Shorter’s Journey from the NAIA to NCAA Division II
When the men’s track and field team at Shorter won the Peach Belt Conference championship on April 19, it marked a major first step for the university. The team has won its fair share of titles in the past few years, but this one was different. For the first time, following process that took more than three years, Shorter could call itself a champion of an NCAA conference.
Shorter is not an official NCAA member institution yet – that distinction is pending the NCAA’s final decision this summer, which several schools are awaiting. Once the current “provisional” status is removed from these schools, their teams will be allowed to compete in NCAA postseason events. But in Shorter’s case, because the track and field is a new sport in the Peach Belt Conference, the Hawks were allowed to compete for a conference championship this season. They took full advantage.