STATESBORO – It was a night of stories, memories, thank yous and laughter as seven new members were inducted into the Georgia Southern Athletics Hall of Fame Friday night at the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center as the Class of 2022 was bestowed upon it the highest honor in the department.
The 2022 class of inductees includes:
- Taz Dixon, an All-American football player who left Georgia Southern holding six school records; and
- Alex Mash, a two-time All-American football player who was the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year in 1993; and
- The Nelson Family, who have donated millions of dollars to multiple athletics projects; and
- Elizabeth Nieto-Searl, the most decorated player in Georgia Southern women's tennis history who won six Southern Conference titles; and
- Mike Shepherd, a three-time first-team all-conference selection in baseball who is still among the all-time leaders in program history; and
- Kate Van Dyke, the only player in Southern Conference volleyball history to earn first-team all-league honors all four years and was named the league's Player of the Year in 2012; and
- David Young, a two-time All-American who helped Georgia Southern to four Southern Conference Championships and two NCAA Division I-AA National Championships.