MARIETTA, Ga. -- The Southern States Athletic Conference announced Todd Brooks as the SSAC Athletic Director of the Year on Thursday. Brooks led Berry to the school's first-ever SSAC Commissioner's Cup, which is awarded to the school with the best overall performance in the conference during the regular season.
The Vikings had an outstanding season this year, as the women's golf, men's golf, women's cross country, volleyball and baseball teams all won the SSAC Regular Season titles. No Berry team finished lower than sixth place in the SSAC Conference standings for the entire year and every team made the SSAC Tournament.
The season started in the fall as the women's cross country team won the SSAC cross country tournament. The Lady Vikings advanced to the NAIA Championship meet and finished 26th. The Berry men's cross country team finished second in the SSAC race and had freshman runner Ian Adams qualify for the National Championships as an individual.
The good spring season continued as days later the Berry volleyball team behind SSAC Coach of the Year Mika Robinson clinched the school's first-ever SSAC volleyball title. It was the first time in five years that a team other than Lee had won the league.
The men's and women's soccer teams also had strong years, both finishing in the NAIA National top-25 and advancing to the finals of the SSAC Soccer Tournaments. The women's team advanced to the Round of 16 at the NAIA National Tournament.
In the winter, both of Berry's basketball teams had solid seasons. The women's team finished second in the SSAC and advanced to the finals of the SSAC Tournament earning a place in the NAIA National Tournament. Coach Jeff Haarlow's men's team was sixth in the regular season standings, but managed to upset third place Emmanuel in the SSAC Tournament as the team advanced to the semifinals before falling to eventual champs Lee.
The most successful season came in the new year as the spring sports celebrated three SSAC titles and all five sports advanced to the NAIA National Championships.
Berry's women's golf team started the ball rolling as the Lady Vikings won the SSAC Tournament by 58 strokes with four golfers on the All-Tournament team and coach Brian Farrer earning both men's and women's coach of the year honors. The men's team followed with a solid double-digit win their own conference tournament a week later. The women's golf team finished sixth at the NAIA National Tournament The men's team is currently fourth at Nationals.
In tennis both Berry teams finished second in the regular season behind only AUM, which was ranked No. 1 in the NAIA National Polls. Clay Hightower was named the ITA Women's NAIA Tennis Coach of the Year as the Berry women achieved the school's highest-ever ranking of No. 3 in the NAIA National Polls. Both Berry teams made the NAIA National Tournament with the men's team losing the Round of 16 and the women's team advancing to the quarterfinals.
The spring sports season came to a close with the Berry baseball team claiming a first SSAC regular season title, just the second regular season title in baseball in school history. SSAC Coach of the Year David Beasley led his team to a second place finish in the SSAC Tournament, winning his 400th game as Berry head coach in the process. The team then hosted the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament and advanced to the NAIA World Series on Andrew Starr's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Vikings start World Series play tomorrow at 3 p.m. (EST).
This year Berry hosted or co-hosted the SSAC Tournaments for volleyball, women's basketball, men's and women's golf and men's and women's tennis as well as hosting the NAIA Opening Round Tournament for baseball. The school sent eight teams to the NAIA National Tournament.
Berry joined the Southern States Athletic Conference during the 2004-05 academic year after leaving the TranSouth. Lee had won the previous three Commissioner's Cup Awards. The Flames snapped a string of six straight Commissioner's cup for AUM prior to the 2005-06 season.
