South Atlantic Conference to Add Six New Members to its Hall of Fame with 2023 Induction Class

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference will induct six members into the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, the League announced today.  Receiving honors will be Anderson alumna Whitney Bishoff, Carson-Newman alum Joe Fishback, Wingate alumna Stormi Gale, Lenoir-Rhyne alumna Kate Griewisch Ryan, and former Tusculum baseball coach Doug Jones.  The SAC will also honor the recipient of the Conference's Distinguished Alumni Award, which will be awarded to Mars Hill alum Mike Kelly.

"Congratulations to these six exceptional individuals on being selected to the Hall of Fame," said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. "These men and women epitomize the academic and athletic excellence the SAC is known for and their successes while student-athletes and after graduation further exemplify that. We look forward to celebrating their numerous accomplishments on May 22." 

Bishoff, a 2012 graduate of Anderson, led the women's cross country team to its first-ever SAC Championship in 2010 during the Trojans' first year in the SAC. She led the Trojans to back-to-back SAC women's cross country titles in 2010 and 2011. She was named the 2010 SAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year, was a two-time All-Region selection, and was a two-time Academic All-American. She was named the NCAA's Elite 88 winner in 2010 and the Elite 89 winner in 2011.

In addition to her success on the cross country course, Bishoff was a successful track & field athlete. She finished 16^th in the 10,000 meter run at the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships and was also a track & field academic All-American. She still holds several Anderson indoor and outdoor track & field records, including the records in the indoor 3,000-meter run (10:06.07), the outdoor 1,500-meter run (4:33.03), the outdoor 5,000-meter run (16:53.04), and the outdoor 10,000-meter run (35:37.97).

A recipient of the 2011 NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship, Bishoff was inducted into the Anderson Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022 and is currently a third grade teacher at Yargo Elementary School in Georgia. In addition to teaching, she volunteers her time as the lead teacher for the Technology Club, the Math Club, and the Reading Club at Yargo Elementary.

Fishback, a 1990 graduate of Carson-Newman, is considered one of the best defenders in Carson-Newman football history. The 1989 SAC Defensive Player of the Year helped lead the Eagles to three SAC championships in 1986, 1988, and 1989. He was a two-time All-SAC section and was the runner-up for the National Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1989. He is among the all-time leaders at Carson-Newman in several statistical categories including being career leader in solo tackles with 247, he is fourth all-time in tackles with 381, he is third in yards per punt return with 18.22, and he had two top-20 tackle seasons with 119 in 1989 and 110 in 1988. He had nine interceptions in his career, returning three for touchdowns and had 41 career pass breakups.

Following his career at Carson-Newman, Fishback spent eight seasons in the NFL playing for the New York Giants (1990), Atlanta Falcons (1991; 1992-1993), New York Jets (1992), Dallas Cowboys (1993-1994), and Denver Broncos (1995). He was a member of the Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl XXVIII Champion team and after his playing career ended, he spent time coaching, serving as the secondary coach for the Tennessee Thundercats.

Fishback was inducted into the Carson-Newman Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013 and was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Currently, he serves as the Operational Excellence Manager for the Dart Container Corporation.

Gale, a 2011 graduate of Wingate, was the beginning of the Wingate era of volleyball success that is still ongoing. She was a two-time SAC Volleyball Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010, was the first-ever First Team All-American in Wingate and SAC Volleyball history, and she led the Bulldogs on an impressive four-year run that included going 131-8 overall and 64-0 in the SAC. Gale was a member of four SAC regular season and four SAC tournament titles during her career, while also leading Wingate to its first-ever NCAA Region Championship in 2010. In 2011, Gale was the SAC Female Athlete of the Year, was a finalist for the NCAA Woman of the Year, and was an Academic All-American. She finished her career with 1,545 kills, 1,083 digs, 421 blocks and .320 hitting percentage. She is still Wingate's all-time leader in kills per set and is second all-time in kills and third in hitting percentage.

Upon graduating from Wingate with a degree in pharmacy, Gale has gone on to be a very successful pharmacy professor. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She earned the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Cardiology PRN Trainee Travel Award in 2017 and in 2019 she was named a Heart Failure Society of America Future Leader in Hart Failure.

Griewisch Ryan, a 2012 Lenoir-Rhyne graduate, is one of the greatest athletes in Lenoir-Rhyne and SAC women's cross country history. She was the 2008 SAC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year, was a two-time SAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year in 2009 and 2011, was a three-time SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2009-2011) and was the 2011 SAC Presidents Award Winner. She was a three-time All-Region selection, a seven-time All-American, and was a finalist for the 2011 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Griewisch Ryan was also a successful track & field athlete for the Bears, earning All-American honors on the track and is the Lenoir-Rhyne record holder in the indoor mile, 3,000-meter run, and 5,000-meter run, as well as the outdoor 1,500-meter run, the mile, the 3,000-meter run, the 5,000-meter run, and the 10,000-meter run.

Not only was she highly decorated as an athlete, but she was also successful in the classroom as she graduated with honors earning a 3.85 GPA in biology with a pre-med focus. She went on to earn her Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine from Liberty University. Currently, she is a member of the Bassett Family Practice in Bassett, Va. She also spends time volunteering as a Sunday school teacher at Crosspoint Church.

Jones served as the baseball coach of the Tusculum Pioneers for 21 seasons and is the winningest coach in program history with a career record of 705-412-1, and his 705 wins are the second-most in SAC history. Jones guided the Pioneers to winning seasons in 18 of his 21 years, including a string of 17 consecutive winning seasons from 2002-2017, and a 14-year stint from 2004-2017, that saw the Pioneers reach 30-plus wins each year, including five seasons with 40 or more wins.

Under Jones' leadership the Pioneers won five SAC Regular Season titles, four tournament titles, and made seven trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. He was named SAC Coach of the Year three times, he mentored 86 SAC All-Conference performers, including four SAC Players of the Year, and five SAC Pitchers of the Year. 

Off the field, Jones served on several baseball committees, including serving as the chair of the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Baseball Committee and chair of the NCAA Division II National Baseball Committee. He served as the baseball coach and Director of Athletics at Tusculum from 2016-2018 before retiring from coaching. 

As a player, Jones was a four-year letterman at Gardner-Webb University where he earned SAC All-Academic honors as a middle infielder and set a then-SAC record of eight RBIs in a single game in 1991 vs. Wofford.

Currently, Jones is the Vice President of Athletics and University Initiatives at Tusculum.

Kelly, a 1982 graduate of Mars Hill, was a four-year member of the men's basketball team scoring over 1,300 points in his career for the Lions, averaging 11.7 points per game. 

A first-generation college student, Kelly began a very successful career in the corporate world with Macy's and Michelin after graduating from Mars Hill. A senior executive with experience in operations, human resources, finance, marketing, and sales, he worked and traveled throughout North America and Internationally for Michelin, as well as Macy's, earning recognition for outstanding performance and designated as a High Potential Executive Leader. After more than 25 years in the corporate world, Kelly, and his wife Melinda, started Right Path Enterprises and Kelly Financial Planning in 2014, with the goal of teaching leader development and culture transformation by providing consulting, training, and coaching services with excellence and integrity.

Kelly is also an active member of the community having been involved with Rotary International for over 24 years, serving a variety of board and leadership roles including Co-Chair of the Rotary DEI Circle for Zones 30 & 31 - Heart of America and serving as District Governor of Southwest Ohio. He also served as the chair of the Board of Trustees at Mars Hill University for two years from January 2021 through December 2022.

Recently, Kelly authored a book, Leaderfluence: Secrets of Leadership Essential to Effectively Leading Yourself and Positively Influencing Others. 

The 2023 South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame Banquet will take place as a part of the Conference's Spring Meetings in Greenville, S.C. on May 22.  

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