COLUMBIA, S.C. - Over 200 people filled the Moore Fitness this past Saturday evening to celebrate a decade of athletic excellence at Columbia International University (CIU). The event was the first-ever CIU Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet as the Rams instituted the CIU Athletics Hall of Fame, inducted their first Hall of Fame honoree, and honored the 2012 men's soccer team and cross country teams. 

"The evening was about reflecting on what God has done through athletics on this campus over the past ten years," said Associate Director of Athletics Kim Abbott. 

Abbott, who started CIU athletics as the first Athletic Director in 2012, shared many of those reflections alongside former CIU President and current CIU Chancellor Bill Jones throughout the evening. 

"I have certainly seen a lot of changes over the last decade," Abbott recalled. "We went from about 40 athletes and three teams in year one to currently having over 350 athletes and 13 varsity teams."

Despite this rapid growth, both Jones and Abbott emphasized that the mission of CIU athletics has remained the same.

"Using sports as a platform not only for our coaches to impact our student-athletes but for our student-athletes themselves, to impact their communities, opponents, and families has been our goal from the beginning," said Abbott. "Sports are a fantastic tool for young people to be shaped and molded daily in their walk with Christ, and I am grateful for our two former Presidents, Dr. Bill Jones, and Dr. George Murray, for being able to recognize that and get athletics started here at CIU." 

The room was filled with former CIU athletes and alums who had taken seriously the call to use athletics as means of sharing the gospel. 

One of those alumni, former CIU men's soccer player Daniel Mallard, stood out among the rest and was chosen by the CIU Athletics Hall of Fame committee as the first-ever inductee into the newly established Hall of Fame. 

Mallard scored the first ever goal in CIU men's soccer history on Aug. 25, 2012, in a 1-0 win over Toccoa Falls (Ga.). The goal would be just the beginning of a decorated career as Mallard is still the all-time leading scorer in program history with 39 career goals and 93 points. 
 

Mallard shared a moving testimony (watch here) on the night of the banquet and dedicated his award to his mom, his dad, his teammates, and former CIU men's soccer player Stanford Karnwie who passed away several years ago. 

Mallard continues to use sports as a way to reach others serving as the camp director for faith-based professional soccer team the Chicago Eagles and as the Athletic Director at Clapham Christian Classical School in Wheaton, Ill. 

On top of the Hall of Fame induction, the inaugural men's soccer team and the inaugural cross country teams were recognized. Former cross country coach and the longest-tenured coach in CIU history, Jud Brooker, returned to reflect on his time starting and building the cross country program, while the former athletic director and men's soccer coach James Whitaker did the same. 
 

The evening was also used to look forward to the future of CIU Athletics and where the department is headed. 

"We have a great foundation to build off of," remarked current Director of Athletics Darren Richie. "I am incredibly excited for what the future holds for CIU Athletics and the lives this athletic department will change over the decades to come."