Lions’ Choice Awards Continued...
One thing the Male and Female Athlete of the Year had in common was the fact that they both cemented their legacies by breaking Mars Hill school records. Craig Rucker capped off his sensational career on the gridiron by repeating as Male Athlete of the Year, SAC Offensive Player of the Year, All-SAC First Team selection, and AFCA First Team All-American, among countless other accolades. Rucker is the MHU record holder in receiving touchdowns (43), career receiving yards (4,320), and receiving touchdowns in one game (5), to name a few. The aforementioned are also SAC records. On the court, SallyAnne Johnson followed up her incredible junior campaign with an even better final season. Johnson led the SAC in solo blocks with 29 and finished the season with 93 total, setting the new standard for career blocks with 382 in her
four years on the Hill. The Asheville native was also named an All-SAC Second Team selection. Johnson added another award, one of the most important that can be given, and that is the Woman of the Year award. Highlighted by her accomplishments in the classroom (3.41 GPA in biology), Johnson became the second volleyball student-athlete to take the award in the show’s three-year history (Lauren Hochstetler-2018). Dual-sport athlete Jayson Moorman took home the prestigious Man of the Year award. The soccer/ lacrosse standout served as the SAAC president for two years, the Faculty Athletics Committee male representative, Lions’ Day of Play Committee Chair, and Student Liaison for CREDO communication. The 2020 Lions’ Choice Awards premiered on Wednesday, June 3, through Stretch Internet and YouTube.
Class Notes Mars Hill, the Magazine of Mars Hill University welcomes your personal snapshots when you send in news of weddings, babies, accomplishments, etc. Send your news and photos to alumni@mhu.edu, or Alumni Office, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, N.C. 28754.
1970s
as The American Legion VA Volunteer Service representative there. Scruggs was also named Post Service Officer of the Year, at the American Legion Department Convention in Raleigh in June 2019.
Rev. Bruce Norman Hartgrove ’71 will be retiring this year from First Baptist Church of High Point, N.C., where he has served as minister of music for 39 years. Robert “Bob” Scruggs ’74 has been named the Outstanding Veterans Administration Voluntary Worker of the Year at The American Legion’s Washington Conference in March 2020. Scruggs is a 52-year member of American Legion Post 77 in Hendersonville, N.C. He has volunteered at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, N.C., since 1970, logging over 27,000 hours of service at the facility. Since 2000 he’s served
Bruce Hartgrove
Mary Elliott Williams ’77 published a devotional book in November 2019, titled Under His Wings, in memory of her father, Gordon Elliott. Williams illustrated the book of her father’s writings with her original song bird paintings. Elliott served as a pastor and priest in several churches in the Toronto area before his death at age 90. 1980s
Bob Scruggs
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Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Abernathy Vogler ’81, has been named North Carolina Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers
