athletes from Campbell’s baseball, softball and track programs make up for ceremonies missed over the weekend
Campbell President J. Bradley Creed likened Monday’s annual student-athlete commencement ceremony to an extra-innings ballgame. Considering the majority of the 18 who missed out on their regularly scheduled commencement over the weekend were baseball or softball players, it was a fitting comparison.
“Your accomplishments on the playing field and in the arena of competition were significant, but this is what it’s all about today,” Creed said to the crowd of graduates, their friends and families and their teammates inside a full Butler Chapel. “This is something that will pay benefits to you and mold you for the rest of your life. We hope that your life has been changed by you being here, and know that you’ve changed us for the better because of the contributions you made.”
Baseball players Chance Daquila, Trenton Harris, Payton Howard, Grant Knipp, Chandler Riley and Jeremy Weigman; baseball junior team manager Brandon Tubby; softball athletes Sterling Hairston, Delaney McDilda, Marianna Rodriguez, Savannah White and Madeleine Whiteley; and track and field athletes Dominique Alexander, Lakelyn Bass, Ebenezer Edzii, Omar Ibrahim and Charles C.J. Mcbride II officially received their undergraduate degrees Monday while softball’s Danielle Northrup earned her Master of Science in Public Health degree.
The baseball squad was in New Jersey over the weekend taking two our three games from CAA conference foe Monmouth, while the track program was in Elon for the CAA Championships.
The softball team — which became Campbell’s first athletics program to win a regular season Coastal Athletic Association championship — went to the wire in Wilmington in the CAA Tournament before losing the title game to the host, UNC-Wilmington, 3-1.
“We recognize the extraordinary commitment being a student-athlete represents,” said Vice President for Student Life and Christian Mission Rev. Faithe Beam. “From early morning training and workouts to late-evening study halls. Practices. Thousands of miles of travel. Your days have been scheduled, and your lives marked by the dedication you have had to your sport. But even more so, we’ve seen your commitment as you come to this day of graduation. We recognize your academic achievements and the culmination of your undergraduate educational journey.”
The graduates on Monday included:
Dominique Alexander, BBA in Management. Alexander finished second in the men’s 100-meter race and second in the 200-meter race at the CAA Championships over the weekend. He plans to continue his track career after graduation.
Lakelyn Bass, BS Exercise and Sports Science. Bass placed second in the women’s pole vault at the CAA Championships. She plans to continue her education in a master’s program.
Chance Daquila, BBA Management. Daquila was a stellar 9-1 as a pitcher for the Camels in 2023, but injuries have kept him out of the 2024 season. He hopes to pursue a master’s degree and continue his baseball career.
Ebenezer Edzii, BBA Management. Edziee was a hurdler and competitor in the heptathlon at Campbell. He hopes to pursue a career in the marketing field.
Sterling Hariston, BS Kinesiology, Pre-Physician Assistant. Hairston plans to attend Duke University to pursue her master’s degree. She started 15 games for the softball team in 2024 and drove in 10 runs in 52 at bats.
Trenton Harris, BS Sports Management. Harris said he hopes to become a police officer. After a solid 2023 season, Harris’ 2024 season was cut short in March after just 14 games.
Payton Howard, BS Sports Management. Howard hit .321 with five home runs, 24 RBI and 14 stolen bases for the Camels this season. He hopes to pursue a career in sports business.
Omar Ibrahim, BS Info Tech & Security in Info Tech Management. Ibrahim, who hopes to pursue a career in cyber security, finished his season with a sixth-place finish in the men’s discus at the CAA Championships.
Grant Knipp, BS Sports Management. Knipp plans to pursue a career in professional baseball. He was among the nation’s leaders in home runs and was named to USA Baseball’s Gold Spike Awards Midseason Watch List before injuries derailed the second half of his 2024 season. He has 18 home runs and 46 RBI while batting .402 this season.
Charles C.J. McBride II, BS Sports Management. McBride plans to use his final year of track eligibility in 2025. He earned the CAA’s Outstanding Field Performer after earning two gold medals in triple jump (where he set a meet record) and high jump, and second-place finish in the long jump.
Delaney McDilda, BS Kinesiology, Pre-Physician Assistant. Delaney enjoyed a great softball career at Campbell, playing in 190 games and hitting .290 for her career with 93 RBI. She drove in the game-winning run in a 1-0 extra-innings win over Hofstra to keep the Camels’ season alive in the CAA Tournament. She’s getting married this summer and plans to move to Georgia.
Danielle Northrup, MS Public Health. Northrup hit .308 in a reserve role for the Camels’ softball team this year. She hopes to pursue a career in environmental health.
Chandler Riley, BBA Finance. Riley is a career .292 hitter for the Camels with seven home runs and 41 career RBI. He hopes to pursue a career in finance.
Marianna Rodriguez, BS Info Tech & Security in Info Tech Management. Rodriguez was the CAA Player of the Week in APril after hitting .750 with 12 hits, a triple and four RBI against NC Central and Monmouth. She plans to enter the IT field and travel the world.
Brandon Tubby, BS Homeland Security. Tubby was the junior manager for the Camels baseball team, and he plans to one day become a director of operations for a professional baseball team.
Savannah White, BS Sports Management. White played three full seasons with the Camels; her best coming in 2023 when she hit .280 with 26 RBI as catcher.
Madeleine Whiteley, BBA Marketing. Whiteley played three seasons in a reserve role with the Camels softball team, going 2-3 against Towson in her lone start in March. She hopes to pursue a career in marketing.
Jeremy Wiegman, BS Sports Management. A pitcher, Wiegman saw action in 19 games this season as a reliever and earned two wins. He will pursue a career in sports administration.