Brian Hand
The Milestone and Legends awards are presented to deserving coaches and administrators that have made a long-standing impact within Conference Carolinas.
Conference Carolinas presented two Legends awards at its annual awards ceremony that was held in person for the first time since 2018-19.
Emmanuel women’s basketball head coach Mike Bona was honored as a Legends Award recipient. Bona has been a fixture at Emmanuel for over 45 years and has collected over 750 wins as a women’s basketball head coach and has also served the athletic department in various capacities such as Athletics Director and much more. In 1991 he was voted by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association as the Converse Junior College Women’s National Coach of the Year. As an Athletics Director he was instrumental in the progression of the athletic program from a two-year college with just a few sports teams to a full blown four-year athletic program with several teams. He has been a key part of helping the institution transition from a two-year athletics program to the NAIA to NCAA Division II and Conference Carolinas.
Retired Mount Olive Director of Athletics Jeff Eisen was also presented with the Legends award. Eisen served in a leadership role at Mount Olive for over 16 years before retiring at the conclusion of 2021. During his time as Director of Athletics, Mount Olive won a national championship in baseball, expanded from 14 to 22 sports and finished first or second in the conference’s Hawn Cup in each of his last 10 years as Director of Athletics. Under Eisen, Trojan athletics saw rapid growth, including the establishment of the Mount Olive Athletics Hall of Fame, the creation of new positions within the athletics department, and facility enhancements, including the construction of the Ray McDonald, Sr Sports Complex, the softball field house, baseball dugouts and stadium seating, the Big Rock Tournament Field House and the Jay Bundy Field House.
The conference presented four Milestone awards at the annual awards ceremony.
The first Milestone Award winner was a student-athlete on the Mount Olive men’s tennis team and then an assistant coach before moving into the head coaching role. As a head coach, Kevin Coghill captured 282 wins, five combined Conference Carolinas tournament championships, six combined Conference Carolinas regular-season championships and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament during a historic career at Mount Olive.
The second Milestone award recipient was a vital part of the Mount Olive athletics department as an administrator from 2006-2021. Dr. LaToya Lindsey began her career at Mount Olive as the Assistant Director of Athletics and Compliance Coordinator in the summer of 2006. Lindsey was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in 2014. She also served as Senior Woman Administrator. Lindsey’s most significant duties outside of compliance was working with the Mount Olive Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Under her direction, the SAAC won the Conference Carolinas MVP Award for raising the most money of any conference school for the Make-A-Wish Foundation six times.
Calhoun Parr has been the head tennis coach at Erskine for over 20 years. In being recognized as one of the Milestone award recipients, Parr has picked 338 wins overall and 220 wins in conference play as the women’s tennis head coach at Erskine. The Fleet have won 11 regular-season titles and 12 conference tournament titles during his time at the helm of the program. The nine-time Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year has had 15 teams earn ITA All-Academic recognition.
The final Milestone recipient was a huge part of the King athletics department for over 17 years as the head athletic trainer, SWA and Assistant AD. Sheila Crockett spent her final 10 years at King as an Assistant Athletic Director and the Senior Woman Administrator. She served on numerous committees and she was the Chair of the Gender Equity Committee and was a member of the Wellness Strategic Planning Committee. Prior to moving into the role of Assistant Athletic Director, Crockett started out as the first full-time athletic trainer at King in 2002 where she built the athletic training program from the ground up.
Legends Award Winners
2015-16 Class: (First Year)
George Pitts (King)
Carl Lancaster (Mount Olive)
Bob Reasso (Pfeiffer)
2016-17 Class:
Rita Smith (Lees-McRae)
Todd Wilkinson (Barton)
2017-18 Class:
Br. Paul Shanley, O.S.B. (Belmont Abbey)
2021-22 Class:
Mike Bona (Emmanuel)
Jeff Eisen (Mount Olive)
Milestone Award Winners
2015-16 Class: (First Year)
Ron Lievense (Barton)
Sheryl Neff (Barton)
Wendee Saintsing (Barton)
Alleen Hawkins (Erskine)
Kevin Nichols (Erskine)
Charles Wimphrie (Southern Wesleyan)
2016-17 Class:
Tina Parks (Mount Olive)
2017-18 Class:
Debbie Bost (Belmont Abbey)
Paul Lyon (Belmont Abbey)
Stephen Miss (Belmont Abbey)
Craig McPhail (Lees-McRae)
Dennis Bloomer (Limestone)
Mike Cerino (Limestone)
J. B. Clarke (Limestone)
Corey Fox (Limestone)
Jimmy Martin (Limestone)
Scott Tucker (Limestone)
Dr. Brenda Cates (Mount Olive)
Wendy Lee (Mount Olive)
2021-22 Class:
Kevin Coghill (Mount Olive)
Dr. LaToya Lindsey (Mount Olive)
Calhoun Parr (Erskine)
Sheila Crockett (King)