The Georgia State Sports Communications Department presents The Best of 2006.
Top Individual Honors of 2006
1. Meghan McCoy Named Scholar-Athlete and Academic All-American Softball player Meghan McCoy (right) was named the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her sport as a result of her combination of classroom and on field excellence. McCoy was also named to the COSIDA Academic All-America second team as well as the All-District Academic team, which follow her All-CAA first team on field achievements.
2. Mary McElroy Named National Administrator of the Year
In October, the NACWAA (National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators) honored Athletic Director Mary McElroy as the Administrator of the Year for Division I-AAA. This award of administrative excellence is given to those who make significant contributions as administrators.
3. Lea Henry inducted into Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Women's basketball coach Lea Henry was chosen with the Class of 2006 for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. She had been a Parade High School All-America player in Georgia and then an NCAA player who played on a gold-medal winning 1984 Olympic team. She has been head coach and Georgia State for 13 seasons now with 200 wins.
4. Lisbeth Meincke Named CAA Player of the Year
Closing out her stellar collegiate career, senior Lisbeth Meincke was named CAA Player of the Year before going out and winning her fourth consecutive individual conference championship.
5. CAA Coaches of the Year
Four Georgia State coaches earned the recognition as the CAA Coach of the Year for their respective sports. The first ones to be honored were golf coaches Matt Clark and Cathy Mant (right) in the spring. Softball coach Bob Heck followed that honor quickly. Then, in the fall, women's cross country coach Jessica Raby earned the recognition.
6. CAA Rookie of the Year
Softball freshman Jackie Jaegle and men's golfer Mark Haastrup earned the honor in the spring and women's cross country runner Caitlin Price claimed the title in the fall.
7. Trio Named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Scholars
In the spring, baseball's Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas received COSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors. In the fall, women's cross country runner Elizabeth Stanford and men's cross country runner Matt Wilpers were each recognized as a COSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honorees. Stanford has a 3.95 career grade point average and Wilpers a 3.90 average.
8. Bob Heck coaches 1,000th game
Bob Heck coached his 1,000th game at Georgia State and had already surpassed the 500-win mark before last year. He is a nominee for the National Softball Hall of Fame for the 2007 potential class.
9. Patechia Hartman's Jersey Retired
Women's basketball player Patechia Hartman was honored with the hanging of her No. 3 jersey from the rafters on Nov. 28. She led Georgia State teams to 75 wins in her four years with two NCAA bids. She was conference Player of the Year and topped 1,500 points and 400 assists from her guard position.
10. Thomas Terrell's Jersey Retired
Men's basketball player Thomas Terrell will return to have his No. 5 jersey retired and hung from the rafters on Jan. 3. Terrell was 49-14 in his two years at State with trips to the NCAA and NIT postseason tournaments. He was the league Player of the Year and two-time Tournament Most Valuable Player as he set multiple school season records.
11. Oakey/Dedering Golf Academic District All-Americans
Men's golfer Derek Oakey and women's golfer Karin Dedering were both named to the National Golf Coaches Association Academic All-America District Teams. Oakey was also named a Cleveland Golf Academic Scholar.
Top 20 Individual Stories
1. April - Men's Golfer Mark Haastrup (right) becomes the first All-American golfer in school history by being named to the Ping All-America second team, topping the previous honorable mention All-Americans at State. The sophomore was also the CAA individual champion, All-CAA first team, CAA Rookie of the Year, and CAA All-Tournament. He also was chosen for the Palmer Cup team in the Europe-USA match play event and won the Danish National Amateur title. In the fall, he was chosen for the World Amateur tournament and the College All-American Invitational in Texas. He was the Georgia State Male Newcomer of the Year at the spring awards banquet.
2. May-June -Women's Golfer Joanna Klatten becomes the first NCAA Championship qualifier in school history. The sophomore finished 5th at the NCAA Regional to earn the invitation to the Championships, where she finished 43rd in the nation. She had previously been named to the CAA All-Tournament team after finishing 2nd at the CAA Championships. In June, she won the Coupe Cachard tournament in France where she recorded a career low round of 63.
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3. May – Women's track hurdler Sheriee Willis (right) wins two CAA Championships by finishing first in both the 100 and 400-meter hurdle events to qualify for the NCAA Regionals. The junior hurdler finished 12th at the NCAA meet. She had also run in the prestigious Penn Relays and finished 12th in the 100 meter hurdles. She was named Georgia State's female student-athlete of the year at the April banquet.
4. May – Women's golfer Lisbeth Meincke finished her four-year career with a fourth straight individual conference championship title in leading the team to the CAA Championship and earning an NCAA team berth. She finished 29th in the NCAA Regionals in her final appearance for Georgia State.
5. June – Softball Pitcher Elizabeth Hyman was named the CAA Pitcher of the Year after she shattered the school and conference records by striking out 260 batters in 203 innings pitched as she led the Panthers to the regular season title and No. 1 seed. In her first CAA Tournament game, she set a league tournament mark by striking out 14 Delaware batters in that win. She was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Southeastern All-Region second team.
6. November – Cross Country runner Mark Steeds earns both NCAA All-Region honors and All-CAA honors. The sophomore finished 3rd at the CAA Championships and then 11th at the NCAA Regional Meet. He also enjoyed a stellar spring track season by being All-CAA after a second place finish in the 5,000 meters. He earned a 7th place finish at the Penn Relays and ran internationally with the Canadian all-star teams.
7. September - Men's Tennis players Martin Stiegwardt and Anze Cevka earn No. 19 doubles ranking for the highest ever in State tennis history. The pair had previously been named All-CAA first team in the spring and were ranked No. 56 in the nation. Individually, Martin Stiegwardt was named All-CAA first team after 13 wins in the spring at the No. 1 spot. Stiegwardt was named Georgia State's male student-athlete of the year at the spring athletics banquet.
8. May – Women's tennis player Anne Breiholtz caps her four-year career with a fourth consecutive all-conference honor. She is named as an All-CAA second team singles player and an All-CAA first team doubles player as she teamed with Martina Nitkova. Breiholtz is the only women's tennis player in school history to earn all-conference all four years. She achieved an individual national ranking of No. 77.
9. December - Women's Basketball player Marcquitta Head sets both school and conference records on Dec. 4 at Hofstra when she records the first-ever triple-double game in Georgia State history. The sophomore center scores 14 points, grabs 16 records and blocks 11 shots. The 11 blocks are a school record as well for a game. She was ranked No. 18 in the nation in blocked shots in early December statistics.
10. Spring – The women's track 4x100-meter relay team sets a school record and advances to the NCAA Regional. With a 44.89 best time that ranked No. 25 in the nation, this relay team excelled all spring. The combination of Sheriee Willis, Ciji Canady, Adaku Ezeonwuka, Denice Vance, and Natasha O'Connor were 3rd at the ECAC Championships, 3rd at the Penn Relays, 2nd at the CAA Championships, and 9th at the NCAA Regionals.
11. May – Needing wins down the stretch to earn the CAA regular season title, a pair of Georgia State softball pitchers fire a no-hitter on May 6. Pitchers Elizabeth Hyman and Chelsey Morgan combine to defeat George Mason in a one hour, 10 minute quickie win. Meanwhile, the Panthers bats were banging out 11 hits and nine runs in another key win.
12. Fall – Volleyball senior Christen Garcia (right) sets a new school record for career digs in a match vs. Towson on Sept. 29 and went on to close out her career with 1,627 over her fours seasons. That topped the previous school record by 243 digs.
13. December – Women's head coach Lea Henry recorded her 200th career win at Georgia State with a win over Florida A&M at the UCF Tournament Dec. 18 in Orlando. In January she had reached her 250th overall career win.
14. June 6 – Baseball pitcher Romas Hicks is drafted in Round 22 by the Kansas City Royals. Hicks becomes the fifth Georgia State baseball player drafted in four years. Former drafees include Brett Strickland (2005 - 18th Round), Ben Rulon (2005 - 38th Round), Tim Burgess (2004 - 22nd Round), and Ronnie Robinson (2003 - 23rd Round).
Hicks had been the CAA Pitcher of the Week in early spring and then won the Panthers first-ever CAA game with a 2-1 win over Northeastern when he struck out 10 batters.
Justin Newman would later sign a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds. Newman had set a school record with 13 career triples.
15. November – Men's soccer players Aaron Shepherd and Martin Zaluk are both named to the All-CAA second team to become the first Georgia State soccer players to earn league honors. Shepherd played a key role with two goals in the Panthers win at VCU.
16. October 8 – Men's tennis player Daniel Balog wins his bracket of the Georgia Tech Invitational tournament. That follows Martin Stiegwardt and Nejc Podkrajsek's doubles win at the Thomasville Invitational on Sept. 17. Stiegwardt was voted the Georgia State Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
17. September – Women's tennis player Dariana Kozmina wins the “A” draw singles at the UTC Baras Classic to follow her win at the Thomasville Invitational on Sept. 17. Rachel Malina wins the “B” draw the UTC Fall Classic.
18. Fall – Women's soccer coach Domenic Martelli becomes the winningest soccer coach in Panthers history as he passes Jodie Smith for career wins. Martelli has 63 wins now at Georgia State. The season highlights included back-to-back CAA shutout wins over Drexel and Delaware by identical 2-0 scores.
19. March-April – Freshman guard Brittany Hollins finishes her year with three more steals in the CAA Tournament to finish the season with 80, a total that ranked second in the CAA and 28th in the nation, while being the second most in school history. She was named the Female Newcomer of the Year at the All-Sports Banquet. She was voted to the CAA all-Defensive team, the CAA all-Rookie team and received the CAA's Commisioner's Academic award as an honor roll student in the classroom.
20. March 3 – Senior guard Herman Favors hit all five of his three-point shots in the first half en route to a 20-point, seven-assist game to spark the men's basketball team to a CAA Tournament opening win over Towson in Richmond.
Top 16 Team Accomplishments
1. Men's Golf Wins CAA Championship and Finishes No. 12 in Nation.
With a resounding 22-stroke victory, four golfers finished in the top five at the CAA Championships and qualified the team for a seventh NCAA berth in the past eight years.
The team was as high as No. 4 in the national polls in the fall and finished No. 12 in the season-ending poll.
2. Women's Golf Wins CAA Championship and Finishes No. 50 in Nation.
With a dominating 22-stroke victory, the women claimed the CAA title and NCAA Regional berth, finishing 11th, the highest ever in school women's golf history.
3. Softball Earns No. 1 Seed
The softball team swept the three games from George Mason to earn the No. 1 seed and first place of the regular season, as well as being the host team of the CAA Championship.
4. Softball Advances to Championship
Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the sixth in an elimination game, senior Meghan McCoy's solo homer pulled State within a run entering the seventh. The Panthers defeated Hofstra, 4-3, with a dramatic two-run single by Jackie Jaegle to advance to the title game that same afternoon, but dropped the re-match for the title.
5. Baseball Team Wins Tournament Game Over No. 25 Old Dominion
The baseball team finished in the top six to earn a CAA Championship berth. Down 5-0 to No. 25 ODU, Georgia State pulled off one of the best rallies in school history to win 6-5 in ten innings.
6. Men's Golf Defeats Five Top 25 teams in Carpet Classic
The Panthers weren't able to defend their title in the September season opening national golf tournament in Dalton, but they were able to impressively finish ahead of five of the Top 25 teams in the nation to finish fifth. They received a No. 5 national ranking in the polls afterwards for the second highest ranking ever in school history.
7. Women's Cross Country Finishes 2nd at CAA Championship
With two runners finishing in the top 10, the women's cross country team surprised the league with a second place finish in the Championship Meet held in November in Delaware.
8. Men's Basketball Gains Notice at CAA Championship
In their first-ever game in Richmond at the CAA Championships, Georgia State defeated Towson, 72-64. In round two, they battled into overtime and four players fouled out before George Mason could claim the win and start their run to the NCAA Final Four.
9. Women's Basketball Starts Strong at CAA Championship
In their first-ever game in Fairfax, Va. at the CAA Championships, Georgia State defeated William & Mary, 81-66. In round two, they battled NIT-bound Hofstra to the end before bowing out.
10. Men's Cross Country Finishes 4th at CAA Championship
With two runners in the top 15, the men's cross country team finished fourth in the CAA Championship Meet held in November in Delaware.
11. Volleyball Muzzles State Rivals
In a five-game marathon, Georgia State battled back to defeat state rival Georgia in September. Since the teams rarely play, State won the previous one in 2001 to give the Panthers back-to-back wins over the Bulldogs.
12. Baseball Beats Regular Season CAA Champions
On April 22 on the field of the eventual champion UNC Wilmington Seahawks, Georgia State overcame over four and a half hours of rain delays to post a 9-4 win over the team that would go on to win the CAA tournament and NCAA bid. Pitcher Jeramy Compton went the distance in a 137-pitch marathon performance.
13. Men's Tennis Beats No. 75 UC-Santa Barbara
On the road in California, Georgia State's men's tennis team defeated No. 75 ranked UC-Santa Barbara on March 5. The Tennis team was seeded No. 4 in the CAA Tournament and advanced to the semifinals.
14. April 10-11 – Golf defeats seven Top 50 teams
The golf team competed in the inaugural U.S. Collegiate Championship at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, where the NCAA Regional will be played in 2007. The Panthers defeated seven teams ranked in the Top 50 in the nation, including four ranked in the Top 25, in placing sixth overall.
15. Senior Night Rally Provides Memory for Volleyball
On Nov. 3 on Senior Night, the volleyball team suffered a game loss to Delaware by a humbling 30-12 and lost a team leader, Amy Lusk, to a knee injury. Down two games to one, Georgia State found the spark to rally for exciting game four and game five wins in one of the most memorable comebacks in school history.
16. Women's Golf Wins Tournament in Augusta
With three golfers in the top 10, the women's golf squad won the seven-team Choice Mortgage Lady Jaguar Invitational on Nov. 7 in Augusta.
Top 10 Athletic Department Stories
1. Panthersville Athletic Complex Introduced
A new project to provide new homes for the soccer teams and the tennis teams was unveiled and ground was broken on June 28. The first soccer field was completed in the fall and plans for two more fields, six tennis courts, and locker room facilities are on the drawing boards and in the budget plans.
2. “Founding Life Members” Step Forward
A campaign honored eight “Founding Life Members” who each committed a minimum of $100,000 for athletics endowments. Those leaders include Jim and Kathryn Adams, John and Helen Aderhold, Clara Feldman (in honor of Sidney Feldman), Brad and Marie Foster, Bob Heck, Bill and Susan Reeves, Jim and Gail Stark, and one anonymous donor.
3. Football Feasibility Study Begins
The university and athletics hired a consulting firm to do a football feasibility study to evaluate the options involved in starting a Division I-AA program. The program must fit into the master plan of the entire University and find revenue sources to support the move. With this study in hand, plans are being made to look deeper into the financial commitments and see the level of support that might be available.
4. Video Board Installed In Sports Arena
The basketball season began with use of a large video board on the north wall of the Sports Arena court to provide for fan information and entertainment. It's a must-see board for all Panthers fans.
5. Student-Athletes Post Highest Grade Point Average
The 200-plus student-athletes combined to post a 2.91 grade point average, the highest ever by athletics and well-above the general student population.
6. Strategic Plan and Mission Identified
A comprehensive and specific Strategic Plan and Mission Statement were completed, goals were identified and will be implemented to grow the athletics department.
7. Hurst Moves From Field to Administrative Role; Frady Named Baseball Coach
Mike Hurst ended a 13-year coaching career as head baseball coach at Georgia State with 293 career wins, including the final one over No. 25 Old Dominion in the CAA tournament. He was named an assistant athletic director to oversee the new Panthersville project and all the facilities there. Greg Frady, the associate head coach the past two years, steps up to direct the baseball program.
8. New web site for Athletics
With a four-year deal with XOS Technologies, the department upgraded its Web site, GeorgiaStateSports.com. The site is introducing new platforms to include video and audio, e-commerce, ticket sales, and more fan friendly features. XOS handles more than 400 clients as a leader in the industry.
9. Panther Talk Luncheons Begin
On the second Friday of every month, a luncheon for fans and boosters is held to inform all of current events and take questions from the interested supporters.
10. Panther Promise Implemented for all Student-Athletes
New methods to assist the student-athletes in educational, personal and community development opportunities that enhance the quality of the Georgia State experience were implemented. That includes the Program for Academic Support Services (P.A.S.S.), the CHAMPS/Life Skills and the Panther Den program.
TOP 15 ALUMNI BESTS (IN SPORTS)
While there are hundreds of former student-athletes who are doing well in various fields of endeavors since their playing days at Georgia State, we picked some accomplishments from last year that made these former Panthers stand out.
1. Dave Womack - Golf
This 2001 alum has become the first Panther to qualify to play in the world's most famous golf tournament, The Masters in Augusta. The 27-year old won the U.S. Mid-Amateur in September to earn the berth in April in Augusta. He was named the SGA National Amateur of the Month. An insurance agent by trade, Womack has won the 2003 and 2005 Georgia Public Links titles as well since being a three-time all-conference pick at Georgia State.
2. Thomas Terrell – Basketball
This 6-7 former Panthers hoop star repeated as the Most Valuable Player of his professional league in Spain. Terrell, who commands a six-figure contract, has filmed TV commercials and been dubbed "The Emperor of the LEB league" in Spain. He returned this past summer to receive his college diploma and he'll return Jan. 3, 2007, to have his jersey hung from the rafters in the Sports Arena. Terrell was an honorable mention All-America pick and two-time tournament MVP with a 49-14 record in two seasons at State (2000-2002).
3. Scott Youngbauer – Baseball
This 6-1 infielder finished his seventh season of minor league baseball, playing at the Triple A level for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League (the Seattle Mariners organization). The former 10th round draft pick in 2000 of the Philadelphia Phillies has continued to move around, playing more than 900 minor league games for the Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners franchises.
4. Courtney Brooks – Basketball
This 1994 Panthers court alum has become a nationally-recognized high school basketball coach. At Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, Brooks led his team to the Class A state title in 2006 (his fourth consecutive year taking his team to the championship game) with the top point guard in the nation and "Mr. Georgia Basketball," 6-5 guard Javaris Crittendon at Georgia Tech. Brooks previously tutored NBA first round draft pick Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) who went straight from SACA to the NBA. The 35-year old ordained elder is also head coach of the Marietta Storm of the WBA minor league team.
5. Nate Williams – Basketball
Nate, a 6-11 post player, was drafted as the No. 17 player this past spring by the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. This was Nate's second calling in the NBDL as he played in 2005-06 with the Fayetteville Patriots. Williams spent last year with the Beijing Ducks in China on a stellar professional team in that country. Nate had a brief NBA stint with the New Orleans Hornets in their October training camp in 2005. He was invited to the NBA Charlotte Bobcats 2006 Summer League team, but sustained a foot injury and couldn't participate.
6. D. J. Fiese – Golf
This 2002 alum won a Hooters Tour title this July in Oklahoma with a 65, 66, 69, 64 four-day total for the $20,463 prize money. It was his second tour win on the Hooters Tour (one in 2005). Fiese had five Top 10 finishes this past season to finish 14th on the Tour with $51,120 in prize money. He has eight Top 10 finishes in his two seasons with nearly $90,000 earned.
7. Herman Favors – Basketball
Last year's leading scorer at State has begun a pro career in the Dutch league for Woon! Iris and is picking up steam. The point guard had a season-best game of 23 points to top his previous bests of 18, 16, 16 and 15 through the early part of the season.
8. Patechia Hartman – Basketball
Hartman played last winter and spring in a professional league in Hungary (Szolnik) before a knee injury ended her first year on a frustrating note. She returned to Georgia State in the summer to earn her degree and in November to have her jersey hung from the rafters.
9. Steve Tiley – Golf
This recent alum qualified and played in the U. S. Amateur in August in Scotland. Tiley, part of the conference title teams at State, was the sixth straight Panther to qualify for the U.S. Amateur following Womack, Jonathan Fricke twice, Ty Harris and Ben Taylor.
10. Lanard Copeland – Basketball
This amazing 41-year youngster is still playing professional basketball in Australia where he is a well-known star. Before Jan. 1, 2007 rolls around he will score his 9,000th point in Australia. The 1989 NBA draftee (Philadelphia) is currently playing with the Adelaide 36ers. He has been All-League five times, and a Championship Game MVP.
11. Lamont McIntosh – Basketball
McIntosh is just starting his third season overseas in professional basketball. He played year one in Scotland, year two in Belgium, and has moved up to Germany with the Artland Dragons team in Quakenbrueck. The 6-3 guard sustained injuries to his feet and just returned for his first game of the season this last week of December.
12. Ty Harris – Golf
This 2005 alum earned $21,090 last year on the Hooters Tour with a pair of Top 10 finishes, including a best of third place in July.
13. April DeCoste – Volleyball
This record-setting volleyball player at Georgia State (Class of 2004) began her first year as a head volleyball coach at Division II West Virginia Wesleyan College and posted a 16-13 record, including a win in the first round of her tournament.
14. Jack Croyle – Golf
A 2002 alum, Croyle won $16,304 on the Hooters Tour to up his career prize money to $68,553 on that Tour. He posted a tournament win in 2005 on the Tour.
15. Travis Williams – Basketball
This former Panther player and assistant coach begins a third season as head coach at Fort Valley State. He guided the team to a 14-14 mark last year. In early season play of 2006-07, his Division II team battled Division I Mercer before falling by five points.
