Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
MTSU again victorious in Blood Battle vs. WKU
10/23/2022 8:00:00 AM | General
Over 500 Blue Raiders donated 480 units of blood to the American Red Cross
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Congratulations Blue Raider Nation! Thanks to you, MTSU has retained the Blood Battle vs. WKU trophy for the fourth time in a row, with 480 units of blood being donated to the American Red Cross of Tennessee over the three-day Blood Drive earlier this month on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
A total of 586 donors, 312 of which were first-time donors to the American Red Cross, combined to donate 480 units, easily surpassing WKU's 351 total units. The American Red Cross estimates that MTSU's blood donation will save as many as 1386 lives.
"Everybody likes to focus on the '100 Miles of Hate," said Deputy AD and Senior Women's Administrator Diane Turnham. "Well, we do have some love mixed in there. We use our rivalry to do some great things."
"I'm amazed every year at how many people come out. Some people are terrified, some of them sit there and shake. But they give blood. And that just renews my faith in mankind, especially MTSU True Blue people who step up and help other people."
MTSU Athletics thanks not only their coaches, student athletes and staff that participated in the drive, but all of the students and faculty of MTSU for their time and donations towards this goal!
"We had not one lull the whole time we were here," Turnham said. "Our students and our staff and our faculty and even BRAA members just kept coming. You need only to know someone that needs that blood to know how important it is, and it does my heart good every single year to see our people come out."
The Blue Raiders won the blood drive for the fourth time in a row, dating back to 2017, as the head-to-head competition was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. First started in 2010, Middle Tennessee has won all but two of the Blood Battles in the event's history.
Blood Battle Winner History
2010: Middle Tennessee
2011: Middle Tennessee
2012: WKU
2013: Middle Tennessee
2014: Middle Tennessee
2015: Middle Tennessee
2016: WKU
2017: Middle Tennessee
2018: Middle Tennessee
2019: Middle Tennessee
2020: No head-to-head competition
2021: No head-to-head competition
2022: Middle Tennessee
A total of 586 donors, 312 of which were first-time donors to the American Red Cross, combined to donate 480 units, easily surpassing WKU's 351 total units. The American Red Cross estimates that MTSU's blood donation will save as many as 1386 lives.
"Everybody likes to focus on the '100 Miles of Hate," said Deputy AD and Senior Women's Administrator Diane Turnham. "Well, we do have some love mixed in there. We use our rivalry to do some great things."
"I'm amazed every year at how many people come out. Some people are terrified, some of them sit there and shake. But they give blood. And that just renews my faith in mankind, especially MTSU True Blue people who step up and help other people."
MTSU Athletics thanks not only their coaches, student athletes and staff that participated in the drive, but all of the students and faculty of MTSU for their time and donations towards this goal!
"We had not one lull the whole time we were here," Turnham said. "Our students and our staff and our faculty and even BRAA members just kept coming. You need only to know someone that needs that blood to know how important it is, and it does my heart good every single year to see our people come out."
The Blue Raiders won the blood drive for the fourth time in a row, dating back to 2017, as the head-to-head competition was not held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. First started in 2010, Middle Tennessee has won all but two of the Blood Battles in the event's history.
Blood Battle Winner History
2010: Middle Tennessee
2011: Middle Tennessee
2012: WKU
2013: Middle Tennessee
2014: Middle Tennessee
2015: Middle Tennessee
2016: WKU
2017: Middle Tennessee
2018: Middle Tennessee
2019: Middle Tennessee
2020: No head-to-head competition
2021: No head-to-head competition
2022: Middle Tennessee
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