Five inductees going into Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 2
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (51³Ô¹ÏÍø) will induct five new members into the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 2.
The ninth class includes Randy Dunn '80 (coach/administrator), Tom Fowler '52 (men's basketball, baseball), Syretha Marble '09 (women's basketball), Sarah Phillips '11 (softball), and Sean Pittman '01 (baseball).
"On behalf of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics Hall of Fame committee, we are extremely excited to congratulate our five Class of 2019 inductees," 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Director of Athletics Lindsay Reeves said. "Each of these distinguished individuals have had a profound impact on North Georgia athletics, and their contributions are fitting examples of what it means to be a student-athlete, coach and administrator."
The ceremony will be at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 2 in the Convocation Center ahead of a Peach Belt Conference basketball doubleheader against Georgia Southwestern and is part of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's homecoming festivities the same day. Tickets for the induction are available for $50 per person or $500 for a table of eight. Guests can register or by calling 706-867-3212.
The basketball doubleheader starts at 1:30 p.m., with separate tickets for the game costing $8 for adults, $5 for youth and free to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø faculty, staff and students with a valid 51³Ô¹ÏÍø ID.
Randy Dunn
Dunn oversaw the transition for the university's Department of Athletics from the NAIA into NCAA Division II status. After coaching the men's basketball team for 14 years, he retired from coaching to serve full-time as director of athletics. During his tenure, Dunn oversaw the addition of five new sports: women's soccer, men's and women's golf, baseball and softball. With Dunn at the helm, the school's intercollegiate athletic program produced 12 conference championships in the Georgia Athletic Conference, the Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference, and the Southern States Athletic Conference, and for two years, the softball team earned the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship and competed in the College World Series. Dunn played basketball at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø for three years and graduated in 1980.
Tom Fowler
Fowler played three years for the Kadets baseball team from 1950-52, graduating with a degree in physical education. While playing for North Georgia, he was a member of B Company, the Corporals' Club and the Letterman's Club. After finishing his collegiate career at North Georgia, Fowler went on to play for the Atlanta Crackers in the Class AA Southern Association. He later joined the minor-league Baton Rouge Red Sticks as part of the Evangeline Baseball League in Louisiana.
Syretha Marble
Marble is the NCAA-era leading scorer in North Georgia women's basketball history, tallying more than 1,700 points in her four years. Averaging 17.5 points per outing, Marble shot a program-best 51.2 percent from the field and pulled down 8.6 rebounds per game, second-best in 51³Ô¹ÏÍø history. Marble was named the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year in North Georgia's first season in the league, and two years later she was named a Daktronics Third-Team All-American. Marble is the only North Georgia player to be named all-conference in all four years in a North Georgia uniform and one of only six players in Peach Belt history to accomplish the feat.
Sarah Phillips
Phillips enjoyed one of the most prolific softball careers in NCAA Division II history. The two-time Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year finished her career as the league's all-time leader in wins (124), appearances (164), starts (142), complete games (113), and innings (946.1) along with being North Georgia's record-holder for strikeouts (911) and shutouts (45). Her wins total ranks sixth on the NCAA's all-time list. Phillips was named the Ron Lenz Division II Pitcher of the Year in 2010 after winning 44-straight games as part of a 51-game winning streak for North Georgia. She was named to the All-American First Team twice and was a two-time PBC Pitcher of the Year.
Sean Pittman
Pittman was the first North Georgia baseball player to be drafted by a Major League Baseball team, going to the New York Mets in the 34th round of the 2001 MLB Draft. During his career at North Georgia, he was named an NAIA All-American in 2001 after a season in which he stole 27 bases, third-most in program history. Pittman led the 2001 team to a GAC Conference Championship, hitting .391 while starting all 62 games. He finished with 17 doubles, four triples, six homers and 55 RBI that season. During his career, Pittman played in two NAIA Regionals, making it to the regional championship game in 2001.
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