Choctaw Sports Night celebrates MC Athletics ‘Through the Ages’

Each spring, Mississippi College student-athletes and coaches from the University’s 17 varsity sports gather with team trainers and managers, cheerleaders, on-field personnel and leadership staff to acknowledge the moments and people who make Choctaw Athletics possible.

The 2026 Choctaw Sports Night is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, April 13, in Anderson Hall on the second floor of the B.C. Rogers Student Center.

“This has been a great event for our entire athletic department,” said MC Athletic Director Kenny Bizot. “It is an opportunity to celebrate our student-athletes and recognize the accomplishments of the year.”

Sponsored by MC Athletics, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the M Club, the banquet emphasizes the importance of SAAC and what it embodies while recognizing the success of student-athletes and teams throughout their seasons. The event will include a “highlight reel” of all Choctaw athletic teams and a recognition of team and individual award recipients.

Event organizer Maguire Miskelly said the student-led event highlights the leadership and intentionality of MC’s student-athletes.

“Choctaw Sports Night is a reflection of the culture we are building at MC – one that values excellence, service and using our platform for a greater purpose,” said Miskelly, a junior kinesiology major from New Albany and member of MC’s softball team. “More than just awards, it reflects our community, our shared commitment to excellence and our faith.

“As Colossians 3:23 says, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.’ This night celebrates that mindset.”

Miskelly said that passage is reflected in MC’s Athletic motto – “to play, act and live like champions” – which will be emphasized during the banquet.

“It’s not just in competition,” she said, “but in how we serve and represent Christ in everything we do.”

She said the theme for this year’s banquet, “Through the Ages,” celebrates the University’s bicentennial.

“It allows us to honor the legacy of those who came before us while recognizing how God has been faithful through every season and continues to guide the future of Choctaw Athletics.”

Karly Ivy, a senior on the women’s basketball team, and Christian Balcer, a senior on the cross country team, were chosen as guest speakers at the event because of their character, perseverance and lasting impact on others.

Ivy, a nursing student from Denton, Texas, said she will share her personal faith journey and how to pursue one’s dreams, even when times get tough.

“I want athletes to feel empowered to pursue their goals,” Ivy said. “There will always be struggles and obstacles. However, God has a divine plan for each of us.

“If you want to achieve something, set yourself up to work for it. The right people will find you and be your village. You can push through hard times and chase your passions.”

Miskelly said she would like everyone who attends the Choctaw Sports Night banquet to experience a sense of pride and appreciation for the hard work of those who support and participate in MC Athletics.

“I hope they leave encouraged and reminded that what we do has a greater purpose beyond the game,” she said. “As 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 says, ‘Don’t you realize that in a race, everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.”