WITH EVERY MILE
The support from alumni is a powerful component in this environment. In a variety of ways, alumni help to ensure that future classes can pursue their goals and continue their individual pathways to success. In November 2021, Chris ’78 and Andrea Borch and their foundation gave a $5 million gift to establish an endowment for cross-country and track and field scholarships. And this past February, the university dedicated the new Davis and Faxon Training Facility at REK, a 100% donor-funded project designed to position Furman’s golf programs to compete at the highest levels. Men’s soccer alumni, too, have raised money to endow the program, including a scholarship gift from Major League Soccer player Walker Zimmerman ’15 and his wife Sarah Tucker Zimmerman ’15.
At the highest levels
• 3 NCAA Team Tournament Qualifiers
• 6 Southern Conference Player of the Year awards
• 5 Southern Conference Championships
• 2 Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards:
– Robert Gary, Men’s Cross-country
– Robert Gary, Women’s Cross-country
Women’s tennis ranked as high as 19th nationally, a program record, after defeating No. 26 Alabama and 24th-ranked Texas Tech at the Blue Gray Tournament. Furman concluded the 2022 season with a 22-7 overall record and claimed the Southern Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by capturing its 21st SoCon Championship. The Paladins, who made their 14th appearance in the NCAA tournament, were led by SoCon Player of the Year Julia Adams ’22, who ranked 38th nationally.
Furman’s cross-country teams won their ninth consecutive SoCon Championships in Fall 2021. Bethany Graham ’24 was honored as the SoCon Female Runner of the Year and earned an All-American citation at the NCAA Championships. Cameron Ponder ’22, the SoCon Male Runner of the Year, helped the Paladin men, who ranked as high as 10th nationally, to a second-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
Women’s basketball posted its first 20-win season since 2000, and small forward Tierra Hodges ’22 was named consensus SoCon Player of the Year. Men’s basketball coach Bob Richey became the first Paladin men’s basketball coach to record four seasons with 20 or more victories and the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 career victories.
TEAMS
ATHLETES
IN 2021
SoCon Female Athlete of the Year
“This past year was another special year for the Paladins. We are proud of the continued success, accomplishments and commitment to excellence by our student-athletes, coaches and teams.”
JASON DONNELLY
The 2021-22 school brought a slate of former Paladins earning Hall of Fame status. Furman football coaching legend Dick Sheridan was enshrined in the National Football Foundation in Las Vegas. Clint Dempsey ’05 was inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame. Basketball great Clyde Mayes ’75 was enshrined into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame. And Furman basketball All-American Frank Selvy ’54 was among nine greats elected for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in November.
Exceptional achievements
• 2nd in Commissioner’s Cup, Men’s Teams
• 2nd in Germann Cup, Women’s Teams
• Women’s golfer Anna Morgan ’23 was voted the SoCon Female Athlete of the Year after finishing ninth at the NCAA Championships. A Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American, she concluded the season ranked 16th nationally. Morgan, who helped lead the Paladins to the SoCon Championship and the Lady Paladin Invitational title, tied for 21st at the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, and competed on the U.S. Team in the Arnold Palmer Cup.
• Cameron Ponder ’22 earned an All-America citation in the 3,000m for indoor track for the second straight season after finishing 11th with a time of 8:03.99 at the NCAA Championships, where the top eight finishers were separated by less than a second. Ponder, who holds four career sub-4:00 mile marks, was named the 2021 SoCon Cross Country Men’s Runner of the Year, earned All-Southeast Region accolades, and then competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
RYAN MILLER ’22, FOOTBALL
CAMERON PONDER ’22, INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
MEGAN MARVIN ’24, OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
CARSON WILLIAMS ’24, OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
ANNA MORGAN ’23, GOLF
FURMAN
ADVANTAGE