Current coach, four young alumni inducted into Flying Fleet Hall of Fame
Four outstanding young Erskine College graduates and one longtime Erskine coach were honored during a Flying Fleet Hall of Fame brunch and induction ceremony Nov. 5.
Marlee Rhodes Dysart ’15 became the first female Flying Fleet cross country runner to qualify for the NCAA Division II national championships. Named 2014 Conference Carolinas “Runner of the Year,” she won the 2015 Jake Todd Award and was described by former head coach Tasha James as a “relentless competitor” displaying an “amazing work ethic in the classroom and on the trails.” She became the most decorated runner in Erskine’s history. A native of Williamston, S.C., she graduated from Palmetto High School.
Corin Hallman Havens ’14, a four-time Conference Carolinas 1st Team member in Women’s Tennis, led Erskine to a perfect 39-0 record in doubles. A four-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, she received the 2014 Jake Todd Award. Head Women’s Tennis Coach Calhoun Parr noted that Havens played her best in the most important matches. “Corin was a strong leader who lived her strong Christian faith,” he said, calling her “a major positive influence on the spiritual growth of her teammates.” She is a graduate of Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Atlee Pearson ’11 set both Erskine and national records as a closing pitcher for Fleet Baseball. A graduate of Byrnes High School in Duncan, S.C., he broke the NCAA Division II record with 33 saves and earned 20 wins in relief during his career. Named 1st Team NCAA Division II All-American in 2010, he won the Jake Todd Award in 2011 and played for the San Diego Padres organization before serving as pitching coach at Erskine for three seasons. Former head coach Kevin Nichols called him “one of Erskine’s finest to stand on the Grier mound.”
Corey Sorrell ’13 came to Erskine from Northern Kentucky University. During the second season of his Erskine Men’s Basketball career, he averaged 19.3 points per game and was named 1st Team All-Conference Carolinas. Named to the NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region Team, he led the Fleet to an 18-10 record. The 2013 Jake Todd Award winner was able to score inside as well as consistently connect on three-point attempts. Former head coach Mark Peeler called him “a flat-out competitor every day who got the most out of himself and his teammates.”
Alleen Hawkins, who has garnered more than 900 wins in her collegiate coaching career, came to Erskine in 2001 after five seasons as inaugural softball coach at the University of Georgia. Since 2008, Fleet Softball has finished in the top five in the conference in all but two seasons, winning regular season titles in 2019 and 2021, a Conference Carolinas Tournament title in 2011, and a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championship in 2019. Speaking about the blessings of belonging to the Erskine family, Hawkins recalled telling Chip Sherer ’89, then athletic director, “Now Chip, you know I’m not an Erskine girl,” saying there was no guarantee she would not get thrown out of a game or say things she shouldn’t. As she concluded her remarks at the ceremony, she said with a smile, “Who knew? I turned out to be an Erskine girl after all!”
The Flying Fleet Hall of Fame of Erskine College was established by the directors of the Flying Fleet Club and the trustees of the College to give recognition and show appreciation to those men and women who, through their participation and support, have brought honor to the school and its program of intercollegiate and intramural athletics.
Pictured above with their award citations are, from left, Alleen Hawkins, Atlee Pearson, Marlee Dysart, Corin Havens, and Corey Sorrell.
