LIONS CHOICE AWARDS HIGHLIGHT ATHLETE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The Mars Hill Athletic Department and StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held the sixthannual Lions Choice Awards April 24 in Moore Auditorium.

Culminating all-around honors went to Man of the Year and Woman of the Year, awarded to SAAC Co-President and member of the Mars Hill men’s swim team Dalton Davidson and volleyball’s Jordan Schmucker.

Another highlight of the evening was recognition of the Mars Hill football team, which won the South Atlantic Conference Mountain Division. At the awards, the win was named the Mars Hill Moment of the Year. Director of Athletics Rick Baker along with head football coach Tim Clifton presented members of the team with their championship rings.

Volleyball’s Sarah Goddard took the Female Athlete of the Year Award while football’s Ty Snelson was named Male Athlete of the Year.

Goddard was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-American –first in program history–AVCA All-Region Selection, D2CCA All-Region Second Team selection, and All-SAC First Team selection. She ranked second in the SAC

by Adam Williams, Director of Sports Information

with 352 kills and 3.63 kills per set and ended her career third in program history with 1,329 kills.

Snelson was named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American, D2CCA Second Team All-American, Don Hansen Honorable Mention All-American, D2CCA All-Region First Team selection, SAC Offensive Player of the Year, and First Team selection. He racked up 587 all-purpose yards (427 receiving).

Acrobatics & Tumbling took the “Make It Yours” Community Service and Engagement award for volunteering at Mars Hill Elementary School teaching acro and tumbling skills to the students in PE class as well as their after-school program and volunteering at free acro camps during summer 2022.

Winning the Most Supportive Team award was the men’s and women’s tennis program for their constant support at athletic events, whether in the crowd cheering on fellow Lions or assisting the athletic department by covering gameday operations.

Football’s Jervon Newton and women’s basketball’s Jo Snow were the recipients Male and Female Newcomer of the Year awards.

Newton was named a Don Hansen Honorable Mention All-American, All-SAC First Team selection and ranked third in SAC with 12 rushing touchdowns, 4th in SAC with 106.3 rushing yards per game and 1,048 yards. He recorded five 100+ yard rushing games on the season.

Snow appeared in 17 games, started 16 games and averaged 16.5 points, pulled down 80 rebounds, assisted on 57 baskets, and forced 31 steals.

Raul Briceno of the men’s swim team was named the “First Team” Performance of the Year for claiming victory in the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) College National Open Water Championships on December 18 held in Miami, Florida.

The academic excellence of the Mars Hill studentathletes was recognized as Jordan Schmucker from the volleyball team and Faris Hadzisadikovic of men’s tennis were named the winners of the Female and Male Highest GPA awards. The women’s golf team took the Team Highest GPA award. Schmucker posted a 3.98 GPA while Hadzisadkovic posted a 3.88 GPA. The women’s golf team had a combined team GPA of 3.67.

Taking home the Faculty/Staff Supporter of the Year award was Assistant Network Manager Eddie Ball, capping off a nearly 20-year career at Mars Hill.

Laela Jimenez of the volleyball team and Kory Davis of the men’s basketball team won Freshman of the Year awards.

Davis was named SAC Freshman of the Year, earning spots on the All-SAC Freshman Team and All-SAC Third Team. He ranked fourth in the SAC in scoring (15.7 points per game) and Top-10 in steals (1.6 per game). He scored in double figures 22 times.

Jimenez was named an AVCA All-Region Selection, All-SAC Second Team selection, and All-SAC Freshman Team honoree. She led the SAC with 543 digs and 5.72 digs per set. The latter being fifth best in the country.

A recap of the entire awards slate is below.

LCA Recap

• Man of the Year - Dalton Davidson (men’s swimming)

• Woman of the Year - Jordan Schmucker (volleyball)

• Female Athlete of the Year - Sarah Goddard (volleyball)

• Male Athlete of the Year - Ty Snelson (football)

• Mars Hill Moment of the Year - football winning SAC Mountain Division Championship

• “Make It Yours” Team Award (community service and engagement) - acrobatics & tumbling

• Most Supportive Team - men’s & women’s tennis

• Male Newcomer of the Year - Jervon Newton (football)

• Female Newcomer of the Year - Jo Snow (women’s basketball)

• Female GPA - Jordan Schmucker (volleyball)

• Male GPA - Faris Hadzisadikovic (men’s tennis)

• First Team Sports Performance of the Year - Raul Briceno (men’s swimming)

• Faculty/Staff Supporter of the Year - Eddie Ball

• Female Freshman of the Year - Laela Jimenez (volleyball)

• Male Freshman of the Year - Kory Davis (men’s basketball)

• Team GPA - women’s golf

Lions Athletic Club continues to Contribute to Upgrades

The Lions Athletic Club (LAC) continues to work closely with the Mars Hill University Athletic Department to drive ongoing upgrades in MHU’s athletic facilities.

Some of the most recent changes include a newlyrenovated locker room for the acrobatics and tumbling team and an athletic performance weight room with new flooring and weightlifting equipment. Other changes to Chambers Gymnasium are focused in the lobby area, with university-themed graphics, a new concession stand, and freshly-renovated lobby restrooms.

Stadium-style basketball goals have also been installed to add a fresh look to Stanford Arena.

In Meares Stadium, the athletic department and the LAC have added brand new turf and stadium nets. Future plans include new basketball locker rooms for both men and women. Each locker room consists of hand-built lockers with MHU logo emblem doors and built-in monitors. Locker rooms will include 85-inch flat screen TVs for film purposes, new bathrooms with showers included, refinished original flooring, and freshly painted walls.

Carter Benge Hired as Cross country coach

The Mars Hill Athletic Department has named Carter Benge as the new head men’s and women’s cross country coach. Benge will also serve as the assistant men’s and women’s track & field coach.

“I am extremely excited to be given the opportunity to return to Mars Hill and give back to the university I love so much,” Benge said.

Benge comes to Mars Hill after serving as the head cross country coach at Southwestern College during the fall of 2022. He led the men’s team to their first national ranking in over 10 years and the women’s team to their highest conference finish (4th of 12) in the past five years.

Benge, a 2014 Mars Hill alum, was a Division II Academic All-American and DII National Championship participant during his time on The Hill. He was a multi-time All-South Atlantic Conference team selection.

He graduated from Mars Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in vocal music and a Bachelor of Science in computer science. He obtained his Master of Divinity degree from Campbell University in 2017. He served on the MHU Alumni Board from 2015-2022.

Class Notes Class Notes

1930s

Alfred Adams ’37, who passed away in 2002, was inducted into the inaugural class of the Watauga County Historical Society Hall of Fame in October. Adams was a long-time member of the banking industry in Boone, N.C. He was also active for many years in the Boone Chamber of Commerce and the board of directors of the Boone Merchants Association. He was the founding director of the Boone Golf Club and chairman of the board of the Watauga Medical Center. He was also active in dozens of community organizations, including Boy Scouts, Red Cross, and First Baptist Church of Boone, where he was a member and deacon.

1960s

Martha “Elizabeth” English Hamrick ’69 has received an Excellence in Community Service award from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. For the last nine years, Hamrick has donated many hours to Marshall (N.C.) Housing Authority, by delivering food donated by The Fresh Market in Asheville to low-income housing and local needy Madison County residents.

1970s

Richard Sparkman ’72 has received the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Carolina Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section, at the group’s annual Bankruptcy Institute in November 2022. An attorney specializing in bankruptcy, Sparkman practices with the firm of Sparkman and Associates, which is located in Angier, N.C. Sparkman served as entertainment for the meeting, playing guitar and doing comedy before being surprised with the award.

Rebecca Lawson ’73 is now fully retired from her position as adjunct professor in the College of Education at Winthrop University. She retired from full-time teaching in 2009. Lawson said that fulfilling bucket list items is high on her agenda for the future. In November, she reconnected with her first MHU roommate from Edna Moore Residence Hall in Florida. She also recently volunteered at the Iditarod race for the sixth time. Beverly Snowden ’74, who has been the director of communications for Hickory Public Schools since 2010, retired in November. An award-winning journalist, photographer and public speaker, Snowden served in corporate and educational communications at all levels for 48 years. Her extensive experience includes leading the communications departments for Broyhill Furniture and CommScope, Inc. and serving as director of public relations for Lenoir-Rhyne University (and adjunct communications instructor), public information officer for Catawba County Schools, and assistant director of public relations for Caldwell Community College. Snowden plans to move to the coast of N.C., where she will serve as the executive director of the Arts Council of Carteret County.

Snowden is a former member of the MHU Board of Advisors.

Sharon Joyner Hunt ’75 was inducted into the South Carolina School Nutrition Association Hall of Fame in October for her outstanding contributions and dedication to the organization and the child nutrition programs the state. Hunt has been involved in school nutrition for over 25 years, having served as director of School Food Services in Greenville, S.C.; education associate of the South Carolina Health and Nutrition Department; and director of Anderson School District 5 Culinary Services. She has held numerous state board offices of the SNA, including two terms as president of the organization.

Susan Wilson Parker ’77 retired in May 2022, after a 35-year career in medical technology in North Carolina, Florida, and Maryland. She now lives in Clarksville, Md.

Mars Hill Memories

One day last fall, Rev. David Smith ’69, honorary trustee of MHU, was perusing a copy of Charity and Children, the magazine of the N.C. Baptist Children’s Homes, when he caught sight of a familiar name and face. The article quoted Jerry Carroll ’69, Smith’s fellow graduate and friend from MHC. Though they were friends as students, the two had had not seen each other since graduation in the spring of 1969.

Smith tracked down a number for Carroll, who lives in Winston-Salem, and the two met for an afternoon of fellowship and Mars Hill memories.

Carroll (photo, left) is a retired librarian, who was head of the North Carolina Room of the Forsyth County Public Library inWinstonSalem, N.C.

Smith (right) is a retired pastor and author. He pastored several churches in North Carolina, and retired from First Baptist Church of Lenoir.

1980s

Kenny Ford ’80, of Swannanoa, N.C., was recognized in September for his 2021 induction into the WNC Hall of Fame. The recognition had been postponed due to the pandemic. Ford enjoyed a spectacular coaching career at Owen High School. He was the Warhorses’ head coach from 1986 to 2016, during which time, he racked up 230 wins, 21 winning seasons and 14 conference championships. Ford is the only football coach in Buncombe County history to have 200 wins at the same school.

Robert (R.L.) Taylor ’82 was sworn in as one of two new members of the Swain County Board of Education in December 2022. Taylor was elected to the position in November.

Mickey Ezell ’84 retired June 1, 2022, with a combined 37 years of service for Palm Beach County (Fla.) Fire & Rescue Department. At the time of his retirement, he was a captain and fire operations officer overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department.

Danny McIntosh ’88 was honored as the grand marshal for the 2022 Burnsville (N.C.) Christmas Parade. Over the years, McIntosh has served the town of Burnsville in various ways, as the town’s water plant operator, assistant superintendent of public works, firefighter, emergency medical technician, certified rescue technician, police officer, magistrate, election board secretary, deputy sheriff, fire chief, probation officer, rescue chief, mayor, and tax administrator. He also served as partner and treasurer at GWP, Inc., a locallyowned long-distance trucking company, for 36 years.

1990s

Jeff Bailey ’92 retired from his position as principal of Brevard Middle School, in Brevard, N.C., in October of 2022, after a 30-year career in education. Bailey began his career at Brevard Middle School as a physical education teacher and coach. Over the years, he taught and coached in both Transylvania and Hendersonville County Schools. In 2010, Bailey was named head football coach at Brevard High School. Later, he moved to Brevard Middle School as assistant principal. For the last seven years, he has served as principal at the middle school.

Derrick Sharpe ’94 has been named head football coach at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem, N.C. Sharpe has been a coach in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System since 2010. During that time, he served on the coaching staffs of Carver, Mount Tabor, and Parkland high schools. Most recently, Sharpe was quarterbacks coach at North Forsyth High School.

2000s

Denise Long Stowe ’02 retired in 2019 from her position as a senior operational auditor at Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. She recently moved to Belmont, N.C.

Amber Ponder Skantz ’06 is the new assistant archivist at Athens State University. Skantz has been with Athens State’s Kares Library for 10 years, serving previously as the circulation supervisor. She lives with her husband Ryan Skantz ’06 in Athens, Ala.

Tyrea Allen ’09, has been named head football coach at Rosman High School in Rosman, N.C. Allen began coaching in Transylvania County Schools in 2009, soon after his graduation from Mars Hill. He has served in various roles, including middle school basketball coach and JV football coach. In 2019, he became a teacher and coach at Rosman High School. He is believed to be the first African American coach on the Rosman High School coaching staff, and the sixth African American head coach in western North Carolina history.

Jessica Britt Young ’09 married Corey Young on September 3, 2022. She was named the Teacher of the Year at Hugo Owens Middle School, in Chesapeake, Va., and took a new role as the department chair of the health and physical education department at the middle school.

2010s

Patrick Cash ’11 has accepted a position as library assistant/ professor/manuscripts curator for the East Carolina Manuscripts Collection at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library.

Megan Currie ’16 married Roxanne Paris on November 5, 2022 in Weaverville, N.C. The couple live in Atlanta, Ga.

Ashley Staton Williams ’16 and Savannah Maynor Creasman ’17 are shown at right with their babies at a recent alumni gathering.

Ashley and her husband, Austin, had their daughter, Finleigh Grace, on November 22, 2022.

Savannah and her husband, Charles, had their son, Clayton James Creasman, on November 5, 2022.

Patty Glenn ’19 had a daughter, Eliana Athera Rose Glenn on

September 23, 2022. Glenn and her daughter live in WinstonSalem, N.C.

2020s

Sammantha Hodges Cannon ’20 married Gabriel Cannon on May 17, 2020. She has been employed as a microbiology technician at Genova Diagnostics in Asheville, N.C. since 2020.

Danielle Fant ’22 was one of the designers for “The Love Letter,” a collection of

In Memoriam

1930s

Altha L. Smith Satterwhite ’39, Hillsboro, Ore. November 13, 2022

1940s

Roger Hawley Crook ’40, Raleigh, N.C., December 2, 2022

Helen Maxine Moon Cashwell ’41, Raleigh, N.C., December 8, 2022

Gleta Ruby Harris Byrd ’43, Drexel, N.C., October 15, 2021

Ruth Mildred Baker Fisher ’43, Asheville, N.C., January 30, 2023

June Katherine Hallyburton Huddleston ’43, Johnson City, Tenn., January 30, 2023

Effie Maureen Lovingood Dunn ’44, Charlottesville, Va., April 18, 2019

Yvonna C. Chapman Mayse ’44, Flat Rock, N.C., January 18, 2023

Ruth Alyne Sims Carter ’45, Winston-Salem, N.C., March 11, 2023

Elizabeth West Gopfert Muench ’45, Fairview, N.C., October 21, 2022

Margaret Irene Holland Shoemaker ’45, Charlotte, N.C., January 3, 2023

Geraldine Carol Burgiss Mangum ’46, Raleigh, N.C., June 12, 2022

Faye Elizabeth Jenkins Rowe ’46, New Bern, N.C., October 19, 2020

Sarah “Inez” Haney Arant ’47, Matthews, N.C., September 28, 2022 fashion designs presented at New York Fashion Week in February of 2022, which was created to raise awareness about mental health issues and suicide prevention. “Each garment symbolizes our love letter to those who battle with mental health and thoughts of suicide,” Danielle said. The collection was created by No Punching Bag, a fashion brand for social change founded in 2015 by Fant, her mother, and her sister. No Punching Bag also presented designs in New York Fashion Week in September 2019, and at Paris Fashion Week in February 2019.

Hazel Eugenia Morrison ’47, Knoxville, Tenn., October 3, 2022

Edna Grace Stevens Price ’47, Clemmons, N.C., January 3, 2023

Troy Larkin Day ’48, Kannapolis, N.C., March 22, 2023

Evelyn Marion Huggins Harris ’48, Raleigh, N.C., January 31, 2023

Polly Jean Yandell Miller ’48, Black Mtn., N.C., February 20, 2023

Franklin Oscar Sappenfield ’48, Kings Mountain, N.C., September 19, 2022

Kathryn Elizabeth Bullard ’49, Richmond, Va., September 16, 2022

Anna Ruth Owen Kickliter ’49, Tallahassee, Fla., January 26, 2022

Joan Nivens McNeill ’49, Myrtle Beach, S.C., July 22, 2022

Phillip Ray Ruckner, Sr. ’49, Shelby, N.C., January 14, 2023

Davey Lee Ward ’49, Knoxville, Tenn., November 22, 2022

1950s

Betsy Bryan Bizzell ’50, Asheboro, N.C., December 10, 2022

Mary Josephine Snyder Caldwell ’50, Charlotte, N.C., January 31, 2023

Martha Courery Grant Smith ’50, Wilmington, N.C., October 3, 2022

Gladys Senora Hunter Smith ’50, Spencer, N.C., November 19, 2022