Softball team's NCAA No. 1 seed leads strong spring sports season

The University of North Georgia (UNG) softball team won its seventh straight Peach Belt Conference (PBC) tournament title and is the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.

Ranked second nationally, UNG secured its latest PBC championship with a 3-1 victory May 15 against eighth-ranked Young Harris College at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park in Dahlonega, Georgia.

The Nighthawks will host the NCAA Southeast Regional on May 19-22 in Dahlonega.

As the top seed, UNG has a first-round bye in the six-team regional. Its regional play will begin at noon May 20 against the winner between Anderson University and Tusculum University. Other regional competitors are Lincoln Memorial University, Young Harris and Emmanuel College.

The winner of the softball regional punches a ticket to the NCAA Division II softball championship May 27-31 in Denver.

The UNG baseball team was swept by Columbus State University, 25-5 and 15-4, in the PBC championship series in Dahlonega. That PBC final series came a week after UNG scored 6-3 and 12-10 victories against Young Harris College to win the PBC semifinal series. The team will find out at 10 p.m. May 23 if it makes the NCAA tournament.

Both UNG teams had a litany of award winners as well.

Kylee Smith was named Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Pitcher of the Year and the PBC Pitcher of the Year, as well as being named to the top-15 list for the Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Pitcher and Player of the Year awards. Margaret Simmons was D2CCA Region Player of the Year, while Shelby Hammontree joined Smith and Simmons on the D2CCA first-team all-region. Teammates Cheyanne Mosteller and Kaylyn Anthony made the D2CCA second-team all-region.

Smith, Simmons, Hammontree, Anthony and Gracie Mixson were on the All-PBC first team.

Laken Chambers was named the Elite 16 Award winner. The Elite 16 Award is presented at each of the conference's 16 championship sports to the student-athlete participating in the event with the highest overall cumulative GPA.

Chambers sits alongside Mosteller, Tybee Denton and Olivia Sinquefield on the All-PBC second team.

UNG baseball players Nik Levensteins and Cade Heil were named to the All-PBC first team. Levensteins was also named the Elite 16 winner. Andres Perez, Parker Morrison, Brady Eeles, and Crews Taylor earned second-team honors.

The women's track and field team had three individuals qualify for the NCAA championships, set for May 27-29 at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. Bree Hammond qualified in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Abigail Kirkland in the 400-meter dash and Journey Gurley in the pole vault. Olivia Terwilliger earned the women's track and field Elite 16 Award. 

UNG also finished third at the PBC championship meet that wrapped up May 1. Hammond won individual titles in the 5K race and 3,000-meter steeplechase, Kirkland earned 200-meter and 400-meter titles, and Gurley brought home the pole vault title.

UNG women's golfer Maddie Ananthasane finished tied for 31st at the NCAA Division II Championships held May 11-13 at TPC Michigan in Dearborn, Michigan. She earned second-team Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American honors. Her teammate, Megan Sabol, was a first-team WGCA All-American after reaching the NCAA regional championship.

UNG's tennis teams made strong showings in their respective NCAA regional tournaments hosted in Dahlonega. The men's team (12-5) won twice and reached the regional final. The women's team (12-5) earned one NCAA win to cap its season in the regional semifinal.

Men's tennis players Ryan Gaskin and Joaquin Benoit earned first-team All-PBC honors, while Gaskin earned first-team doubles honors with his doubles partner Kevin Candido Magnusson. Magnusson earned second-team singles honors as well, while the duo of Benoit and Zach Waldow was named to the second team for doubles.

Women's tennis player Vaishali Jorge earned first-team All-PBC honors in singles and doubles. She was joined by her doubles partner, Johanna Lippert, on the first-team doubles line, while Rafaella Jean Villanueva earned second-team singles honors.

"This year has been very challenging for our student-athletes, but they persevered through it all, proudly representing UNG and breaking records along the way," said Mary Rob Plunkett, UNG director of athletics. "I am very proud of what we have accomplished up to this point and am looking forward to seeing what else our student-athletes can accomplish over these next few weeks."