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You are here: Home / Hayden DeLand

Losing streak extends to four straight for Wildcats

January 30, 2026 by Hayden DeLand Leave a Comment

With Thursday’s 76-70 loss to the Utah Tech Trailblazers, the Wildcats have now lost their fourth straight game, dropping their season record to 10-10 and 2-5 in Western Athletic Conference games. The Wildcats’ leading scorer was Yaniel Rivera, junior guard from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, with 18 points, including four 3-pointers. ACU now sits seventh ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Losing streak extends to three straight for Wildcats

January 20, 2026 by Hayden DeLand Leave a Comment

The men’s basketball team's losing streak extended to three games, after it’s 74-52 loss to the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds on Saturday. The Wildcats’ season record dropped to 10-9, and 4-6 in the last 10 games. After the skid, the Wildcats are 2-4 in conference play, putting them in sixth place in the Western Athletic Conference ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Minimum wage jobs teach valuable lessons

January 20, 2026 by Hayden DeLand 1 Comment

The expectation from my parents when I turned 16 was that I get a job so I could pay for things on my own, such as gas, clothes or going out to eat with friends. This is the expectation for many other teenagers like me when they turn 16. Not only was I able to earn my own money through having a job, but I was also able to learn responsibility, how ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Columns, Opinion

Men’s basketball comes up short at home

January 16, 2026 by Hayden DeLand Leave a Comment

After losing to the California Baptist University Lancers 74-58 on Thursday, the Wildcats fell to 10-8 on the season, 2-3 in Western Athletic Conference play, and fifth in conference standings. ACU’s leading scorer was Rich Smith, senior guard from the Bronx, New York, with 22 points, the only Wildcat with double-digit points. Head Coach ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

Men’s basketball to begin conference play with two home games

December 30, 2025 by Hayden DeLand Leave a Comment

The Wildcats will enter Western Athletic Conference play on Thursday against Utah Tech with an 8-5 record after winning 75-68 in their game against Texas Southern University on Dec. 22. The win came after the team dropped its last two games against Big 12 opponents No. 1 Arizona and No. 10 BYU. Despite losing by double digits in both games, the ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

Men’s basketball faces NMSU before road trip

December 5, 2025 by Hayden DeLand

After winning its last two games to improve to 6-3 on the season, the men’s basketball team will face a former Western Athletic Conference opponent in New Mexico State University on Saturday. The Aggies currently have a record of 6-1. ACU has faced NMSU eight times previously, with the most recent meeting happening last year in New Mexico, where ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

Change Greek Life back to social clubs

November 19, 2025 by Hayden DeLand

For many students, Greek life is an exciting part of the college experience during their first year as they figure out which fraternity or sorority fits them best and which one their friends are joining. Fraternities and sororities have been a part of ACU’s culture since 1919 and were formerly known as “social clubs” until 2015, when the name was ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Editorials, Opinion

Men’s basketball starts 3-0 for first time in five years

November 13, 2025 by Hayden DeLand

With Tuesday's win over Southwestern Adventist University 104-63, the Wildcats have moved to 3-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2020-21 season–one that resulted in an NCAA tournament berth. “We’ve done a good job at home,” Head Coach Brette Tanner said. “That’s one of the things we talked about in the off-season. I think that ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Showcase, Sports

Friendships lost, lessons learned

November 6, 2025 by Hayden DeLand

Two years ago, when I arrived on campus on move-in day at the beginning of Wildcat Week, I only really knew a handful of people at ACU, my high school girlfriend at the time and a couple of people who had gone to high school with us. On move-in day, I walked into “old” Mabee Hall, where I was given the keys to room 343. After I moved all my ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Columns, Opinion

Men’s basketball opens season with win over McMurry

November 4, 2025 by Hayden DeLand

In the men’s basketball season opener, the Wildcats defeated the McMurry University Warhawks 92-55 at Moody Coliseum on Monday. The win extends Head Coach Brette Tanner’s opening game winning streak to four in a row. Despite the score being 41-22 at the half, the Wildcat offense was not performing to its full capacity. The team shot 44.1% ... [Read More…]

Filed Under: Sports

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acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
29 Mar

Sing Song 2026 Awards Class Division:

Overall Award:
1. Mixed
2. Seniors
3. Freshman White

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acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
29 Mar

Sing Song 2026 Awards Women’s Division:

Overall Award:
1. Ko Jo Kai
2. Sigma Theta Chi
3. Tri Kappa Gamma

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