A 126-Year timeline of athletic accomplishments at Rhodes.
1896 – First football team takes the field
1899 – First game against Sewanee is played, beginning one of the oldest and most storied rivalries in college football
1899 – First Men’s Basketball team takes the court
1919 – First Women’s Basketball team takes the court
1925 – Men’s Golf introduced as a varsity sport
1929 – Men’s Track established as a varsity sport
1936 – Henry Thomas Hammond ’36 earns All-American honors in football
1938 – Gaylon Wesley Smith ’39 earns All-American honors in football
1954 – Introduction of the Edmund Orgill Trophy for the winner of the Rhodes-Sewanee football game (Since the introduction of the trophy, Rhodes leads the series 37-29-1.)
1961 – Baseball wins the Division III National Championship
1967 – Southwestern wins the SCAC President’s Trophy
1968 – Scott Arnold III ’68 earns All-American honors in football
1968 – Lady Camille Deaderick ’57 becomes head of the Women’s Athletics Department, helping to establish the Tennessee Women’s Athletic Association and introduce women’s badminton, tennis, and basketball to Southwestern.
1970 – John H. Churchill ’71 earns All-American honors in football
1971 – Herman Morris, Jr. ’73 earns All-American honors in football
1972 – Women’s Tennis introduced as a varsity sport
1972 – Ralph Clinton Allen ’73 qualifies for the NCAA College Decathlon and becomes first Track All-American
1975 – Women’s Basketball re-established as a varsity sport
1975 – Carl Bernard Hill ’76 earns All-American honors for Men’s Track & Field
1976 – Men’s Soccer introduced as a varsity sport
1976 – Conrad Bradburn’77 earns 1st team All-American honors in football
1976 – Herb Hilgeman is named head coach of the Men’s Basketball team, beginning a 34-year tenure that would result in 473 career wins
1977 – Volleyball introduced as a varsity sport
1977 – Sarah Risser Hatgas is named head coach of the Women’s Basketball team, and would retire with 207 career wins; Hatgas would also coach Volleyball and Men’s and Women’s Tennis.
1978 – Women’s Track & Field introduced as a varsity sport
1978 – Craig Robert Solomon ’79 earns his second consecutive All-American honor in football
1979 – Football standout Tom Mullady ’78 is selected in the seventh round of the 1979 NFL Draft
1980 – Men’s Basketball wins conference championship, advances to NCAA Tournament
1981 – Women’s Tennis wins fifth straight Tennessee State Championship
1982 – Men’s Basketball wins conference championship, advances to Elite 8 in NCAA Tournament
1983 – Women’s Soccer introduced as a varsity sport
1984 – Mike Clary ’77 takes the reigns as head football coach, wins the conference championship in his first season
1988 – Football wins the conference championship and competes in the NCAA Division III National Playoffs
1988 – Larry Hayes ’89 earns All-American honors in football
1989 – Rhodes Baseball plays an exhibition against a travelling team from the USSR, wins 12-6
1992 – Rhodes wins the SCAC President’s Trophy
1993 – Rhodes wins the SCAC President’s Trophy
1994 – Men’s Soccer appears in NCAA Division III National Playoffs
1995 – Men’s Soccer appears in NCAA Division III National Playoffs
1995 – Women’s golf introduced as a varsity sport
1995 – Nao Kinoshita ’98 wins the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis National Singles Championship
1996 – Men’s Soccer wins the Division III National Championship
1996 – The Haygood Athletic Hall of Fame is opened, named for James Haygood, the college’s head football coach and athletic director in the 1930s.
1997 – Men’s Soccer appears in NCAA Division III National Playoffs
1997 – Softball introduced as a varsity sport
1997 – Nao Kinoshita ’98 wins the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis National Singles Championship
1997 – Nao Kinoshita ’98 and Taylor Tarver ’98 win the NCAA Division III Women’s Tennis Doubles National Championship
2002 – Amy (Paine) Hines ’03 earns All-American honors in Women’s Track & Field
2002 – Jessie (Hunt) Kremeier ’03 earns All-American honors in Women’s Track & Field
2002 – Matt Dean is named head coach of the Women’s Basketball team, would retire with 212 career wins
2003 – Amy (Paine) Hines ’03 earns All-American honors in Women’s Track & Field
2004 – Taylor (Cook) Lowry ’06 earns All- American honors in Women’s Basketball
2004 – Marie Schofer ’04 earns her third consecutive All-American honor in Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field
2005 – Stephanie Gong ’05 receives her third-straight All-American honor in Women’s Tennis, becoming an All-American in 2003, 2004, and 2005
2007 – Ashley Ferrell Galmish ’08 earns All-American honors in Women’s Basketball
2008 – Becca Clarin ’10 named an All-American for Women’s Soccer
2012 – Men’s Lacrosse established as a varsity sport
2012 – Crain Field opens, named for Lester Crain ’51, christened with Football’s 20-17 victory over Washington University St. Louis
2013 – Women’s Lacrosse established as a varsity sport
2013 – Women’s Basketball wins SAA Championship, advances to second round of the NCAA Tournament
2013 – Field Hockey wins fifth straight SAA Championship
2014 – Women’s Golf wins NCAA Division III National Championship
2014 – Women’s Basketball repeats as SAA conference champions, advances to second round of NCAA Tournament
2014 – Lauren Avant ’14 earns her second consecutive All-American honor in Women’s Basketball
2015 – Rhodes College Athletics wins the SAA Commissioner’s Cup
2015 – Women’s Lacrosse wins SAA Championship, appears in NCAA Tournament
2015 – Women’s basketball wins third straight SAA Championship, appears in NCAA Tournament
2015 – Field Hockey wins SAA Championship, competes in NCAA Tournament
2016 – Women’s Golf wins NCAA Division III National Championship
2016 – Women’s Lacrosse wins SAA Championship, appears in NCAA Tournament
2016 – Bill Munson ’16 named a Baseball All-American
2016 – Men’s Cross Country wins SAA Championship, finishes fourth in NCAA Regional Championships, and finishes 29th in NCAA National Championships
2016 – Field Hockey wins SAA Championship, competes in NCAA Tournament
2017 – Women’s Golf repeats as NCAA Division III National Championship, winning its third National Championship in four seasons
2017 – Renn Eason ’18 wins NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field High Jump National Championship
2017 – Men’s Basketball wins SAA Championship, appears in NCAA Tournament
2017 – Women’s Lacrosse wins third-straight SAA Championship, advances to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
2017 – Baseball’s Jackson Laurie ’17 is selected in the 24th round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Atlanta Braves
2017 – Men’s Cross country wins SAA Championship, finishes second at NCAA Regional Championships, and inishes 24th in NCAA National Championships
2018 – DJ Coker ‘19 earns 1st Team All American honors n football and signs with the Houston Texans
2018 – Rhodes College Athletics wins the SAA Commissioner’s Cup
2018 – Men’s Lacrosse advances to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
2018 – Women’s Lacrosse wins fourth straight SAA championship, advances to Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament
2018 – Baseball wins SAA Conference Championship, appears in NCAA Tournament
2018 – Nick Bosma ’19 named a Baseball All-American with an NCAA Division III-leading 16 saves on the season
2018 – Men’s Cross Country wins SAA Championship and NCAA regional championship, finishes 17th at NCAA National Championship
2018 – Field Hockey wins SAA championship, competes in NCAA tournament
2019 – Rhodes College Athletics wins the SAA Commissioner’s Cup
2019 – Men’s Lacrosse appears in NCAA Tournament
2021 – Women’s Soccer wins SAA Championship, competes n NCAA Tournament
2022 – Women’s Basketball becomes second team in SAA women’s basketball history to go undefeated in conference play and wins SAA Conference Championship, appears in NCAA Tournament
2022 – Alli Mayeux ’22 earns All-American honors in Women’s Basketball