Men’s Soccer
Record: 12-1-6 (5-1-5)
Head Coach: Bill Elliot
Season Opener: Sept. 6 vs. Tampa
After an unfortunate ending in the 2023 NCAA Division II tournament, men’s soccer Head Coach Bill Elliot is aiming for another tournament run.
Entering his 29th season, Elliot returns 17 players, including seniors Jack Patching, Keegan Ancelin, and Josiah Fontenot.
The Argos were voted No. 1 in this year’s Gulf South Conference Coaches Preseason Poll.
Player to Watch: F Josiah Fontenot
Senior forward Josiah Fontenot’s impressive 2023 season earned him All-GSC First Team honors. His team-leading 27 points and 12 goals spearheaded the Argos’ attack.
For his efforts during the GSC Tournament, Fontenot earned GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player and GSC All-Tournament Team honors.
Women’s Soccer
Record: 15-3-1 (12-1)
Head Coach: Joe Bartlinski
Season Opener: Sept. 6 at Southwest Minnesota State
Although the Argos’ season ended in the first round of the NCAA Division II tournament, they dominated the GSC portion of their schedule with a 12-1 conference record. In 2023, women’s soccer Head Coach Joe Bartlinski added to his impressive resume with another GSC championship and his eighth GSC Coach of the Year award.
The Argos are set to roster 10 seniors this season, including standouts Ahnalie Layman, Kendall Blackmon, and Mya Swinton.
Players to Watch: MF Mya Swinton & GK Maciah Lipsey
Since transferring from Ohio State in 2022, Maciah Lipsey has been a force in net. She ended the 2023 season second in average goals allowed (.570) and first in shutouts (9).
Senior Mya Swinton led the Argos in points (23) and goals (9) last season.
Swinton was named GSC Offensive Player of the Year and to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-South Region First Team. Both Lipsey and Swinton received All-GSC honors in 2023.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
Head Coach: Caleb Carmichael
Season Opener: Sept. 7 at UNA Invitational
Since 2013, Caleb Carmichael has served as head coach for both men’s and women’s cross country programs. A former UWF athlete, Carmichael earned multiple All-GSC selections and holds the school record for 10,000 meters (32:28). Both teams were voted fifth in the GSC Coaches Preseason Poll.
Runners to Watch: Zach Fenton & Chloe Rook
Redshirt senior Zach Fenton was well-decorated for his 2023 success, earning All-GSC Second Team and NCAA All-South Region honors.Fenton finished first among all Argos in 2023.
Chloe Rook is another returning athlete poised for a productive season. Last season, Rook was selected to the All-GSC Second Team and earned GSC Runner of the Week honors twice.
Football
Record: 8-4 (6-2)
Head Coach: Kaleb Nobles
Season Opener: Sept. 5 vs. McKendree
After the departures of key players Peewee Jarrett, John Jiles, and John McMullen, Kaleb Nobles aims to build on his first season as head coach of the Argos. Last season, the Argos were dominant on defense, holding opposing teams to 278.6 yards per game (led GSC). Offensively, they were among the best in the GSC, tallying 437.2 yards per game (second in GSC) and 51 touchdowns (third in GSC).
Players to Watch: LB Ralph Ortiz, DL Byron Puryear, WR Tyree Holloway
Ralph Ortiz’s sensational 2023 season included team highs in interceptions (3) and pass break-ups (7). He was awarded GSC Defensive Player of the Year for his defensive efforts.
With McMullen’s departure, redshirt junior Byron Puryear is expected to be a top contributor on the Argos’ defensive line. Last year, he led the team in quarterback hits (10) and had 10 tackles for loss (fifth in GSC).
Deep threat wide receiver Tyree Holloway, a transfer sophomore from Chowan, had a successful freshman campaign with 476 yards on 21.6 yards per reception (led GSC). Ortiz, Puryear, and Holloway are three of 10 Argos selected to the 2024 Preseason All-GSC Team.
Volleyball
Record: 25-8 (15-1)
Head Coach: Melissa Wolter
Season Opener: Sept. 6 vs. Wheeling (SpringHill Suites Invitational)
Volleyball Head Coach Melissa Wolter has built a Division II powerhouse over her 20 seasons at West Florida. In 2023, the Argos were nearly undefeated in GSC play (15-1) and led the GSC in several major statistical categories. Avery Rogers, Jenna Zydlo, and Damyah Joyner are among returning seniors looking to lead the Argos to another GSC championship. The Argos are ranked No. 1 in the 2024 GSC Volleyball Coaches Preseason Poll.
Players to Watch: S Gabi Moulton & DS/L Meg Bracken
Gabi Moulton, a freshman sensation, established herself as the Argos’ top setter with 7.08 assists per set, ranking third in the GSC. She was awarded GSC Freshman of the Year for her 2023 performance.
Senior Meg Bracken excelled at libero in 2023, earning a spot on the All-GSC Second Team and being named GSC Championship Most Outstanding Player after a strong tournament showing. Both Moulton and Bracken, along with Zydlo, were selected to the GSC Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team.
