Shorter Ranked in Top 25 of Directors Cup

After the revelation of the latest National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Directors` Cup Standings, there is no doubt that Shorter`s athletic department has grown in national stature as well. Shorter, which currently boasts 18 intercollegiate varsity athletic programs, comes in ranked No. 25 out of over 300 NAIA member institutions in the NACDA`s first winter NAIA Learfield Sports Directors` Cup Standings, as announced by the organization on Thursday.

The Learfield Sports Directors` Cup was developed as a joint effort between the NACDA) and USA Today. Points are awarded based on each institution`s finish in up to 12 sports - six women`s and six men`s.

The latest showing by the Hawks and Lady Hawks is a continuance of what has quickly become consistent success: Shorter finished the 2007-08 year ranked 21st in the NACDA Directors` Cup and in 2008-09, came in at No. 33 in the final NACDA rankings.

Obviously, we are excited about this recognition for our athletic program, said Shorter Director of Athletics, Bill Peterson. Once you can consistently rank in the top 25 of the Directors` Cup, you start to become recognized as a program of excellence.

While we are not quite there yet, we feel that we are making tremendous strides.

Excellence has been infectious throughout the Shorter athletic department as the College has made a habit of placing numerous athletes on respective All-Conference, All-Academic and All-America teams.

Last year, Shorter student-athletes and coaches continued to shine, recording all-time highs with 75 graduating seniors, 74 All-Conference and All-Academic selections, 16 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, eight conference Coach of the Year selections, six conference championships, one team national championship and one individual national championship.

Shorter head football coach Phil Jones was named the FCA National Coach of the Year and women`s basketball player Whitni Tucker was named the national winner of the NAIA`s Emil S. Liston Award.

Softball standout Becca Thomas garnered the Southern States Athletic Conference`s Female Honor Student-Athlete of the Year honor and Justyna Mudy won Shorter`s second-ever individual national championship with a victory in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships in St. Louis, Mo. - just a few of the accomplishment of Shorter`s talent-rich athletic department.

While we still have a way to go in terms of the overall athletic department, I feel that our coaches are some of the best in the NAIA and they have the hardware to prove it, said Peterson, who has witnessed first hand the journey of Shorter Athletics towards national prominence in his three years at the helm. Ricci Lattanzi is recognized by many as one of the best game day administrators in the country and our staff as a whole is simply top notch.

We are definitely making progress.

This year, Shorter is off to another fantastic athletic run.

Football lived in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll in 2009, climbing as high as No. 10 in the nation and securing a fourth-straight winning season for the five-year old program.

Seniors A.J. Cooley and Logan Lollis were named NAIA All-Americans and repeated as the Mid-South West Division Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, while Cooley, Shorter`s all-time leading rusher at over 4,000 yards, became Shorter`s first-ever AFCA All-American and was invited to play in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Challenge in El Paso, Texas.

Volleyball set a school record with 27 victories as senior Kasi Runion became the program`s first-ever AVCA All-Region selection in addition to her All-America honor. Runion departs Shorter`s program as its all-time leader in kills, but head coach Jon Moseley has plenty of young talent returning next season, including this year`s SSAC Setter of the Year in freshman Jordan Corder.

Men`s soccer tied a school record with 12 victories and set a new program mark with a league-leading 55 goals scored. The Hawks made a great run in the SSAC Tournament while junior Sebastian Stihler was named the SSAC Defensive Player of the Year and senior Anthony O`Garro signed a professional contract with AC St. Louis of the North American Soccer League (NASL).

Both Shorter cross country teams made appearances in the NAIA National Cross Country Championships in the fall - the women made their first appearance as a team - helping head coach Jay Stephenson repeat as SSAC Coach of the Year. Mudy added a second national title to her resume by taking first at the event by 21 seconds.

Men`s basketball set a program record with nine straight wins to open the season as third-year head coach Chad Warner won his 50th career game in leading the Hawks to a 17-13 record. The Hawks placed seven athletes on the 13-man SSAC All-Academic Team and featured the league`s Newcomer of the Year in Marqise Wright.

The Lady Hawks` hoops squad is preparing to make its second-ever appearance in the NAIA Division I Women`s Basketball National Championship in Jackson, Tenn., on the heels of a 22-9 campaign. The 22 wins mark the first time in program history that the Lady Hawks have won at least 20 games in three straight seasons and are also the most since the 1999-2000 season.

The Shorter men and women`s golf and tennis teams each started the spring ranked in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Men`s golf topped several of the nation`s best in a tournament victory at its first event of the season, the Thomas University Winter Invitational in Valdosta - junior Arvid Bengtsson took home medalist honors for his second individual victory of the year - and followed up that performance with a second-place effort in a strong field of 17 teams in the Rome News-Tribune Invitational at Stonebridge Golf Club several days ago.

The men and women`s tennis teams beat the No. 13 and No. 5 teams in the country, respectively, when they took down Lindsey Wilson College in St. Columbia, Ky., back on March 5, solidifying their place among the nation`s elite.

Shorter`s three-time defending SSAC champion and No. 12-ranked softball team is vying for a fourth straight trip to the NAIA National Championships while off to a 14-3 start and the men and women`s track teams, fresh off a pair of top 10 performances at last year`s NAIA Outdoor Nationals with an extremely young roster, are legitimate title threats this season.

With the excitement building about the new lacrosse and wrestling programs, it appears that Shorter Athletics is on top to stay.

The future is definitely bright for Shorter Athletics, said Peterson. Ultimately, our goal is to finish first in the nation in the Directors` Cup.

One day, we truly believe that will happen.

By: Matt Green