MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia College & State University Director of Athletics Wendell Staton has announced that softball's Abi (Leroy) Cannada '16, men's basketball's Aaron Clark '08 and men's golf's Billy Shida '11 will make up the Class of 2026 when they are inducted into the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame later this fall.

The Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2006 to recognize those outstanding individuals who have distinguished themselves with excellence in the University's athletics program as a student-athlete, coach/administrator, outstanding service, or some combination thereof. The trio will be the 45th, 46th and 47th inductees into the Hall of Fame.

The ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 16 on the college's East Campus at Lake Laurel. Tickets for the event are $40 per person and can be purchased here. The dress is cocktail casual with a buffet dinner being served.

"Congratulations to three truly outstanding new members of the GCSU Hall of Fame," said Staton. "Their accomplishments during their time on campus were defined by remarkable consistency, excellence, and leadership. More than a decade later, their impact can still be seen throughout the GCSU record books, where they continue to rank among the best across numerous categories.

"Each of these exceptional student-athletes played a vital leadership role during some of the most successful seasons in GCSU history, competing at the highest levels for conference, regional, and national championships," added Staton. "Their accomplishments on the field, court, and course were extraordinary, but their legacy extends far beyond their athletic achievements.

"Just as they did as student-athletes, they continue to demonstrate their love for Georgia College & State University and represent GCSU with tremendous pride and excellence as outstanding alumni," said Staton. "We are proud of all they accomplished, grateful for the lasting impact they have made on our athletic program, and excited to welcome them back to campus as the newest members of the GCSU Hall of Fame. This honor is a fitting recognition of their remarkable careers and enduring legacy."

Cannada, who was a utility player - playing both in the infield and the outfield - for the Bobcats from 2013-16, was named to the All-Peach Belt Conference team each season, becoming one of 22 softball players to be named to the All-PBC team all four seasons. She played and started in 212 games with a .341 batting average (226-of-663), 173 runs scored, 57 doubles, 15 triples, 12 home runs and 170 RBI. She drew 96 walks and stole 49 bases to go along with a .526 slugging percentage and .437 on-base percentage. She was named to an all-region team three times.

She is ranked No. 1 in the GCSU record book in RBI, total bases (349), at-bats (663) and doubles, while being ranked No. 2 in hits (226), runs and triples, and third in walks, sixth in stolen bases, and ninth in slugging percentage. She is also listed fourth in the PBC record books in doubles.

Cannada helped led the Bobcats to school record 159 victories over her four seasons and to four consecutive appearances to the NCAA Division II softball regionals - only the second time that GCSU had made regionals in four straight seasons.

Cannada graduated with her degree in community health.

Clark, who was a center for the Bobcats from 2004-08, was named to the All-Peach Belt team as a junior and a senior.  Clark, who was named to the all-region team in 2007-08, was named the Peach Belt's Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2008.

Clark played in 117 games, shooting .501 (575-of-1,147) from the floor, .393 (24-of-61) from three-point range and .567 (293-of-516) from the free throw line. He scored 1,467 points (12.5 ppg) in his career to go along with 847 rebounds (7.2 rpg), 227 assists (1.9 apg), 126 blocked shots (1.1 bpg) and 119 steals (1.0 spg). Clark recorded one of the 13 triple-doubles in PBC history when he scored 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Columbus State University Feb. 7, 2007.

Clark is third in the GCSU record book in rebounds and blocked shots, fourth in games played and double figure games (75), fifth in field goals (575), sixth in scoring, seventh in free throws (293) and 10th in steals. He is eighth all-time in the Peach Belt in rebounds.

Clark earned his degree in marketing.

Shida, was a four-year standout from 2007-11, was twice named to the All-Peach Belt and all-region teams and was named the Peach Belt Player of the Year in 2011. In that same season, Shida was named to the Division II PING All-America team. He also earned the inaugural recipient in 2010 of the David Toms Award, an honor created by the Golf Coaches Association of America and the David Toms Foundation to a men's collegiate golfer who had overcome adversity to achieve collegiate excellence.

He averaged 73.64 strokes in 120 career rounds as a Bobcat, third lowest in program history. Shida, who had a low round of 66, recorded 11 top-10 finishes with one tournament win (Matlock Collegiate Classic).His score counted in 82 percent of the rounds that GCSU played and one-third of his rounds were par or better.

Shida earned his degree in accounting.

About GCSU Athletics
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 13 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life."