ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ

The University of North Georgia (ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ) Athletic Department and the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee have announced the 15th class of the ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ Athletics Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 25 the Convocation Center. The evening will begin with a social hour, followed by a dinner and ceremony programming beginning at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the induction ceremony are available for $50 per person. To purchase your tickets, please register online by clicking .

The ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ Athletics Hall of Fame honors individuals who have earned outstanding athletic achievements or made substantial contributions to the university. A nine-member Board of Directors is responsible for the Athletics Hall of Fame operations and serves as selectors for all honorees, based upon nominations.

This year's induction class includes:
 
Augustus "Gus" Ceasar Brown '99, men's basketball

Brown was a standout for the North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) Saints in the late 1990s. The 6-foot-4 forward was a captain on the team and led the program with his play on the court and his leadership off it.

Brown compiled over 1,500 career points in his tenure at NGCSU. He was a member of the 1996 squad that won the Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference (GACC) regular-season and tournament titles before making an appearance in the NAIA national tournament, North Georgia's final appearance in the postseason before moving to NCAA Division II.

In Brown's final two seasons in 1998 and 1999, he ranked in the top three in the GACC in field goal percentage and rebounding. Brown led the Saints in scoring, rebounding and field goal shooting in his senior season in 1999, earning team MVP and GACC all-conference honors.

After graduation, Brown continued his basketball career professionally in the Philippines, competing in one of Asia's most competitive leagues. He played a key role for the Manila Metrostars, helping lead the team to a national championship in 1999. That season, the Metrostars recorded a historic 22-game winning streak — the longest in any sport in Philippine history.

He spent two years as a member of NGCSU's Corps of Cadets and earned a bachelor's degree in marketing. 

Melvin "Mel" Crissey '64, distinguished alumnus

A member of the Corps of Cadets during his time at North Georgia, Crissey was a member of Delta and Golf companies, and the 1st and 2nd Battalion staffs. He was involved in numerous activities as a student and a cadet. He played intramural football while at North Georgia, and was one of the four founding cadets, and the sole surviving founder, of the Mountain Order of Colombo.

Upon graduation and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army, he served 22 years before retiring as lieutenant colonel in 1986. While on active duty, he played for and then coached the U.S. Army Soccer Team located in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

In 1986, Crissey was elected to be president of the South Texas Youth Soccer Association, where he led the organization to establish business offices and the Olympic Development Program for advanced training. He also offered more coaches and referee training programs. He was selected as head coach of the U.S. Deaf Olympic soccer team in 1989 to led the program in the 1990 World Games held in New Zealand.

Jimmy Faulkner, supporter 

Faulkner has been a major contributor to North Georgia athletics for several decades. Faulkner has assisted in ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ's elevation to the most competitive, value-added Division II athletic department in the country with generous financial contributions and booster club support.

A staple at North Georgia basketball games for many years, Faulkner's relationship with ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ Athletics is one of great generosity and dedication. Faulkner helped sustain the department's booster club in its infancy and was a founding member of the Annual Alumni Athletic Scholarship Golf Tournament.

Faulkner has also served the Dahlonega community in numerous ways for several decades with banking and university leadership. This includes Faulkner's tenure for several years as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ, where he currently serves as an elected voting trustee.

Stephanie Huffman Sebring '15, women's basketball

From 2011-2015, Huffman cemented herself as one of the best North Georgia women's basketball players in program history.

A 5-foot-9 guard, Huffman displayed an ability like none other to do it all on the floor. She finished her four-year career ranked second in NCAA-era program history in minutes played, free throws, rebounds, rebounds per game, assists, and assists per game. She also ranks top-six in her career games started, points, field goals, field goal percentage, and steals.

Huffman was a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American and the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in her senior season in 2015, averaging the program's fourth-most points per game in a single season at 20 points to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and a 1.72 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks second in program history. She also knocked down 209 free throws during the season, a program record.

Huffman's career also includes three PBC all-conference selections in consecutive seasons from 2013-15, a PBC all-tournament team nod in 2015 and an NCAA tournament round of 32 appearance in 2014.

Off the court, Huffman was a leader in the program as well, as she earned two College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District selections, a CoSIDA Academic All-American honor in 2015 and was named to the PBC all-academic team in three straight years.

Troy Snitker '11, baseball

Snitker is one of the most distinguished members of ÐÁÓÈÀïÅ®ÓÅ's alumni base and is still an active ambassador for North Georgia athletics today.

At NGCSU, Snitker shined for the Saints from 2009-2011. Playing for coach Tom Cantrell, Snitker was a member of three 34-win teams from 2009-2011 and won a combined 102 games during his three years with the program.

In 2011, Snitker had a career year, hitting .340 at the plate with 12 doubles, six home runs, 43 runs scored, and 44 RBIs. The senior posted a .466 on-base percentage and a .490 slugging percentage that year. He led NGCSU in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, on-base-plus-slugging, runs scored, RBI, home runs, total bases, and walks in 2011.

He concluded his collegiate career after compiling a .313 batting average with 23 doubles, 12 home runs and 84 RBIs.

After his graduation from North Georgia, Snitker was selected in the 19th round (596th overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. He played two seasons in the minor leagues with the Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations.
 
Upon the conclusion of Snitker's playing days, the North Georgia graduate returned to Dahlonega to rejoin his alma mater on the coaching staff as a graduate assistant for the 2015 season. Snitker was on the coaching staff for a North Georgia program that went 38-17 with a 22-8 record in the PBC. The program won its first-ever PBC regular-season championship despite being picked to finish 10th in the league prior to the start of the 2015 season. North Georgia went on to the NCAA regional tournament and finished as the runner-up, making its furthest run in the NCAA postseason at the time.

Snitker left North Georgia to begin a coaching career in the Major League. He began with the Houston Astros in 2016 and remains with the organization today as the hitting coach. Since 2019, when he was promoted to hitting coach, they have made three World Series appearances, winning it all in 2022.