Conference Carolinas held it's annual "Leading the Way: Champions in Body, Mind, and Soul" Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Retreat on Sept. 26-27 in Greenville.
Representing Francis Marion University were baseball pitcher Robbie Jordan, softball infielder Reese Miller, and track and field athlete Jordyn Perry, along with SAAC advisor
Andy Slocum. Both Jordan and Perry are Florence natives.
The weekend started with Conference Carolinas' annual visit to the Boys & Girls Club, where student-athletes played games with children. The event mixed fun with sportsmanship lessons.
On Saturday morning, the awards for Community Service, Make-A-Wish, and student-athlete programming were announced. These winners were based off the previous academic year (2024-25).
For the third consecutive year, Francis Marion was honored for its student-athlete programming. Other awards went to Belmont Abbey College for Community Service and Make-A-Wish.
"The Make-A-Wish honors are always some of our favorite awards to present to our student-athletes," Commissioner Chris Colvin said. "All of our member institutions in Conference Carolinas truly embody who we are and our efforts to be champions in body, mind and soul. These Make-A-Wish honors continue to show this, while also helping us to further tell our amazing story in Conference Carolinas." The conference raised over $11,000 during the 2024-25 academic year, another increase from the previous year.
On the morning of Sept. 27, attendees participated in meetings and breakout sessions before having the opportunity to hear from University of North Carolina Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Student-Athlete Development Cricket Lane and Duke University Associate Director of Athletics/Director of Student-Athlete Development Leslie Barnes, both whom provided leadership training.
The Conference Carolinas Faculty Athletic Representatives were also in attendance and held their annual business meetings, while also participating in some of the programming.
"We provide this programming to inspire and motivate our student-athletes to take it back to campus," Associate Commissioner Jill Robbins said. "It is a great way for them to share with others the experiences in making their communities better.
