Nighthawks riding momentum into fall
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (51³Ô¹ÏÍø) will aim to keep its athletics momentum going strong this fall.
Securing the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Commissioner's Cup in May cemented 2023-24 as the best athletic year in school history, with postseason or regular-season titles in women's soccer, men's basketball, softball, men's golf, and women's tennis. Eight of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's 13 teams were represented in the NCAA postseason, with the men's basketball, men's golf and women's tennis team each reaching their respective NCAA championships.
"We have incredible momentum in Nighthawk Athletics, and we are excited to see our fall teams continue that trend," Athletics Director said. "Our student-athletes and coaches continue to cement 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's reputation as the most competitive, value-added NCAA Division II athletic program in the nation."
Heading into the fall, the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women's soccer team ranks No. 24 nationally. Coming off a 14-4-4 season that included an 8-0-1 PBC record, the Nighthawks open the at 1 p.m. Sept. 5 against UNC Pembroke at the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø Soccer Complex. Head coach 's program is 41-18-8 in her four seasons and has made the NCAA postseason all three times it was held.
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø men's soccer team opens head coach 's first season as full-time coach at 5 p.m. Sept. 5 against Francis Marion in the 16th annual CSU Laker Loch-In Classic in Morrow, Georgia. His team went 9-8-2 overall and 5-3-2 in PBC play while he was interim head coach in 2023. Home action begins for the Nighthawks at 5 p.m. Sept. 7 versus Converse. See the .
51³Ô¹ÏÍø's women's cross country team opens its at 5:45 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Young Harris Opener in Young Harris, Georgia. The Nighthawks, coached by , then host the 12th annual 51³Ô¹ÏÍø XC Invitational at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's Gainesville Campus. They also host the Oct. 26 PBC championship at the Gainesville Campus. The NCAA Division II Southeast Regional is set for Nov. 9 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø men's golf team, coming off its national runner-up finish in the spring under head coach , is ranked second nationally in the preseason and plays in , highlighted by hosting the third annual Mizuno Intercollegiate at Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville, Georgia, from Sept. 23-24.
This fall, the women's golf team plays in four tournaments, highlighted by the 11th annual LeeAnn Noble Memorial, set for Oct. 7-8 at Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega, Georgia. See the for head coach 's team.
Nighthawks wrap up season in Sweet 16
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women's soccer team fell 2-0 to Columbus State University in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional championship Dec. 1.
Women's soccer team makes Sweet 16
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women's soccer team punched its ticket to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016 with a 1-0 victory against Lander University on Nov. 24.
Nighthawks make NCAA tournament
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø women's soccer team has earned the No. 3 seed in the Southeast Region of the NCAA Division II tournament, marking its fourth consecutive postseason appearance.
Basketball teams aim high in 2024-25
The 51³Ô¹ÏÍø men’s and women’s basketball teams tip off their seasons in early November. Both teams return all-conference performers as they aim for national and PBC supremacy.