The 2022-23 athletic season has come to an end for Thomas University. Just as in any other athletic year, the Night Hawks had their fair share of success and failure, ups and downs, good and bad. Sprinkle in a Sun Conference championships and national tournament appearances, the Night Hawks bring to close another successful athletic year and again, prepare for the future. Take a look back at the past season.
FALL SPORTS
Men's Soccer
Thomas finished the season with a 7-5-5 (4-2-2 Sun Conference) record, good enough for 4th place. The 4th place finish allowed the Night Hawks to host the opening round of the Sun Conference Tournament. The Night Hawks season would come to an end after a defeat by Webber International, 2-0. Defender,
Alex Ruane (SO- Dublin, Ireland) was named Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week in September. Defender,
Connor Parry (SO - Caerphilly, Wales) was named Offensive Player of the Week by the Sun Conference. He was also the NAIA National Player of the Week to close out the month of October.
Women's Soccer
The Night Hawks completed the season with a 9-5-4 (3-2-3 Sun Conference) record, to finish in 4th place. Thomas hosted the quarterfinal of the Sun Conference Tournament and defeated St. Thomas, 4-1, before traveling to Keiser, where their season would conclude with a defeat by the Skyhawks, 3-0. Midfielder
Ali Baca (FR - Eustis, FL) and defender
Britttney Rankins (R-SR - Pensacola, FL) would be named to the all-tournament team. During the season, forward
Analeice Wilkes (GR - Leiester, England) and forward
Sasha Manders (FR - Dunstable, England) were named Sun Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Forward
Hannah Keene (JR - Vidalia, GA) was named Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Week and goalkeeper
Emily Lamoreaux (SR - Lake City, FL), brought the honor home twice. Lamoreaux's second honor was good enough to earn the NAIA Defensive Player of the Week award. Midfielder
Sophia Papas (FR - Oegstgeest, Netherlands) was named 1st team All-Sun Conference and Freshman of the Year. Wilkes, defender
Abbie McCammon (SR- Pensacola, FL), defender
Jade Slaybaugh (JR - Navarre, FL), and Lamoreaux were selected to the 2nd team. Forward, Manders was selected as honorable mention. Lamoreaux also was selected as honorable mention as a NAIA All-American.
Mens' Cross Country
Coach
Scott Gowan was named head cross country and track & field coach and led the team in his first season after serving as assistant coach in 2021-22. Thomas'
Justin Tomison (JR - Buxton, ME) set personal and school records for the Night Hawks and became the first Thomas athlete to compete at the NAIA Cross Country National Championship. Tominson ran a time of 26:45.0, good enough for 237th place. Earlier in the season, Tominson set the school record at 26:17.50 and became the first Night Hawks to make 1st team Sun Conference. The Night Hawks
placed fourth at the SUN Conference Championships
.
Women's Cross Country
Thomas saw improvements from the previous season.
Cassandra Richards (SO - Fairfield, ME) led the Night Hawks in virtually every race.
Victoria Richards (SO - Fairfield, ME) and
Sophia Alexander (SO -Hollis, ME) also made progress throughout the season. Alexander receive all-academic honors from the Sun Conference.
WINTER SPORTS
Men's Basketball
Before the season began,
Colin Cotter was elevated to the interim Head Coach. After getting the Night Hawks off to a 9-2 (4-0 Sun Conference) start, the interim tag was removed from Cotter. The results were record-breaking for Thomas. Thomas, who finished 18-9 (11-5 Sun Conference), tied the school record for victories in a season (2014-15), spent the most weeks receiving votes in the NAIA National Rankings (seven), and finished with the best winning percentage in program history (.667). The Night Hawks had their best regular season finish in the Sun Conference (tied-second) and had a eleven game winning streak during the season. Cotter was named Sun Conference Coach of the Year. Thomas would place guard
Jordan Booker (SR - Powder Springs, GA) and center
Mohammed Abubakar (SR-Lagos, Nigeria) on the Sun Conference First Team and guard
Jarvis Brown (SO - Detroit, MI ) and guard
Tim Williamson (SR - Augusta, GA) on the second team. Booker would add Sun Conference All-Academic honors and the Champion of Character Award.
Women's Basketball
While the results on the court may have been disappointing for the Night Hawks, guard
Lenise Santiago (SR - Tampa, FL) was the bright light for the team. Santiago averaged 36 minutes per game, while leading the team in scoring at 15.8 points (7th in Sun Conference). She averaged double-figures in 20 of 25 games played and her 27 points versus Webber International was her season high. Santiago led the team in three-point percentage (23.0%). Santiago converted 83.7% of her free throw attempts and led the team in assists with 2.54 per game.
Ron Foxx was named as the new Head Coach for the Women's program in April. Foxx was currently serving at Thomas as the Men's Assistant Basketball Coach before taking over the Women's program.
Men's Swimming
The Night Hawks swim teams had a successful season, winning multiple meets early in the season and finishing in the top five in multiple other meets. The Night Hawks finished second at the Georgia Small College Championships and fourth at the Sun Conference Championship. The Night Hawks were able to send five males to the NAIA National Swimming and Diving Championships:
Diego Alonso (SO- Madrid, Spain),
Tim Brown (FR - Peachtree City, GA),
Ethan Kilgore (SO - Tallahassee, FL),
Spencer Sheard (FR - Congleton, England), and
Francisco José Visiedo Pereira (FR - Almeria, Spain). At Nationals, Men's 400-yard relay swam their best time of the season, Visiedo finished 12th in the 1650-yard freestyle, and Alonso finished 16th in the 200-yard breaststroke.
Women's Swimming
Thomas University's
Aspen Shipp (FR - Opelousas, LA) finished second in the 100-yard backstroke at the Sun Conference Swimming Championship with a time of 56.87. Shipp swam a time of 2:11.80 to take third in the 200-yard butterfly. Shipp collected 48 individual points in the championship, which was tied for ninth-most in the event. Shipp joined
Lucía Roca Rodado (FR- Palma de Mallorca, Spain),
Nissrine Bourbouh (FR - Rabat, Morocco) and
Laura Garcia Zapater (SO- Canary Islands, Spain) to swim to a fifth-place finish in the 400-yard medley relay (4:12.20) and place sixth in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:44.73. At the NAIA Swimming and Diving Championships, Shipp would claim a silver medal in the 100-yard backstroke and a bronze in the 200-yard backstroke. Shipp's silver medal is the highest finish for a Lady Night Hawks in program history. Boubouh, Garcia,
Kayleigh Rice (FR), Rodado, and Shipp were named CSCAA Scholar All-Americans for both the Fall and Winter semesters.
Men's Indoor Track & Field
Darian Mills (FR - Port St. Joe, FL) opened the season by qualifying for the NAIA Indoor National Track & Field Meet during the Night Hawks first meet of the season by running 8.22 in the 60-meter hurdles. Mills would ultimately set the school record at 8.22 during the season, as well as the 200-meter dash at 21.90. The Freshmen continued to shine for the Night Hawks and
Michael Eady (FR - Valdosta, GA) set a school record of 6.92 in the 60-meter dash,
Seth Humphries (FR - Branford, FL) set a school record in the 600-meter (1:24.25), 800 meters (1:59.25), 1000 meters (2:34.47), and the mile (4:28.32). The upper-classmen had their shine also, with
Justin Tomison (JR - Buxton, ME) setting the school record in the 3000-meter run (9:00.29) and 5000 meters (15:43.37).
Ethan Fralish (SO - Thomasville, GA) set the triple jump (13.58) and long jump (6.65) records. The 4x400-meter relay team of
Devin Crews (SR - Port St. Joe, FL),
Sterling St-Cyr (SO - Lake Park, FL), Eady, and Mills set a school record of 3.23.92. The distance relays recorded school record in the 4x800 Relay at 8:44.90 (Tovar-Negrete,
Landon Watts (FR - Bainbridge, GA), St-Cyr, Crews) and in the distance medley relay at 10:57.55 (
Justin Hernandez (FR - Branford, FL),
Timothy Tulloch (JR - Riviera Beach, FL),
Vijay Weedon (FR - Palm Coast, FL), Humphries). At the Sun Conference Championships, the men's team scored 102 points placing third, both all-time top performances in TU indoor track & field history.
Seth Humphries was named the SUN Conference Freshman Athlete-of-the-Year. Seth placed first and won conference individual titles in the 1000 Meters (2:34.47) and the Mile (4:28.32). Humphries was also part of the 3rd place distance medley relay (10:57.55) earing first team all-conference honors. Crews,
Andrew Stone (SR - St. Augustine, FL), and
Emmanuel Tovar -Negrete (SO - Mayo, FL) were named Sun Conference Academic All-Americans and Tominson was named the Sun Conference Champion of Character. Players receiving Sun Conference first team honors were:
Women's Indoor Track & Field
The ladies did not disappoint in the record books either.
Cassandra Richards (SO - Fairfield, ME) set a school record at 6:01.05 in the mile run and 11:57.40 in the 3000-meter run. Richards twin sister, Victoria (SO - Fairfield, ME) set records in the 600-meter run at 1:58.42 and in the 1000-meter run at 3:33.32.
Jennifer Coleman (SR - Thomasville, GA) set the school record in the weight throw at 12.71 meters.
Sophia Alexander (SO - Hollis, ME) and Coleman made the Sun Conference All-Academic Team and Coleman was the Sun Conference Champion of Character.
SPRING SPORTS
Baseball
The Night Hawks were in the hunt for a playoff position, heading into the final week of the season, but unfortunately they had to face the #1 team in NAIA and were unable to overcome the hurdle. Thomas finished the season 21-28 (6-16 Sun Conference), good for seventh place. The Night Hawks found success in the dramatic, winning six games in their final at bat, with all of the victories coming against top ten teams. The most memorable of the walk-off victories occurred against #10 Webber International, when Thomas won on back-to-back days, at home, against the Warriors. Pitcher
AJ Wydra (FR - Fort Pierce, FL) was selected as the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year. Outfielder
Matthew Delay Jr. (SO - Altamonte Springs, FL) was selected to the Sun Conference first team. Pitcher
Riley Fisher (SO - Brooksville, FL) and Catcher
Luis Rodriguez-Gallo (R - JR, Miami, FL) were selected to the second team.
Bryce Bitting (SO, Tavaras, FL) was tabbed as the Sun Conference Champion of Character. Seven Night Hawks earned All-Academic honors from the Sun Conference: Pitcher
Nick Brady (JR - Tallahassee, FL), pitcher
Zachary Buelk (SO - Wesley Chapel, FL), infiender
Bradley Fleenor (SR - Apopka, FL), infielder
Turner Maddox (JR - Thomaston, GA), pitcher
Bradley Peacock (JR - Jennings, FL), pitcher
Brandon Steele (SO - Ocoee, FL), and infielder
Owen Taylor (JR - Moultrie, GA).
Softball
Thomas softball finished in sixth place in the Sun Conference and made the conference tournament. The Night Hawks finished with a .500 record at 23-23 (11-13 Sun Conference). During the season,
Averie Sheppard (JR - Chattanooga, TN) was selected Sun Conference Player of the Week. Three Night Hawks were selected to the Sun Conference All-Conference Team, with all earning first team selections: Infielder
Holly Campbell (GR - Lake Park, GA), outfielder Sheppard, and catcher
Jaelynn Vialpando (SR - Albuquerque, NM). Ten Night Hawks made the Sun Conference All-Academic Team and Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athletes Team: catcher
Briana Boggs (SO - Gainesville, FL), Campbell, infielder
Adreanna Killingsworth (SR - Sacramento, CA), pitcher
Leanne Lain (SR - Slidelle, LA), pitcher
Allyson Mirick (JR - Thomasville, GA), pitcher
Michelle Norvells (SR - Tavares, FL), pitcher
Haley Price (SR - Lodi, CA), Sheppard, outfielder
Hailie Stewart (SR - Orangevale, CA), and Vialpando.
Men's Outdoor Track & Field
The Night Hawks continued to fly on the track with ten school records being set. Six Night Hawks made the NAIA National Championship.
Darian Mills (FR - Port St. Joe, FL) set the 400-meter hurdles record at 51.56 and the 400-meter dash at 48.73.
Ethan Fralish (SO - Thomasville, GA) broke the long jump and triple jump records with jumps of 6.81 and 14.17, respectively.
Michael Eady (FR - Valdosta, GA) established the 100-meter record of 10.50 and the 200-meter at 21.90.
Devin Crews (SR - Port St. Joe, FL),
Sterling St-Cyr (SO - Lake Park, FL), Humphries, and Mills set a school record in the 4x400-meter relay at 3.17.35.
Seth Humphries (FR - Branford, FL) set a new in the 800-meter run at 1:52.49.
Kyron Belton (FR - Lynn Haven, FL), Eady, Mills, and
Kasahn Rivers (FR - Fayetteville, GA) set the 4x100 record at 41.49. Fralish and Mills earned Sun Conference Player of the Week honors. At the SUN Conference Championships, the men's team scored 93 points placing third, both all-time top performances in TU outdoor track & field history.
Justin Tomison (JR - Buxton, ME) (10,000 meters - 33:33.0), Mills (400 meter hurdles - 52.36, and the 4x400 meter relay team (Mills, Humphries, St-Cyr, Crews - 3:17.35) all won gold at the Sun Conference Championships. Crews was named the Sun Conference Champion of Character. Crews,
Andrew Stone (SR - St. Augustine, FL) and
Emmanuel Tovar -Negrete (SO - Mayo, FL) earned All-Academic honors. Mills was named a NAIA All-American in the 400-meter hurdles and was the only Freshman to make the 400-meter hurdles finals at the National Championships.
Women's Outdoor Track & Field
Record-setting performances also occurred for the Night Hawk women, setting seven school records.
Cassandra Richards (SO - Fairfield, ME) set a school record in the 5000-meter run at 20:19.43 and
Sophia Alexander (SO - Hollis, ME) set the 400-meter hurdles record with a run of 1:12.39.
Victoria Richards (SO - Fairfield, ME) established new marks in the 1500-meter run at 5:23.28 and 800-meter run at 2:40.73 as well as
Jennifer Coleman (SR - Thomasville, GA) set records in the hammer throw record at 41.42 meters, discus at 38.28 meters, and shot put at 11.97 meters. Coleman received Sun Conference Player of the Week honors. Alexander and Coleman were selected to the Sun Conference All-Academic team.
Flag Football
Thomas dominated the sport once again this season. The Night Hawks shutout 10 opponents this season and scored 30-or-more points 10 times this season, to finish 20-3 (9-1 Sun Conference). Thomas once again won the Sun Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Night Hawks were the #2 seed in the NAIA National Invitational. Thomas fell one game short of their goal of a National Championship, with a dramatic loss to Ottawa (KS) in the Championship game, with their drive being stopped at the goal line on the final play of the game.
Alexa Wilson (FR - Daytona Beach, FL) and
Janae Scott (JR - Tallahassee, FL) were chosen Sun Conference Players of the Week for the final week of the regular season. Head Coach
Chelsea Parmer was chosen as the Sun Conference Coach of the Year. Scott was selected as the Sun Conference Champion of Character and also made the 1st team All-Conference defense.
Brittney Delva (SR - Boynton Beach, FL) and
Gisele Jones (SR - Tallahassee, FL) joined Scott of the 1st Team Sun Conference defense, while
Kiana Acol (SO - Crestview, FL) and Wilson were selected to the all-conference offensive team. Acol, Jones, and Scott earned All-Academic honors from the Sun Conference.
MISCELLANEOUS
Football
Thomas completed their first Spring Practice last week, with over 60 student-athletes on campus to participate in the workouts. The Night Hawks expect over 80 student-athletes to participate in football during the upcoming football season.
Cheer
Dakotah Wyche was named the Cheer Head Coach for the program that will begin in the Fall.
For complete coverage of Night Hawks Athletics, please visit
www.tunighthawks.com to stay updated with the latest news, scores, game previews and recaps. Follow the Night Hawks on social media at @TU_Night_Hawks (Twitter), @tunighthawks (Instagram), and @thomasuniversityathletics (Facebook).
