Valdosta State Blazers
Encyclopedia
Valdosta State University
Blazers compete in football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf and cross-country. “Lady Blazers” compete in basketball, softball, tennis, volleyball and cross-country. VSU is a NCAA Division II member institution and has been a member of the Gulf South Conference since 1981.
and has a capacity of 11,249. The playing field is a Sprinturf synthetic grass surface.
. Travel Leisure Golf Magazine as one of the 30 best new courses of 2004. Kinderlou Forest is the home to the South Georgia Classic
, a Nationwide PGA Tour event each spring.
Weight Room, which encases nearly 10 times the space of its predecessor. The fieldhouse also contains a 2437 square feet (226.4 m²) training room. The area includes offices for the Valdosta State Athletic Training staff and a private physician exam room as well as a hydrotherapy room for rehabilitation work. The remainder of the Valdosta State Athletic Fieldhouse includes 6258 square feet (581.4 m²) of office space as well as 2200 square feet (204.4 m²) of meeting rooms, each equipped with state-of-the-art video equipment, and a 1500 square feet (139.4 m²) computer lab.
Outside of the facility is space to add two lighted football practice fields, which are planned for completion in the near future, as well as a soccer stadium.
. The Blazers lost to Grand Valley State University
31-24 in the 2002 NCAA Division II national championship. The Blazers also have won 6 Gulf South Conference football championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010).
Two notable alumni are Jessie Tuggle
, National Football League linebacker from 1987-2000 playing his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons
, and Chris Hatcher
was quarterback in the programs first national football tournament in 1994 and was that years Harlon Hill Trophy winner. Hatcher was also Valdosta State's head football coach from 2000–2006 and amassed a 68–10 record with one national championship and four conference crowns during his six-year tenure at Valdosta State.
David Dean
, former VSU offensive coordinator, is the current football head coach at Valdosta State University and is only the second head coach to lead his team to a National Championship in his first season (2007). Earle Solomonson accomplished this at North Dakota State University
in 1985.
in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The Blazers also won the 2006 national title after defeating Lynn University
5-2 and finishing the season undefeated. The Blazers also played for the National Championship in 2004, 2007, and 2010.
The blazers have finished as one of the top two teams in the Gulf South Conference every year since 1994. VSU leads the GSC with nine conference championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011). In 2011 the men's team became the first to win five consecutive GSC Championships in tennis.
Valdosta State University's Women's Tennis Team were the Gulf South Conference champions in 2005, 2008, and 2010. The Lady Blazers appeared in the Division II Tennis Final Four in 2004 and 2008.
John Hansen has been the head coach of both the men and women's tennis teams at Valdosta for 38 years. Hansen has been named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year 15 times, eleven as the mens coach and four as the women's head coach.
, and finished their season with a 51-9 record. The team has been to the last six NCAA South Regional Tournaments.
The Lady Blazers have won the Gulf South Conference Championship for the past three consecutive seasons (2009, 2010, and 2011).
Gary Colson took over as coach in 1959, that same year VSC began playing in the GIAC. During his tenure the Rebels placed first in the conference multiple times and Colson holds the highest winning percentage of any Valdosta State basketball coach at .707.
In 1968, coach Jimmy Melvin took over with continued success at VSC. In 1971 James Dominey became coach. After 1972 Valdsota State changed its mascot from the 'Rebels' to the 'Blazers'. Dominey served as coach until 2000 and after 29 year hold the most wins of any Valdosta State basketball coach.
Jim Yarbrough served as coach from 2001 to 2005. Mike Helfer became the head basketball coach at VSU in 2006 and led the Blazers to a Gulf South Conference East Division title in 2008-2009, VSU's first-ever NCAA Men's Basketball South Regional Title, and their first appearance in the Division II Elite-Eight in 2009-2010.
Charles Cooper became the Lady Blazers coach in 1982 after having served as the girls basketball coach at nearby Lowndes High School
. While at Lowndes, Cooper won 122 straight games and was undefeated from 1976 to 1980. During those four years the Lowndes Vikettes were the state and national chamions. In 1983 and 1984 the Lady Blazers won the Gulf South Conference Championship and were the NCAA Division II South Regional Champions. Also in 1984 Cooper's team reached the NCAA Division II Final Four.
Jane Williamson became the head coach in 1995. Under Williamson the Valdsota State team were the Gulf South Conference East Division Champions in 1995 and 1997, and runner-up in 1999. Yevette Sparks led the Lady Blazers for the 2000 season and Kiley Hill took over in 2001. Since Hill came to VSU the Lady Blazers have had eight straight winning seasons, nine trips to the Gulf South Conference tournament, three East Division titles, five 20-win seasons and five trips to the Division II national tournament. The Lady Blazers were also the GSC East champions in 2004–05, 2006–07 and 2009–10, and reached the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in 2008.
The Gulf South Conference rewarded Lady Blazers head coach Kiley Hill for his winning consistency when it named him the conference's Women's Basketball Coach of the Decade for 2000-2009.
. Coaching for seven seasons Heinz was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for first year programs by the National Soccer Coaches Association after leading her 2003 team to a 7-12-1 record in 2003.
The team will open its first season September 1, 2011 against Georgia Southwestern State University
. Soccer will be the 12th intercollegiate sport sponsored by Valdosta State, and the sixth women's team.
that started in the Spring of 2008 and continued through July. Fans nominated towns and cities across the country based on their championship pedigree. A panel reviewed the nominees and fan voting in May determined the 20th finalist. SportsCenter
visited each city in July, and fan voting July 23–27 determined the winner. Based on online fan voting, Valdosta, Georgia
was the winning city of TitleTown USA. Valdosta State's numerous national, conference, and division titles in multiple sports were a major reason the city of Valdosta won the vote to be named "TitleTown, USA".
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
Blazers compete in football, basketball, baseball, tennis, golf and cross-country. “Lady Blazers” compete in basketball, softball, tennis, volleyball and cross-country. VSU is a NCAA Division II member institution and has been a member of the Gulf South Conference since 1981.
Bazemore–Hyder Stadium
The stadium is the home field of the VSU football program. The stadium is shared with Valdosta High SchoolValdosta High School
Valdosta High School is a public high school located in Valdosta, Georgia, United States. The school colors are gold and black. The school mascot is the "Wildcat".-School:Valdosta High School serves grades 9-12 in the Valdosta City School District...
and has a capacity of 11,249. The playing field is a Sprinturf synthetic grass surface.
The PE Complex
A 5,350-seat, 105600 square feet (9,810.6 m²), multi-purpose arena known as "The Complex" is the home of the Valdosta State University Blazers basketball and volleyball teams.The Complex also contains a four lane jogging track and offices for the athletic department, kinesiology, and physical education departments.Billy Grand Field (Baseball Complex)
The Blazer baseball team plays at Billy Grant Field located on the Valdosta State North Campus. The complex includes the baseball field house, which opened in the spring of 1997. The field house includes offices, training room, locker rooms, and an indoor batting and pitching building for baseball and softball. Stadium seating and a new press box were constructed in 2005.Softball Complex
The Softball field is located on the North Campus adjacent to Billy Grant Field and opened in the fall of 1999. A new $400,000 state-of-the-art Softball Field house was opened in 2007 and houses locker rooms. The fenceline sits at 200 feet (61 m) throughout the outfield, and the stands seat 500. The infield is made of Alabama crimson stone, and there is also a fully functional press box.Tennis Complex
The VSU men's and women's tennis team utilizes a large eight court complex adjacent to the PE Complex. The courts were renovated during the 2000-01 season and again in 2008.Kinderlou Forest
The home of Valdosta State golf and the Southeastern Collegiate, Kinderlou Forest is located just minutes away from the VSU campus. The golf course plays 7,781 yards long from the championship tees and features five sets of tees for professionals, men, women and juniors. Designed by professional golfer Davis Love IIIDavis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...
. Travel Leisure Golf Magazine as one of the 30 best new courses of 2004. Kinderlou Forest is the home to the South Georgia Classic
South Georgia Classic
The South Georgia Classic is a golf tournament on the Nationwide Tour. It is played at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Georgia.The 2011 purse was $625,000, with $112,500 going to the winner.-Winners:...
, a Nationwide PGA Tour event each spring.
Athletic Fieldhouse
The 41000 square feet (3,809 m²) fieldhouse opened in January 2009 at a cost of $5.8 million. Features of the new facility include the 7690 square feet (714.4 m²) Jessie TuggleJessie Tuggle
Jessie Floyd Tuggle is a former professional American football linebacker who played for the Atlanta Falcons his entire career from 1987 to 2000. He graduated from Valdosta State College in Valdosta, Georgia...
Weight Room, which encases nearly 10 times the space of its predecessor. The fieldhouse also contains a 2437 square feet (226.4 m²) training room. The area includes offices for the Valdosta State Athletic Training staff and a private physician exam room as well as a hydrotherapy room for rehabilitation work. The remainder of the Valdosta State Athletic Fieldhouse includes 6258 square feet (581.4 m²) of office space as well as 2200 square feet (204.4 m²) of meeting rooms, each equipped with state-of-the-art video equipment, and a 1500 square feet (139.4 m²) computer lab.
Outside of the facility is space to add two lighted football practice fields, which are planned for completion in the near future, as well as a soccer stadium.
Football
The Valdosta state football program began in 1981 and has been led by eight head coaches. The Blazers won the 2007 NCAA Division II national football championship by defeating Northwest Missouri State 25-20. The Blazers also won the 2004 NCAA Division II national championship with a 36-31 win over Pittsburg State UniversityPittsburg State University
Pittsburg State University, also called Pitt State or PSU, is a public university with approximately 7,100 students located in Pittsburg, Kansas, United States. A large percentage of the student population consists of residents within the Pittsburg region; the gender proportion is relatively equal...
. The Blazers lost to Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State University is a public liberal arts university located in Allendale, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1960, and its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids...
31-24 in the 2002 NCAA Division II national championship. The Blazers also have won 6 Gulf South Conference football championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2010).
Two notable alumni are Jessie Tuggle
Jessie Tuggle
Jessie Floyd Tuggle is a former professional American football linebacker who played for the Atlanta Falcons his entire career from 1987 to 2000. He graduated from Valdosta State College in Valdosta, Georgia...
, National Football League linebacker from 1987-2000 playing his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Chris Hatcher
Chris Hatcher
Chris Hatcher is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Murray State University, a position he has held since the 2010 season. Previsouly, Hatcher served as the head coach at Valdosta State University from 2000 to 2006 and at Georgia Southern University...
was quarterback in the programs first national football tournament in 1994 and was that years Harlon Hill Trophy winner. Hatcher was also Valdosta State's head football coach from 2000–2006 and amassed a 68–10 record with one national championship and four conference crowns during his six-year tenure at Valdosta State.
David Dean
David Dean
David Dean is the football coach of Valdosta State University and won a NCAA Division II Football Championship in 2007, his first year as a head coach.-Playing career:...
, former VSU offensive coordinator, is the current football head coach at Valdosta State University and is only the second head coach to lead his team to a National Championship in his first season (2007). Earle Solomonson accomplished this at North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
in 1985.
Tennis
Valdosta State University's men's tennis team won the 2011 NCAA Division II national championship with a 5-2 win over Barry UniversityBarry University
Barry University is a private, Catholic university, which was founded in 1940 in Miami Shores, Florida, a suburb north of Downtown Miami. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami....
in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The Blazers also won the 2006 national title after defeating Lynn University
Lynn University
Lynn University is a private, non-profit university in Boca Raton, Florida, founded in 1962.The university currently hosts students from 40 states and 90 nations...
5-2 and finishing the season undefeated. The Blazers also played for the National Championship in 2004, 2007, and 2010.
The blazers have finished as one of the top two teams in the Gulf South Conference every year since 1994. VSU leads the GSC with nine conference championships (1996, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011). In 2011 the men's team became the first to win five consecutive GSC Championships in tennis.
Valdosta State University's Women's Tennis Team were the Gulf South Conference champions in 2005, 2008, and 2010. The Lady Blazers appeared in the Division II Tennis Final Four in 2004 and 2008.
John Hansen has been the head coach of both the men and women's tennis teams at Valdosta for 38 years. Hansen has been named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year 15 times, eleven as the mens coach and four as the women's head coach.
Baseball
The first baseball team at Valdosta State was formed in 1954 and had its first official season of intercollegiate competition in 1955. The first coach was Walter Cottingham, and the college was first a member of the Georgia Conference. In 1959, Gary Colson became baseball coach, he would later serve as the Valdosta State basketball coach. Billy Grant became coach in 1960 and the Blazer baseball home field is named in his honor due to his success. Tommy Thomas, became coach in 1967 and served as coach until 2007. Under Thomas the blazers saw 34 winning seasons, two conference title, three Divisional titles, eight trips to the national tournament, and a Division II national championship in 1979. Tommy Thomas is the all-time wins leader in NCAA Division II baseball with 1302 wins. Greg Guilliams became VSU's head baseball coach in 2008 and won a Gulf South Conference East Division title in his first year and led Valdosta State to its first postseason appearance in seven years. The Valdosta State baseball team was the 2010 GSC Champions.Softball
The Lady Blazer Softball Team began in 1992 under head coach Ron Durante. In 2009, under coach Thomas Macera, the Lady Blazers finished with a 57-8 season and broke 16 school records, including most wins in a season, most runs (503), hits (638), runs batted in (452), and home runs (98). In 2010 VSU won the South Regional Championship and made its first appearance in the NCAA Division II National Softball Tournament. The Lady Blazers fell 4-3 in the National Championship to Hawaii PacificHawaii Pacific University
Hawaii Pacific University, also known as HPU, is a private, Nonsectarian, coeducational university located in Honolulu, Hawaii and Kaneohe, Hawaii. HPU founded in 1965 as Hawaii Pacific College by Paul C.T. Loo, Eureka Forbes, Elizabeth W...
, and finished their season with a 51-9 record. The team has been to the last six NCAA South Regional Tournaments.
The Lady Blazers have won the Gulf South Conference Championship for the past three consecutive seasons (2009, 2010, and 2011).
Men's Basketball
The men’s Basketball Team at Valdosta State, was formed and played its first season in 1955 as the 'Rebels'. Walter Cottingham was the Valdosta State basketball coach and led the team until 1958.Gary Colson took over as coach in 1959, that same year VSC began playing in the GIAC. During his tenure the Rebels placed first in the conference multiple times and Colson holds the highest winning percentage of any Valdosta State basketball coach at .707.
In 1968, coach Jimmy Melvin took over with continued success at VSC. In 1971 James Dominey became coach. After 1972 Valdsota State changed its mascot from the 'Rebels' to the 'Blazers'. Dominey served as coach until 2000 and after 29 year hold the most wins of any Valdosta State basketball coach.
Jim Yarbrough served as coach from 2001 to 2005. Mike Helfer became the head basketball coach at VSU in 2006 and led the Blazers to a Gulf South Conference East Division title in 2008-2009, VSU's first-ever NCAA Men's Basketball South Regional Title, and their first appearance in the Division II Elite-Eight in 2009-2010.
Women's Basketball
The Lady Blazers Basketball Team began in 1975, although intramural women’s basketball has been strong at VSC back to the 30’s during its days as GSWC. Lyndal Worth was the first coach of the new team. During Worth's tenure the Lady Blazers were the GAIAW Division I Champions in 1977 and 1978, GAIAW Division I Runner-up in 1976 and 1979, and AIAW South Regional Champion in 1978 and 1979.Charles Cooper became the Lady Blazers coach in 1982 after having served as the girls basketball coach at nearby Lowndes High School
Lowndes High School
Lowndes High School is a public high school in Valdosta, Georgia, USA. The school is part of the Lowndes school system, which serves Lowndes County except for the city of Valdosta.-History:...
. While at Lowndes, Cooper won 122 straight games and was undefeated from 1976 to 1980. During those four years the Lowndes Vikettes were the state and national chamions. In 1983 and 1984 the Lady Blazers won the Gulf South Conference Championship and were the NCAA Division II South Regional Champions. Also in 1984 Cooper's team reached the NCAA Division II Final Four.
Jane Williamson became the head coach in 1995. Under Williamson the Valdsota State team were the Gulf South Conference East Division Champions in 1995 and 1997, and runner-up in 1999. Yevette Sparks led the Lady Blazers for the 2000 season and Kiley Hill took over in 2001. Since Hill came to VSU the Lady Blazers have had eight straight winning seasons, nine trips to the Gulf South Conference tournament, three East Division titles, five 20-win seasons and five trips to the Division II national tournament. The Lady Blazers were also the GSC East champions in 2004–05, 2006–07 and 2009–10, and reached the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in 2008.
The Gulf South Conference rewarded Lady Blazers head coach Kiley Hill for his winning consistency when it named him the conference's Women's Basketball Coach of the Decade for 2000-2009.
Golf
The VSU Golf program began in 1984. The team has appeared in the NCAA Championship 11 times, and Briny Baird was the NCAA Champion in 1994 and 1995. The Blazers have also made the Gulf South Conference Championships in 1994, 1996, 1999, and 2000, and to GSC Individual Championships in 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, and 2007.Vollyball
Lady Blazer volleyball was restarted in 1995 after a 15-year hiatus. In the inaugural season under coach Paul Cantrell the Lady Bazers went 13-17, and improving to 15-16 in 1996. In 2005 Sia Poyer took over as coach and in 2006 led the team to the Gulf South Conference Tournament for the first time since 2000.Cross Country
The Valdosta State Cross Country Team was formed in 1976, the first coach was Dave Waples. That year the team won the State Championship, the South Atlantic Conference Championship, and placed eighth in the NCAA Nationals. Both Valdosta State's men and women's cross country squads placed in the top 10 in the NCAA Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships in 2009.Soccer
Valdosta State University added women’s soccer to its sports roster in September 2009. Melissa Heinz was named the first VSU soccer coach on January 28, 2010. Heinz had also been the inaugural coach of Division I Winthrop UniversityWinthrop University
Winthrop University is a public, four-year liberal arts university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. In 2006-07, Winthrop University had an enrollment of 6,292 students. The University has been recognized as South Carolina's top-rated university according to evaluations conducted by the South...
. Coaching for seven seasons Heinz was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for first year programs by the National Soccer Coaches Association after leading her 2003 team to a 7-12-1 record in 2003.
The team will open its first season September 1, 2011 against Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the...
. Soccer will be the 12th intercollegiate sport sponsored by Valdosta State, and the sixth women's team.
Red Hots
The Valdosta State Dance Team, known as the VSU Red Hots, have been the NDA National Champions in the Division II Open Dance Competition in 2008, 2009, 2010. In 2011 the Red Hots won their first national championship in the Hip Hop division and placed second in the Open division.Cheer
The Valdosta State cheerleading squad won the co-ed national championship in 2009 and 2010 and the national title in the All Girl division in 2011 at the NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance National Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida.TitleTown USA
TitleTown USA was a month-long segment on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
that started in the Spring of 2008 and continued through July. Fans nominated towns and cities across the country based on their championship pedigree. A panel reviewed the nominees and fan voting in May determined the 20th finalist. SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
visited each city in July, and fan voting July 23–27 determined the winner. Based on online fan voting, Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
was the winning city of TitleTown USA. Valdosta State's numerous national, conference, and division titles in multiple sports were a major reason the city of Valdosta won the vote to be named "TitleTown, USA".
External links
- http://www.vstateblazers.com/
- http://www.vsuspectator.com/category/sports/