2024 In Photos
![Texas A&M utility Gavin Grahovac (9) waves while entering the dugout during Texas A&M’s game against Florida at the NCAA Men’s College World Series semifinal at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska on Sunday, June 19, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)](https://thebatt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/KYLE0582-e1735613169769.jpg)
January
The year had just begun, and history was already being made. Having already lost its first two SEC matchups going into the Jan. 13 game, expectations for Texas A&M men’s basketball against then-No. 6 Kentucky were grim. But as the game progressed — and the Maroon and White found their standing — the battered but unbroken Aggies pushed the Wildcats to the brink, taking the blue blood down in a 97-92 overtime victory.
Texas A&M women’s tennis’ 4-0 win over TCU on Jan. 28 got them one step closer to a national title, sending the team to its seventh ITA Indoor Championship just days after beating Abilene Christian 7-0. The win gave the Aggies their 45th consecutive home win in College Station.
All the while, another story was culminating after years of development. When former Aggie soccer player Alyssa Mautz re-enrolled at Texas A&M years ago to pursue a professional career, she found significant resistance. She felt disconnected from her peers, the school and the life she envisioned. The thought of becoming a normal student drew further and further away until one day, she left, moving away before joining the newly created National Women’s Soccer League. Refreshed and rejuvenated, she later returned to Aggieland and completed her education before committing to the league. But an out-of-the-blue call from A&M women’s soccer coach G Guerrieri changed everything: He was offering her an assistant coaching position at her alma mater.
-
Junior Mary Stoiana celebrates a succesful set at Texas A&M’s match against TCU at Mitchell Tennis Center on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (Connor May/The Battalion)
Photo by Connor May -
A portrait of Texas A&M assistant coach Alyssa Mautz at Ellis Field on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann
February
Caitlin Hullett ‘23 won AggieCon 53’s Best in Show award on Feb. 3 for her cosplay as Rosetta from “The Fairies of Pixie Hollow.” The multi-day event — which began as a Star Trek convention and dates back to 1969 — saw more than 500 guests explore games, events and panels featured throughout the Memorial Student Center and Rudder Theatre Forum.
As the year progressed and athletic events came and went, some students also began to ditch the standard maroon and white garb in favor of more memorable outfits.
For sport management sophomore Sam Stovall and several friends, that materialized as a Reed Arena rendition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Before long, however, the costume-clad Aggies realized the outfits had transcended their initial purpose. Strangest of all, they were feeling it too. Stovall began caring less about what others thought the more he wore the costume. The turtles, originally nothing more than the group’s attempt to have fun, had become a symbol inspiring people to step out of their shells.
With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Assistant Athletics Director Nick McKenna and his team oversee the maintenance of every surface Aggie teams play on, from Kyle Field to Olsen Field and everywhere in between. The time spent painting, irrigating, fertilizing, sampling and monitoring fields across Bryan-College Station often extends into months.
Texas A&M baseball’s 13-2 win over the Lamar Cardinals saw explosive offenses and dominating batters pummel the away team in front of 5,161 attendees at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park. The victory, propelled by sophomore CF Jace Laviolette’s home run and spearheaded by his three hits and three RBIs in four at-bats, left the Aggies able to boast 93 total runs scored with only 10 given up by the end of the team’s Feb. 27 win.
-
Caitlin Hullett as Rosetta won Best in Show at AggieCon in the Rudder Forum on Feb. 3, 2024. (Karis Olson/The Battalion)
Photo by Karis Olson -
Fans celebrate with Texas A&M Aggies guard Jace Carter (0) during Texas A&M’s game against Florida on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024, at Reed Arena. (Ishika Samant/The Battalion)
Photo by Ishika Samant -
Texas A&M outfielder Jace Laviolette (17) reacts after hitting a home run during Texas A&M’s game against Lamar on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 at Blue Bell Park. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann
March
Hurricane Harry’s shallow lights watch over the dancers below, spotlighting one pair while their shadow hangs behind. One week prior, the beloved western dance hall announced its relocation due to new developments in the area. The relocation was canceled several months later, and the establishment closed on Dec. 8.
More than 16,000 people volunteered for The Big Event on March 23, marking the event’s 43rd year as the nation’s largest one-day, student-run service project. Hosted each spring, the event sees thousands of students volunteer annually to assist Bryan-College Station residents as a show of appreciation to the community. In 2024, volunteers served 2,183 residents.
A hard-fought Texas A&M men’s basketball game against Houston was set to end in heartbreak for the Maroon and White, concluding the team’s season on the spot. But with 1.2 seconds on the clock, Aggie senior forward Andersson Garcia shot a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that found its target, sending the game into overtime. It wasn’t enough for A&M, however. Houston held the refreshed Aggies back in the extra period, ending the Maroon and White’s season with a 21-15 record and one win in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas A&M’s Queer Empowerment Council, a student organization dedicated to the university’s LGBTQ+ community, hosted the 5th annual Draggieland in Rudder Auditorium on March 28. The show whittled down five contestants until only two drag queens remained, Hanna Santanna and Lily Adonis Kline. Santanna, clad in a spiked, black covering and standing before purple smoke, competed in a lip-sync battle to Katy Perry’s “Roar” against Adonis Kline, wearing a glittering dress with a flower in their hair. The audience subsequently voted Santanna the winner, crowning them as the Queen of Draggieland until next year’s show.
-
Couples dancing in the lights of the Hurricane Harry’s dance floor. (Adriano Espinosa/The Battalion)
Photo by Adriano Espinosa -
Chief Engineer and Junior Mechanical Engineer Ethan Reich ’25 prepares AME 24 for rollout on Sunday, Mar. 24th, 2024, at the SAE Workshop. (Ani Tummalapalli/The Battalion)
Photo by Ani Tummalapalli -
The Big Event staff hand out supplies to volunteers across the street from Reed Arena. (Adriano Espinosa/The Battalion)
Photo by Adriano Espinosa -
Drag queen Hanna Santanna performing to ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry during their head-to-head lip-sing battle with drag queen Lily Adonis Kline at the Draggieland show in Rudder Theater, Thursday March 28, 2024. (Ashely Bautista/The Battalion)
Photo by Ashely Bautista
April
Beekeepers Matt Dittman and wife Shelby check a beehive during a visit on April 5. Dittman’s day job is at KAMU, where he is the radio program director. At home, he and his wife are beekeepers.
The student-hosted event Farmers Fight Night was held in Reed Arena on April 4. Coaches, students, fighters, community members and university staff gathered to watch the event and donate to charity.
Chilifest, an annual country music festival featuring almost a dozen artists, opened its doors on April 5-6 in Snook, Texas. Country music singer and songwriter Chris Young was among the ten musicians who performed.
Muster, one of Texas A&M’s most revered traditions, hosted its 100th ceremony at Reed Arena on April 21. Thousands of attendees holding candles stood in silence honoring Aggies who had passed away in the last year.
-
Cruiserweight fighter Stadler Kristen lands a right hook on opponent Edward Clark during Farmers Fight Night at Reed Arena on Thursday, April 4th, 2024. (Ani Tummalapalli/The Battalion)
Photo by Ani Tummalapalli -
A candleholder stands during the 100th annual Muster ceremony held at Reed Arena on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann -
Chris Young strums his guitar on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at Chilifest. (Adriano Espinosa/The Battalion)
Photo by Adriano Espinosa
May
For the first time, then-No. 13 Texas A&M women’s tennis won the national title after beating then-No. 7 Georgia 4-1 at the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship Game on May 19.
In its first super regional appearance since 2018, Texas A&M softball faced off against Texas in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and came up just short of a Women’s College World Series appearance, falling to the Longhorns in game three on May 26.
Student and community demonstrators gathered near Rudder Tower after a pro-Palestine protest on May 7. The pro-Palestine protests that rocked universities at the beginning of the near did not have the same level of impact or size at Texas A&M, but several smaller demonstrations occurred.
After being moved to first base coach during the season, Texas A&M baseball infielder Ryan Targac returned to the field in the Aggies’ final home series against Arkansas — where his walk-off RBI single allowed the Aggies to run-rule the Razorbacks.
-
Texas A&M infielder Ryan Targac (12) listens as fans chant his name after hits a walk-off single to run-rule Arkansas during Texas A&M’s game against the Razorbacks at Olsen Field on Friday, May 18, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison -
Demostrators gather in front of Rudder Tower after a pro-Palestine protest on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Samuel Falade/The Battalion)
Photo by Samuel Falade -
Texas A&M infielder Koko Wooley (3) throws the ball during Texas A&M’s game against Texas at the Austin Super Regional at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, May 25, 2024. (CJ Smith/The Battalion)
Photo by CJ Smith
June
The Aggies punched their ticket to the College World Series on June 9 after winning the NCAA Bryan-College Station Super Regional at Olsen Field against Oregon. The victory sent the team to Omaha, Nebraska, where they went on a tear that set them up for the national championship series.
But in a heartbreaking 6-5 defeat, Texas A&M baseball fell against Tennessee at the NCAA Men’s College World Series finals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha on June 24. By the end of the seventh inning in game three, the Aggies were down 6-1. But they couldn’t complete the comeback, coming up just one run short. The finish was the most successful season for A&M in school history.
-
The Aggies react after punching their ticket to the College World Series after NCAA Bryan-College Station Super Regional at Olsen Field on Sunday, June 9, 2024. (CJ Smith/The Battalion)
Photo by CJ Smith -
Texas A&M pitcher Ryan Prager (18) dumps water on Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle (22) after The Aggies win the NCAA Bryan-College Station Super Regional at Olsen Field on Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann -
Tennessee outfielder Hunter Ensley (9) dodges a tag from Texas A&M catcher Jackson Appel (20) during Texas A&M’s game against Tennessee at the NCAA Men’s College World Series finals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska on Monday, June 24, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison -
Texas A&M outfielder Jace Laviolette (17) hugs utility Gavin Grahovac (9) after Texas A&M’s loss against Tennessee at the NCAA Men’s College World Series finals at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska on Monday, June 24, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann
July
Shortly after Texas A&M baseball’s historic success, coach Jim Schlossnagle and his staff accepted an offer to head Texas’s baseball team. However, Michael Earley, the team’s former assistant coach, reversed his decision to head to Austin and instead accepted the job as A&M’s next head coach. The university held a welcome ceremony for him in the Kyle Field Hall of Champions on July 2.
Two weeks later during the 2024 SEC Media Day, Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko spoke about the upcoming season in Omni Hill, Dallas.
-
Texas A&M Head Coach Mike Elko speaks during the 2024 SEC Media Day at the Omni Hotel in Dallas, Texas on Thursday July 18, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison
August
As Texas A&M’s student population neared 80,000, the annual fall Howdy Week welcomed thousands of new students to campus during the first week of classes.
Texas A&M football’s first season that included the revived Lone Star Showdown was met with new ticket pull regulations from university administrators that limited the tradition’s scale. The rules went into effect before Notre Dame’s pull on Aug. 26, but later controversies and issues led to the tradition’s cancellation altogether in favor of an online pull system.
The Notre Dame game was also accompanied by an ESPN College GameDay visit to Aggieland, where they set up shop in Aggie Park on Aug. 31 with thousands of students amassed in the shot’s backdrop. The Aggies later went down to 23-13 to the away team.
-
Rece Davis sways to the Aggie War Hymn during College GameDay in Aggie Park on Saturday, August 31, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison -
Senior Yell Leader Josiah Brantley leads the first yell practice of the fall 2024 semester, also known as ‘GatheRing,’ as part of the Howdy Week festivities outside the Clayton W. Williams, Jr. Alumni Center on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann -
General Studies sophomore Joshua Pattugalan plays his accordian at the Academic Plaza on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. (Sophie Villarreal/The Battalion)
Photo by Sophie Villarreal
September
Texas politician Beto O’Rourke visited Aggieland on Sept. 19 as part of his “Ready to Vote” tour. Hosted by Aggies Democrats, he welcomed students to Rudder Theatre to encourage voter registration alongside Texas House 14 candidate Fred Medina.
Texas A&M volleyball head coach Jamie Morrison then led his team to a 3-2 victory against Rival Texas on Sept. 27, A&M’s first win in Austin since 2001. It was followed by the Southwest Classic football game at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 28, which saw the Aggies take the final match against Arkansas at Arlington, Texas 21-17. The victory put the Aggies up 12-4 for total matchups against Arkansas in Jerry’s World.
Texas A&M soccer went on a streak of three-straight non-conference victories by a score of 2-0, including a win over Louisiana Tech on Sept. 8. The Aggies finished the year 8-9-2.
-
Beto O’Rourke speaks to supporters at Rudder Theater on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Rocio Salgado/The Battalion)
Photo by Rocio Salgado -
Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison celebrates winning a set during Texas A&M’s game against Texas at Reed Arena on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison -
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) throws the ball during Texas A&M’s game against Arkansas at the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann
October
Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko and his team improved to 5-1 after routing then-No. 9 Missouri 41-10 on Oct. 5. Weeks later, the team’s 38-23 victory over LSU after swapping starting quarterback Conner Weigman for Marcel Reed moved the latter into the starting role Weigman later transferred to Houston after being benched for several games.
As one of the largest research institutions in the nation, Texas A&M has hundreds of projects and initiatives scientists are pursuing. One is staffed by graduate students Veerakit Vanitshavit and Junior Nabeeha Ali at the Veterinary Research Lab, where they research a strain of E. coli bacteria that can be used to combat antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections.
Sen. Ted Cruz visited College Station on Oct. 18 during a campaign stop against Rep. Colin Allred, a Texas representative who challenged the junior senator for his senate seat. One week later, Vice President Kamala Harris made one of her only campaign stops in Texas, visiting Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium on Oct. 25 with singer and songwriter Beyoncé to discuss abortion rights.
The month closed with the Texas A&M Mark A. Welsh III Presidential Investiture on Oct. 25. Welsh, appointed as permanent president nearly a year prior, spoke in Rudder Theatre before hundreds of students, faculty, administrators and guests to celebrate Aggieland and the years ahead.
-
Dr. Sarah A. Hamar, Richard Schubot Endowed Chair and director of the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center, feeds a scarlet macaw at the Schubot Aviary Center on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (Adriano Espinosa/The Battalion)
Photo by Adriano Espinosa -
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks onstage during a rally at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann -
Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Nic Scourton (11) celebrates making a tackle in the backfield during Texas A&M’s game against Missouri at Kyle Field Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Kelii Horvath/The Battalion)
Photo by Kelii Horvath -
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to supporters during a campaign stop in College Station at Shiner Park on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann -
Texas A&M Aggies defensive back BJ Mayes (20) completes an interseption during Texas A&M’s game against LSU at Kyle Field on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison -
Graduate student Veerakit Vanitshavit (Left) and Junior Nabeeha Ali (Right) examine samples at the Veterinary Research Lab on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. They are researching a strain of E. coli bacteria that can be used to combat antibiotic-resistant urinary tract infections, or UTIs. (Armani Jones/ The Battalion)
Photo by Armani Jones
November
The annual music festival Songfest was hosted at Rudder Auditorium on Nov. 9, the largest Greek Life-hosted philanthropy event at Texas A&M. Delta Gamma and One Army won 2024’s the festival after a blindfolded performance inspired by the movie “Bird Box.”
On Nov. 18, Texas A&M held the annual Bonfire Remembrance Ceremony at the Bonfire Memorial to mark the 25th anniversary since the collapse that killed 12 and injured 27.
Tens of thousands arrived in College Station for the game the state had been waiting for: the revived Lone Star Showdown football game against rival Texas at Kyle Field on Nov. 30. But to the Aggies’ disappointment, a dominant Texas and inefficient A&M offense led to a 17-7 loss, ending any College Football Playoff hopes for the home team.
-
Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps (1) dunks the ball during Texas A&M’s match against Southern University at Reed Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Adriano Espinosa/The Battalion)
Photo by Adriano Espinosa -
Aggie Gems and Aggie Suits perform “Rio” during Texas A&M Chi Omega’s Songfest at Rudder Auditorium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024.(Abdurahman Azeez/The Battalion)
Photo by Abdurahman Azeez -
Members of E-2 Company set helmets down in front of them before the Bonfire Remembrance Ceremony at the Bonfire Memorial on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (Hannah Harrison/The Battalion)
Photo by Hannah Harrison -
A rare white buffalo at the Aggieland Safari on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024 (Lillian Lopez/The Battalion)
Photo by Lillian Lopez
December
December saw sports dominate campus life.
Texas A&M’s men’s basketball’s successful season continued against Texas Tech on Dec. 8, where the Aggies took down Tech 72-63 during a neutral site game in Fort Worth, Texas. The 127th meeting between the two competitors was a non-conference matchup for the first time since 1953.
Texas A&M women’s basketball took down Texas Southern 85-60 on Dec. 16, pushing the team to 6-5 for the season. A&M’s men’s basketball similarly dominated Houston Christian University 77-45 on Dec. 20 for its sixth-straight win — without star player graduate guard Wade Taylor IV.
However, the success couldn’t transfer to Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko. The Aggies traveled to Nevada for the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, where they searched for a season-ending win against the USC Trojans on Dec. 27 after the prior month’s loss to rival Texas. At the Aggies’ peak, they led by 17 points. But they couldn’t keep the momentum, and as the game’s final minutes passed, the lead disintegrated. The Trojans took the game 34-31 after pushing ahead with only eight seconds left on the clock, ending the Aggies’ year with a loss.
-
Texas A&M guard Taliyah Parker (21) makes a layup during Texas A&M’s game against Texas Southern at Reed Arena on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann -
Texas A&M guard Manny Obaseki (35) greets his teammates before Texas A&M’s game against Houston Christian University at Reed Arena on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (Jackson Stanley/The Battalion)
Photo by Jackson Stanley -
Texas A&M wide receiver Noah Thomas (3) catches a 5-yard pass for a touchdown during Texas A&M’s game against USC at the SRS Distributions Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. (Chris Swann/The Battalion)
Photo by Chris Swann
Editors note: Editor-In-Chief Nicholas Gutteridge and Managing Editor Ian Curtis contributed to this article. Gutteridge wrote most paragraphs for each month, while Curtis edited the copy and wrote several paragraphs as well.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Texas A&M University - College Station. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs, in addition to paying freelance staffers for their work, travel costs for coverage and more!