Association NAIA Location Lakeland, Florida | Athletic director Drew Watson Football stadium Victory Field | |
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University Southeastern University Conference The Sun Conference
Mid-South Conference | ||
The Southeastern Fire are the athletic teams for Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in The Sun Conference, formerly known as the Florida Sun Conference (FSC). The Fire are associate members of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) after competing in both Division II and, more recently, Division I. In the spring of 2016, the Fire joined the Mid-South Conference for football. Southeastern University has won NCCAA Division II championships in all four men's sports and a NCCAA Division I championship in men's golf. In 2014, Senior Dwayne Johnson was named an NAIA All-American after leading the fire to the final four of the NAIA Division II basketball championship in Point Lookout, Missouri, while Junior Timothy Mitchell was named to the second team. Johnson signed a professional contract with the Liepajas Lauvas of Latvia, while senior Mitchell Wiggins Jr was one of seven players drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters. The university added women's softball, men's tennis, and men's & women's cross country in 2012. Southeastern currently competes in seven men's and seven women's sports, after the addition of football in the 2014-15 academic year. The addition of men's wrestling, the first collegiate program in the state, is planned for the 2015-16 academic year
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The team mascot was Maniac until 2014, when a new mascot, Scorch, was introduced along with the unveiling of the new football stadium.
Men's basketball
In 2014, the men's basketball team reached the final four of the 2014 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament, in which they defeated top seeded Cardinal Stritch behind a perfect shooting night from Jake Hodges. Point guard Dwayne Johnson was named to the all-America team. Center Timothy Mitchell was named to the all-tournament team, while reserve Mitchell Wiggins Jr. was selected to participate in the NAIA dunk contest and was drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters.
Men's golf
In 2007, the men's golf team won the NCCAA National Championship.
Men's Football
In 2015, in their second season, the football team won the Sun Conference Championship retroactively after Edward Waters was forced to forfeit a game. In 2016, the team was able to represent the conference in the NAIA national championship tournament after completing the season with an undefeated conference record. Running back Jarrell Reynolds was named the conference player of the year.
Men's soccer
In 2006, the men's soccer team won the NCCAA DII National Championship and coach Drew Stacey was named NCCAA coach of the year. In 2015, the men's soccer team won The Sun Conference championship. Freshman Jake van der Luit was named the tournament mvp.
Professional players
Several Fire players have continued their athletic careers professionally, including Dee Gordon who played shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers and second base for the Miami Marlins in Major League Baseball.
Many basketball players have gone on to play professionally, including Ali Hosni (2013), Jacob Blankenship (2012), Povilas Gaidys (2012), Amir Royal (2013), Malcolm Pollock (2013), Dwayne Johnson (2014), and Tim Mitchell (2015)
Justin Michel plays soccer for the Bonaire national football team. Gerritson Craane has played for the Curaçao national football team.