April 5, 2022 was officially recognized as Randolph-Macon College Men’s Basketball Day

 

April 5, 2022 was just another Tuesday for most Virginians. Not so for Randolph-Macon’s men’s basketball team. By day’s end, they had a state holiday named after them.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin hosted RMC’s national championship-winning squad at Virginia’s Executive Mansion to celebrate their record-breaking 33-1 season and commemorate the team’s first national title. Governor Youngkin, sporting a YJ cap and an RMC T-shirt beneath his blue blazer, presented the team with a certificate of recognition declaring April 5, 2022 Randolph-Macon College Men’s Basketball Day.

“It is the skill, dedication, and hard work of these fine college athletes that makes this team an inspiration for Virginians as they strengthen the Spirit of the Commonwealth,” the certificate reads.

Governor Youngkin’s announcement sent a shockwave of applause through the group, coming just two days after the team returned from spring break. The timing held additional significance for the Yellow Jackets, as it marked the first day of spring pickups for returning players. The import was not lost on Governor Youngkin. A former collegiate basketball player himself, the Governor didn’t miss the opportunity to offer a friendly challenge for next season.

“Well now you have to repeat,” the Governor ribbed. “No pressure!”

Accompanying the men’s basketball team in the Governor’s courtyard were Head Coach Josh Merkel; his wife, Morgan Merkel, director of subject tutoring and learning support and associate director of the Higgins Academic Center, and their oldest son, Mason; Associate Head Coach Dave Matturro; Assistant Coach Brett Barron; Dr. Stephen P. Long ’82, vice chair of the Board of Trustees; and President Robert R. Lindgren.

Chatting with team members and coaches, First Lady Youngkin congratulated the group on their historic run and asked if the season started slow or if Randolph-Macon was expected to win the NCAA DIII title from day one.

“It was a pretty consistent season in every way,” explained David Funderburg ’22, RMC’s 6’7” senior forward. “We were 33-1 overall. And I think we continued to get better as the season went on.”

His answer raised the inevitable follow-up question about the team’s single defeat.

“Everyone wants to know about that one loss,” said Coach Merkel, winner of the Glenn Robinson Award honoring the top DIII coach in the nation for the second straight year. “It was good for us, actually. We didn’t want a perfect season. We just wanted to win that last game.”

A Historic Team Feted on Historic Grounds

“National champions!” the Governor exclaimed. “How cool is that? Thank you for coming over, and thank you for representing Virginia.” Though he admitted feeling a slight pang of “champion envy,” Governor Youngkin was excited to hear about the Yellow Jackets’ experience finishing in the division’s top spot and traded insights gleaned from his four years playing college ball with Rice University.  

The Youngkins then gifted each team member a hand-signed miniature basketball as a token of their admiration for RMC’s hard work during the 2021-2022 season.

“I had to soak my hand last night after I wrote these,” the Governor joked. 

For their part, the Yellow Jackets came prepared to return the favor. Senior guard Buzz Anthony ’22, named National Player of the Year by D3hoops.com, presented Virginia’s first family with two championship shirts along with a basketball signed by the team. 

“If I miss a few jays while wearing the jersey, don’t hold it against me,” the Governor said, promising he would wear it proudly during pickup games at the local YMCA. He then thanked the team for sharing their victory with him and the rest of the Commonwealth. 

“You’re never going to forget winning the national title,” the Governor said. “But you’re also never going to forget the relationships you made on this team. Stay tight. You’ll be in each other’s weddings, you’ll be godparents to each other’s children. You’ll celebrate the big wins together, and you’ll comfort one another through life’s big challenges. There’s going to be a bond with you guys that will never fade away.”

From One Season to the Next

Members of the championship team reveled in the once-in-a-lifetime encounter, drinking soda from lemon-yellow and black cups and snacking on cake custom-printed with their likenesses. Meanwhile, the Governor chewed the fat with the student-athletes, asking where each was from, what majors they were pursuing, and what their plans were for the future.

“The great thing about playing sports in college is that people want to hire you,” the Governor said. “It shows employers that you know how to be on time, how to work hard, how to be part of a team, and how to step up and lead when asked to. The work ethic you have is unique. Don’t ever forget that.”

Daquan Morris ’22 found the whole experience to be exhilarating. “We had a day named after us,” the senior guard said. “If I had to pick highlights of my life so far, I would say this is definitely among the top three.”

Coach Merkel agreed, saying, “Everyone on this team is going to remember today long after this season has passed.”

Thus, April 5, 2022 will go down in the College’s history as a magnanimous show of recognition coming on the heels of the basketball team’s red-letter season. But as players and coaches departed for their trip home to Ashland, adding one more nostalgic team memory to a bank of countless others, there was also an unmistakable mood of excitement in the air that felt more like anticipation than revelry.

Next season, after all, has already begun.