GGC ATHLETICS CONTINUES HISTORIC
SUCCESS
Grizzlies forward Amy Morland, ’18, psychology, prepares to pass the ball during a regular season women’s soccer game against the University of the Cumberlands from Williamsburg, Kentucky.
national championships,” said Hodges, who has amassed an unbelievable 220-21 record with both tennis programs, including a 124-3 mark in men’s tennis. He has been named NAIA National Coach of the Year nine times. This success hasn’t come without a lot of hard work. The women’s tennis team avenged a 5-4 regular-season loss in March to No. 1-seeded Keiser University of Florida with a 5-2 triumph in this spring’s national championship match in Mobile, Alabama. “The women really worked hard for this title,” said Hodges, who replaced several players from GGC’s 2017 title-winning team. “For a new group to come together and win the national title is very rewarding and says something about the pride the players take in our program. They played for each other. This championship took a total team effort.” On the same courts only a few hours later, the No. 1-ranked men’s team put the finishing touches on another undefeated season with a dominating clean sweep of every doubles and singles match to defeat No. 2 Keiser. They won all four matches at the NAIA national tournament by identical 5-0 scores, clinching the championship. “Winning five national championships in a row is amazing. I am extremely proud of this year’s group,” said Hodges. “Even with stiff challenges, we continue to win at a high level. We definitely have established a dynasty with our men’s and women’s teams.”
In only six years, GGC Athletics has established itself among the best programs in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Achievements during the 2017-18 athletic season include: • All six teams qualified for NAIA national tournaments. • Three teams were ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, including the first No. 1 national ranking in softball. Three other teams made the nation’s Top 25 during the season. • Teams compiled a 175-28-4 overall record. • Teams captured two national championships in men’s and women’s tennis, one semifinalist in baseball and two quarterfinal appearances by softball and men’s soccer. • GGC hosted NAIA opening round competitions in baseball, softball and men’s soccer, and Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) championship tournaments in four sports. • Men’s and women’s soccer, softball and women’s tennis were named 2017-18 NAIA Scholar Teams. “It has truly been a historical year for GGC Athletics. The success we’ve had in the classroom, our hours of community service and all of our sports competing for national championships is a testament to our coaches, administration and, most importantly, our scholar-athletes,” said Dr. Darin S. Wilson, director of Athletics and the 2017-18 A.I.I. Athletics Director of the Year. The tennis teams’ successes were part of a remarkable spring. The softball team won a school-record 53 games, including victories in 35 of its 37 home games, and advanced to its first NAIA World Series. The baseball team won 50 games, including two contests at the Avista-NAIA World Series. Last fall, the men’s soccer program played in the NAIA national championship tournament for the first time, while the women’s team tied a school record of 14 matches, captured its first conference title and was No. 19 in the season’s final poll. Five scholar-athletes earned Google Cloud Academic All-America honors by the College Sports Information Directors of America, led by tennis player Kevin Konfederak, ’18, business, as the At-Large Academic All-American of the Year. Others recognized were softball player Taylor Hansis, ’19, biology; men’s soccer player Samuel Sampaio Gomes, ’18, business; and women’s soccer players Ellinor Bertilsson, ’19, business; and Sophie Hoare, ’20, mathematics. e n g a g e. gg c. e d u
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