A Season of Champions: The Best of Spring 2023

By Joseph Garwood: Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

6/24/2023 11:15:00 AM

BEST OF SPRING 2023 IN PIEDMONT ATHLETICS

BY THE NUMBERS

1 - NCAA Individual National Champion (Josh Hebrink - Men's Golf)

1 - NCAA National Team Runner-Up (Men's Golf)

1 - CCS Regular Season Championship (Women's Tennis)

1 - USA South Rookie of the Year (Erin Donovan)

2 - Team NCAA Tournament Appearances (Women's Tennis, Men's Golf)

2 - All-Americans (Josh Hebrink, Fred Roberts IV - Men's Golf)

2 - CCS Conference Players of the Year (Abbey Grace Venham, Fred Roberts IV)

5 - Conference Championships (Women's Swimming, Women's Tennis, Baseball, Women's Track & Field, Men's Track & Field)

6 - Conference Coaches of the Year (Teddy Guyer, Matt Williams, Trey Martin, Jamie Jimison x2, JP Kircher)

10 - All-Region Performers

13 - USA South Athletes of the Week

16 - Individual Conference Champions

41 - CCS Athletes of the Week

48 - CSC Academic All-District Performers

94 - All-Conference Performers (57 CCS, 24 SWIM, 13 USA South)

I was so proud of everyone involved who helped form the Collegiate Conference of South. There is a tremendous amount of work that has been involved in starting a brand new conference. I am excited about the future of the conference as we work to grow the membership and build on the good foundation that has been laid this first year. I continue to be impressed with the Presidents, Directors of Athletics, coaches, support staff and the student-athletes who we get to work with, compete against, and most importantly build positive relationships with moving into the future.

Jim Peeples, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

QUICK HITS

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - 10th consecutive winning season; Made run to CCS Tournament Final; Nakiyah Washington reached 1,000 career points and broke Amari Price's program career scoring record

MEN'S BASKETBALL - 7-4 home record; Ryan Jolly led CCS in assists and was named to the All-CCS First Team; Lions won thrilling double overtime game in CCS Tournament Quarterfinals over Berea 86-80

WOMEN'S SWIMMING - 9-2 dual record; Independent South Swimming Conference Champions; 13 All-Conference swimmers

MEN'S SWIMMING - 8-1 dual record; 2nd place finish at Independent South Swimming Conference Championship; 11 All-Conference swimmers

WOMEN'S GOLF - 3rd-place finish at USA South Tournament; Erin Donovan named USA South Rookie of the Year, became program's first WGCA All-Region player since 2012

MEN'S GOLF - Runner-up finish at NCAA Division III Championship; Josh Hebrink became Piedmont's first ever NCAA Individual National Champion; Hebrink and Fred Roberts IV named PING First Team All-Americans

WOMEN'S LACROSSE - 12-7 overall record (most wins since 2015); USA South Semifinals appearance; 5 players named All-USA South

MEN'S LACROSSE - 7-1 conference record (three-way tie for regular season title); 3 players (Brady McGuire, Connor Rogers, Michael Anderson) joined 100-career point club; USA South Semifinals appearance; Six players named All-USA South performers

CHEERLEADING - Champions at Clash of the Conferences in first ever competition; 3rd-place finish at NCA Collegiate National Championship

WOMEN'S TENNIS - Second consecutive conference tournament title (1st in CCS) and NCAA Tournament appearance; 5th consecutive undefeated conference regular season; Trey Martin named CCS Coach of the Year; Abbey Grace Venham named CCS Player of the Year

MEN'S TENNIS - 5-1 record in CCS; CCS Tournament Final appearance; Matt Williams named CCS Coach of the Year; 4 Lions named All-Conference

SOFTBALL - Head Coach Terry Martin earned 600th career win; Jasmine Lowery named NFCA All-Region First Team

BASEBALL - CCS Conference Tournament Champions; Carter Ballstadt breaks program record for career home runs and saves; Ballstadt and Kolton Hicks named ABCA/Rawlings All-Region; Hicks named CCS Tournament MVP

THE TROPHIES

???????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ????????????-????! ??

Check out all the hardware coming back to Piedmont! pic.twitter.com/AtUHDqrF2f
— Piedmont Lions (@PiedmontLions) May 20, 2023

Fred Roberts IV (L) and Josh Hebrink (R)

THE CELEBRATIONS

?????? MADE IT!!!!

Josh Hebrink is a NATIONAL CHAMPION ?????? pic.twitter.com/Vs1QYB1jfs
— Piedmont Golf (@GolfLions) May 19, 2023

We did it. ?? pic.twitter.com/OBK7YMBVDF
— Piedmont Lions (@PiedmontLions) May 8, 2023

The Celebration ???? Let’s go!!!@PiedmontUTennis pic.twitter.com/sVezI2Wj1a
— Piedmont Lions (@PiedmontLions) April 29, 2023

FINAL | Headed to the Ship!

Tomorrow, we play for the big ??

Piedmont 75, LaGrange 73 pic.twitter.com/qmgJPd1P88
— Piedmont WBB (@PiedmontWBB) February 25, 2023

???????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????????????? ???? pic.twitter.com/BNRJ6BF4p1
— Piedmont Basketball (@Lions_MBB) February 22, 2023

THE STORIES

NCAA DIII Week: Piedmont Partners with Local Elementary School for PAL Games

NCAA DIII Week: Celebrating National Sibling Day

NCAA DIII Week: Piedmont's Riley Bryan Featured in Carolina Panthers Social Campaign

THE SENIORS

Piedmont softball 2023 Photo: Dale Zanine

Piedmont University Athletics. (Photo: Mooreshots LLC)

THE SETTING

THE STANDOUTS

THE STUDENT ATHLETES

CCS Announces 2022-23 Academic All-Conference Honorees

USA South Announces Annual Academic All-Conference Honors

Piedmont University Announces Spring 2023 AD Honor Roll

More than Basketball. The guys handled business in the classroom this semester. ???????? pic.twitter.com/SEg4D32iXS
— Piedmont Basketball (@Lions_MBB) May 12, 2023

Our team got it done in the classroom this semester!

8?? players with a perfect 4.0 GPA
1??7?? players with a 3.5+ GPA

So proud of this crew! pic.twitter.com/BgIBtsKh5a
— Piedmont Women's Lacrosse (@PiedmontWLAX) June 11, 2023

“This class were freshmen when COVID shut down everything around them that they had built into a home. But in a world then filled with uncertainty, they returned to provide stability and steadiness. They are forever part of this family we call Piedmont.” -Coach Timmy on the grads pic.twitter.com/kMT3olQTpO
— Piedmont Women's Soccer (@PiedmontWSOC) May 23, 2023

THE LEADERS

Men's Swimming Finishes Second, Coach Guyer named Coach of the Year

Piedmont University Athletics Swimming. (Photo: Karl L. Moore/Mooreshots LLC)

Teddy Guyer

Piedmont mens lacrosse 2023. Photo: Dale Zanine

Coaching the women's golf team this semester was one of the most positive coaching experiences I have had in all my time working in college athletics. It was tremendous to work with our young women this spring at practice each day and watch their improvement at each tournament as we went through the spring events. It was also good for me to experience what our coaches experience day to day and week to week working with our student-athletes. I have a passion for teaching and coaching and having that opportunity every day was something that brought me great joy.

Jim Peeples

THE RECORD BREAKERS

Abbey Grace Venham Combined Wins Record - Season

THE POSTSEASON HEROES

?????? ???????? ??????????????????????

Ryan Jolly was awesome in helping lead Piedmont to a First Round win in the CCS Tournament last night

The senior was 14-16 from the FT line and played ?????? 50 minutes in the win

?? | #CCS pic.twitter.com/xKdO6sdgdu
— Collegiate Conference of the South (@CCofSouth) February 22, 2023

THE SUPPORT

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