CLEVELAND — In keeping with its changing academic status, Truett-McConnell is leaving man’s best friend behind for a mascot many are finding easy to bear.

The announcement came in mid-September: From now on the sports teams at the Georgia Baptist college in White County would now be known as the Bears.

Phoenix Design Works of New York City produced the school’s new logos. The company has worked with several top professional and college programs, such as the Florida Marlins and Louisiana State University.

In making the transition, it came down to the bear facts (okay, that’s the last one) says athletic director David Elder.

“We had originally looked at being the Mountaineers, the mascot the school had from the 1950’s until 1967. In 1967 Truett-McConnell began being called the Great Danes. That name was shortened to the Danes until the most recent move.”

The move of which Elder is speaking regards the college’s stepping up from two-year to four-year status. In 1965 trustees had decided to rename the school’s sports teams to reflect the change in name from Truett-McConnell Junior College to Truett-McConnell College.

According to Edna Holcomb, dean of Institutional Support at the college, that change to the Great Danes was chosen due to the dog’s implied power, authority and majesty. It’s unclear whether the school’s mascot at the time, a black Great Dane named Mr. Great, was a pet of school president Warner Earle Fusselle prior to the name change or after.

Mr. Great lived the good life, occupying a special doghouse on campus constructed of brick with white columns and made to resemble the TMC president’s home.

The Danes name was customized to fit specific teams. Baseball players became the Diamond Danes and the soccer teams the Kickin’ Dames, for example.

The recent renaming of the school’s teams was a process including input from students, faculty, staff, alumni and the surrounding community.

“In coming up with a name, the thought was that we were near the mountains and it needed to be an animal indigenous to the area,” says Elder. “Yonah Mountain is a landmark in White County. The Cherokee word for bear is ‘yonah.’ It was a natural fit.”

Of the 400 students at TMC, roughly 30% are student athletes. The school fields nine sports participating in the National Junior College Athletic Association and Georgia Junior College Athletic Association alongside the likes of Middle Georgia College and Young Harris.

With that in mind, meet your Truett-McConnell Bears …

 

Baseball

Coach Jim Waits enters his 12th season looking to improve on last year’s 13-31 record. Powerhitting first baseman Rob Flanigan and pitcher Chris Curtis are being counted on to lead the Bears.

 

Women’s Softball

Coach Jenni Deitz leads the Lady Bears into their inaugural season next spring. The team is young – 11 of the 14 players are freshmen – but have gained experience through an eight-game nontraditional season this fall.

 

Men’s Basketball

Head coach Evans Davis played as a Dane for TMC in the mid-90’s before transferring to Mercer, where as a Bear he poured in 30 points in a game against Duke. After spending four years on the bench as an assistant, Davis inherits a young team in his first year at the helm. Markecis Wall, a 6’5” sophomore, is the only returning starter from last year’s 26-6 squad. Newcomer Lucky Hamby, a guard out of South Carolina, is expected to contribute.

 

Women’s Basketball

In her first year as head coach Amanda Clonts is looking to point guards A’shauntae Bussey and Emily Burkhalter to control game tempo. Guard Shamekkia Shirley and forward Heather Cantrell are also among those expected to make an impact.

 

Cross Country

Two former Wildcats pace coach Jarret Holland’s squad as Woodland High School (Cartersville) alums Gat Leonard and Bree Ann Katt led the men’s and women’s teams this fall. Earlier this month Leonard sparked the men’s team to victory at the Paul Alford Cross Country Invitational at Toccoa Falls College while Katt placed third for the women.

Leonard is the top runner in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association and in earlier competition placed 60th among all collegiate runners in the state.

 

Men’s Golf

In its first season since the 1970s, the golf team participated in three tournaments this fall. Coach Dusty Rogers, in his first year of coaching at the collegiate level, includes a second-place finish at The Orchard Fall Collegiate Invitation in Clarkesville Sept. 27 as a highlight.

 

Soccer

Coach Scott Borchers’ men’s and women’s squads have completed their seasons, the men going 2-10-2 and the women finishing at 5-9-2. Next year’s top returning players for the men include goalkeeper Billy Hale, midfielder Philip Sanders and defenseman Rodrigo Orellama.

Those expected to contribute heavily for the Lady Bears next season include Jennifer Rainey on defense, goalkeeper Whitney Jowers and midfielder Lisa Turner, a returning captain.