Aaron Dudley named new Bobcats Cross Country Team Head Coach
Bryant & Stratton College Bobcats Announce Beach Volleyball & Cross-Country Athletic Programs
The College Will Begin Recruiting Athletes to Join its Inaugural Teams in 2022
Virginia Beach, VA (October 2021) – Bryant & Stratton College (B&SC) in Virginia has announced the launch of three new National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Bobcats athletic programs – men’s & women’s cross-country and women’s beach volleyball – set to launch for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 inaugural seasons, respectively. The programs will be based out of the Virginia Beach campus and bring the total B&SC Virginia Bobcat’s athletic program count to 12 since the College launched its athletic division in 2014.
To lead the Bobcats beach volleyball program, the College has hired Head Coach Kris Wojieck-Stein, current executive director of the Tidewater Volleyball Association and former club director of the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association. Wojieck-Stein brings over 15 years of coaching experience to her new role with the Bobcats, including nine years coaching NCAA women’s volleyball team at the Division I and II levels, five years of coaching club, and extensive background leading summer camps and trainings for youths and adults. Through her role at the Chesapeake Volleyball Region, Wojieck-Stein became a USAV Beach CAP (Coaching Accreditation Program) certified and was the head coach of the CHRVA High Performance Beach team and currently is serving on the Old Dominion Region board as the Juniors Beach Coordinator.
“Over the past few years, beach volleyball has become more widely acknowledged as a standalone, skilled collegiate sport that requires unique athletic talents and abilities,” said Wojieck-Stein. “Bryant & Stratton College was one of the few higher education institutions to adopt beach volleyball as official athletics offering early on, and I am honored to lead the program in its inaugural year here in Virginia.”
The men’s & women’s cross-country teams will be led by Aaron Dudley, former running champion and track and field coach at Western Branch High School. A graduate of Deep Creek High School, Dudley was a four-time record holder in track and cross-country in addition to being named an all-district regional and state champion. While attending Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, N.C., Dudley earned Freshman Athlete of the year and was named a first team all-star at the district, regional, and state level from 2004 to 2008. He formerly held the #15 national rank for cross-country and notably ran on a world class track and field team coached by George Williams, USA Track and Field Coach at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. During his four years coaching at Western Branch, Dudley led his team to 11 state titles and 12 national titles.
“Cross-country has been a major part of my personal and professional life for nearly two decades, and I am passionate about developing the talents of young runners to achieve greatness in the sport,” said Dudley. “The opportunity to build a cross-country program from the ground up at Bryant & Stratton College is an exciting undertaking, and I’m looking forward to a strong kickoff season for the Bobcats.”
Bryant & Stratton College currently offers beach volleyball and cross-country programs in Wisconsin, with additional cross-country programs across campuses in New York and Ohio.
No competitive experience will be necessary to try out for these inaugural Bobcats programs at Bryant & Stratton College in Virginia Beach, with the only eligibility requirement being that players must be actively pursuing a degree at the College. The College is also in the process of establishing scholarship opportunities to benefit incoming student athletes interested in pursuing these programs.
Existing and incoming students interested in trying out for any of the three new programs can view the recruitment forms now available at https://virginia.bscbobcats.com/landing/index. Official tryouts and recruitment opportunities will begin in early 2022.
ABOUT BRYANT & STRATTON COLLEGE
Founded in 1854, Bryant & Stratton College has built its reputation and success on a commitment to excellence and high standards. We're proud to be regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (267) 284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Bryant & Stratton College has campus locations in New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as an Online Education division, and a Continuing Education department. For over 165 years, Bryant & Stratton College has offered students access to career-relevant education leading to bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and professional certificates in the fields of healthcare, business, criminal justice, design, financial services, hospitality, human resources, paralegal studies and information technology. In addition to access to education, Bryant & Stratton College offers students access to tools to help ensure their greatest chance at success through their Career LifePrep® program. Bryant & Stratton works with students to best map individual career paths - teaching the soft skills employers value most, helping establish valuable professional connections and internships and offering career services support even after graduation. Bryant & Stratton College is committed to helping students succeed in their education and beyond.