2002: A Season of Excellence

During the 2002 fall semester, Trinity Athletics reached new heights as a department. For the first time ever, an NCAA institution in any division placed four teams all in the national semifinals during the same semester.  This amazing accomplishment was provided by the four Tiger teams of volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, and football.

Volleyball Recap:  Coming off an undefeated Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship season (18-0) Coach Julie Jenkins led her team to a third place finish nationally.  The volleyball team led by the SCAC Player of the Year senior Ashley Farrimond and senior Desiree Pratt Gosselink both played dominating roles during the 38-5 season. Both players would later be inducted together into the 2015 Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame.

Women’s Soccer Recap: Coach Greg Ashton led his team to an overall record of 21-2-0 during the 2002 fall semester as well as a trip to the NCAA semifinals. The lady Tigers lost a heartbreaker to eventual Division III national champions Messiah College 1-0 on penalty kicks. Erica Adelstein earned SCAC Player of the Year as the Tigers again won the conference championship.  As a team, Trinity averaged more than four goals per game while allowing less than one goal (.35) during their amazing season.

Trinity Football was one of four Tiger teams that went to the national semifinals in the same semester.

Men’s Soccer Recap: SCAC Player of the Year and All American senior Josh Card led the Tigers to one of their most successful seasons during Coach Paul McGinlay’s tenure. The men’s soccer team recorded an overall record of 20-1-2 during the 2002 fall semester while advancing all the way to the Final Four. The SCAC champion Tigers earned a No. 1 national ranking during their 16-0-2 regular season, which was a first for this program, and carried that ranking into the playoffs. The team won four more games before falling to eventual national champion Otterbein College 3-1 during the semifinals.

Football Recap: Riding the wave of an undefeated regular season (10-0), the Trinity Tigers advanced all the way to their first ever national championship contest at the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Va. With All American and SCAC Offensive Player of the Year senior Roy Hampton at the helm, Trinity’s offense ranked No. 1 nationally in both total offense (530 yds/game) as well as points per contest (48.6).  Coach Steve Mohr, who was inducted into Trinity Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, guided the Tigers to a school-record 14 wins, finishing only with the one loss to Mt. Union College as the Tigers finished as national runners-up.

Guest authored by Steve Mohr, former head football coach for the Trinity Tigers from 1990-2013.