With UNC Asheville students and staff not allowed back on campus until at least the end of October in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the school’s varsity athletics teams have been scattered to other schools in the UNC system and in some cases, like swimming & diving, to conference rivals.
The UNC-Asheville women’s swimming team will be staying and training at Gardner-Webb. Gardner-Webb is located in Boiling Springs, about 75 miles southeast, and is also a member of the ASUN Conference.
While the Gardner-Webb area was also in the path of Helene, the damage was not as severe as what UNC-Asheville received. Gardner-Webb reported power outages, washed out roads, “scores” of fallen trees, destruction of fences, and roof leaks.
UNC Asheville had their intrasquad meet on September 13 and 14 before the remnants of Hurricane Helen rolled through; meets on September 28 against Davidson (diving only) and October 12 (against Gardner-Webb) have both been cancelled. That means the team’s first planned intercollegiate competition of the season is against VMI and Davidson, in Davidson’s pool, on October 26.
Gardner-Webb is home to the 6-lane, 25-yard Bost Pool.
The UNC Asheville women finished 4th out of 7 teams at last year’s ASUN Championships, while Gardner-Webb was 6th.
The scattering is similar to what happened after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, displacing an estimated 100,000 college students. Tulane’s athletics teams, for example, were based out of Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and other schools, while the football team wound up in a bit of a nomadic situation, landing at a number of spots throughout the season.
Hurricane Helene’s current death toll is over 230, with more expected to be reported in coming days. That makes it the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina. Early estimates project up to $175 billion in damage across the Southeast, including Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
- Men’s/Women’s Soccer, Volleyball and Men’s/Women’s Basketball – UNC Charlotte & Charlotte Area
- Men’s/Women’s Cross Country – Wofford
- Women’s Swimming – Gardner-Webb
- Men’s and Women’s Tennis – High Point
- Baseball – UNC Greensboro
- Track and Field – Emory & Henry
- Women’s Golf – Wofford
The athletics department says that its next priority is finding temporary homes for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Gardner-Webb = Great sports demonstrating class and empathy to the MAX!
Gardner-Webb’s facility is small as it is, so very generous to share with Asheville!!
Thanks Bulldogs for helping the Bulldogs! Go Bulldogs!!! The two programs have competed fiercely over the years. Great to see this kind of assistance. I know Ashville helped some UNC Wilmington swimmers years ago went a storm shutdown campus for a few weeks.
Conference rivals putting life first!
Once again, sports can bring us together.
Some things are bigger than ⚽️🏀🏈🏊♀️
Thanks for the reminder……
What do the logistics for teams look like? Are the swimmers put in a hotel in boiling springs long-term? Does the golf team commute to Spartanburg every day? Thankfully we have the infrastructure and procedures in place for eLearning if the athletes are relocating.
All labs will be virtual now. Stinks but no other way for courses with lab components.
The swimmers are staying in GWU dorms. It’s very kind of the University and team! UNCA classes will be virtual when they resume Oct 28. Hopefully UNCA will have potable water soon; at that time students will be allowed to return.
I was at A&M when Katrina hit, and we had Tulane athletes living in the study rooms in our dorms.
It was cool to be a part of, the opportunity to help folks. The study loungers were not well-insulated, though, and I fear we kept them awake later than they wanted to be some days 😬😬😬