Shelton State Community College to Host Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony July 22
June 12, 2023 – As an exciting addition to the College’s rich heritage and tradition of athletic excellence, Shelton State Community College has established the Shelton State Community College Athletic Hall of Fame (Hall of Fame). The Hall of Fame will serve as a means of recognizing and honoring athletes, coaches, teams, and individuals who have made significant contributions to the athletics programs at the College and who have set high standards for others to emulate.
The inaugural Shelton State Community College Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 22, at 5:30 p.m. in the Martin Campus Atrium. Tickets for the inaugural ceremony are $50 each or $350 for a table. Tickets may be purchased until July 10 by visiting Shelton State Community College Athletic Hall of Fame Inaugural Ceremony. Cocktail attire is requested for all guests.
Inaugural honorees were nominated from three categories and are at least five (5) years removed from enrollment or employment at Shelton State. The categories for nominees were athletes, coaches, and contributors, and those selected for recognition are listed below.
Steve King, Former SSCC Softball Coach
Susan Thomas Saylor, Former SSCC Softball Coach
Mark Cornelius, Former SSCC Men’s Basketball Coach
Jimmy Collins, Former SSCC Golf Coach
Jack Kubiszyn, Former Baseball Coach
Leo Sumner, Former SSCC President credited with establishing SSCC Athletics
Christa Sanford, Former SSCC Cheer Coach
Bruce Bizzoco, Former SSCC Fencing Coach
Drew Linn, SSCC Athletic Contributor
1999 National Championship Golf Team
The inaugural class exemplifies the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical conduct, and character and each member made significant contributions to the College.
“I am truly stunned, but so grateful to be included alongside these prestigious honorees,” said Christa Sanford, the College’s cheer coach from 2005 until 2017. Sanford led her co-ed cheer squads to ten consecutive national championships beginning in 2007. Now in her seventh year as The University of Alabama’s Assistant Spirit Coordinator and Co-ed Cheer Coach, Sanford reflects on her career and her time at Shelton State with great fondness and pride.
“My parents joked that I couldn’t make a career out of cheer,” Sanford laughingly shared. “As it turns out, cheerleading has formed the building blocks for my life. I’ve been blessed to have great support from my family, my extraordinary mentor, and the various administrators I’ve worked with over time.”
Many of Sanford’s cheerleaders have followed in her footsteps through cheer opportunities at the four-year level and professionally. “My mentor, Myron Doan (former cheer coach at Morehead State University), allowed me to fail but didn’t hold my failures against me. He also allowed me to pick myself up and keep trying. This is what I’ve tried to embrace in my own work with athletes. I want to encourage their search for the most successful paths they can create.”
“The history of athletics at Shelton State is a giant story that has been waiting for a long time to be told,” said Cara Crosslin, Shelton State’s Athletics Director. “We’ve had countless athletes move forward to next-level play. Their talent and the support they received from our coaches and from the community are more than noteworthy. This event is allowing us to acknowledge a small part of this story and pave the way for the yearly celebrations to come.”
For questions or additional information concerning the Shelton State Community College Athletics Hall of Fame, please contact SSCC Athletic Director Cara Crosslin at ccrosslin@sheltonstate.edu.
