Flagler Saints facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Flagler Saints
University	Flagler College
Conference	Peach Belt (primary)
NCAA	Division II
Athletic director	Jud Damon
Location	St. Augustine, Florida
First season	1973
Varsity teams	20
Basketball arena	Flagler Gymnasium
Baseball stadium	Drysdale Field
Softball stadium	Flagler Field
Soccer stadium	Saints Field
Lacrosse stadium	Flagler Lacrosse Field
Tennis courts	Flagler Tennis Center
Nickname	Saints
Colors	Crimson and Gold

The Flagler Saints are the sports teams that represent Flagler College. This college is located in St. Augustine, Florida. The Saints compete in college sports at the Division II level. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) oversees these competitions. Since the 2009–10 school year, Flagler has mainly competed in the Peach Belt Conference.

Flagler College has twenty different sports teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and track and field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The college also has a cheerleading team.

The Story of Flagler Saints Sports

Flagler College was started in 1968. Its sports teams began playing in the 1973–74 school year. The first sports offered at Flagler were men's and women's basketball, men's cross country, men's soccer, slow-pitch softball, men's and women's tennis, volleyball, and baseball.

Joining Athletic Conferences

In 1977, Flagler's sports programs joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). In 1990, they became founding members of the Florida Sun Conference. This conference is now known as The Sun Conference.

On February 14, 2006, Flagler announced a big change. They would officially move to NCAA Division II. Then, on July 1, 2009, they announced they were joining the Peach Belt Conference.

Flagler Saints Sports Teams

Flagler has 19 different varsity sports teams. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and indoor track & field. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, and volleyball. There are also two spirit teams: cheerleading and a pep band.

Women's Tennis Achievements

The Flagler women's tennis team has won five national titles in the NAIA. They won in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991. They also finished as national runners-up in 1992.

Women's Volleyball Achievements

The volleyball team has been very successful in the Peach Belt Conference. They won the regular conference title five times (2009–11 and 2016–17). They also won the conference tournament six times (2009–11 and 2015–17).

Flagler volleyball has reached the NCAA Regional Tournament seven times. These appearances were in 2009–12 and 2015–17. They won the Southeast Regional title in 2009, 2011, and 2017. The 2011 team made it to the Elite 8. The 2009 and 2017 teams even reached the Final 4. Taylor Mott, their coach, won the Coach of the Year Award in the Peach Belt Conference three times (2009–11).

Men's Tennis Achievements

The men's tennis team won the NAIA national title in 1977 and 1986. They were the national runner-up in 1985.

In 2020, the men's tennis team reached the NCAA Division II Final Four. They lost to Barry University in that tournament.

Men's Basketball Achievements

The men's basketball team played in the NAIA national tournament three times. These were in 2003, 2004, and 2005. They made it to the second round in their last two trips. The Saints were ranked in the NAIA Top 25 almost every year from 1995 to 2006.

More recently, in 2020 and 2021, the men's basketball team made it to the NCAA Division II basketball tournament. In 2020, they reached the Final Four after winning their conference championship. In 2021, they made it to the Elite 8. They lost to the Augusta Jags in the Peach Belt Conference championship that year.

National Championships Won

Team Championships

Famous Former Athletes

Some athletes who played for Flagler College have gone on to achieve success.

Men's Soccer Players

• Joseph Toby
• Marco Warren

Women's Soccer Players

• Andrea Fernández

Sports Facilities

Flagler College has great facilities for its sports teams.

Flagler Gymnasium

Since 1976, the Flagler Gymnasium has been the home for men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball. The gym can hold 1,750 people. Over the last ten years, Flagler Gym has been updated many times. It has a weight room with modern equipment. In 1998, a new maple wood floor was put in. This floor was refreshed in 2006 and features the new athletics logo.

The locker rooms were rebuilt in 2005. The men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams each have their own locker rooms. There is also a locker room for visiting teams. New offices for four coaches and a training room for athletes were also built.

Drysdale Field

Drysdale Field is the baseball field. It was named on April 12, 2011, before a game. The field is named after Walter Irvine Drysdale (1905–1993). He was from St. Augustine. People called him "Driz." He was a great athlete in high school. He played freshman football at the University of Florida. He also gave tennis lessons and was a champion golfer. He played as a catcher for the St. Augustine Saints professional baseball team.