former - Schreiner University

against larger schools,” he said.
As you might guess, Pappas
is a talented athlete. He is also
modest about his accomplishments,
which include completing his first
Ironman competition in August
2011—140.6 miles in 15 hours.
“It took nine months of training,”
Pappas said, “a lot of biking and
running, a lot of days in the sun,
a lot of mental preparation and
eating. It was probably the most
difficult mental and physical
preparation I’ve ever done.”
He said his tryout for Schreiner’s
soccer team was a little less
impressive.
“I came out for an off-season
tryout,” he said. “I figured I didn’t
have the soccer skills for the first
team; I hadn’t played since my
sophomore year of high school. I
heard the coach just say ‘thank you’
to a couple of other players and I
was sure he would say the same to
me. But he said, ‘Thank you for
trying out. You’re going to have a
jersey and a spot on the team.’ I
must have thanked him 30 or 40
times before he started laughing.”
Pappas was an exercise science
major who plans to go to culinary
school in New York City after
graduation. A close friend from high
school is already there and has that
rarest of NYC items, an affordable
apartment he is willing to share.
“Alex and I have a list of things
we want to do together, like the
Ironman,” Pappas said. “This
summer we’re going to climb
Mount Kilimanjaro. Then my
sister and I are going to Peru to
climb Machu Picchu, hiking all the
way up. It will take a few days.
“I know I’m lucky to be able to
have these kinds of experiences,”
he added.
And that young man from whom
teachers grabbed tests graduated
from Schreiner in May, having been
on the Dean’s or President’s list
every semester since he got here.
new Coaches
Jimmy Smith
Men’s Basketball: Su men’s
basketball head coach Drew
Miller resigned his position
in april, after the program’s
most successful year in the
nCaa era. although the blow
seemingly hurts the Mountaineer
program, Schreiner was able
to hire a very accomplished
and widely regarded new head
coach in Smith. he served as
the assistant coach at (a fellow
american Southwest Conference
member) Mary hardin-Baylor
for three years and helped the team to its most successful run in
school history. While at uMhB, the Cru were annual stalwarts in the
national rankings, won two aSC Championships and dominated the
aSC West Division. he was also a highly successful player at uMhB,
helping the team to great success during his four-year career.
Jessica Peterka
Softball: Peterka was a recordsetting
four-year starter for
Presbyterian College in South
Carolina. She holds school career
records for home runs and rBIs,
and is on most of the school’s
other offensive records lists. her
teams compiled a record of 135-
85 during her career, including
a 48-13 record her first year. She
was the assistant coach (pitchers
and catchers) at nCaa Division
II Tusculum College (Tennessee)
for two seasons and was hired to
coach Lambuth university in Memphis for one year. While there, she
became an administrator and coordinated the school’s compliance
department as it transitioned from naIa to nCaa Division II. her
most recent assistant coach position was at West Virginia Wesleyan
(nCaa-II), where she helped the team earn a record of 48-8 overall
and was ranked as high as no. 15 nationally.
for schedules and more athletic news, visit
http://athletics.schreiner.edu.
mountaineersports
www.schreiner.edu Summer 2012 19