MURFREESBORO, N.C. - Every August parents and family members help their college-aged children play a life-sized game of Tetris in driveways all over the country. Families strategically fit tightly packed totes and bins among matching pillows and bedding without breaking electronics and spilling commercial sized vats of laundry detergent and Costco snacks. At Chowan this fall some families packed up more than just one child. Some packed for two. Brothers, sisters, and even cousins have made their way to Murfreesboro and make up membership on rosters on six different Chowan teams.
Many college aged students relish the opportunity to make their way in the world away from home and away from family. Freedom, opportunity, and choice help college aged students grow from co-dependent children to dependent young adults. When graduates leave Chowan they do so often with the kind of family made through the shared experience of living and growing together on this campus. But scattered among the students at Chowan this fall are a few special family members, spread amongst six different teams at Chowan. Over the years, Hawks (and Braves) athletic rosters have featured brothers, sisters, cousins, twins, and even triplets. This year, however, the ties that bind seem to be larger in number, and spread across more teams than ever before.
In its 177 years of existence many students with family connections to Chowan have donned the residence halls and classrooms alike. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles numbering in the hundreds can trace roots back to this small, liberal arts university in northeastern North Carolina.
In 2025, the Hawks athletic teams feature three sets of twins: the Johnson Twins (Women's Basketball), the Short Twins (Cheerleading), and the Weston Twins (Softball). Gracie Ross from women's soccer played three seasons with her twin sister, Rayn. Gracie, a goalkeeper for the team, remained for one final season while her sister graduated this past May after playing three seasons together.
Double the Fun
A'Sharia and Isis Short have been cheering and dancing together since they were toddlers. When Coach Latoya Powell recruited one, she got a package deal, when both girls decided to continue their education and cheerleading career at Chowan this fall.
"We have been on the same team since we started cheering together when we were six," said A'Sharia. "We both love to cheer. I chose to stay with my sister because being close to her helps with my anxiety."
"When coach [Latoya Powell] recruited us to Chowan, I told her that I had a twin sister that also cheered," said Isis. "Coach said she can come too. So we made it happen and we are now both here."
As a young adult, navigating college life can be tedious. There are demands and stressors that come with being a college student-athlete that can be quite challenging. The Short twins are learning to find comfort in one another with each challenge that comes their way.
"We are so close to each other that we are each other's sister's comfort," said A'Sharia. "Nobody can comfort me like my sister. She makes me laugh. Sometimes we need to be separated because we play too much."
Of course both sisters spoke highly of one another, but Isis has a strong adoration for how strong her twin is. She said about her strength, "The way that she (A'Sharia) handles things, she is so strong."
Keilani and Keilana Johnson are twins on the women's basketball team from Woodbridge, Virginia.
The two have had successful scholastic playing careers as All-Conference performers in the Northern Virginia area. Both are looking to continue that same success here under Lenise Stallings-Frazier and the women's basketball program. The two are incredibly insightful and in playing together have learned quite a bit about one another's tendencies.
"With my twin, we can make cool passes to each other without worrying about us not catching the ball or anything," said Keilana about the connection between the two.
Even after 18 years (and nine months) of being together, the two continue to learn from one another. "I have learned to be a hard worker from my twin," said Keilana. "I also have learned to continue to set and go after my goals."
Keilani appreciates her sister's different perspective on their play, "It is good to watch from the sidelines to learn, to understand, and to project from the techniques my sister shows on the court."
Being together all the time does present challenges in life, but the Johnson Twins are ready to deal with any issue that presents itself. "There's always going to be pretty arguments between siblings but there's always going to be things more serious than arguing with each other," said Keilani.
Keilana added, "It is important to set healthy boundaries and understand it's ok not to be around each other all the time."
Lauren and Bailey Weston are twins and members of the softball team. The pitcher-catcher duo made the natural transition to college. The pitcher catcher relationship is special and so much of a pitcher's success depends on being in sync with a catcher. Being twins gives this duo a special kind of connection that puts them on a different playing field than others.
Bailey said of their twin connection, "I know my sister like I know my own mind. I know how she reacts to things and most of the time how to approach her with something. On the flip side we also know what makes each other go off as well. The challenge on the field is seeing her as my teammate and not my sister."
Lauren echoed that sentiment, "We know what causes the other one to tick and actually do really good. But some challenges we have is making sure on the field we treat each other as teammates and not sisters. Sometimes we will be on each other's nerves but we have to leave whatever frustrations we have with one another back at home so we can practice or play a game without that tiff getting in the way, which is much easier said than done."
While some view college as the place to grow without a family member literally right next to you, Bailey and Lauren both agree that being at Chowan together will draw them closer together. "I think that this experience will draw us closer together than ever before," said Lauren. "I do think this experience will draw us closer together but also help us find out who we are without one another too," said Bailey.
Our most experienced Chowan twins are Gracie and Rayn Ross. Gracie is a senior on the women's soccer team and is having to navigate life without her twin on the field for the first time since they started playing soccer so many years ago. Their shared time here at Chowan only strengthened their relationship.
"Rayn is able to read me like no other person can," said Gracie. "Without words she's able to tell exactly how I feel and how to support me in whatever I'm going through. Playing together was mostly positive but there were times where we were tough on each other because we know how to push each other even in times when we might not have wanted to be pushed."
Even without Rayn at here with her on campus this year Gracie is still taking what she has learned over the years playing with her sister and applying it to her life on and off the field.
"Rayn taught me that how even when it's tough, I should never stop working hard. Even though she graduated a year early Rayn always showed up to practice ready to work and always worked as hard as she could. That's something I always try to do too."
No Sibling Rivalry Here
Josh and Harry Baker, who came to Chowan from across the pond in Winterton, England, have the unique experience of having a coach-brother relationship. Josh, who is in his 4th season as an assistant coach for the men's team, is older brother to senior All-Conference and Elite 23 winner, Harry Baker. Josh and Harry have had a storied career on the pitch stateside, but it started many years ago when the two played alongside each other back in Winterton. Being far from home is hard but Harry and Josh do have one another to lean on.
"We are able to speak to one another, and offer support about family and personal life events that we maybe wouldn't speak to teammates about," said Harry. "We both know that there is more to life than just soccer. Some things are more important, like family and friends." The two brothers have shared many memorable moments but Harry's favorite is winning the 2023 Conference Carolinas title. "Winning that Conference Carolinas Tournament in my first year was special."
Brothers Tinaye Mavindidze and Nesuwo Mavindidze get the shared experience of playing with one another. Nesuwo is entering his senior year while Tinaye is suiting up in the blue and white as a freshman. Nesuwo spoke highly of his younger brother joining him at Chowan and how it presents both blessings and challenges.
"As family, we can push each other in ways that teammates can't because we know each other so well," said Nesowu. "We celebrate the little things together, and we're always honest even when it's tough to hear. The unique challenge is that it can be hard to separate the game from family life. Sometimes we bring competition or frustration home with us, but in the end, it makes us stronger because we're learning how to balance both roles."
Takiyah Raynor shares a special relationship with a member of the CU cheer squad. Janiya Lee and Takiyah are sisters from Fredericksburg, Virginia and came to Chowan to share in their college experience together, even though they play different sports.
Janiya has a lot of great memories with her sister. "Attending each other's games or competitions is a great memory I'll always have with Takiyah. My most challenging moments are both being in season the majority of the same time that Takiyah is playing soccer."
Takiyah feels the same way but believes that family makes the Chowan experience more memorable. "I think it's an amazing experience because our family gets to watch both of us and it becomes a shared experience," she shared. "Being in different seasons is a challenge but we get to see each other at games and we both bring our teammates along to support each other."
Jayda Dubeck is another women's soccer player, whose baby brother joined her at Chowan. Nick Dubeck is in his freshman year and is a member of the men's soccer squad. Even though they play the same sport, they do see it from different perspectives from different teams.
Jayda said, "We don't get to play alongside each other but my favorite memories are getting to cheer Nick on in his games and support him. What makes it challenging is when he gets mad at me for cheering him on." She continued, "We understand each other a lot better than our teammates do so it is easier for us to have conversations on different game points and from different view points."
When asked who is more likely to have a "crash out", each lovingly pointed the finger at one another. Nick said he has learned a lot by watching his older sister at Chowan. "She tells me don't make stupid decisions," said Nick. "I do think that we will gain a better understanding of one another while we are both here."
Cousins by Blood, Hawks by Choice
While most of our story has focused on siblings, cousins share a special bond here too. Junior baseball student-athlete Landon Tyndall has someone on campus he knows just as much as a sibling in cousin Callie Tyndall. Callie is a member of the softball team in her first year at Chowan.
Landon admitted, "We have always been really competitive but we both know that hard work pays off in the end."
Callie added, "We both really love sports. I do believe that our relationship will be stronger after college."
Both Landon and Callie believe that its cool to have a cousin to go to the same college and to play sports. They both offered similar advice to any future family members attending the same school and playing sports. "Find good friends, bond with your teammates, and just work hard and have fun."
Faith, Family, Future
The cornerstone of any good legacy begins with family, both the family that is created by blood and those created by shared experiences. At Chowan University, fostering a supportive family environment is key to shaping future leaders.
The Athletic Department is always looking for a good story to tell. If you have a story that you would like to share with us, email gocuhawks@chowan.edu. In addition, if you have a sibling, cousin, or relative on a team here or if you would like to add to the legacy, please contact us @ gocuhawks@chowan.edu.
