On the floor of a mostly empty Moody Coliseum, ESPN columnist Kate Fagan eased her way back and forth down the sideline as she spoke. The cover of her book “What Made Maddy Run” was plastered on the north side of the jumbotron above her, peering out at her audience of student-athletes and administrators. Among those in attendance that night was Nicole Petchey, a junior from the women’s tennis team.
Fagan’s message, which had earned a spot on the New York Times bestseller list and a primetime segment with Trevor Noah, spoke to Petchey that night.