51³Ô¹ÏÍø

University of North Georgia (51³Ô¹ÏÍø) student Nicholas Calhoun was one of 10 students nationally named an All-American flag football official, the first student from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø to achieve this status. It is the highest honor that can be awarded to a student flag football official. 

21 year-old Calhoun, a senior from Statham, Georgia, pursuing a degree in business management, was one of three 51³Ô¹ÏÍø students invited to officiate at the National Flag Football Tournament hosted by the University of West Florida from Jan. 2-6 in Pensacola, Florida. 

"Being named an All-American is an honor and really speaks to how hard we work in 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's intramural sports to prepare as well as we can to officiate both on and off campus," Calhoun said.

Students involved in the regional intramural flag football tournaments, which take place yearly, are graded on their precision while refereeing and their conduct while overseeing the games. These referees can earn a chance to officiate games at the National Flag Football Tournament depending on their level of expertise, and this year Calhoun, Zach Kula, and Adam Minnick were among the 50 chosen nationally to attend. 

"This honor demonstrates the commitment that the intramural sports program has to developing quality officials to serve the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø student community," said Rob Kelly, coordinator for intramural sports and sports clubs at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. "We want all of our Intramural Sports teams and players to have positive and enjoyable experiences, and we think that providing quality student officials is a big part of that experience.”