(Interesting Notes about Patriot athletics)

Former Francis Marion University men’s soccer assistant coach John Garvilla was featured in a short article in the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated magazine (July 26). Garvilla was included in a piece entitled “Women’s World Cup Fallout: Foreign Exchange” in the Inside Soccer section on page 72. Garvilla is entering his third year as men’s and women’s soccer coach at Milligan College in Tennessee, and recently learned that two members of the Nigerian women’s World Cup soccer team, Mercy Akide and Florence Omagbemi, will attend Milligan this fall and will join the Lady Buffs soccer team. Garvilla served as an assistant coach at Francis Marion under head coach Tom Davidson during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.

Former Francis Marion University head volleyball and softball coach Shelia Moorman went on to become the winningest women’s basketball coach in the history of James Madison University.   In four seasons at Francis Marion (1978-82), Moorman coached the Lady Patriot volleyball team to a 108-52 record, including a 41-10 mark in 1981. She helped establish the softball program, leading the first three Francis Marion squads to a 62-19 mark, including trips to the 1980 and 1981 AIAW Division II World Series. She also served as an assistant basketball coach under Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell. She left Florence to take the head basketball position at JMU, where in 15 seasons she led the Dukes to a 302-134 mark. She guided JMU to six trips to the NCAA Division I Tournament, four times advancing to the “Sweet Sixteen.” She retired from coaching in 1997, and is currently the facilities and events coordinator for JMU athletics.

Former Francis Marion University women’s basketball players, twins Annette and Jeannette Alston, are in the coaching business. Annette is entering her second year as the men’s and women’s cross country head coach and women’s basketball assistant coach at the University of North Alabama in Florence, Ala. Jeannette is starting her sixth season as head women’s basketball coach at Chowan College in Murfreesboro, N.C. In 1997-98, she led Chowan to its first winning season (14-11) as a four-year institution. The Alstons, who were both members of the Patriots’ 1986 NAIA national championship squad, are natives of Murrells Inlet, and both appeared in Sports Illustrated during the fall of 1982. At Francis Marion, Jeannette earned All-American cage honors as a junior (honorable mention) and senior (second team), and became the first Patriot athlete to earn All-America recognition in two sports, when she was named an honorable mention All-American volleyball player in 1985.