Skip to main content

TSYS School Student-Athlete Layla Albright Named to Girls in the Game Class of 2026

Entering its 11th year of celebrating the athletic and academic success of its female student-athletes, the CSU Department of Athletics recently announced its Girls in the Game Class of 2026. The program recognizes a female student-athlete from each of CSU's eight NCAA Division II women's sports teams. All honorees receive a one-year academic scholarship and a specially designed Girls in the Game medallion. This year's class includes Layla Albright (pictured above, fourth from left), a sophomore cross country athlete from Columbus majoring in cybersecurity. "We are incredibly impressed by the dedication and resilience shown by the student-athletes chosen to represent our teams this year," said Director of Athletics Justin Hay. "These young women exemplify the core values and leadership qualities of the Girls in the Game program and Columbus State University. They demonstrate excellence not only in competition on the field and court, but also in their academic achievements and their meaningful contributions to the community." The Class of 2026 will be recognized at the 11th Annual Girls in the Game Luncheon on Thursday, October 1, at the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center on the university's main campus. Former NFL cheerleader Shannon McKain will be the keynote speaker. Shannon McKain is a nationally recognized keynote speaker, corporate coach, and ultra-endurance athlete whose work centers on mental resilience, leadership under pressure, and sustainable performance. With a professional background spanning human resources, leadership development, NFL Cheerleading, and lived experience competing at the highest levels of endurance sport, McKain understands both the cost of burnout and the power of rallying together when it matters most. Her signature framework, Rally Mentality™, was born on the Missouri River during a 340-mile ultra-endurance race completed in just 58 hours, without sleep. In that extreme environment, Shannon experienced firsthand the realities of mental fatigue, stress, self-doubt, and the critical role of team support. That race revealed a simple but powerful truth: resilience is not about going at it alone; it is about learning how to rally; within yourself and with others. Following the luncheon, McKain will host a free cheerleading clinic at the university's Student Rec Center. The clinic is presented by Columbus Coca-Cola. Tickets for the 11th Annual Girls in the Game Luncheon will go on sale in the coming weeks. Registration for the clinic will open at the same time.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ABDC Releases 2025 Journal Review, Now Ranks Journal Edited by Phil Bryant

The long-awaited journal review being conducted by the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) has been released and there are a number of news items that relate to faculty in the Turner College. One of these is the ABDC's decision to now include  Compensation and Benefits Review in its journal rankings. This is big news for the Turner College as its editor, Phil Bryant , is a professor of management in the Turner College. The ABDC is proposing that the journal enter its system for the first time as a C-rated journal. Acting Turner College Dean Tesa Leonce sits on the journal's editorial board, while Turner College management professor Mark James has guest-edited an issue of the journal. Published by SAGE,  Compensation & Benefits Review is the leading journal for senior executives and professionals who design, implement, evaluate and communicate compensation and benefits policies and programs. The journal supports compensation and benefits specialists and academic ex...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Butler Center Report Identifies Employment Gaps in the Columbus Area

Officials in the Turner College's Butler Center for Research and Economic Development recently put the finishing touches on an extensive report on trends in educational programs and occupations in the Columbus area. The report also includes data on business and technology trends.  According to Fady Mansour , Director of the Butler Center, there are several key takeaways from the report regarding 10 occupational gaps that currently exist in the Columbus area. First,  software development occupation exhibits the biggest labor shortage, with the report adding that the TSYS School has a bachelor's degree program in information technology along with a new AI track for the bachelor's degree in computer science, both of which can qualify students for this occupation. Other educational programs are in demand, such as computer programming and cloud computing. Second, there is a gap of 30 employees per year in general and operations management. This gap could be addressed by the Turn...
Post a Comment
Read more

Turner Business Chats with Kevin Hurt about Leadership Research Program

Our 5 September 2025 profile of Turner College management professor Kevin Hurt has been a popular one here at Turner Business . That blog post focused mainly on the  portfolio of leadership research that he has  steadily built up over recent years into one that is unmatched in the Turner College. We recently visited with Hurt to discuss his research endeavors. The transcript of that visit appears below. TB: ‎ Turner Business recently profiled your growing list of research publications in leadership. What would be your assessment of how your research program in leadership has gone so far? KH:  Overall, it has been a rewarding journey. I appreciate that the Turner Business profile acknowledged my work, particularly in the area of servant leadership. While journal publications are a measure of success for us as faculty, to me that success also includes building the next generation of leaders. It was the latter that inspired me to leave a Fortune 500 corporation and seek...
Post a Comment
Read more