General

CCS Concludes Historic Year 3: A Season of Firsts

ATLANTA, Ga. (July 22, 2025) - The 2024-25 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) season was one of historic achievements and unforgettable moments, with the league's first-ever automatic qualifiers (AQ) to the NCAA tournaments across all sponsored sports and several teams making significant postseason runs.

OVERVIEW
The 2024-25 academic year marked a historic moment for the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) as the league earned an AQ to the NCAA tournament in each of its sponsored sports. This achievement highlighted a season of firsts, as multiple teams made their NCAA tournament debuts, while others continued to leave their mark in regional play. From dramatic conference championship finishes to strong postseason runs, the CCS's winter and spring sports delivered memorable year of firsts.

FEATURED SPORTS
Basketball
Men
  • Recap
    • The adventure unfolded as Maryville College hosted the 2024-25 CCS Men's Basketball Championship Tournament with the top six teams competing to claim the long awaited title. 
    • Maryville College was named the CCS Regular Season Champion.
    • Huntingdon clinched the tight win over Maryville (No. 1 Seed) with a 1 point difference to claim the championship title with a final score of 93 (HC) - 92 (MC).
    • The Hawks surpassed No. 2 Belhaven in the CCS Semifinals round. 
    • Maryville College's Raul Placeres won his 100th game as Head Coach of the Scots. 
    • The Scots have competed in the CCS Men's Basketball Tournament Championship for three consecutive years. 
  • Superlative awards
    • Reed Kemp of Maryville College, CCS Player of the Year broke an untouched 53-year-old Maryville season scoring record with 707 points (old record 645).
    • Huntingdon Colleges, B.J. Brown was named CCS MVP and named to the All-Tournament Team.
    • Kyle Cloninger, Maryville was named CCS Rookie of the Year. 
    • Nate Johns, Huntingdon was named CCS Sixth Man of the Year.

Women
  • Recap
    • Piedmont and Asbury shared a 14-2 conference record and were named CCS Regular Season Co-Champions. 
    • Piedmont claimed the No. 1 seed via tiebreaker after earning a 33-point edge over Asbury in the NCAA Power Index (NPI).
    • Piedmont women's basketball clinched its first ever Collegiate Conference of the South Tournament Title, rolling over Belhaven in the second half with a 64-51 win on Saturday afternoon inside Cave Arena.
    • Nae-Nae Eades was the catalyst for the Lions on offense, scoring a career-high 20 points on 18-of-22 from the free throw line while dishing out four assists. After the game, she was named CCS Tournament MVP.
    • Entering the semifinals, the Lions pulled off an 18 point win in Game 3 against No. 5 seed LaGrange.
    • No. 3 seed Belhaven Blazers were able to pull out a 6 point difference game win against No. 2 seed Asbury in the semifinal round with a final score of (BU) 66 - (AU) 60.
  • Superlative awards
    • Lions' Ashley Scott and Andelin Hill additionally were named to the CCS All-Tournament Team.
    • Four Piedmont Women's Basketball players earned CSC Academic All-District Honors. 
    • Andellin Hill of Piedmont University earned D3Hoops.com All-Region honors. 
 

Track and Field
Men

  • Recap
    • Three-peat champions, Piedmont University claimed the CCS Men's Track and Field Championship Title for the third straight year in a row, overall both men's and women's teams finished in first place. 
    • The Lions' brought home 240 points as the number one team finisher.
    • Piedmont had 20 student athletes finish at the podium throughout competition days. 
  • Superlative awards
    • Head Coach of the Lions', Jamie Jimision was named the CCS Coach of the Year. 
    • Piedmont had 13 All-Conference Honorees and earned 23 All-Conference Awards.
    • Piedmont's Garrett Stadler found his place in the top-100 for NCAA DIII running with a season best time in the 400m hurdles. 
    • Piedmont's Silas Goolsby was recognized for earning the CCS Track Athlete of the Meet Award. 

            

Women

  • Recap
    • For the second time in three seasons, Piedmont Women's team leaves victorious with action packed performances all around. 
    • Piedmont University claims both the CCS Women's and Men's Track and Field Championship Title, with both teams finishing in first place.
    • The Lions' women's team collected 206 team points to claim the first place spot. 
    • Covenant Scots finished in second place totaling up 152 points.
    • The Lions had at least one top five finisher in all eight field events.
  • Superlative awards
    • Piedmonts, Allie Feltus was named CCS Women's Field Athlete of the Meet. 
    • Feltus also earned Piedmont's Most Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award.
    • Kimona Hayes of Belhaven University was named CCS Women's Track Athlete of the Meet, CCS Women's Overall Athlete of the Meet, and CCS Athlete of the Year.
    • Head Coach of the Lions', Jamie Jimision was named the CCS Coach of the Year.


Tennis
Men

  • Recap
    • Asbury's Men's Tennis made their presence known and made history within their first year being a part of the CCS. 
    • Asbury opened the championships as the No.1 seed with a 13-4 overall record.
    • Asbury secured the Regular Season Title with a clean 6-0 conference record.
    • Piedmont cruised through the opening round of championships with a (PU) 4-0 (HC) win over No. 6 Huntingdon and continued their success with a (PU) 4-1 (CC) win over No. 2 Covenant. 
    • Saturday entailed intense nail biting matches with the final matchup of the championship being No. 3 Piedmont vs. No.1 Asbury with a final score of (AU) 4-2 (PU).
  • Superlative awards
    • Ben Moore of the Asbury Eagles was named the CCS MVP in addition to being named to the All-Tournament Team.
    • Ignacio Ardiles and Alejandro Caceres were also named to the CCS All-Tournament Team. 
    • Piedmont's Yannick Wassmer Navarro and Charles Parnell were named to the CCS All-Tournament Team.
    • Asbury's Jared Miller was named CCS Men's Tennis Coach of the Year.
 

Women

  • Recap
    • The eagles put up an impressive season record overall 13-4 and a 6-1 CCS.
    • Asbury's Women's Tennis made their presence known and created  history within their first year being a part of the CCS.
    • In the semifinals round of the championship, No. 2 Asbury knocked out No. 3 Huntingdon with a (AU) 4-0 (HC) win. 
    • With a thrilling matchup for the final match of the tournament, Asbury took a (AU) 4-0 (PU) win. 
    • Piedmont experienced a record breaking victory streak broken by Asbury Eagles as they haven't lost a conference match since 2021.
  • Superlative awards
    • Ariadna Zegarra, of Asbury University was named CCS MVP in addition to being named to the CCS All-Tournament Team and being awarded the CCS Women's Tennis Player of the Year. . 
    • Additionally, Katherine Nova and Kourtney Kawata were also named to the CCS All-Tournament team. 
    • Katherine Nova of Asbury was named CCS Rookie of the Year.
    • Piedmont's Trey Martin was named CCS Women's Tennis Coach of the Year Award. 
 

Golf

  • Recap
    • Piedmont brought home the CCS Men's Golf Conference Title for the second consectuive season with a tight one-hole sudden death playoff to defeat Huntingdon.
  • Superlative awards
    • Head Coach Dustin Meadows was named the CCS Coach of the Year as he led the team to their second straight CCS Championship. 
    • Four student athletes were named to CCS All-Conference teams including Adam Rogers (first team) and Jacob DeJesus, Doug Gugel, and Connor Lane (second team). 
    • Jack Burr of Huntingdon College was named CCS Golfer of the Year. 
    • CJ Kilkelly of LaGrange College was named CCS Rookie of the Year.
 

Baseball

  • Recap
    • Maryville College being the highest seeded team hosted the 2025 CCS Baseball Championships. 
    • Huntingdon Hawks defeated LaGrange Panthers in a (HC) 8-4 (LC) game win in the semifinals round to secure their spot in the finals round to take on Belhaven Blazers. 
    • Rolling into the final round of the CCS Tournament, the compelling match up on Sunday night concluded with a tight score of (HC) 2-1 (BU) which led to a destined elimination rematch for it all. 
    • In their third match up of the tournament, No. 5 seed Huntingdon broke No. 2 seed Belhaven to pull off the conference championship title. 
    • Maryville competed until their journey ended in the semifinals round with a (BU) 10-4 (MC) loss.
  • Superlative awards
    • Zeke Swartz of Piedmont was named CCS Baseball Pitcher of the Year.
    • Lions' Ben Connelly was named the CCS Baseball Rookie Player of the Year. 
    • Maryville's Matt Hall and Xavier Resto were both named to the CCS Baseball All-Tournament Team. 
    • Colin Dunworth of Maryville was named the CCS Baseball Player of the Year.
    • Josiah Chiesa of LaGrange was named the CCS Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Year. 
    • Head Coach Clint Helton of Maryville was named the CCS Baseball Coach of the Year. 
    • Four Hawks were named to the 2025 CCS Baseball All-Tournament Team in Brent Cadenhead (MVP), JB Landrum, Jable Ramey, and Brodie Holcomb.

            

Softball

  • Recap
    • No. 1 Seed Huntingdon hosted the 2025 CCS Softball Championship Tournament. 
    • Seamlessly making their way through games, Belhaven surpassed No. 3 seed Maryville in the second round of championship with a 4-0 finish allowing the Blazers to continue to the semifinal round of the tournament. 
    • Belhaven clinches a 2-0 championship win over Huntingdon to claim this year's Softball title. 
    • Belhaven has punched their CCS Championship Round ticket for the third straight season. 
    • For the second consecutive season, Huntingdon is chosen as an NCAA Regional host site. 
  • Superlative awards
    • Ellie Jones of Belhaven was named the 2025 CCS Woman of the Year in addition to being named CCS Softball Player of the Year.
    • Allie Roberts of Huntingdon was named CCS Softball Pitcher of the Year.
    • Jaselyn Couch of LaGrange was named CCS Softball Rookie Player of the Year.
    • Addison Gaines of Huntingdon was named CCS Softball Rookie Pitcher of the Year.
    • Casey Chrietzberg of Huntingdon was named CCS Softball Coach of the Year. 
    • Macy Funderburk of Belhaven was named MVP in the CCS Softball All-Tournament Team.
    • Along with Funderburk, Ellie Jones and three other Blazers were named to the CCS Softball All-Tournament Team.
 

2025 CCS CHAMPIONS CORNER

Women's Basketball: Piedmont University

Men's Basketball: Huntingdon College

Women's Track and Field: Piedmont University

Men's Track and Field: Piedmont University

Men's Tennis: Asbury University

Women's Tennis: Asbury University

Men's Golf: Piedmont University

Softball: Belhaven University

Baseball: Huntingdon College

 

POST-SEASON ACHIEVEMENTS & ACCOLADES

Basketball
Huntingdon men's basketball and Piedmont's women's basketball team both punched their tickets to the NCAA tournament in the first year of the league's AQ.


Men

 

Women

  • Regional Appearance
    • Piedmont University clinched their first-ever CCS Women's Basketball Championship, defeating Belhaven 64-51. The Lions earned the league's first AQ to the NCAA Tournament, but their postseason run ended in the first round with a 52-31 loss to #18 Randolph-Macon.
    • The Lions finished the season 20-8.
  • Awards
 

Track and Field
Piedmont University Track and Field junior Silas Goolsby was the lone athlete who qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in the 200m after the Lions swept both men and women's championship titles.

Men

  • Regional Recap
    • Piedmont University's men's team triumphed for the third consecutive year, securing the CCS Men's Track and Field Championship with 240 points. The Lions' strong showing was highlighted by Silas Goolsby's All-American honors at the NCAA DIII National Championship, where he placed among the country's top athletes in the 200m.
      • The top 22 individuals in each event qualify for the national championship field. Goolsby's 21.10 in the 200m ranked tied for 14th in the country. 
      • This marks the first time for the junior from Dacula, Georgia to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships. 
      • His time of 21.60 ranked 16th in the country and earned him All-American honors. He is the second All-American in Piedmont Track & Field history.
      • Goolsby was in lane eight of the second heat of the 200m prelims on Thursday and finished fifth in his heat, but a DQ above him moved Goolsby up the final leader board. 
  • Awards

Women  

Tennis
Asbury men's and women's tennis programs made history as the first Eagle squad to earn an NCAA bid in their first year in the league. 

Men

  • Regional Recap
    • Asbury University made history by clinching their first-ever CCS Men's Tennis Championship in their inaugural season with the league. The Eagles triumphed over Piedmont 4-2 in the finals, marking a dominant debut in the conference. Asbury also made history by earning their first NCAA DIII Tournament bid, though they were defeated by No. 33 Averett in the first round.
  • Awards
 

Women

  • Regional Recap
    • Asbury's women's team followed suit, winning the CCS Women's Tennis Championship in their first season. The Eagles defeated Piedmont 4-0 in the finals and also advanced to the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to North Carolina Wesleyan 4-1.
    • AU senior Martina Paillet earned the Eagles only comeback win in the No. 3 matchup over NCW, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. 
  • Awards


Golf
Two CCS men's golf programs qualified for the NCAA Men's Golf Championship. Piedmont received the conference's first AQ while Huntingdon was one of nine teams selected for the at-large berth.

  • Regional Recap
    • At the regional level, Huntingdon placed 6th at the NCAA Championships, led by Jack Burr, who finished in the top 10 individually. Piedmont, though charging up the leaderboard, fell short of advancing past the second round.
    • The championships will be held May 20-23 at Midvale Country Club in Penfield, New York, and will be hosted by St. John Fisher and Rochester NY Sports Commission. In addition to Midvale, first and second round competition will be played simultaneously at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Victor, New York. The team and individual champions will be determined after 72 holes of play or the conclusion of the last fully completed round. Forty-three teams and ten individuals not on one of those teams will be selected to participate in the championships. After 36 holes of competition, the field will be cut to the top 18 teams and top six individuals not on one of those teams.
    • Huntingdon Hawks
      • Through the first 18 holes, the Hawks compiled a nine strokes over-par score of 297, good enough to tie with both Trinity and Kenyon for fifth place out of 43 teams. 
      • The Hawks finished the second round 12 strokes over par as a team for a score of 300, putting Huntingdon within two strokes of the first place Illinois Wesleyan Titans.
      • Leading the Hawks and finishing inside the top ten individuals was junior Jack Burr of Milton, Georgia. Burr saved his best round for last, shooting two strokes under par in round four to finish as the 8th placed individual. 
      • With the final nine holes bringing the 2025 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship to a close, Huntingdon Men's Golf has finished inside the top ten in the nation for consecutive seasons, taking 6th place overall in the 43-team field. In the final round, the Hawks compiled an overall team score of 296, eight strokes over par for Huntingdon's best round in the tournament. 
      • Continuing to battle through the rainy and windy New York conditions at the NCAA Championships, Huntingdon Men's Golf currently finds themselves in a tie with Carnegie Mellon for fifth place overall entering the final day. At the completion of the third round, the Hawks fell from second place to fifth, matching their round one score of a nine over-par 297.  Stephen Baker and Jack Burr both are leading the push, with Cole Humphrey following closely behind. 
    • Piedmont Lions
      • With the teams split across two courses over the first two days, the Lions took on the challenge of Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Tuesday's first round. As a team, the Lions delivered a 30-over 318 team score, good for a tie for 40th on the team leaderboard. Jacob DeJesus led the squad on Tuesday, posting a 4-over 76. 
      • Piedmont men's golf made a valiant charge up the leaderboard in Wednesday's second round of the NCAA DIII Championship but was unable to move up enough to advance to the third and fourth rounds.
      • The Lions made the third biggest leap of any team in the field in the second round, charging up 12 spots and into a tie for 28th. Playing their second round at Midvale Country Club, the Lions improved their team score by 10 strokes over Tuesday's first round, which they played at Cobblestone Creek Country Club.
  • Awards
 

Softball
For the second consecutive year, the CCS has sent at least two teams to the NCAA softball regional tournament. Huntingdon and Belhaven, who competed for the conference championship, punched their ticket to the regional in the first year that the conference received an AQ.

  • Regional Recap
    • Belhaven Blazers
      • The 2025 Belhaven Softball team opened regional play with a 1-3 loss to St. Thomas (Tx.) on Thursday. The Blazers season came to a close on Friday as the Blazers split a pair of contests at the Marshall Regional. The Blazers cruised to a 14-1 win over Marymount before dropping a 5-2 decision in the regional semifinal.
      • The Blazers finished another successful campaign in 2025 with a record of 32-9 while earning their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance on top of a Collegiate Conference of the South Tournament title. Belhaven's 32 wins this season is the program's fifth straight with at least 30 victories.
    • Huntingdon Hawks
      • In the first game of their second consecutive NCAA Regional Tournament at home, Huntingdon Softball kicked off the 2025 tournament against a familiar foe, the Berry College Vikings.
      • In last season's tournament, the Hawks were eliminated from postseason competition by Berry, who ultimately went on to win the regional tournament. In today's contest however, Huntingdon improved to a 3-0 record against the Vikings on the season, claiming a 4-1 victory on their home field.
      • Following up on their first ever regional victory in program history, after a slow start for both sides, when it mattered most however, the Hawks got hot at the plate, scoring three runs to walk away with the 5-3 victory.
      • Being selected as the #1 seed in their own regional and winning back-to-back contests to qualify for the regional championship, Huntingdon Softball met the Emory University Eagles, the #3 seed, with a chance to advance to the 2025 NCAA DIII Softball Super-Regional Round.
      • Needing just one win to advance in the rain-filled final day, the Hawks ultimately couldn't find a way, dropping game one 5-4 before being eliminated with a 4-3 loss in game two. 
      • The Hawks finished the season 38-7.
  • Awards
    • 2025 NFCA All-Region Awards
      • Region VI
        • First Team
          • SS, Brecca Williams, Maryville
          • 1B, Ellie Jones, Belhaven
          • C, Miranda Treadway, Huntingdon
        • Second Team
          • SS, Jordan Holman, Huntingdon
          • 3B, Maddie Grace Hubbard, Huntingdon
          • P, Allie Roberts, Huntingdon
        • Third Team
          • OF, Reagan Bryan, Belhaven
    • 2025 NFCA All-American Awards
      • First Team
        • 1B, Ellie Jones, Belhaven
      • Second Team
        • At-Large-C, Miranda Treadway, Huntingdon
    • Academic All-District® Softball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
      • Samantha Bottom, Asbury
      • Josie Deatherage, Asbury
      • Sidney Hansen, Asbury
      • Emma Popplewell, Asbury
      • Abigail Moffat*, Asbury
      • Jordan Kanipe, Belhaven 
      • Anna Caime, Belhaven 
      • Ellie Jones*, Belhaven 
      • Lauren Dunbar, Belhaven 
      • Maci Baldwin, Belhaven 
      • Ashlyn Gaines, Covenant 
      • Isabella Duran, Covenant 
      • Olivia Stefl, Covenant 
      • Helena Nagy, Covenant 
      • Paige Dickinson, Maryville 
      • Brecca Williams, Maryville 
      • Emma Blankenship, Maryville 
      • Jessica Harris, Maryville 
      • Olivia Harris, Maryville 
      • Madi Cronic, Piedmont 
      • Kennedy Votava*, Piedmont 
      • Jordyn Green, Piedmont 
      • Jasmine Lowery, Piedmont 
    • Academic All-America® Softball teams, selected by College Sports Communicators
      • IF, Ellie Jones, Belhaven
 

Baseball
Huntingdon made history as they received the league's first-ever AQ to the NCAA Tournament in baseball, and sent two top-CCS baseball programs in Maryville and Belhaven. Three total teams represented the CCS in regional play.

  • Regional Recap
    • Belhaven Blazers
      • Despite the season coming to a close, the 2025 year will be one to remember for Belhaven who had their best season since becoming an NCAA Division III member in 2016. With a 34-15 overall record, the Blazers posted the best winning percentage since 2011.
      • The on-field performance for Belhaven this year booked them a first-ever spot in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship Tournament as the Blazers earned an at-large bid with a Top 20 NPI ranking in the country.
      • Belhaven made their mark, sweeping the Webster Regional for their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, and advanced to the last 16 teams in the nation. However, their journey ended after a tough battle at the regional finals.
    • Huntingdon Hawks
      • For the first time since 2016, after winning the CCS title, Huntingdon advanced to the NCAA tournament, where they had a strong showing. However, their regional run ended with two losses in a rain-soaked contest, finishing their season at 23-21.
      • The Hawks made a run in the Marshall Regional opening regional play with a 2-20 loss to Trinity (Tx.). The Hawks returned to action against the Millsaps Majors, taking a 6-3 victory in 10 innings before falling 9-8 to the host team, the East Texas Baptist Tigers. 
    • Maryville Scots
      • Maryville battled through the CCS Baseball Championship but was eliminated in the semifinals. They bounced back in regional play, where they won one game but were ultimately knocked out by Emory, concluding their season at 33-14.
      • Maryville Scots make history in winning their first NCAA DIII Baseball Championship Tournament game since 1974 in addition to their collected at-large bid with a Top 20 NPI Ranking in the country. 
      • Head Coach Clint Helton now owns the best winning percentage in Scots Baseball History, sitting at 134-87 after six seasons, good for a .606 win percentage. 
  • Awards
 

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

CCS Academic All-Conference Honorees (2024-25)

 

SPORTSMANSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS

Full Release

Individual Sportsmanship Awards

 

Team Sportsmanship Awards

  • Women's Basketball: Asbury University

  • Men's Basketball: Asbury University

  • Women's Track and Field: Piedmont University

  • Men's Track and Field: Covenant College

  • Men's Tennis: Huntingdon College

  • Women's Tennis: Huntingdon College

  • Men's Golf: Piedmont University

  • Softball: LaGrange College

  • Baseball: Asbury University

 

COMMISSIONER CUP UPDATES

Standings as of May 2025

 

Full Release
 

Women's Cup

 

Piedmont

55

Asbury

54.5

Maryville

49.5

Belhaven

45

Covenant

38

Huntingdon

36

LaGrange

18

Agnes Scott

15

Wesleyan

4
 

Men's Cup

 

Belhaven

39.5

Maryville

36

Asbury

35.5

Piedmont

35

Covenant

34

Huntingdon

28

LaGrange

14
 

Overall Cup

 

Asbury

90

Piedmont

90

Maryville

85.5

Belhaven

84.5

Covenant

72

Huntingdon

64

LaGrange

32

Agnes Scott

15

Wesleyan

4
 

LOOKING AHEAD

2025-26 CCS Championship Dates & Locations

Fall Championships

Cross Country
Date: Friday, October 31
Host: Huntsville, AL

Soccer
Men's Soccer
Date: Wednesday, October 29 – Saturday, November 8
Host: Highest Seed involved on each individual contest

Women's Soccer
Date: Saturday, November 1 – Saturday, November 8
Host: Highest Seed involved on each individual contest

Women's Volleyball
Date: Tuesday, November  11 – Saturday, November 15
Host: Highest Seed involved on each individual contest (first round); Highest Seed (semifinals and finals)

Future CCS Championships



SOCIAL MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS

 


 























ABOUT THE COLLEGIATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOUTH (CCS)

The CCS is an NCAA Division III athletic conference that began play during the 2022-23 academic year. The conference features nine member institutions (Agnes Scott College, Asbury University, Belhaven University, Covenant College, Huntingdon College, LaGrange College, Maryville College, Piedmont University, and Wesleyan College) and sponsors championships across 14 sports. In addition to sharing the member institutions' geographic identity, the name 'Collegiate Conference of the South' is indicative of a shared commitment to academic excellence, which is commensurate with the NCAA Division III philosophy.
 
Follow all things #CCS on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram at @ccofsouth for all the latest news around the league.