WALLACE STATE SPORTS: Lions athletics enjoys another successful year

Published 3:02 pm Thursday, December 24, 2015

HANCEVILLE — Wallace State’s softball, men’s golf and volleyball teams each captured Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) championships in 2015, the women’s basketball team made program history at the national tournament and the baseball team finished conference runner-up, adding another successful chapter to the college’s athletic achievements.

The past 12 months also featured Wallace State’s men’s basketball team earning a postseason berth for the fourth time in five seasons under coach John Meeks, and the inaugural Wallace State women’s golf team played its first tournament in August.

Rachel Ragland, Morgan Smith, Sylas Elliott, Eli Marty and Cidavia Hall were among the Wallace State athletes to garner individual recognition, both locally and nationally.

Wallace State’s women’s basketball team opened the year by making its first NJCAA national tournament appearance since 2011 and fifth overall. The Lady Lions finished the season 28-6 and qualified for the national tournament in Kansas as an at-large zone participant after finishing as the ACCC Tournament runner-up. In Kansas, Wallace State advanced to the second round for the first time in program history, coach Ron Burdette collected his 100th career victory with the Lady Lions and the team earned the Alberta Lee Cox Award for best sportsmanship at the national tournament.

Two years removed from an NJCAA Division I national championship, Wallace State’s softball team captured its 10th straight ACCC North Division championship in 2015, its ninth conference championship and made its ninth national tournament appearance. The Lady Lions, led by coach Jayne Clem, earned a No. 2 seed at the national tournament and finished the season with a 62-14 record.

A year after finishing national runner-up for the third time under coach Dan York, Wallace State golf won its second consecutive ACCC/Region 22 Tournament championship and 12th overall. The Lions, who overcame a six-stroke deficit heading into the final round, prevailed in a one-hole playoff against Faulkner State to earn the conference championship.

Wallace State volleyball won its seventh straight ACCC/Region 22 championship in 2015 and earned its highest ever seeding at the NJCAA Division I championships. The Lions, who made a state-best 15th appearance at the national championships, finished the season with a 39-8 record, also winning their eighth consecutive regular season title.

Wallace State’s baseball team finished as the ACCC tournament runner-up after making a splendid run in the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Lions finished the season 29-24 and had Landon Hughes, Turner Vincent and Stephen Dobbs each named to the ACCC All-Tournament Team. The Lions made their 24th postseason appearance in coach Randy Putman’s 26 seasons.

Ragland, the pitching ace on Wallace State’s softball team, was named a NJCAA first-team All-American, the 2015 ACCC Player of the Year and became the third Wallace State player to earn recognition as the Alabama Sports Writers Association Community College Player of the Year.

Elliott, a Cullman High alum, represented Wallace State’s men golf as a second-team NJCAA All-American and the conference tournament low medalist. Marty, a Good Hope grad, was named a third-team NJCAA All-American.

Morgan Smith, a sophomore forward from Cullman High, was named a second-team NJCAA All-American and the 2015 ACCC Player of the Year. Smith became the first Wallace State women’s basketball player to garner second-team recognition.

Wallace State volleyball sophomore CeCe Hall was named a second-team NJCAA All-American, the 2015 ACCC Player of the Year and the conference tournament MVP. She also earned NJCAA Player of the Week status in September.

Wallace State volleyball coach Randy Daniel and York each earned 2015 ACCC Coach of the Year accolades.

For women’s basketball, Burdette was the co-ACCC North Division Coach of the year, while Meeks earned the same recognition on the men’s side.

Clem, who has led the Lions to a pair of national titles, collected career win No. 800 at Wallace State midway through the 2015 season.