10SPRING/SUMMER ATHLETICS A look back at spring 2021 sports. THE SPRING 2021 ATHLETIC SEASON was full of action at Harding University. The athletes who competed in the spring won championships, broke records and earned individual accolades. Following spring competition, Harding was awarded the Great American Conference (GAC) All-Sports trophy and placed 155 athletes on All-Academic teams. The baseball team concluded their season with an 18-15 conference record and a 23-18 overall record. The team won its sixth straight American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award, becoming one of eight teams to win the award every season. Several members of the team received notable awards and honors. Senior Ryder Yakel received the GAC Pitcher of the Year honor. Senior Michael Chrisman received the GAC Newcomer of the Year honor. Senior Connor Kelly received the National Golden Glove Award, becoming the first Harding Bison to receive this award of excellence. Kelly was also a Second Team All-GAC selection and a member of the GAC All-Defensive Team. “We were a team that was fully bought in and fully believed that we could accomplish any goal that we had as a team,” Kelly said. “We did not quit and fought every game. We were just a bunch of guys that loved playing baseball together.” The softball team finished their season with a 24-9 conference record and a 34-12 overall record. Following their winning season, the team had six players selected to All-GAC teams. Junior Lily Tanski was named GAC Pitcher of the Year and Head Coach Phil Berry was named GAC Coach of the Year. The men’s and women’s tennis teams experienced significant individual and team success during their 2021 seasons as well. The Lady Bisons concluded their season with a 16-3 overall record, finishing the season ranked 26th in the final Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II Women’s rankings. This was the highest end-of-season ranking earned by the Lady Bisons tennis team since 2003. Spring 2021 graduate Rylie Cox Evans was named the GAC Player of the Year, four players received All-GAC honors, ten players received ITA Scholar-Athlete honors and the team received the All-Academic Team award after posting a team GPA of 3.8. The men’s tennis team concluded their season with an overall record of 9-8. The team ranked 34th in the final Oracle ITA Division II Men’s Rankings, finishing their season with Harding Tennis’ highest ever end-of-season ranking. Three Bison tennis players were named MIAA/GAC Tennis ScholarAthletes. Men’s Tennis Coach David Redding was named the GAC Coach of the Year for both the men’s and women’s divisions. The men’s golf team tied for fourth in the GAC Championships to conclude their season. The team recorded a 3.36 team GPA, earning the All-Academic Team honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America. Additionally, senior Jake Croshaw received the 2021 Srixon/Cleveland Golf AllAmerica Scholar honor with a 77.85 stroke average and a 3.50 GPA. “It was a great honor for me personally and for our team to achieve academic awards,” Croshaw said. “It shows that the hard work on and off the course is paying off.” The women’s golf team was selected as one of nine teams to participate in the Central Regional for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Women’s Golf Championships. This was the second NCAA tournament appearance for the Lady Bisons in program history. The team concluded their season with the second lowest team average ever and had a record six golfers named WGCA All-American Scholars. The men’s and women’s track and field teams experienced great success at the end of their seasons. The women’s team won its fourth GAC championship, and head coach Don Hood was awarded GAC Coach of the Year. Additionally, five Lady Bison track athletes qualified for the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Following the NCAA outdoor championships, sophomore Anna Kay Clark and senior Kinga Szarzynska earned All-America honors. This was the first time Harding women’s track and field athletes received All-America honors since 2006. The men’s track and field team finished second at the GAC Track and Field Championships. During his senior year in the spring of 2021, Matthew Hipshire was named the GAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and sophomore Dorian Chaigneau was named the GAC Male Athlete of the Year. Chaigneau and sophomores Fallou Gaye, Nikolasz Csokas and Austin Parrish received invitations to the men’s NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Following the competition, all four athletes earned All-America honors. This was the first time in the program’s history that Harding had four athletes receive individual All-American honors. “We did some incredible things in our season last year and it just shows that all the hard work we have been putting in is paying off,” senior track and field athlete Lauren Shell said. “I can’t wait to see what next season holds. Hopefully, both the men’s and women’s teams will come home with conference championships.” WRITTEN BY HAYLEY KATE WEBB A Season In Review
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