UMO athletes earn all-state recognition

By UMO Media Relations
Published in Sports on July 3, 2016 1:47 AM

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UMO Media Relations

MOUNT OLIVE -- A quartet of University of Mount Olive athletes have earned first-team nods to the N.C. College Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) College Division all-state squads.

Zak Orrison and Bruce Zimmerman have been chosen in baseball. Kelsey Akers and Aerial Johnson garnered recognition in softball and women's basketball, respectively.

Orrison, who hails from Fuquay-Varina, helped lead the Trojans to their 13th Conference Carolinas championship and seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. He batted .375, scored 47 runs, swatted seven home runs and leaves as UMO's all-time stolen base leader with 114.

A junior, Zimmerman posted a 9-3 worksheet and 3.19 earned run average (ERA) on the bump. He was named the Conference Carolinas tournament MVP and received all-Conference Carolinas first-team accolades.

An all-Southest Region selection, Johnson averaged a double-double -- 14.4 points, 10.4 rebounds -- a game for UMO. The Havelock native ranked third nationally with 3.2 blocked shots per game.

Akers, from Burlington, leaves UMO with 221 career hits -- second all-time in program history. She batted .439 and drove in 34 runs, which helped her garner all-Southeast Region honors.

adidas deal

University of Mount Olive athletics and adidas today announced a five-year extension of their partnership in which the Oregon-based company will be the official athletic footwear, apparel, accessory and equipment brand of the Trojans through the 2020-2021 season.

With the new agreement, adidas will continue to outfit all 20 UMO varsity athletic teams. The Trojans and adidas have an exclusive partnership that began in 2011.

"We are excited about continuing our partnership with adidas," said Jeff Eisen, vice president for athletics at UMO. "This extension will enhance our program's brand identification and future growth."

University of Mount Olive teams won seven Conference Carolinas championships during the 2015-16 calendar year. UMO has finished first or second in the Hawn Cup, the league's all-sports trophy, in each of the last five years.

"We are very pleased at adidas to continue our partnership with Mount Olive. UMO's continued success in athletics has been outstanding, and adidas looks forward to being a part of that success in the future," said Rohn Mulkey, territory manager for adidas team sales.