Cumberlands announces Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame inductees for 2022

The Department of Athletics in conjunction with the Alumni Association at University of the Cumberlands recently announced its newest Cumberlands alumni to be inducted into the university’s Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame.

Inductees include Weston Hazelhurst, class of 2014, for football; Caleb Kirby, class of 2015, for archery; Elizabeth Stephens, class of 2014, for women’s golf; and Shawn Picou, class of 2007, for men’s soccer.

The alumni athletes will be officially inducted at a ceremony held on Cumberlands’ Williamsburg campus at the university’s annual Homecoming weekend. The ceremony will be held in the Kohn Theatre inside the Grace Crum Rollins Center on Friday, September 30th, beginning at 6 p.m. To register for Homecoming or for more details about the many events happening during Homecoming weekend, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/alumni/homecoming.

Weston Hazelhurst was a standout linebacker for the Patriots. He is a two-time NAIA All-American, a two-time BSN All-American, and a four-time Mid-South Conference (MSC) All-Conference selection earning First Team honors in 2012 and 2013.  Hazelhurst finished his four-year career with 397 tackles, 21 sacks, and 63.5 tackles for loss.  He graduated Cumberlands as the program’s all-time leader in tackles and tackles for loss in a career while ranking second in career sacks.  Hazelhurst’s best season came in 2013 when he recorded 131 tackles, which ranks third all-time at the university. He also ranked first and second in tackles for loss in a season in 2014, notching 18.0 as a senior. His performance as a junior earned him MSC Defensive Player of the Year honors, and he anchored the Patriots defense that advanced to the national title game in 2013.  Hazelhurst also earned MSC Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2010 as a freshman. He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Caleb Kirby is arguably one of the most decorated men’s archers to ever come through the Patriots archery program. A 15-time national podium finisher, Kirby tallied 11 national titles, four national runner-up finishes, and a pair of bronze medals. Kirby notched three individual national titles, which is tied for the most in program history, while his five individual podium finishes rank second most in the program. Kirby, who competed in the bowhunter division, was the first Patriot archer to win an individual 3D national title and the first to successfully defend that title in 2014 and 2015. He captured his third gold medal at the 2016 Outdoor National Championships. Kirby added a pair of individual national runner-up finishes during the 2014 and 2016 indoor championships.  In addition to his individual success, Kirby was key for the Patriots in the team round, recording six gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals. During his junior and senior seasons, Kirby went a perfect 6-6 in national titles as part of team rounds.  He still holds five scores that rank in the top five in program history. Kirby graduated from Cumberlands in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and later completed his Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Coaching at Cumberlands.

Elizabeth Stephens was one of the most decorated golfers to come through the program. Over her three years at Cumberlands, Stephens was a three-time NAIA All-American, two-time MSC Player of the Year, and three-time MSC All-Conference selection. She closed out her career with 21 All-Tournament teams and her eight medalist honors rank second in program history.  Stephens was named the MSC Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2013, making her the first golfer in conference history to earn the award in consecutive seasons. In her first season with the Patriots, Stephens won three tournaments, including the MSC Spring Invite and the MSC Tournament Championships.  She followed that up with a trio of wins during the 2012-13 season and capped off her career with two medalist honors as a senior. Stephens helped the Patriots set program records for most wins in a season with nine, and the lowest 18-hole and 36-hole team rounds.  She played 80 rounds, averaging 78.18 per round.  Stephens graduated from Cumberlands in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on creative writing.

Shawn Picou is one of the most decorated men’s soccer players in the program’s history. He is the program’s lone three-time NAIA All-American honorable mention, was a four-time MSC All-Conference selection, and a three-time NAIA All-Region XI Team honoree. Over his 80-game career, Picou, a forward, netted 67 goals and 159 career points; both marks still stand as the most in program history.  As a freshman, Picou tallied 11 goals and five assists while notching 14 goals and 11 assists in his sophomore season. He netted a season-best 21 goals in consecutive seasons, which is a single season record. His 48 points during the 2005 season is also a program record.  Picou led the Patriots and became the second Cumberlands player ever to earn MSC Player of the Year honors. Over his four years with the Patriots, Picou led the team to a 53-20-7 record with three NAIA Region XI appearances. Picou graduated from Cumberlands in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

These alumni student-athletes will be inducted into Cumberlands’ Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, September 30th, during the university’s Homecoming weekend. To register for Homecoming, visit www.ucumberlands.edu/alumni/homecoming.

To catch up on Cumberlands’ current athletic programs or to read more about the Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame, visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com.