The Peach Belt Conference named Wesley Simpson from Georgia College the Men’s Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 17, 2022.

Simpson turned in a pair of double-doubles as the 24th-ranked Bobcats split a pair of games. The junior guard from DeLand, Fla., scored 21 with 10 rebounds in a win over USC Aiken and had 21 with 12 rebounds in a loss at North Georgia. He also added 4.0 assists per game and a steal.

Simpson is currently ninth in the PBC in scoring, 11th rebounding and field goal percentage and fifth in assists per game.

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The Peach Belt Conference named Lander’s Makaila Cangé the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 17, 2022.

Cangé was absolutely incredible in two wins last week for the 10th-ranked Bearcats, averaging 32.5 points and 16 rebounds per game. The junior forward from Douglasville, Ga., scored 43 with 18 rebounds in a win over Augusta, then had 22 with 14 boards in a win over Clayton State. She shot an eye-popping 86% (24-28) from the field with a block, a steal and two assists.

Her 43 against Augusta is tied for the fifth-highest single-game point total in PBC history and is the second-highest scored in a game in NCAA Division II so far this season as well as a Lander school record.

She set another Lander record with 16 made field goals in that contest. She is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring at 21.5 ppg and is second nationally in field goal percentage. Cangé is also second in the PBC in rebounding and free throw percentage.

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Gaither averaged 31 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games last week, including 37 in a win over Clayton State. The senior guard from Alexandria, Va., scored 25 with nine boards to begin the week against No. 25 Flagler. He came back to hit 7-of-14 from the field including 4-for-5 three-pointers against Clayton State. He also hit 19 of 20 free throws.

The 37 points is the most scored in a conference game in the PBC so far this season and second-most in all games. His 19-for-20 effort at the line is also the most makes and attempts in the PBC in all games this season. Gaither is currently second in the PBC in scoring and third in free-throw percentage.

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McElhaney did all she could with back-to-back 30-plus point games for Clayton State last week. The junior forward from Tifton, Ga., scored a career-high 33 with 14 rebounds in a loss to Young Harris and followed with 32 points in a loss to Columbus State. She hit 62% from the field with 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

Her 33 points is tied for the most in a single game in the PBC this season and she is the only PBC player with two games of 30 or more. She is currently ranked fourth in the PBC in scoring, third in field goal percentage and 12^th in rebounding.

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AUGUSTA – The Peach Belt Conference concluded its annual meetings earlier this week, held virtually for the second year in a row.  Among the myriad of topics and discussions pertaining to all areas of league management, the league is announcing the removal of the intra-conference transfer policy and the election of Dr. Bonita Jacobs of the University of North Georgia as 2nd vice-chair on the PBC Executive Committee.

The PBC’s intra-conference transfer policy, established in 2013, mandated that any student-athletes transferring from one PBC school to another must sit out a full year before being allowed to play. Such policies were common in conferences, however due to the changing landscape regarding transfers at the Division I and Division II levels, the PBC Board of Directors re-examined the policy this year and unanimously voted to remove it.

“There has been a shift in the way the NCAA and conferences are approaching transfers,” said PBC commissioner David Brunk. “While those changes are currently only at the Division I level, it is only a matter of time before they make their way to us in Division II. Our Board has decided to get out in front of this and remove our intra-conference transfer policy to allow more flexibility for student-athletes who wish to transfer.”

With the removal of the policy, student-athletes can make use of the NCAA one-time transfer policy which allows them to change schools and begin playing immediately if they meet all other eligibility and admissions standards. Student-athletes will have to be entered into the NCAA transfer portal to make use of the NCAA rule.

Dr. Bonita Jacobs will become the 2nd vice-chair of the PBC Executive Committee starting on July 1. Dr. Jacobs became the president of the University of North Georgia in 2011 and has overseen tremendous growth as the school was consolidated with Gainesville State College in 2013 and now stretches across five campuses and serves nearly 20,000 students.

As a part of the PBC’s Executive Committee, she will serve a two-year term as 2nd vice-chair, then a two-year term as 1st vice-chair and then be named the chair of the PBC Board of Directors for two years starting with the 2025-26 academic year.

Lander University president Dr. Richard Cosentino was elevated to board chair earlier this year and will begin his full two-year term as board chair on July 1. Columbus State University president Dr. Chris Markwood will move up to 1st vice chair.

Announcements on other decisions made at the annual meetings will be released periodically over the summer.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Peach Belt Conference Board of Directors voted to hold a 16-game basketball season starting in January of 2021. The Board made the decision on Thursday after a recommendation from the PBC athletic directors. The schedule itself will be released in the coming weeks.

“There were so many factors to consider when discussing basketball this season,” said PBC commissioner David Brunk. “Our Board took all of those into consideration before making this decision, which we feel strikes the perfect balance between providing a good experience for our student-athletes and dealing with the health, safety and economic realities surrounding this pandemic.”

PBC teams will have the institutional autonomy to schedule up to six additional games to reach the NCAA allowable maximum of 22 if they so desire. Teams may also play up to three exempt contests (exhibitions, scrimmages) any time after the practice start date of Nov. 1. All PBC programs will adhere to the recently released recommendations of the NCAA Sport Science Institute.

The top four teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the PBC Tournament which will be held March 6-7. Tournament details will be announced at a later date.

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AUGUSTA, GA – Coming off back-to-back conference titles, the Flagler Saints have been selected as the 2020 Peach Belt Conference women’s cross country preseason favorites in a poll of the league’s head coaches released on Thursday. The Saints received seven of a possible 10 first-place votes in the poll for 97 points. Augusta and North Georgia finished in a tie for second, each collecting two first-place votes and 88 total points. Columbus State was fourth with UNC Pembroke fifth, Georgia Southwestern sixth and Clayton State seventh. Francis Marion, Lander, Young Harris and USC Aiken rounded out the voting.

Flagler captured their second consecutive PBC Championship in 2019, their third overall, and finished second at the NCAA Regionals, earning a second straight trip to the NCAA National Championships. Two seniors return from that team for the 2020 season led by Malia Cryan, who finished second at the PBC Championship and ninth at the NCAA Regional. Senior Allison Horwitch was also named PBC All-Conference in 2019 as were returning juniors Lindsey Williams and Jessie Mescal.

Augusta finished third at the 2019 PBC meet and were sixth at the NCAA Regional. The Jaguars will have a different look for 2020 following the departure of five seniors and graduates with five freshmen incoming this fall. Miranda Taylor is the lone senior on the team after finishing ninth at the 2019 PBC Championships and earning All-Conference honors. Also back are juniors Madison Congdon and Sarah Davis.

North Georgia has finished in either first or second in the PBC Championship for six years in a row, including a second-place finish in 2019. With new head coach Christopher England at the helm, the Nighthawks are poised to make another charge. UNG brings back five seniors for 2020 along with 2019 PBC Freshman of the Year and All-Conference performer Karmen Leroy. Also back is sophomore Olivia Henry who was named All-Conference in 2019.

The 2020 season will begin on Saturday, Oct. 3. The season has been shortened due to the COVID-19 and all NCAA Championships have been cancelled. Most teams will participate in three meets before running at the PBC Championship, which will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, and hosted by the University of North Georgia. The PBC meet will be run on the Gainesville campus in Oakwood, Ga.

The preseason poll results are below with first-place votes in parentheses.  Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams.

2020 Peach Belt Women’s Cross Country
Preseason Coaches Poll

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Peach Belt Conference and commissioner David Brunk are pleased to announce that the league will add a second title to its Esports offerings with its first season of Overwatch this fall. Play will begin on Sept. 26 and continue for eight weeks, leading to the PBC Tournament Nov. 21 and 22. All contests, including tournament play, will be conducted remotely in keeping with current health practices. Participating teams and the inaugural schedule will be released by the league office on Friday.

“We are very excited to begin playing Overwatch,” Brunk said. “The popularity of the game among our players and fans is tremendous and we expect to have a highly competitive first season. Our coaches and advisors at our member institutions and associate members have let us know that now is the time to add this second title. Our commitment to Esports is as strong as ever and especially now when we can highlight the unique capabilities of online competition given the current college sports landscape during this pandemic.”

Published by Blizzard Entertainment, Overwatch is a fast-paced futuristic first-person game featuring two teams of six facing off head-to-head. Taking place on a near-future Earth, players choose a ‘hero’ character to control, each with their own unique abilities and roles. Matches are played on a variety of maps with different game modes where teams are tasked with defending territory, securing an objective or escorting a payload. Teams must work together, constantly adjusting their strategies based on the map and the characteristics of their selected Heroes.

“We are very excited for the arrival of Overwatch as the league continues their unwavering efforts to create a well round colligate Esports experiences for our student athletes,” said Dr. David Morris, head coach and coordinator of the USC Aiken Esports team. “The addition of Overwatch also points to a greater change in the collegiate Esports landscape, with the acceptance of first-person shooter games that focused on team work rather than a single player.”

Launched in 2016, Overwatch as quickly grown into one of the most popular Esports titles in the world with tens of millions of players competing at every level. The professional Overwatch League (OWL) debuted in 2018 and currently sports 20 franchises in Asia, North America and Europe.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Peach Belt Conference has announced that all fall competition involving cross country, volleyball and soccer will be delayed until Oct 1. The unanimous decision was made by the PBC Board of Directors, comprised of the presidents and chancellors of the league’s institutions.

“We are consistently and conscientiously evaluating recommendations and guidelines from the NCAA, CDC, our state university systems and local governments,” said USC Aiken chancellor Dr. Sandra Jordan, chair of the PBC Board of Directors. “The NCAA is recommending weekly testing and point of contact antigen testing and at this moment, those tests are not readily available. Thus, we feel that delaying the start of the season until October when we anticipate more testing options is the best course of action and will allow us to embrace best practices. We will reassess as the need arises but remain dedicated to returning our student-athletes to competition when it is reasonable to do so.”

Today’s decision does not affect men’s and women’s basketball. A decision concerning those sports will be made at a later date.

“This was a very difficult decision for the Board to reach,” said PBC commissioner David Brunk. “They understand the desire of all student-athletes to get back on the field and play. However, unlike attending university classes, student-athletes are at greater risk because sports are high-contact in nature. Since there are still significant health and wellbeing concerns that exist with the COVID-19 pandemic that must take precedence at this time. The health and safety of our student-athletes is one of our fundamental responsibilities, one which we take very seriously, and those considerations have to come first.”

Over the next several weeks, the PBC will announce more information about fall schedules, fall PBC Tournaments, practice start dates and spring sports activity in their non-championship segment.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Peach Belt Conference and commissioner David Brunk are pleased to announce that the conference will add men’s lacrosse as the league’s 16^th championship sport beginning in the spring of 2021. Four teams will comprise the inaugural season with the field expanding to six for the 2022 campaign. The first four teams will be the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Lander University, the University of Montevallo and Shorter University. Flagler College and Young Harris College will join the following year, bringing the total to six and allowing the PBC to have an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament.

“Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports in our region and we are very excited about beginning our own championship,” said commissioner Brunk. “It gives the schools coming in more regionalized competition, a solid conference structure and provides the student-athletes with an outstanding championship experience. We feel this is a sport that will continue to grow and now we are in a great position to grow with it.”

The inaugural season will begin in February with teams playing a double round-robin conference schedule starting in mid-March. The PBC will hold its first tournament April 30 and May 2, 2021, with all four teams in competition.

“We are very excited that the Peach Belt has decided to add Men’s Lacrosse as a sponsored sport,” said Lander athletic director Brian Reese. “This is huge for Lander University, its student-athletes, coaches, alumni, and fans. I truly believe that the Peach Belt has an excellent chance to be one of the best lacrosse conferences in our region in a very short amount of time.”

Lacrosse will be the first new NCAA championship sport added by the Peach Belt since men’s and women’s outdoor track & field in 2013. The PBC began its own Esports championships in 2017. UAH, Lander and Montevallo had been playing lacrosse in the Great Lakes Valley Conference while Shorter was independent.

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