ROME, Ga. – The year began and ended with two athletes earning the right to be called national champions.

And in-between those historic feats of 2015, a wealth of honors and accomplishments took place that combined to make a statement – Shorter University can holds its own as an NCAA Division II program and is determined to build on the success achieved over the past 12 months.

"We accomplished quite a lot in our first year, but we still want to see improvements in all of the programs on this level," said Director of Athletics Kim Graham, who took over the helm of the department in June and is committed to seeing Shorter build on what has been achieved since the university completed its transition to the NCAA last year.
"Our staff is committed to working hard to do our part to make the program successful on the Division II level," Graham added. "We haven't fully arrived but we turned some heads."

Winning an NCAA national championship can certainly grab the attention and in 2015 two members of Shorter's track and cross country teams did just that.

In February, Ayana Walker became Shorter's first-ever Division II national champion when she won the 400-meter title at the NCAA National Indoor Track and Field Championships held in Birmingham, Ala., and earned All-America recognition.

At that same meet, Alfred Chelanga also claimed All-America honors after reaching the finals of the 3,000, but nine months later after winning the Gulf South Conference and South Region titles stood at the top of another national podium when he captured the NCAA Division II Cross Country championship in Joplin, Mo., in November.

Last May, when the 2014-15 calendar year of competition – Shorter's first as a full NCAA member – the Lady Hawks softball team emerged as one of the best in Division II when they closed out their season giving the university its first Gulf South Conference tournament championship, went on to claim the NCAA South Region title and earn a trip to the Division II Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, eventually reaching the Final 4.

At the same time the Lady Hawks were making their presence known in Division II, outfielder Niki Cook – she was named the GSC Freshman of the Year – emerged as the team's first-ever NFCA All-America selection, once of several Shorter athletes who joined her in grabbing All-American honors.

Obtaining the honor in 2015 included wrestler Terrence Smith, who was one of four Shorter wrestlers to compete in the NCAA championships; Jordan Shaw, who became the first football player to be named to the AFCA All-America team in two consecutive seasons; Chelanga, who garnered two All-America laurels on the indoor track and in cross country; and Walker, who in the span of three months collected three All-America awards – a first for Shorter – on the indoor and outdoor ovals, the latter two coming at the NCAA outdoor championships in the 400 and as a member of the Lady Hawks 4x400 relay team that saw teammates Ashley Ballard, Jasmine Crump and Kemor Anderson earn the right to be called All-Americans.

That same foursome wound up being honored by the USTFCCCA as nation's top Division II quartet in that event thanks to posting the top time of 2015 – it was also a school record – when they covered the distance in 3:39.76 at the Sea Ray Relays hosted by the University of Tennessee, besting a field of mostly Division I teams, and gave the group an automatic qualification to the NCAA DII Outdoor National Championships.

The track team – they collected 53 indoor and outdoor All-Region honors – gave Shorter a pair of sweeps, winning men's and women's Peach Belt Conference championship and for the second straight year won the National Christian College Athletic Association national championships, and repeating as well as NCCAA national champs was the women's tennis team.

Throughout the year, Shorter saw its athletes recognized as some of the best in conference in their sports as 26 men and women representing 11 teams were All-Gulf South Conference selections, and of even more importance more than 70 student-athletes were recognized as All-Academic performers, a figure that should go over the 100 mark when the GSC announces its Fall Academic Honor Roll next month.

"It's great to see our athletes achieve success and recognition," Graham said, "but we'd rather see the teams achieve it as well and it starts with winning conference championships like the softball team did and build from there."

And there is, Graham points out, a solid NCAA foundation that Shorter can build on by adapting to the changes that are a part of any collegiate transitional process.

One example, Graham noted, is the legacy established for the Hawks' football team by Phil Jones who, after starting the sport at Shorter 12 years ago, announced earlier this month his retirement.

"His stellar career has been built on the cornerstone of relationships, and the impact he has had on his players' lives is truly extraordinary," Shorter President Dr. Don Dowless said of Jones, who will remain as the Hawks' emeritus coach and will be inducted into Shorter's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. "Shorter football will stand proudly on the foundation he has built."

Jones's philosophy of building relationships with God and one another serves as true vehicle that allows Shorter to continue its mission of "Transforming Lives Through Christ" not only on campus but off of it as well as the entire athletic department remains committed to help others.

Throughout 2015, every team has taken part in service projects, whether it involved mission trips to other nations or within the Greater Rome community.

"Our athletes and teams are a part of the community," said Graham, who wants to create an even bigger bond between Shorter and Rome on and off the field. "Every time they compete they not only represent Shorter, but Rome as well.

"We enthusiastically anticipate a good spring," he said. "We're optimistic about lies ahead for Shorter athletics in 2016."