DAHLONEGA | The 2013-2014 athletic season was full of successes both on the playing fields and in the classrooms as the University of North Georgia Department of Athletics collected a year packed with both individual and team honors.  To kick off the 2014-15 season, the UNG athletic department reflected on the previous season's successes in a general student-athlete assembly in Memorial Hall on Wednesday.

"The collection of honors this past year is a testament to the commitment to succeed by our student-athletes and the leadership of our coaches," stated UNG Athletic Director Lindsay Reeves.  "Our awards presentation is a great way to kick off the upcoming year."

On the playing fields and courts, UNG earned one Peach Belt Conference championship (softball) and had the women's cross country, women's basketball, softball and men's tennis team join the softball team in NCAA post-season play.

The women's soccer program joined the softball and women's basketball teams in earning a top-25 NCAA Division II national ranking during the regular season.

Individually, UNG student-athletes earned four All-American honors, nine All-Region honors and 12 PBC All-Conference distinctions. 

Women's basketball player Mimi Hill garnered the league's Player of the Year honor while softball player Victoria Sink was named the PBC Pitcher of the Year.  Head coaches Buffie Burson (women's basketball), Leigh Anne Hunter (women's golf) and Mike Davenport (softball) were each voted as the PBC Coach of the Year.

Three North Georgia teams also competed with honor and were awarded their sport's team sportsmanship award: women's soccer (NSCAA), men's tennis (PBC) and women's golf (PBC). 

Equally impressive was the Nighthawks' successes in the classroom.  Over half of the 225+ student-athletes were named to the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll which recognizes players that carry a 3.0 GPA or higher. 

UNG also brought home a pair of PBC Elite 15 Honors as women's cross country runner Ann Marie Morehouse and men's basketball player Travis Core collected the honor for the highest GPA of a student-athlete competing in the championship series.

Collectively 26 students were honored as PBC All-Academic selections and 11 garnered All-American status through their respective sport's association.

Megan Morrow (women's soccer), Stephanie Huffman (women's basketball) and Core (men's basketball) landed on the Capital One/CoSIDA All-District Academic team. 

In the first annual Battle of Blood Mountain, North Georgia defeated local rival Young Harris 6.5 points to 3.5 points to gain possession of the rotating trophy. 

UNG also gained national visibility when women's golfers Lee Ann Noble and Bridget Sandy were featured on the cover of the NCAA's Champion Magazine (Fall 2014). 

North Georgia's commitment to the NCAA Division II Make-A-Wish initiative continues to be evident as the school claimed its fourth consecutive award for most money donated by the Peach Belt Conference.