University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball coach Frank Reed thanked all of his players, coaches and everyone involved with the program for helping the team earn its fourth consecutive Southern Conference regular-season title.
But he saved his greatest thanks for last Monday night at the team's appreciation banquet.
Reed singled out Jeff Hurndon, father of UTC senior catcher Lynleigh Hurndon, for special praise for his work photographing the team throughout her four seasons.
A longtime Delta employee in the Atlanta area and a freelance photographer, Hurndon has attended all but two UTC softball games -- home and away -- the past four seasons while taking photos for media guides, the UTC Web site and posters at the stadium and in the team's hitting facility, and making gifts for UTC seniors each year.
"How do you repay someone like that?" Reed said. "I can't say enough about what he's meant to this program. You just look around and see all he's done for us."
Hurndon, who said that he has taken more than 50,000 photos of UTC softball players over the years, had hundreds of photos for the players to take home spread across a table in the Hall of Fame Room at McKenzie arena.
"It's not anything new because he's always been around," Lynleigh said of her dad's active role in her athletic career. "He's coached me, and when he couldn't coach me he was at every game.
"He's always been a part whether it was taking pictures or working on the field. Any time he could help, he did."
Reed took time to recognize every player on the team Monday night, including the team's five seniors: Hurndon, Tia Blosser, Brittany Eason, Kaiti Kelley and Brooke Loudermilk.
Loudermilk was further honored Monday by being named the Southern Conference pitcher of the week for her performance against College of Charleston over the weekend.
The evening of celebration was a moment of rest before the Lady Mocs get back to work today preparing to host the four-team conference tournament Thursday and Friday. As regular-season champion, UTC will take on No. 4 seed UNC Greensboro in the second game of the tournament at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
But Monday was a night to recognize what the Lady Mocs had accomplished already, especially the five seniors who have won the regular-season title in each of their four years at UTC.
The banquet concluded with the presentation of the Mayfield Award, which goes each year to the player "who best represents UTC and the city as an athlete, a student and a citizen" as selected by the players.
The award was presented this year to junior third baseman Tiffany Baker and junior reserve infielder Kristin Holloway, who tied in the voting.
Holloway, who has been used primarily as a pinch runner this season, said she was moved that her teammates thought enough of her to recognize her contribution to the team.
"It's touching. Really that's the only word," she said. "I know I'm not a starter, but I try to support the girls and be a good leader. I try to do what I can to represent UTC well. It's such an honor."