GSC Hall of Fame to induct class of 2016
Click
HERE for the all-time GSC Hall of Fame list.
Pensacola. Fla - The Gulf South Conference is set to honor its third all-time Hall of Fame Class for 2016 at 5:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday, June 1.
The Gulf South Conference, now in its 47th year, will see three former student-athletes and two head coaches inducted into this year's class.
The Hall of Fame honorees will be officially inducted on Wednesday, June 1 at 5:30 p.m. (CT) at the Hilton Pensacola Beach, Fla. Below is a list of the 2016 GSC Hall of Fame winners. The ceremony will be LIVE streamed
HERE starting at 5:55 p.m. (CT).
Dr. Velisa Levett Caldwell (West Georgia)
During her four seasons, Levett helped lead West Georgia women’s basketball to a 72-32 (.692) record and two NCAA Division II Tournaments from 1988-91. She is one of three players in GSC history to complete a career with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She was a four-time All-GSC (Second Team) selection and was named All-America in 1990. She ranks third in GSC history in points per game (20.9), career points (2,192) and field goals made in a game (18), fourth in career field goals (848), sixth in free throw attempts (659), eighth in free throws made (471) and 10
th in career field goal percentage (57.5). She graduated from West Georgia in 1992 and earned a master’s in education at Central Michigan in 2002 and Ph.D. in educational leadership from Capella University in 2008.
Melanie Carter (Alabama Huntsville)
Carter led Alabama Huntsville to three GSC championships (2000, 2001, 2003) and three NCAA Division II South Region Tournaments during her career at UAH. She was a four-time All-GSC, All-South Region and NFCA All-American at three different positions (2B, UT, 3B) and was named to the GSC All-Decade First Team in 2010. Carter holds the GSC career records in at bats and UAH career records in runs scored, total bases and RBI. She received the UAH Presidential Award in 2003, awarded to the top UAH athlete in all sports. After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2003 and a master’s from West Alabama in 2005, Carter served as head coach at Shorter University from 2007 to 2010, collecting three 50-win seasons and 195 wins in four years in the NAIA. She was named the Southern States Conference Region 8 Coach of the Year in 2007. She currently serves as an assistant on the UAH softball coaching staff.
Lloyd Clark (Delta State)
Clark served as head women’s basketball coach and adjunct history professor at Delta State from 1983 to 2002. He retired as the GSC’s all-time wins leader with a career record of 494-98 record after leading DSU to 16 NCAA Division II Tournaments, including 11 Elite Eight appearances and three national titles in 1989, 1990 and 1992. He led DSU in 11 GSC championships and was named the GSC Coach of the Year five times. In 2006, he was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Clark earned his bachelor’s degree from DSU in 1970 and master’s in 1977. Prior to coaching the Lady Statesmen, he served as head coach of Warren Central High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi from 1970 to 1982.
Cody Gross (North Alabama)
Gross is one of the winningest quarterbacks in college football history, leading UNA to a 41-2 record and three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championships from 1993-95. He was 12-1 as a starting quarterback in playoff games. Gross set career records for rushing touchdowns and touchdowns scored (40), career touchdowns responsible for (65) and career total offense (5,614). During his career, he was named First Team All-GSC, GSC Offensive Player of the Year, First Team CoSIDA NCAA Division II All-South Region, First Team C.M. Frank All-American, Third Team CoSIDA NCAA Division II All-American and honorable mention Football Gazette All-American. In 1996 he received the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy as the top male student-athlete in the conference. He was selected to the 50
th Anniversary UNA Football Team for 1949-98, the GSC Team of the Quarter Century for 1971-95 and the 1990s GSC All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame and Division II Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Gross currently serves as UNA’s offensive coordinator, helping the Lions to three straight GSC titles from 2013-2015.
Mike Lane (North Alabama)
Lane is the winningest baseball coach in Gulf South Conference history, winning 908 games during his 25 seasons at UNA from 1983-84 until 2007-08. He averaged 36 wins per season, won 40 games more than six times, won five GSC championships, took the Lions to 10 NCAA regionals and one World Series in 1999. The Lions were 571-156-4 home record during Lane’s tenure. Lane coached 18 All-Americans, 75 First Team All-GSC selections and numerous professional players. He was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. He was a four-time GSC Coach of the Year. Lane, a 1974 graduate of Nebraska-Kearney, began his career as a graduate assistant at Georgia Southern University in 1976 and became an assistant at Yavapai Community College in 1978. He was head coach at Cochise Community College from 1979-83 before taking over at UNA.
2016 GSC Hall of Fame Individual Inductee Profiles
Dr. Velisa Levett Caldwell, UWG
Melanie Carter, UAH
Lloyd Clark, DSU
Cody Gross, UNA
Mike Lane, UNA
Join in on the conversation using #GSCHOF on
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram.