13 minute read
ATHLETICS
A SINCERE FAREWELL...
MARK McKEEVER HAS STEPPED DOWN FROM YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE AFTER 17 YEARS.
McKeever stepped down in August as Young Harris men’s soccer coach for the Mountain Lions after 17 years to pursue coaching in the world of professional soccer.
“It’s truly hard to put into words what Mark has meant to YHC and the men’s soccer program,” said Director of Athletics Jennifer Rushton. “Mark has been a leader to a countless number of student-athletes, holding them to the highest standard of excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. He is an absolute winner, and we look forward to following his success as a professional coach.”
McKeever served as head coach of the men’s soccer program for the past 17 years. The Motherwell, Scotland, native led the Mountain Lions to a 222-72-18 (.726 winning percentage) during his time in the Enchanted Valley. McKeever was ranked fifth among NCAA Division II active winningest coaches by winning percentage (.740) and 19th by total wins (222).
“This is such a bittersweet moment in my life,” said McKeever. “I would like to thank everyone at Young Harris College over the past 17 years for the opportunity to create a program that I am leaving with the reputation as one of the most elite in the country. The players and coaches who played a role in this success will always be remembered for the legacy they have left behind. I will never forget this amazing experience with some wonderful, talented, unique individuals along the way. My sincerest gratitude to all who were involved.”
The Mountain Lions won six Peach Belt Conference regular-season titles and five PBC Tournament crowns under McKeever’s leadership. YHC made six trips in the past eight years to the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship, including three seasons as the No. 1 regional seed in the tournament. The Mountain Lions won the NCAA Division II Southeast Region championship in 2017 and advanced to the national quarterfinals twice (2017, 2014). The Mountain Lions have been ranked as high as No. 1 in NCAA Division II by the United Soccer Coaches three times (2021, 2018, 2013).
McKeever has been named PBC Coach of the Year three times and has been recognized as the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Staff of the Year four times by the United Soccer Coaches.
Since joining NCAA Division II and the Peach Belt, McKeever coached 53 all-conference performers, 20 AllAmericans, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections, six PBC Players of the Year and four PBC Freshman of the Year. In addition, McKeever had two players—Ilija Ilic (2014) and Mikie Rowe (2018)—be named NCAA Division II National Player of the Year and Scholar Player of the Year in the same season.
In his time as a coach in the NJCAA, McKeever lead his YHC teams to the Region 17 Final in four of his five years.
He was selected as the Region 17 Coach of the Year in 2007. The Mountain Lions were ranked in the top 15 of national standings in both 2008 and 2009. His players have received numerous prestigious awards, including NJCAA All-American, NSCAA All-American, and Region 17 Player of the Year.
Fourteen players—Ilija Ilic, Niall McCabe, Khurram Shazad, Samuel Mansour, Lewis Hilton, Paco Craig, Anuar Kanan, Mikie Rowe, Marco Micaletto, Macauley King, Carlos Gomez, Kevin Coiffic, Dani Fischer, and Yesin van der Pluijm—have gone on to play professional soccer under McKeever’s tutelage.
GREY
ROBINSON
GELDART
DEAN GREY
MEN’S SOCCER
Dean Grey has been a part of the Mountain Lion success the past 10 seasons. He served as an assistant coach for the first eight years before YHC welcomed him to the associate head coach position.
“I cannot begin to express how excited I am for Dean to take over our program,” said Director of Athletics Jennifer Rushton. “It is rare for an assistant to stay in one place for 11 years. It fully demonstrates the loyalty and commitment that Dean has for the YHC men’s soccer program. He has earned this opportunity, and I am excited to watch Dean succeed in this well-deserved promotion.”
During his time in the Enchanted Valley, Grey helped the Mountain Lions capture six Peach Belt Conference regular-season titles, five PBC Tournament championships, and six appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Grey has helped YHC, which has been ranked as No. 1 in the country during the 2014, 2018, and 2021 seasons, to a 143-29-11 record (.811 winning percentage). The Mountain Lions reached the national quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament in both 2014 and 2017, capturing the Southeast Region title in 2017.
He was also head coach of the JV men’s soccer program for seven years.
Grey spent three seasons as an assistant for the Southwest Baptist University women’s soccer program. He was responsible for assisting in all aspects of managing and developing the Bearcats to compete in Mid-America Intercollegiate Conference, which was rated the toughest NCAA Division II conference for women’s soccer in the country.
Grey, who holds a National “B” License, was also the co-head coach of the Springfield Demize in the Premier Development League during 2012. He also played two seasons in 2010 and 2011 for the Demize.
Before going to SBU, Grey spent 2008 with the New Orleans Shockers of the PDL. From 2003–2007, Grey played at William Woods University as a left midfielder.
A native of London, England, Grey played two years in England under the PASE Scheme, an English college soccer program. Grey earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management with a minor in business communications from William Woods University and his master’s degree in business administration from Southwest Baptist University. Grey is the father of twins Jackson and Ava.
KEVIN ROBINSON
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GOLF
Kevin Robinson, who was named Director of Golf for the Mountain Lions in August 2022, comes to the Enchanted Valley after serving as the women’s golf coach at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the past 12 seasons.
Robinson led the Rose-Hulman women’s golf team to three consecutive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championships from 2019–2020 through 2021–2022, including the team’s first trip to the NCAA Division III Championships in 2021. The Fightin’ Engineers came home 14th at national championship in 2021, marking the highest national finish ever for a Rose-Hulman women’s sports team. Rose-Hulman also placed 21st at the 2022 NCAA Division III Championships.
The golf program has maintained a clear status as one of the HCAC’s top programs by finishing first or second
YOUNG HARRIS WINS PBC INSTITUTION OF THE YEAR SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Young Harris College was presented with the 2021–2022 Peach Belt Conference Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award at the league's annual awards dinner on May 31 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
The annual honor is given to the institution displaying the best overall sportsmanship for the 2021–2022 season and culminates the PBC’s season-long sportsmanship recognition program. A banner that rotates from winning school to winning school has traveled to YHC for the first time.
Following each championship sports season, a Team Sportsmanship Award is presented to the team in that sport that best exemplifies what the award stands for: the spirit of sportsmanship, a high degree of integrity, character, and class. Each team award is voted on by other teams who compete in that sport and points are awarded on how each team finished in the voting.
YHC won Team Sportsmanship Awards in men’s basketball, men’s golf, volleyball, and men’s lacrosse during the 2021–2022 season. The four awards were the most for any PBC institution and are the most for YHC in a single season since the PBC began presenting the award in 2009.
in the league every season since 2013–2014. The Fightin’ Engineers reached the Golfstat NCAA Division III Top 25 for the first time in program history in 2021 and have also received votes in the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Division III Top 25 poll for two consecutive years.
The women’s golf team at Rose-Hulman completely rewrote their record book over the past four seasons.
The last four years also include the top five single-round scoring performances in Rose-Hulman history. Rose-Hulman has also recorded nine consecutive seasons with multiple all-conference honorees. Robinson recruited 26 of the 31 all-conference performances, including the past two conference championship players.
Robinson’s golf career has included work as a senior assistant golf professional at some of the nation’s top courses. His career stops have included Yeamans Hall Club in Charleston, South Carolina, ranked 35th nationally by Golfweek magazine in its list of America’s best classical golf courses; Lost Dunes Golf Club in Bridgman, Michigan, ranked 43rd by Golfweek magazine in its listing of America’s best modern golf courses; The Bay Club at Mattapoisett in Massachusetts; Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona; and most recently, The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia.
His playing career includes winning the 2002 Yeamans Hall Club Pro-Member crown, the 2002 Charleston Open Qualifier and the 2004 Lost Dunes Invitational. Other top finishes included a third place at the 2005 Hilton Head PGA Championship, seventh place at the 2005 Hilton Head Open, 11th at the Indiana PGA Monticello Open in 2013, 15th at the 2006 New England PGA Assistants Championship, a 34th place at the 2006 New England PGA Championship. His lowest competitive round was a score of 68 at the 2006 New England Open. Robinson holds four course records as a player, with a low casual-round score of 58 (-10).
A PGA of America member, Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Carolina University in 1999 and served on the PGA of America’s President’s Council on Growing the Game in 2007 and 2010. He is also a member of the WGCA and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association of America.
Robinson, who also served as an assistant coach for the RoseHulman women’s basketball team, married Dr. Michele WeibergRobinson in August 2016. MEN’S LACROSSE
Brendan Geldart was named the men’s lacrosse coach for the Mountain Lions in August 2022.
Geldart comes to the Enchanted Valley after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the men’s lacrosse program at Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia. Geldart helped Berry College to 12 victories and to two appearances in the Southern Athletic Association Championships over the past two seasons. Geldart coached five All-SAA offensive performers during that time.
Prior to Berry, Geldart served three seasons as the assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Oberlin College. He served as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2020 after serving as the defensive coordinator the prior two seasons. Geldart’s offense was off to a solid start for the Yeomen through four games as Oberlin ranked third in the conference in both goals per game (13.25) and assists (33) while scoring on man-up opportunities at a 43.8 percent clip (7-for-16) before the remainder of the spring season was canceled.
In 2019, the Yeomen picked up 531 ground balls and held opponents to a .321 shot percentage. Under his guidance, goalie Calvin Filson made a career-best 157 saves and turned away 51 percent of the shots he faced.
Oberlin drastically improved its goals against total going from 219 in 2017 to 149 in 2018. Filson made 133 saves and turned away over 50 percent of the shots he faced. The Yeomen’s backline scooped up a large portion of the team’s 502 ground balls while also causing 123 turnovers.
Geldart moved to Oberlin College after coaching the defensive side of the ball for two seasons at Catholic University of America. During his tenure, the Cardinals made it to two consecutive Landmark Conference Championships, winning in 2016 and losing in 2017. The Cardinal defense only allowed 7.92 goals per game in 2017, after improving from 9.62 goals-allowed average in 2016.
Throughout college, he coached at Camp Greylock in 2013 and for the Old Line State Lacrosse Club in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Geldart is a graduate of Frostburg State University, where he was a four-year member of the men’s lacrosse team.
2022 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Lewis Hilton, 2015 (men’s soccer), Sterling Smith (men’s soccer), and Sydnee Weaver, 2015 (women’s soccer), will be inducted into the Young Harris College Athletics Hall at a special luncheon on December 10. The 1997 men’s soccer team will be honored as a Team of Distinction.
Established in 2013, Young Harris College’s Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes individuals for outstanding athletics achievements and distinguished service to YHC and the greater community.
MOUNTAIN LIONS ROUND UP
> The Mountain Lions had two teams—men’s soccer and baseball—earn berths to their respective
NCAA Division II national tournaments. It was the men’s soccer team’s sixth trip in the past eight seasons, while it was the second in the past three seasons for the baseball team. > The men’s soccer and baseball teams won their respective Peach Belt Conference championship in 2021–2022. The Mountain Lions won the regular season and tournament crowns in men’s soccer, while baseball won the PBC Tournament title. > Men’s soccer, men’s golf, baseball, and men’s and women’s tennis teams were all nationally ranked during the 2021–2022 season. The men’s soccer team spent several weeks during the season at No. 1.
> A record 231 student-athletes were named to a conference academic honor roll. A record 214 were named to the PBC Presidential Honor Roll, while 17 were named to the Gulf South
Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll. > A record 74 student-athletes received the Division II Athletics Directors Association Academic
Achievement Award.
> Three Mountain Lions—Yesin van der Pluijm, Adam Kirkwood, and Rome Wallace—were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® team this season. Van der Pluijm and Kirkwood were named to the men’s soccer third team, while Rome Wallace was a third team section for baseball.
Twenty-eight Mountain Lions have been named to the prestigious Academic All-America® team since 2011.
> Four teams—men’s basketball, baseball, and men’s and women’s tennis—earned team academic awards by their respective coaches’ organizations. > The Mountain Lions had 45 student-athletes named to a national academic team in 2021–2022. > Young Harris had 22 players named either to the All-Peach Belt or All-Gulf South team in 2021–2022 and had 13 players named to an all-region team. Thirty-four Mountain Lions were named as a conference player of the week last season. > Men’s soccer players Yesin van der Pluijm, Mikkel Goling, Saad Maziane, and Quinn Thompson were named All-Americans last year. > Yesin van der Pluijm was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in men’s soccer, while Mikkel Goling (men’s soccer) and Laurens Schulze-Doering (men’s golf) were named PBC
Freshman of the Year in their respective sport. Former men’s soccer coach Mark McKeever was lauded as the PBC Coach of the Year.
> Yesin van der Pluijm was named the Division II Conference Commissioners Association
Southeast Region Player of the Year, while the men’s soccer staff for the Mountain Lions was recognized as the Southeast Region Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches. > Men’s cross country runner Luke Surowiec and softball player Karah Straub were named the
PBC Elite 16 winner for their respective sport. The PBC Elite 16 Award, which is modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at the championship. > The women’s tennis team earned the NCAA Division II Southeast region’s ITA Community
Service Award.
> Men’s tennis player Romeo Luque was named the NCAA Division II Southeast region’s winner of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe, Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. > Yesin van der Pluijm was named the Peach Belt Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He was the first-ever YHC recipient of the award. > Softball player Morgan Curley was named the PBC’s nominee of the NCAA Woman of the
Year award.
> Men’s soccer player Yesin van der Pluijm and baseball player McLain Harris are the latest
Mountain Lions to reach the professional ranks. Harris signed a pro contract with the Pioneer
League’s Billings Mustangs in Billings, Montana, while van der Pluijm inked with the United
Soccer League Championship Division’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks Football Club in Colorado
Springs, Colorado.
