51³Ô¹ÏÍø

The University of North Georgia's (51³Ô¹ÏÍø) Athletics Department and the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee have announced the 14th class of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 9 in the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Convocation Center. The evening will begin with a social hour, followed by a dinner and ceremony programming beginning at 7 p.m. 

Tickets for the induction ceremony are available for $50 per person. Tickets are available by registering online at .

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics Hall of Fame honors individuals who have earned outstanding athletic achievements or made substantial contributions to the university. A nine-member Board of Directors is responsible for the Athletics Hall of Fame operations and serves as selectors for all honorees, based upon nominations. 

The class of 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame induction class includes: 

Sally Bell, supporter 

Bell has been a longtime supporter of North Georgia Athletics, but her reach and impact in the collegiate athletics landscape goes far beyond Dahlonega. She began officiating high school basketball in 1975, and only four years later she moved on to NAIA and NJCAA games. The year 1981 would mark the first year she officiated Division I and II basketball games. 

In 1996 she was named the Naismith College Women's Basketball Official of the Year. In her officiating career, she officiated 15 NCAA Division I Women's Final Fours, including 13 consecutive at one point. Bell was the coordinator of women's basketball officials for six different conferences (Atlantic Sun, OVC, SEC, Southland, SWAC and Sun Belt).   

In recent years, Bell has been an integral part of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics and has held board member positions on the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Athletics Hall of Fame board, as well as the Nighthawks Athletic Club board. She has also served as a mentor to several Peach Belt Conference basketball officials for numerous years. Bell was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and in 2017 was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Ashleigh Bennett, '02, women's soccer 

Bennett was a fixture on the university's inaugural women's soccer team. She was one of three student-athletes to start in 1998 and finish after their senior year in 2001. She was voted Best Offensive Player all four years on the squad and earned the title of Most Valuable Player from 1999 through 2001. 

Bennett was named to the Georgia Alabama Carolina Conference first team all-conference in all four seasons, and in her junior year, she was named the conference Player of the Year. She led the team in scoring all four years of her career, and she finished her career with 44 goals and 17 assists. 

Ishmael Hollis, '14, men's basketball 

Hollis left his mark on the North Georgia men's basketball program in his two years after transferring from Western Carolina. He is still the only 51³Ô¹ÏÍø men's basketball player to play in the NBA's G League. He appears in the men's basketball record book numerous times, which includes ranking third in points scored in a season. 

In the 2013-14 season, Hollis was named to the NABC All-District team as well as the D2CCA All-Region first team. Additionally, after the 2013-14 season, he was named the GABCA Player of the Year. During both of his years competing in the Peach Belt Conference, Hollis earned a spot on the all-conference team. 

After his time at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, he went on to compete professionally, which he still does today. He hosted Swish Basketball camps in the north Georgia community, as well as Australia. He has gone on to compete on every continent in the eight years since departing 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. 

Lynsey Thompson, '06, softball 

Thompson is one of the most decorated softball players to come through North Georgia. She was instrumental in setting the championship standard for 51³Ô¹ÏÍø softball and has been credited with putting the program on the national stage in her time at North Georgia. 

She holds several program records, which includes holding the records for most hits, total bases, runs, RBIs, and triples. Thompson ranks in the top five in the program in several other categories such as career batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, and home runs. 

In 2003, Thompson was the Georgia Alabama Carolina Conference Player of the Year, as well as the Freshman of the Year, and in 2004 was named an NAIA All-American. Throughout her tenure at North Georgia, she was named all-conference and all-region on multiple occasions. 

Brittany Truitt, '18, cross country and track and field 

Truitt was a key figure for the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø cross country program, and she helped lay the foundation for not only the cross country program, but the track and field program as well. Arriving on campus just two years after the cross country program was reinstated, Truitt helped to build the program up through not only her abilities on the course, but her leadership. 

She holds multiple program records in both cross country and track and field, which includes the record for fastest 5K and 6K times, and holds six of the top 10 5K times in program history. On the track and field side, Truitt holds the records for the 1,500-meter, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter times. 

In 2014, Truitt led the cross country program to its first, and only, appearance at the NCAA championship and was the team's top finisher all four years in the Nighthawk uniform. She earned all-region honors all four years. Her dominance continued when the track and field program began in 2016, and she earned multiple all-conference honors and was crowned the 2017 Peach Belt 8,000-meter champion and the 2018 Peach Belt 5,000-meter champion.