The South Atlantic Conference Announces 2016 Hall of Fame Class

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The South Atlantic Conference will induct four members into the 2016 Hall of Fame Class, the League announced today.  Those earning honors are Lenoir-Rhyne alum Roman Davis, Catawba alum Andre Godfrey, Carson-Newman alum Marci (Mitchell) Whiteside and Newberry alum Eric Wells.  The honorees will be formally inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame at the Hall of Fame Banquet in Asheville, N.C. on June 9, 2016.

Davis finished his career as one of Lenoir-Rhyne’s most decorated men’s basketball players in school history.  His career spanned from 2001-05 and he was named the League’s Player of the Year during the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.  He was the first Player in League history to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons and is one of just three players in League history to earn Player of the Year honors twice in their careers.  Davis was named the 2004-05 South Atlantic Conference Male Athlete of the Year after earning first-team All-SAC honors three times in his career.  He was selected the SAC’s Freshman of the Year in 2001-02 and was the Men’s Basketball Tournament MVP during the 2003 Championship.  A 2004-05 first team All-Region honoree, Davis currently ranks No. 7 all-time in Lenoir-Rhyne history with 1,619 points and is also No. 7 all-time at LR with a 55 percent stroke from the field.  His 147 career blocked shots is good for No. 4 on the Bears’ all-time list, while his average of 15.3 points per game has him ranked No. 8.  He led Lenoir-Rhyne to a pair of South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Championships in 2002-03 and 2003-04 as the Bears claimed the SAC Tournament Title in 2003.   

Davis currently plays overseas with in Montenegro in the FIBA for Team Kosarkaski.  He was named 2008 Imola Summer League Player of the Year as a member of Indesti Fabriano in Italy.  Davis has also played in Mexico and toured with the Harlem Globetrotters for five years.  In the off season, Davis works for Novant Health in the organization’s insurance sector.

Godfrey was a standout on the hardwood for the Catawba Indians from 1988-92.  He was named the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year in 1992 was tabbed the South Atlantic Conference Tournament MVP during the 1991 South Atlantic Conference Men’s Basketball Championship.  A three time All-South Atlantic Conference honoree, Godfrey earned first-team honors during the 1991 and 1992 seasons.  He was prolific scorer and rebounder for Catawba and led the Catawba Indians to the finals of the 1991 tournament as a No. 5 seed.  Godfrey currently ranks No. 4 all-time in the Catawba record books with 1,673 points and is No. 8 in rebounding with 829 boards for his career.  His 9.5 rebounds per game in his currently is currently good for No. 2 all-time in the South Atlantic Conference, while he is also No. 8 all-time in the SAC with 19.0 points per game.  Godfrey is one of just five players in Catawba history to score 600 points in a season as he put in 607 points during the 1991-92 season.

Since graduation, Godfrey has worked in the health care field, first working with disadvantaged youth at Tri-County Mental Health, then as a production assistant at Kimberly Clark Health Services for the past 18 years.

Whiteside played softball for the Eagles from 2000-03.  She was tabbed the League’s Freshman of the year during the 2000 season and was named the SAC’s Player of the Year in 2002 and 2003.  She was a four-time All-South Atlantic Conference first team honoree and was tabbed the League’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2003.  She is currently one of only two student-athletes in the League’s storied history to win the Presidents Award and the Athlete of the Year honor in the same season as she won the Presidents award twice in her career.  Whiteside ended her career with Carson-Newman as one of the greatest pitchers in the program’s 31 year history.  She is currently ranked No. 2 all-time in the League and No. 1 in Carson-Newman history with 41 career shutouts.  She threw 18 no-hitters in her career to rank No. 2 in NCAA Division II history and No. 1 all-time in the South Atlantic Conference.  Her sophomore campaign saw her throw 14 shutouts, four no-hitters and two perfect games.  Her 14 shutouts is good for No. 3 on the SAC single-season list as she is just one of 13 student-athletes in Division II history to post multiple perfect games.  She finished her career with 105 complete games, 714 strike outs and an earned run average of 1.53.  She earned All-Region honors twice in her career and was named an Academic All-American three times in at Carson-Newman.

Upon graduation, Whiteside has been a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in Washington, D.C. since 2007.

Wells is the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Distinguished Alumnus. He played football at Newberry College from 1983-87. Wells is currently a member of the Newberry College Board of Trustees and is a past president of the Newberry College Athletic Club Board of Directors. He is the co-owner of and co-founder of Southeastern Insurance Consultants and is a board member of the Columbia Area Health Underwriters (CAHU). He is also a board member of the South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters (SCAHU) and a regular Capitol Conference Attendee.

At Southeastern Insurance Consultants, his organization specializes in benefits consulting, employee benefits and individual insurance as well as home, life, auto and business insurance. He has twice served as the president of CAHU, while serving on the SCAHU board for 14 years. At his Capitol Conference meetings, Wells discusses health insurance and employee benefits with elected officials in Washington, D.C.

Wells has also recently been asked to serve a second term as president of the South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters for the coming year.

Wells is also active in his community as he has been active with Camp Kemo, a place that gives kids with cancer an opportunity to enjoy the summer, since its inception in various roles. He has been a board member since 2006 and has previously served Camp Kemo as a camp counselor, fundraiser and supporter. Wells has also been a board member of Pawmetto Lifeline, a rescue organization for homeless pets in the Midlands, for two years.

The 2016 South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame Banquet will take place as a part of the League’s Spring Meetings in Asheville, N.C.