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VMI picked 2nd by Media in preseason poll

The Keydets are coming off that spring season SoCon title, and auto bid into the FCS playoffs.
VMI put four players onto the first team All-SoCon preseason team this fall.
First team honorees include senior receiver Jacob Herres, offensive lineman Marshall Gill, defensive back Ethan Caselberry, and Linebacker Stone Snyder. The Keydets are the defending champs but they are not the favorites to repeat, as the media has chosen them second and the coaches poll has them third.

Historic first as VMI names woman as highest-ranking cadet

For the first time in its 182 years, VMI chose a female cadet to hold the highest-ranking position a student can earn. Cadet Kasey Meredith was named Cadet First Captain and Regimental Commander. “She’s a superstar,” said Lara Chambers, the first female alumnus appointed to the VMI Board of Visitors. Chambers said that as a female cadet, she wanted to be treated the same as the men. In a statement to 10 News, she writes in part:“I want to congratulate Cadet Kasey Meredith on her historic achievement.

VMI no longer names expelled students during ‘drum out’ ritual

LEXINGTON, Va. – The Virginia Military Institute will no longer name expelled students during their middle of the night “drum out” ceremony. The over 100+ years old ritual involved waking up the entire corps of cadets to the sound of beating drums. Part of that ritual has been the naming of recently expelled cadets. Campus officials tell WSLS 10 News the ceremony is meant to remind students of the honor code they have agreed to follow. VMI would not tell us the last time a “drum out” ceremony was held – citing the privacy of cadet disciplinary matters.

VMI no longer names expelled cadets during ‘drum out’ ritual

LEXINGTON, Va. – The Virginia Military Institute has altered its ritual of expelling cadets by waking them up in the middle of the night to the sound of beating drums. The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the school is no longer announcing the expelled students’ names during the so-called “drum outs.” The practice involves waking up the entire corps of cadets. The difference was that the cadets were not identified as they would have been in the past. The Post reported in December that Black students were being disproportionately expelled and shamed by name in drum-out ceremonies. Bill Wyatt, a VMI spokesman, declined to confirm Tuesday’s ceremony to the newspaper.

VMI football attains its first national ranking as FCS member

VMI ranked for the first time as an FCS competitorLEXINGTON, Va. – The Keydets are nationally ranked for the first time since joining the FCS college football classification, checking in at No. This comes on the heels of a Saturday home win over Mercer, 41-14, a team VMI had never beat at home. “The VMI football team is honored that our efforts have been seen as worthy of inclusion in the FCS Top 25 poll,” said VMI head coach Scott Wachenheim. AdIn 1982, VMI was reclassified into the Division I-AA ranks which later became the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). It never attained a national ranking as an FCS member, but did receive votes in 1991, 2002, and 2019.

VMI beats Mercer 41-14, off to first 3-0 start since 1981

LEXINGTON, Va. – Reece Udinski ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and VMI beat Mercer 41-14. VMI is off to its first 3-0 start since 1981 and snapped a four-game losing streak to the Bears. “I think that the running game helped us out with the throwing game. Udinksi was 26-of-36 passing for 242 yards, including a 27-yard score to Leroy Thomas for a 34-0 third-quarter lead. Ethan Dirrim caught two touchdown passes for Mercer in the fourth quarter.

VMI’s Greg Parham enters NCAA Transfer Portal

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI basketball program finished the 2020-2021 season with a record of 13-12, reaching the Southern Conference semifinals. It was the most wins for the program since the 2013-2014 season and it was thanks in part to senior Greg Parham. Parham announced via Twitter he has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. I have entered the Transfer Portal due to not having a Grad program at VMI and looking for Grad Transfer opportunities. pic.twitter.com/LNph9ico7J — Spalden Alden ⛹ (@Alden_Ballinq) March 8, 2021VMI doesn’t offer a graduate program, so Parham is seeking an opportunity as a grad transfer.

Alvarez helps Mercer defeat VMI, gain 1st SoCon title game

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Neftali Alvarez scored 23 points, making a trio of 3-pointers, and seventh-seeded Mercer defeated Southern Conference tournament upstart VMI 73-59 in the semifinal round. After upsetting second-seeded Wofford in the quarterfinals, Mercer (18-10) will meet top-seeded UNC Greensboro in Monday’s championship game. The Bears have reached the semifinals once before in 2015, but never the title game. Myles Lewis led the Keydets with 24 points on 10 of 16 shooting and also pulled down 14 rebounds. Mercer’s bench also proved to be a factor, tallying 20 points to VMI’s three points from the reserves.

VMI moves to 2-0 with road win at Western Carolina

Korey Bridy ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns to lead VMI to a 30-7 victory over Western Carolina. It was the second straight win for VMI (2-0, 2-0 Southern Conference), which opened its season with a 14-13 victory over then-No. VMI rushed for 199 yards as a team while Reece Udinski and Seth Morgan combined for 293 yards passing. While as a team, VMI racked up 6 tackles for loss. Saturday’s win was the first time VMI had defeated Western Carolina since 1991 and it was the first ever Keydets win in Cullowhee, North Carolina.

VMI upsets No. 10 Furman, 14-13

LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI football team scored one of the biggest wins in program history Saturday with a 14-13 upset of #10-ranked Furman University from Foster Stadium. VMI took a 14-13 lead with 17 seconds left in the third quarter on a three-play, 86-yard touchdown drive. The VMI defense stopped three Paladin drives in the fourth quarter, one on a fourth-down stop, one on a punt and the last on a fumble with 47 seconds left with Furman threatening at the VMI 24. Furman got on the scoreboard first 3:53 into the contest on a Hamp Sisson to Wayne Anderson pass. VMI (1-0) travels to Western Carolina University next Saturday for a SoCon matchup at 1 p.m. in Cullowhee, N.C.

VMI downs Samford, earns 6th SOCON win of the season

LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI held an eight point lead at halftime, setting up a momentous second half where they had a 32-9 run, on its way to a 85-56 win over Samford. The 29-point win is the largest conference victory under head coach Dan Earl as the Keydets moved to 10-1 at home this season. We did a pretty decent job against a team that presses,” Earl said. “I thought we also did a pretty decent job of playing with a big lead and time left. His nice for him to get a milestone like this,” said coach Earl.

‘I get to be an example’: VMI’s first African-American superintendent ushers in era of change

Change is in the air at VMI: masks on cadets, a controversial statue removed and new leadership at the helm. Now interim superintendent Wins was once Cadet Wins. His decision to leave Maryland and come to VMI was based largely on the opportunity to play Division One basketball. I think that I was asked to come down and at least begin the implementation of the right change,” Wins said. That’s something he hopes to instill in cadets, leading by example at a school under the spotlight and creating change.

Coronavirus concerns grow at VMI after cadets pulled from quarantine for annual tradition

LEXINGTON, Va. – As coronavirus cases lead to new restrictions at VMI, there are allegations that COVID protocols are being completely ignored. Tighter restrictions went into effect Thursday at VMI after the military college reported more than 50 new COVID-19 cases. An annual tradition at VMI that happened on Saturday is drawing criticism about COVID protocols. 10 News was told dozens of cadets were pulled out of quarantine, given rapid tests and allowed to participate if they tested negative. VMI said those cadets were supposed to be separated from the rest of the group, with protocols encouraging 10-foot social distancing and wearing masks when not exercising.