Miles Hayford

Sports Editor

Miles Hayford '27 is studying journalism with a minor in sport management. Hayford currently serves as the Sports Editor. Hayford has an interest in all areas of journalism, but is especially passionate about sports journalism. Find his best work on his portfolio.

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Recent Articles

SPORTS 11/16/24 11:22pm

Elon University women’s basketball wins thrilling game against Kent State

By Miles Hayford

Elon’s women’s basketball team captured a thrilling 66-63 victory over Kent State University in a game defined by two halves — one full of mistakes and the other with an offensive explosion. Elon defeated Kent State inside Schar Center on Nov. 16 for its third home win of the season.  Elon moves to 3-1 with its first win over Kent State since 2005. The Phoenix has a tough game next as it plays Virginia Tech on the road at 2 p.m. Nov. 23.

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SPORTS 11/10/24 5:36pm

Elon University men’s soccer falls to Hofstra in CAA semifinals

By Miles Hayford

2021, 2022 and now 2024: all Elon men’s soccer postseason losses to Hofstra. It seems the Phoenix has met its match as Elon lost to Hofstra in the 2024 Coastal Athletic Association Tournament semifinals 2-0 on Nov. 10. This is the second straight year Elon has lost in the semifinals. Elon trails Hofstra 1-11-1 all-time. Despite Hofstra’s 4th seed being the lowest seeding in the CAA Tournament since 2017, the Hofstra Pride upset the top-ranked Elon squad. It was a heartbreaker for an Elon squad who is still searching for their first ever CAA Championship.

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SPORTS 11/8/24 10:21pm

Elon University women’s basketball defeats Gardner Webb despite poor shooting

By Miles Hayford

Elon University women’s basketball secured a closely fought 69-61 victory over Gardner Webb University despite a rough shooting night. Elon was coming off its season opener on Nov. 4 against High Point University where they got a thrilling 66-65 comeback victory and was looking to get a 2-0 start at Schar Center on Nov. 8. The first half was tightly contested, but both teams exhibited sloppy play, chock full of turnovers and missed shots. Both teams were under 40% from the field, and the Phoenix was even missing a number of free throws.

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NEWS 11/5/24 8:12pm

North Carolina Democrats, Stein await election results

By Miles Hayford

In preparation for election results, particularly the results of the gubernatorial race, the North Carolina Democratic Party is hosting a watch party in Raleigh at the Marriott City Center. Attorney General Josh Stein and several key North Carolinian Democrats are expected to appear. As of 8:15 p.m., the event is in full swing. Droves of people, almost 100 so far, are piling in to see Stein and other Democratic politicians speak later. Gil Genn, a former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, is at the event and said he is most excited to see a transition from the old tonight.

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SPORTS 11/5/24 8:37am

Elon University men’s basketball gives North Carolina scare but falls short in season opener

By Miles Hayford

Light shows, a roaring crowd and a swarm of Carolina blue: It all seemed too much for the Phoenix to handle. The Elon University men’s basketball team stayed strong despite the adversity, giving the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill a scare but lost its season opener 90-76. It was their 13th loss when starting the season away from home, but it was a promising performance against the 9th ranked team in the nation and a sign of a bright future for the program. Elon started the season with nine returning players and brought back 54% of its scoring from last season.

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SPORTS 11/3/24 4:13pm

Elon Athletics has mixed results with Ticketmaster partnership

By Miles Hayford

According to Elon Athletics, 1,119 students used Ticketmaster on Sept. 14 against Western Carolina, whereas the estimated total student attendance was 1,519. Similarly, 427 students used Ticketmaster to attend the Sept. 21 game against East Tennessee State University, but a total of 927 were estimated to attend. On Family Weekend against Richmond University, many students entered with their families and just showed their ID without claiming their ticket through Ticketmaster. The number was massively skewed with 2,114 total students attending. but only 536 using Ticketmaster.

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SPORTS 11/2/24 6:55pm

Elon University football dominates on 2024 Homecoming Weekend

By Miles Hayford

On Homecoming Weekend 2024, Elon University’s football team exploded for an offensive clinic. Elon beat Campbell University 50-27 thanks to the efforts of two career days. Senior Rushawn Baker had a career high with 154 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Redshirt senior Chandler Brayboy had a career day in his 309 all-purpose yards. Elon has struggled this year, having gone 3-6 and only finding their first home win of the season against Campbell, but much of it has been due to the team being handed the 17th hardest schedule in the FCS.

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SPORTS 11/1/24 3:18pm

Elon University women’s cross country ends streak of 5 consecutive CAA Championship wins

By Miles Hayford

After winning the last five Coastal Athletic Association Championships, the Elon University women’s cross country team has ended the streak, finishing third overall at the 2024 CAA Championship on Nov. 1. The men’s team improved from its sixth place finish last year, finishing fifth. The men’s 8k and women’s 6k races took place at the Elon Cross Country Course. The ending of the women’s streak comes amid the first season of head coach Mark Rinker after former coach Kevin Jermyn left for Duke University. Jones said the team wasn’t focused on continuing the streak, but rather performing as a team.

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SPORTS 10/24/24 9:39pm

Elon University women’s soccer falls to Campbell despite outshooting them

By Miles Hayford

Despite coming into the game as the Coastal Athletic Association’s best with a chance to clinch the regular season title, the Elon women’s soccer team fell to Campbell University 1-0. Campbell upset the Phoenix thanks to resistant defense, even as Elon outshot them 18 to 5. In the end, Elon played an almost perfect game. Few teams could have found more offensive opportunities than Elon did tonight, and their defense held firm most of the game. It came down to the Camels’ rigid defense and one single moment where Campbell’s offense saw an opportunity and took it.

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SPORTS 10/24/24 10:57am

Price of play: Impact of injury on Elon University athletes

By Miles Hayford

Season-ending injuries are an unfortunate, but common staple of collegiate athletics. Around 210,000 college sports-related injuries occurred from 2009-14, according to a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention study. Within that number, almost 4,000 athletes each year experience a season-ending injury, according to a study published in the Journal of Amateur Sport. These injuries are more than just a number, though. Each one affects a student-athlete in a different way, each student-athlete grapples with the absence of sport differently and each recovery process is different.

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SPORTS 10/23/24 11:08pm

Elon University men’s soccer drops fourth straight loss amid tough schedule

By Miles Hayford

Despite a strong start to the season, Elon men’s soccer dropped its fourth straight loss after falling to the University of North Carolina, Charlotte 2-0. After 10 minutes had passed, redshirt junior Ryan Manna had the first shot of the game, but Charlotte’s stalwart goalie Leo Stritter — who has nine shutouts this season — blocked it. That’s where it began to get tough for the Phoenix to climb out of the deficit. Against Charlotte’s nationally ranked defense — the team is first in goals allowed per game with 0.5 — the Phoenix’s offense stalled.

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NEWS 10/22/24 6:54pm

Railroad arms experience malfunctions in downtown Elon; intersections now cleared

By Miles Hayford

The railroad gate arms at the intersections of West Lebanon Avenue and North Williamson Avenue, West Lebanon and Church Street, and East Lebanon and Oak Street were down, according to Elon Police Chief Joe LeMire. According to an E-Alert sent at 7:21 p.m., the intersections at Oak, Williamson and Church have been cleared. These gate arms have been having issues all day and prevented the flow of traffic in downtown Elon.

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NEWS 10/10/24 10:10am

North Carolina governor race defined by stark contrast, serious consequences

By Miles Hayford

North Carolina’s general election for governor is a battle between contrasts. Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will face off against Attorney General Josh Stein on Nov. 5, along with Libertarian Mike Ross, Green Party’s Wayne Turner and Constitution Party’s Vinny Smith. Ross, Smith and Turner are all polling at 3% or less, according to data from Sept. 25 to 29 in a Quinnipiac University poll. The two main candidates disagree on a number of issues and have been heavily in the spotlight with Robinson's most recent alleged offensive remarks.

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SPORTS 10/8/24 10:54pm

Elon University men’s soccer falls in juggernaut matchup against Duke

By Miles Hayford

In a battle between former top 25 team Elon University men’s soccer and the No. 9 ranked Duke University Blue Devils on Oct. 8, Duke prevailed 2-1. The first half witnessed a brutal tug-of-war between Duke and Elon, with each exchanging possession to capture the opening score of the night. The final 15 minutes of the game were chaotic and full of ruthless physicality. Controversial calls and no-calls were everywhere as coaches and fans on both sides yelled at the refs about fouls or fouls they think the refs should have called. But in the final minutes, calls didn’t go in Elon’s favor.

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SPORTS 10/4/24 1:30pm

Elon men’s soccer goalkeeper thrives among challenges of position, sets program record

By Miles Hayford

A goalkeeper is asked to do many things: save every ball, refuse to back down in stressful situations — and be perfect. Elon men's soccer goalkeeper Tomasz Wroblewski has been scored on nine times this season, but with 37 saves, he said the stress of the position no longer bothers him. However, Wroblewski seems to have gotten over this fear, having set an Elon Division I record with 13 saves against Wake Forest on Sept. 17 amid an incredible season for the Phoenix. Going into the back half of his final season at Elon, Wroblewski is on a hot streak.

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SPORTS 10/1/24 10:41pm

Elon University men’s soccer falls to High Point in physical, defensive clash

By Miles Hayford

In a Piedmont Triad showdown, the Elon University men’s soccer team lost in a physically demanding game to High Point University 1-0 on Oct. 1. Elon jumped off to an almost perfect start, entering the top 10 of Top Drawer Soccer’s national rankings for the first time since 2015. They are also currently ranked 17 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Coming off the team’s first loss of the season after falling to Hofstra University on Sept. 28, Elon looked to bounce back from one of the first signs of adversity the team has faced this year.

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SPORTS 9/21/24 10:13pm

Elon University football fails to stop running game, loses to ETSU

By Miles Hayford

With a little over 4,000 in attendance, Elon University football got beaten and battered by East Tennessee State University’s run game, falling 34-14. ETSU looked ready from the jump, beginning the game with an efficient three-minute drive that resulted in Bryson Irby rushing touchdown to go up 7-0. Immediately following the touchdown, Elon got off to a disastrous start with freshman TJ Thomas Jr. fumbling the ball on the first play of Elon’s opening drive. ETSU took advantage of the turnover, scoring their second touchdown within the first five minutes of the game. 

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SPORTS 9/14/24 10:13pm

Elon University football falls to Western Carolina

By Miles Hayford

The Elon University football team lost its home opener 24-17 to Western Carolina University in a game defined by turnovers and mistakes. As the players ran onto the field, smoke trailing them, the excitement for the home opener Sept. 14 was palpable. A generous crowd had shown up to Rhodes Stadium. This crowd was rewarded early with some entertaining play. Elon started their first drive with a spark of trickery, employing an end-around rush by wide receiver senior Chandler Brayboy that resulted in 16 yards. Elon continues a four game home stretch, playing East Tennessee University next week.

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SPORTS 9/14/24 3:42pm

Former Elon volleyball player returns to coach

By Miles Hayford

The Elon volleyball team has a familiar face this year. Two years after leaving Elon with numerous accolades from her time on the volleyball team, Haylie Clark has returned to Elon’s campus as an assistant coach. During her time at Elon as a student-athlete, Clark played volleyball under head coach Mary Tendler from 2018-22. She earned many achievements during her time, including being named to the 2021 All-Coastal Athletic Association Second Team and the 2021 CAA Setter of the Year. She also racked up 349 kills, 879 digs, 142 blocks and 113 aces during her time at Elon.

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SPORTS 9/12/24 10:16am

Elon University soccer program remains undefeated, stands atop Division I

By Miles Hayford

Elon University’s soccer program is red-hot right now. The first few weeks of games have gone extremely well for the Phoenix, and both soccer teams are playing incredible on the field. Between the men’s and women’s combined 9-0 record, the program is on a tour of wins as the soccer season begins. Elon soccer is the only current program in all of Division I to be undefeated and untied. Additionally, men’s soccer is ranked No.  20 in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches Poll — the first time the team has reached the top 20 since 2015.

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