Cullowhee, N.C. – As the Southern Conference wrapped its celebration of 100 years in 2021, the league named 100th anniversary teams in each sport it currently sponsors and has sponsored for at least 25 years. Western Carolina, a member of the SoCon since 1976, had 66 student-athlete alum earn spots on the anniversary teams in 12 sports.
Western Carolina will honor its SoCon 100th Anniversary Team members on Saturday, Sept. 17, in the 2022 football home opener against Presbyterian in Cullowhee.
Click HERE to buy tickets to the game.
The Catamounts honored and the criteria met for recognition, are listed below with the full SoCon 100th anniversary teams linked for each sport:
CATAMOUNT BASEBALL (7):
Jason Beverlin, P: SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1993-94
Bryson Bowman, OF: All-America 2016, 2017
Clint Fairey, DH/1B: SoCon Player of the Year 1987, 1988, 1989; 1st-team All-SoCon 1987, 1988, 1989
Fred Hailey, OF: 1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985 1986, 1987
Skip Nelloms, OF: 1st-team All-SoCon 1985, 1987, 1988
Matt Raleigh, 3B/SS: 1st-team All-SoCon 1990, 1991, 1992
Wayne Tolleson: SoCon Hall of Fame 2020, SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1977-78\
CATAMOUNT MEN'S BASKETBALL (2):
Frankie King, G: SoCon Player of the Year 1993-94, 1994-95
Kevin Martin, G: 1st-team All-SoCon 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04
CATAMOUNT WOMEN'S BASKETBALL (2):
Laura Echols, C: 1st-team All-SoCon 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02
Jennifer Gardner, F: 1st-team All-SoCon 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05
CATAMOUNT MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY (1):
Adam Puett: 1st-team All-SoCon 2002, 2004, 2005
CATAMOUNT WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY (1):
Susie Gardner: SoCon Hall of Fame 2018
CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL (12):
Craig Aiken, WR: 1st-team All-SoCon 1992, 1993, 1994
Ian Berryman, P: 1st-team All-SoCon 2015, 2016, 2017
Alonzo Carmichael, TE: All-America 1985, 1986
Tiger Greene, DB: All-America 1983, 1984
Gerald Harp, WR: 1st-team All-SoCon 1978, 1979, 1980
Kerry Hayes, WR/KR: All-America 1992, 1993; 1st-team All-SoCon 1992, 1993, 1994
Anthony James, RB: SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1982-83
Eric Johnson, DB: All-America 1997, 1998
Detrez Newsome, RB/AP: All-America 2016, 2017
Eric Rasheed, WR: 1st-team All-SoCon 1982, 1983, 1984
Kirk Roach, K: All-America 1984, 1985, 1987; 1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
Wayne Tolleson, WR: SoCon Hall of Fame 2020; SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1977-78
CATAMOUNT MEN'S GOLF (4):
Matt Cook: 1st-team All-SoCon 2006, 2007, 2008; SoCon champion 2006, 2008
Andres Cuenca: 1st-team All-SoCon 2007, 2008, 2009
J.T. Poston:1st-team All-SoCon 2013, 2014, 2015; SoCon champion 2014, 2016
Brett Miller: 1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985, 1986
CATAMOUNT WOMEN'S GOLF (2):
Ashley Hovda: 1st-team All-SoCon 2004, 2005, 2006
Desiree Karlsson: 1st-team All-SoCon 2008, 2009, 2010
CATAMOUNT MEN'S SOCCER (1):
Paul Garth: 1st-team All-SoCon 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
CATAMOUNT MEN'S TRACK & FIELD (11):
Earl Bates: ITK 600-yard record-holder
Lawrence Briscoe: ITK 60-meter hurdles champion 2004, 2005, 2006
Matt Evans: Most Outstanding Field 2009 (ITK, OTK), 2010 (OTK); ITK high jump champion 2007, 2009, 2010; OTK high jump champion 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010; 10 individual titles (4 ITK, 6 OTK)
Anthony James: SoCon Male Athlete of the Year 1982-83
Jared Johnson: Most Outstanding Field 2014 (ITK), 2015 (ITK)
Phillip Johnson: OTK discus champion 1997, 1998, 1999
Cordell Livingston: Most Outstanding Athlete 2010 (ITK), 2011 (ITK, OTK)
Shawn Miller: Most Outstanding Athlete 1992 (OTK), 1993 (ITK), 1994 (OTK); 10 individual titles (6 ITK, 4 OTK)
Manteo Mitchell: Most Outstanding Athlete 2008 (ITK, OTK), 2009 (ITK, OTK); Track 2008 (ITK, OTK), 2009 (ITK, OTK); ITK 400-meter champion 2007, 2008, 2009; OTK 400-meter champion 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; 13 individual titles (7 ITK, 6 OTK)
Adam Puett: OTK 1,500-meter champion 2004, 2005, 2006
Dominique Young: OTK 100-meter champion 2007, 2008, 2009
CATAMOUNT WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD (20):
Dasha Arnaut: Most Outstanding Track 2017 (OTK), 2018 (OTK)
Alisha Bradshaw: Most Outstanding Field 2013 (ITK, OTK), 2015 (ITK, OTK); ITK weight throw champion 2013, 2014, 2015; OTK discus champion 2012, 2013, 2015
Jane't Carothers: Most Outstanding Athlete 2010 (ITK); Track 2009 (ITK), 2010 (ITK), 2011 (ITK); ITK 400m champion 2009, 2010, 2011
Tayla Carter: ITK 60m champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016; OTK 100m champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016; OTK 200m champion 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016; 14 individual titles (6 ITK, 8 OTK)
Hailey Cook: 0TK shot put champion 2015, 2016, 2017
Asia Davis: OTK 400mH champion 2005, 2006, 2007
Joy Davis: OTK 400mH champion 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Susie Gardner: SoCon Hall of Fame 2018
Felisha Garren: ITK 400m record-holder
Ashley Herendon: ITK shot put champion 1999, 2000, 2001; OTK javelin champion 1999, 2000, 2001
LaSha Jackson: OTK shot put champion 1995, 1996, 1997
Valerie Jalajas: ITK PV champion 1999, 2000, 2001; OTK PV champion 1999, 2000, 2001
Virginia Lacombe: Most Outstanding Athlete 2001 (OTK); Field 2002 (OTK); ITK HJ champion 2000, 2001, 2002
Leslie Martin: OTK 800m champion 2003, 2004, 2005
Felicia Paulding: Most Outstanding Athlete 2010 (OTK); Track 2009 (OTK); OTK 100m champion 2008, 2009, 2010
Raquel Ramseur: ITK 400m champion 2006, 2007, 2008; OTK 400m champion 2006, 2007, 2008
Von Ross: ITK LJ record-holder
Angela Rowe: OTK 400m record-holder
Zakiyyah Stewart: Most Outstanding Athlete 2011 (OTK); Field 2010 (OTK); OTK hammer champion 2010, 2011, 2012
Laura Tieszen: Most Outstanding Field 2004 (OTK), 2005 (ITK, OTK); ITK PV champion 2003, 2004, 2005: OTK PV champion 2003, 2004, 2005: OTK PV record-holder
CATAMOUNT VOLLEYBALL (3):
Christy Attebery, OH: 1st-team All-SoCon 1999, 2000, 2001
Emily Holliday, OH: 1st-team All-SoCon 1983, 1984, 1985
Crystal Sullivan, OH: 1st-team All-SoCon 1984, 1985, 1986
The league named teams in each of the sports it currently sponsors that it has sponsored for at least 25 years. Criteria for selection varies from team to team, but student-athletes must have competed in the SoCon for at least two seasons.
Other common benchmarks include:
- Member of the collegiate hall of fame for that sport
- Member of the SoCon Hall of Fame
- National player of the year
- All-America honors in two different academic years
- SoCon Male or Female Athlete of the Year
- Two-time SoCon Player of the Year
Click HERE for team-by-team criteria for each sport team
The league has had 44 full-time members over its illustrious history, spawning the Southeastern Conference (1932) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (1953) and currently serves as home to 10 institutions throughout six states in the Southeast.
Please note, the list of awards is not exhaustive – just those that satisfy the selection criteria for each sport are listed. Awards are through the completion of the 2020-21 academic year. With 100 years of history to account for, league records are incomplete. If anyone is missing from the lists that meets the criteria, please contact SoCon Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations Phil Perry at pperry@socon.org.
