Six Added To South Atlantic Conference Hall Of Fame

June 6, 2008

ROCK HILL - Four highly-decorated former student-athletes and a pair of long-time athletic administrators were inducted into The South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2007-08 includes Ed Hoffmeyer, a former athletic director at Mars Hill College and Tusculum College; Brandon Hughes, the 2000 men's basketball player of the year from Newberry College; Alvin Morman, the Wingate University baseball player who pitched in the 1997 World Series; Don Safrit, who has served as the league's coordinator of football officials for 15 years; Danny Sanders, a record-setting quarterback at Carson-Newman College; and Curtis Walker, an All-American football player from Catawba College.

They were inducted into the SAC Hall of Fame as part of the South Atlantic Conference Annual Meeting at in Greenville, S.C., on June 5 at Westin Poinsette Hotel.

Photo gallery available here

Ed Hoffmeyer attended Mars Hill College, where he played basketball and participated in track and field. Upon his graduation, Hoffmeyer held the school record in four events. But his real impact was as an administrator, helping both Mars Hill and Tusculum move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II members.

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In eight years as Athletic Director at Mars Hill, he increased sports sponsorship from nine to 13 as well as overseeing improvements in facilities for soccer, lacrosse, tennis and basketball. He also coached golf while at Mars Hill and was the 1998 men's golf coach of the year.

While at Tusculum, he guided the Pioneers to the most successful period in the school's athletic history. The Pioneers won 15 SAC regular-season championships, nine SAC tournament titles and made 20 NCAA tournament appearances. During his tenure, Tusculum was honored with 18 SAC Scholar-Athletes, 13 conference Players of the Year, 15 SAC Freshman of the Year, 21 All-Americans and six Academic All-Americans. He also oversaw major renovations for the football, soccer, baseball and softball facilities.

In 2007, he and his wife, Linda, were named co-recipients of the Tusculum College Sports Benefactor Award, which recognizes those individuals who make outstanding contributions to Pioneer Athletics. Hoffmeyer has returned to his alma mater, where he serves as Director of Admissions at Mars Hill.

Brandon Hughes was a three-time First Team All-SAC basketball player for the Newberry Indians.

During his senior season, he led the SAC in scoring, steals and assists, while also ranking sixth in the conference in rebounds and 10th in field goal percentage. His 3.32 steals per game ranked fifth in the nation that year, while his 23 point per game scoring average and 7.0 assists per game ranked seventh in Division II. Hughes was named the 2000 SAC men's basketball Player of the Year, a second team All-American and the Lutheran Player of the Year by the Lutheran Brotherhood.

He finished with 1,420 career points, which ranks 11th in school history. He scored in double digits in every game his senior year and in 79 out of his career 88 games. He led the SAC in steals for three years.

Hughes was inducted into the Newberry College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and is still widely regarded as the best point guard in Newberry history. After graduation, he played professional basketball in Ireland and currently owns two personal training facilities in Mt. Pleasant and Greenville, S.C.

Alvin Morman was a four-year letterwinner at Wingate, where he twice led the team in earned run average.

He spent three years in the Major Leagues, pitching for the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. He did not allow a run or hit in four post-season appearances with the AL champion Cleveland Indians in 1997, becoming the first Wingate alumnus to pitch in the World Series.

Following his baseball career, Morman received a master's degree in school counseling from North Carolina Central University, and is currently a guidance counselor at Fuquay-Varina Middle School in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. He is also a popular speaker at schools and baseball clinics. He is a member of the Wingate University Sports Hall of Fame.

Don Safrit has been involved in football officiating for 52 years and served as the coordinator of football officials for the South Atlantic Conference since 1992.

He worked as an official in the South Atlantic Conference from its inception in 1975 to 1980. A graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Safrit worked as a football official and evaluator for 25 years in the Atlantic Coast Conference. As one of the top-rated and most-respected officials, he worked 250 Division I games and was selected to officiate some of the nation's top bowl games. Under his leadership, SAC football officials have gained national recognition and are routinely selected to officiate national playoff games.

He received the Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner Award in 1988, the Service to Football Award in 1990 and the Officials Lifetime Award in 1990.

Safrit is an active member of Saint James Episcopal Church in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., where he has served on the choir, chairman of the building committee and a layreader. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Family Emergency Teen Shelter in Brunswick County and chairman of the Sunset Beach ABC Board.

Danny Sanders was a two-time All-Conference quarterback for Carson-Newman, and has held the Carson-Newman career record in passing yards for the past 30 years.

His 5,360 career passing yards ranks 10th best in South Atlantic Conference history. He also holds the Carson-Newman single-game records for passes attempted, completed and passing yards. He holds three of the top-12 longest passing plays in SAC history.

Upon his graduation from Carson-Newman, Sanders was drafted by the New York Jets in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played professionally with the Jets, the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, and the Boston Breakers of the USFL.

Following his professional football career, Sanders worked as an educator and coach at Carter High School in Knoxville, Tenn. He later developed a private business as a contractor and builder. He has been a Fellowship of Christian Athletes sponsor for 20 years.

Curtis Walker was a three-time All-SAC football selection and an All-American in 1992. He holds the Catawba school record with 25 tackles in one game.

His 132 total tackles in 1991 are second-best in Catawba history and his 359 career tackles rank fifth all-time in school history.

Walker returned to Catawba in 1995 to serve as an assistant football coach. Over the next seven years with Walker on the coaching staff, the Indians went 63-17 overall and 40-10 in conference play. Walker currently serves as defensive coordinator at Coastal Carolina University. He is a member of Greater St. James AME Chruch, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a board member with Tomorrow Leaders and a mentor with Horry County Middle Schools. He is a member of the Catawba College Hall of Fame.

The class of 2007-08 joins the 57 current members in the SAC Hall of Fame:

Class on 1999-2000: Dr. Fred Bentley, Mars Hill; Dr. Ronald Christopher, Wingate; W.C. Clary, supervisor of football officials; Cally Gault, Presbyterian; Fred Herren, Newberry; Dr. Paul Jolly, Gardner-Webb; Dr. Robert Knott, Catawba; Dr. Cordell Maddox, Carson-Newman; Sam Moir, Catawba; Dr. Keith Ochs, Lenoir-Rhyne; Dr. Kenneth Orr, Presbyterian; Albert Sloan, Carson-Newman; Harvey Stratton, Catawba; Dr. Bill Walker, Mars Hill; Dr. Alan White, Elon.

Class of 2000-01: Lamont Jones, Mars Hill; Keith Henry, Catawba; Terence Steward, Lenoir-Rhyne; Direne Thomas, Wingate; Dick Williams, Catawba.

Class of 2001-02: Charlie Coles, Newberry; Ann Hancock, Wingate; Bill Morningstar, Elon; Allen Morris, Presbyterian; Tom Parham, Elon; Susie Hopson Shelton, Mars Hill.

Class of 2002-03: Allison Ankerson Makovec, Catawba; Vernon Buck, Wingate; Darren Hayes, Wingate; Todd Collins, Carson-Newman; Cedric Mansell, Mars Hill; Clyde Miller, Newberry and Gardner-Webb; Jimmy Skipper, Newberry.

Class of 2003-04: Steve Campbell, Mars Hill; Leonard Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne; Kimberly Hampton, Presbyterian; Bret Jones, Presbyterian; Marvin Moore, Catawba; Shannon Myers, Lenoir-Rhyne; and Heather Randolph, Carson-Newman.

Class of 2004-05: Daniel Colangelo, Elon; Natalie Daniel, Lenoir-Rhyne; Elizabeth Roe Decker, Presbyterian; Pam Deanhardt Niles, Presbyterian; Selena Wilkes, Catawba.

Class of 2005-06: Traci Hyman Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne; Boyce Green, Carson-Newman; Angela Harbour Mayfield, Catawba; Dr. Jerry McGee, Wingate; Jennifer Wiggins, Mars Hill.

Class of 2006-07: Rachel Sloan Bullard, Presbyterian; Todd Cunningham, Presbyterian; Johnny Jacumin, Wingate; Thomas O. Laurendine, Lenior-Rhyne; Carol Zachary Mitchell, Carson Newman; Ken Sparks, Carson Newman; Rev. Edward N. Taylor, Newberry.