ROCK HILL, S.C. – Former Anderson University cross country and track standout Whitney Bishoff is among six members that will be inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame, as announced by the conference office, Wednesday afternoon.
Bishoff, who was inducted into the AU Athletics Hall of Fame last October, becomes the first Trojan student-athlete to earn the honor since Anderson became eligible for the distinction a year ago – after joining the league for the 2010-11 seasons.
"I am honored and humbled to represent Anderson University in the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame," said Bishoff. "Much of the credit for this award goes to my family, as well as my coaches and teammates at Anderson who supported and encouraged me along the way. My time at Anderson as a student-athlete will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to re-living those memories at the induction ceremony in May."
A native of Winder, Ga., Bishoff's collegiate career spanned two years in Conference Carolinas and two years in the South Atlantic Conference and she wasted no time in making an impact on both the regional and national levels. She was named Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year in 2008 and was named Conference Runner of the Year on three occasions, while earning First-Team All-Conference honors during each of her four seasons and was an All-American in cross country in 2009.
She was named the AU Female Athlete of the Year in both 2011 and 2012 and remains one of only six student-athletes to claim the honor twice during their career, with three of those athletes being honored last fall.
Bishoff built her stellar resume with impressive outings in both cross country and track & field during her career, including earning the prestigious NCAA Elite 89 Award for the second time at the 2011 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships, while making her third career appearance in the championships. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 89 championships.
She was a 12-time conference runner of the week and paced the Trojan cross country squad on 18 consecutive occasions, while posting 12 of the top 15 times in school history in the 5k.
As a member of the AU track & field team, she set the school record in the 5K and was a member of the school record-setting 4x800 relay team. Bishoff was a First-Team Academic All-America honoree and finished 16th in the 10,000m at the 2011 NCAA National Outdoor Track and Field Championships. At one time she held the indoor school record for the 3,000 meters (10:06.07) and still owns the outdoor school record in the 1,500m (4:33.03), 5,000m (16:53.04) and the 10,000m (35:37.97).
Bishoff was just as successful in the classroom – being named the SAC Scholar-Athlete for Cross Country and was twice named to the NCAA DII Individual All-Academic Team. She is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honorary Society and her dedication and work ethic also led to her being named as the 2012 NCAA Post-Graduate Award Winner.
The conference office also announced that Carson-Newman alum Joe Fishback, Wingate alumna Stormi Gale, Lenoir-Rhyne alumna Kate Griewisch Ryan, and former Tusculum baseball coach Doug Jones will receive honors, along with awarding the Conference's Distinguished Alumni Award to Mars Hill alum Mike Kelly.
"Congratulations to these six exceptional individuals on being selected to the Hall of Fame," said SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz. "These men and women epitomize the academic and athletic excellence the SAC is known for and their successes while student-athletes and after graduation further exemplify that. We look forward to celebrating their numerous accomplishments on May 22."
The 2023 South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame Banquet will take place as a part of the Conference's Spring Meetings in Greenville, S.C. on May 22.
