Hall of Fame
Francis Marion University athletic officials have announced that former Patriot athletic coach Tom C. Davidson and former women's tennis players Mary Hirst and Lee Whitwell, both two-time national champions,will be the newest inductees into the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame on Feb. 16, 2002.
Although separated by one year in school, Hirst and Whitwell became synonymous with each other, as they teamed on the tennis court to win back-to-back NCAA Division II women's doubles national championships in 1993 and 1994. The first year, they entered the national tournament as unknowns, and the following year as unlikely repeat champions. It was only the third time in Division II history a doubles team had successfully defended its title. The individual singles and doubles championships were discontinued in 1995, thus not allowing the duo a chance to "three-peat."
Whitwell, a native of Gibraltar, earned a B.A. degree in English and Spanish in December 1996. She is currently the assistant women's tennis coach at Alliant International University (formerly United States International University) in San Diego.
In addition to lettering for four years (1993-96) on the FMU women's tennis team, she also played on the 1993 and 1995 Patriot volleyball teams. On the tennis court, she was a three-time All-American. She was an All-Peach Belt Conference selection three times, and was named the Peach Belt's "Player of the Year" for women's tennis in 1993 as a freshman. She was named the FMU team MVP in 1993, 1995, and 1996.
Her four-year record in singles competition was 67-24 and 63-20 in doubles. She helped guide Francis Marion to a four-year mark of 50-29 and two NCAA national tournament appearances.
As a senior, she compiled a 13-6 singles record (No. 11 national ranking) and a 13-5 doubles mark (No. 20) leading FMU to a school-record 14 wins (six defeats), a spot in the Division II South Region championship match, and a final national team ranking of No. 13.
As a freshman with an 18-2 singles record, she also played in the NCAA Division II singles championships in Industry, Calif.
Whitwell and Hirst also teamed to place second at the 1994 fall Rolex National Small College Championships, and sixth at the 1993 fall ITA/Rolex NCAA Division II National Tournament, both held in Edmond, Okla.
