written by: Shane Thomas  The Valdosta State men’s basketball team took the floor for its first official practice on Monday, led by senior forward David Murray who was named Preseason All-Gulf South Conference over the weekend.  Murray enters this season as the lone returning starter from last season, a season in which the Blazers finished 19-10 and advanced to the ...

by Shane Thomas   The VSU ROTC began holding a vigil in the outdoor classroom near West Hall on Wednesday to commemorate prisoners of war. The event was sponsored by Arnold Air Society, an honorary subgroup of the Blazer Corps of Cadets, to raise awareness for POWs and those missing in action. In the exhibit, an armed cadet stood guard ...

Written By: Shane Thomas The Valdosta State athletic department has gone a step further in its awareness of player safety by spending nearly $10,200 on at least 20 additional Riddell and Schutt football helmets to enhance player safety. According to a 2012 study by the CDC, athletes in the U.S. suffer 3.8 million sports-related concussions each year. “Concussions, unfortunately, have ...

by Shane Thomas   The VSU Athletic Department has gone a step further in its awareness of player safety by spending nearly $10,200 on at least 20 additional Riddell and Schutt football helmets to enhance player safety. According to a 2012 study by the CDC, athletes in the U.S. suffer 3.8 million sports-related concussions each year. “Concussions, unfortunately, have been ...

More than six months since his last game in a Blazers uniform, Valdosta State’s all-time leading shot-blocker, Josh Sparks, is ready to test himself professionally. "I’m thousands of miles away from anyone I know, but it’s definitely a move that I needed to make. Getting paid to play basketball is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

by: Shane Thomas   The words ‘torn ACL’ are perhaps the most feared words in sports. For Valdosta State Lady Blazers guard-forward Maylisa Johnson, those words have been a little too familiar. Johnson missed all of the 2012-13 season after undergoing a second ACL surgery on her left knee and finds herself working to get back into game shape for ...

by Shane Thomas and Von Kennedy Photos by Rebecka McAleer and Von Kennedy   50 Years of Integration: A Celebration of Inclusion from VSUspectator   VSU celebrated 50 years of integration with the Heritage Community Cookout and “A Look 50 Years Back and 50 Years Forward Kickoff Reception” on Wednesday. Robert Pierce and Drewnell Thomas, the first African-American male and ...

Valdosta State cross-country has a confident new leader this season as new head coach Clinton Bell takes over for departed Todd Smoot. Bell brings his decorated track record from Big East powerhouse Pittsburgh, where he served as an assistant track and cross-country coach. “I’ve had the opportunity to be with some good programs,” Bell said. “Whether it’s Division I or ...

By: Shane Thomas It’s always exciting when results equal expectations. It’s even better when results exceed those expectations. Though the volleyball season is only in its first week, it’s hard to not be impressed by a 5-0 start. The VSU Lady Blazers are fresh off their home opener victory against the Albany State Golden Rams in what was a 3-0 ...

by Shane Thomas   Entering his ninth season as head coach for Valdosta State basketball, Mike Helfer once again will take a new-look Blazers team into this season. Though the Blazers will not tip off the 2013-14 campaign until mid-November, Helfer believes his team is coming together nicely in the off season. “We have three guys that played minutes last ...