Galloway, N.J. -The Sports Center was busy with athletes lacing up their cleats, practicing dunks and making sure their uniforms looked sharp as they chatted with teammates.

No meets or games were scheduled. Everyone showed up with props, smiles and school spirit for the four photographers shooting the men’s and women’s Track and Field teams and Basketball teams for Media Day.

Each season, student athletes are invited for a portrait session where they are encouraged to show off their personality in front of a backdrop. The images are posted on social media throughout the year to build hype and get fans to show up in a big way to support the Ospreys.

Riley Lorenz, a Communications Studies major, came up with the photo day concept last year after building relationships with various teams while covering their games and meets on the court and field, at home and away.

She was joined by photographers Solo Doumbouya, a junior on the men’s soccer team, Danna Urias, a sophomore on the track and field team, and Ja’Dir Greer Turner, a sophomore Criminal Justice major.

For Greer Turner, the experience was something he’d been dreaming of doing for a few years.

He took his first-ever photos at his high school during a friend’s basketball game. One sport led to the next, and then Turner was assisting his coach at a high school media day.

At Stockton’s winter media day, he offered a photo station with professional lighting for posed portraits and went onto the court for action shots and candid moments.

“Photography is a passion and an escape,” he explained.

A career as a sports photographer is his calling. Media day offered him one step in that direction. 

“This is what I’ve been wanting to do since I got to Stockton,” he said.

The best part of the experience was “seeing how people react to the photos,” he said.

For Lorenz, seeing the event grow was rewarding.

“I couldn’t be happier with the growth of the media day experience at Stockton. A big focus of ours is coming up with more ideas to make each one bigger and better than the last. Ja’Dir played a huge part in making the experience better. He brought in new, refreshing ideas,” she said.

Below are selected images that Turner captured at media day as an intern for University Relations and Marketing.

Story by Susan Allen