MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference announced the 2016 SSC Hall of Fame Class on Monday, with former Nova Southeastern baseball star Bryan Cook '08 among those being chosen, becoming the first ever inductee from NSU Athletics.
Cook will be one of the hall's nine newest members, to be be inducted on Saturday, March 5th during the SSC Hall of Fame Brunch and Celebration in Daytona Beach on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
"Bryan Cook being honored by the the Sunshine State Conference as an inductee into their Hall of Fame is certainly very special for Bryan and his family but also special for Nova Southeastern University," said Director of Athletics and former head baseball coach Mike Mominey. "I could not think of a better student athlete to represent NSU as our first inductee as I believe Bryan is the epitome of what a student athlete represents. He is simply a great person, was well respected, was a great teammate, and outstanding student and a tremendous baseball player. Bryan deserves this honor and I know he certainly is proud to call himself an NSU Shark ."
Cook, the 2008 SSC and South Region Player of the Year, holds the record for the highest career batting average (.408) in program history, as well as the highest career slugging percentage (.771). The 2008 NSU Scholar Athlete of the Year and All-American selection, Cook was the ultimate student-athlete, achieving greatness in the classroom and in between the foul lines.
Cook joins the 2016 SSC Hall of Fame class comprised of Laurent Lamothe (Barry, tennis), Steve Balboni (Eckerd, baseball), Sarah Kohlbrenner (Florida Southern, softball), Declan Link (Rollins, soccer), Eric Beattie (Tampa, baseball), Shaun Pendleton (Lynn, soccer), Fitzgerald "Fidgi" Haig (Florida Tech, soccer), and Dave Garcia (Saint Leo, baseball).
"We are honored to induct these distinguished student-athletes and coaches into the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame, "said Ed Pasque, SSC Commissioner. "These nine individuals represent some of the best in the history of this great conference."
The Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame was founded in 1991 to honor those persons who have made outstanding contributions to the conference. Its purpose is to perpetuate the memory of those who brought distinction, honor, and excellence to the SSC.
The charter class was inducted in 1992 with 22 individuals honored. This year's class brings the number of SSC Hall of Fame inductees to 197 individuals from 22 classes.
Tickets are available for the SSC SSC Hall of Fame Brunch and Celebration, March 5th at 9:30 am ET at the Henderson Administration and Welcome Center. Contact Maryanne Simkulak, Sunshine State Conference Assistant Commissioner at 216-566-4622. Space is limited, and tickets must be purchased no later than February, 22, 2016.
2016 SSC Hall of Fame Class Steve Balboni | Eckerd College | Baseball | 1976-78• Tied for SSC single- season HR Record- 26
• All- SSC- 1977 & 1998 • SSC single - season record- HR/ game and RBI's/ game
• Single - season HR record- 26- T8 in Division II
• Single - season HR/ game- 0.6- T5 in Division II
• Sporting News College All American team- 1978
• 1st Team ABCA/Rawlings D-II All American in 1977
• 3rd Team ABCA/Rawlings D-II All American in 1979
• Drafted by New York Yankees, 1978- 2nd round
• Played 11 years in MLB- 181 career HRs
• World Series Champion- 1985 Kansas City Royals (36 HR, 88 RBI)
• First SSC player to win a World Series
Eric Beattie | University of Tampa | Baseball | 2002-04• First team All American and first team All-South- 2003
• South Regional MVP and South Regional All Team- 2003
• SSC Pitcher of the Year and First Team All SSC- 2003
• Second Team All SSC- 2004
• SSC Male Athlete of the Year- 2003
• UT Career records in Shutouts (3 - 4), Wins (5th- 30), Complete Games (7 - 9), Innings Pitched (7th-288.0), Strikeouts (8th-278)
• Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the Second round- 2004
• University of Tampa Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee- 2014
Bryan Cook | Nova Southeastern University | Baseball | 2006-08• SSC 1st Team Honoree - 2007, 2008
• SSC Player of the Year - 2008
• All American - 2008
• ABCA/Rawlings South Region Player of the Year - 2008
• NSU Scholar Athlete of the Year - 2008
• First in Batting Average (.408) and Slugging Percentage (.771)
• Second in career homeruns (30)
Dave Garcia | Saint Leo University | Baseball | 1993-96• 1st in SLU career wins by pitcher - 27
• 1st in SLU strikeouts - 301
• 1st in SLU innings pitched - 358
• 7th in SSC strikeouts - 301
• Team Captain Junior and Senior years
• SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years
• All- Conference - Junior and Senior years
• All-South Region - Junior and Senior years
Fidgi Haig | Florida Tech |1987-90 Men's Soccer Player | 2005-'15 Women's Soccer Coach• SSC Champion - 1988
• SSC Co-Champion - 1989 (Player), 2010 (Coach)
• All SSC 1 team - 1987, 1988, All SSC second team- 1989
• NCAA DII National Champion Men's Soccer- 1988
• South Region Champion- 1988, 1990 (Player), 2010 (Coach)
• NSCAA All South Region first team - 1987, 1990
• FISCA All State 1 team- 1987, 1989
• 45 goals and 18 assists for 108 points in 58 games played
• Florida Tech Sports Hall of Fame and Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame inductee - 2013
• Final Coaching record: 97-59-26
• U.S. Youth Adidas Soccer National Coach of the Year- 2005
• Haitian Olympic Team - 1983-1985
• Haitian National Team - 1985-1994
• Club Sportif St. Louis - 1984-1987
• Orlando Lion - 1992-1994
Sarah Kohlbrenner | Florida Southern College | Softball| 2004-07• National Runner up - 2004, 3rd place finish- 2006, 4th place finish- 2007
• SSC champion - 2004, 2006, 2007
• All American - 2004, 2007
• All South Region, All SSC - 2004-2007
• All South Region performer - 2004-2007
• South Region Tournament MVP - 2006
• South Region All-Tournament Team - 2007
• SSC Silver Anniversary Softball Team
• SSC Player of the Year - 2006
• SSC Freshman of the Year - 2004
• Career batting average - .391
• Holds school all time record - GP (241), RS (207), 3B (28), TB (410)
• FSC Top-5 all time - AB (2 - 713), H (3 - 297), 2B (5 - 39), HR (T4th- 12), RBIs (2 - 166) BB (2 - 103), SB (4 - 94)
• FSC posted a 200-42 record between 2004-'07
• Played in 241 of 242 games
Laurent Lamothe | Barry University | Tennis | 1991-95• Prime Minister of Haiti on May 4, 2012- Present
• Special Advisor to Haitian President Michel Martelly
• Interim Commission for Reconstruction of Haiti- member
• Presidential Advisory Council for the Economic Development and Investment- co-chaired with Frm. U.S. President Bill Clinton
• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Haiti
• First Barry's Tennis player named an All American- 1993
• Led the Buccaneers to the NCAA Tournament for the first times in program history- 1994 & 1995
• Represented Haiti at the Davis Cup- 1994 & 1995
• 49-26 all-time singles record (all at #1 flight)
• Barry Buccaneers "Athletics Wall of Honor"- 2000
Declan Link | Rollins | Men's Soccer | 1987-90• All SSC First Team - 1987, 1988, 1989
• SSC leading scorer -1987
• NSCAA All American Second Team - 1989
• NSCAA All South Region - 1987, 1988, 1989
• All Florida - 1988, 1989 (Award discontinued after '93)
• Fifth all time in goals (43) and sixth all time in career points (103)
• Rollins College Hall of Fame Inductee - 2000
• Orlando Lions - 1990-1991
• Rollins Men's Soccer Assistant Coach - 1991-present
• Team Coordination Member of the USA World Cup - '94 and USA Olympics- 1996
Shaun Pendleton | Lynn University | Men's Soccer Coach | 1999-07 • SSC Coach of the Year - 1993, 2003, 2007
• SSC Champion - 1998, 1999, 2003, 2007 (Regular Season titles), 2004, 2004 (Tournament titles)
• 55-14-5 in SSC play
• NCAA DII National Champion Men's Soccer - 2003
• Lynn University Athletics Hall of Fame - 2012
