At Limestone College, the Athletics Department is another area that develops students’ minds, bodies, and spirits. The Saints athletics program offers students more than just the opportunity to win. The program’s flexibility, coupled with Limestone’s smaller student body, offers the student-athletes unparalleled opportunities to participate in team sports. In fact, many students play two sports.
Like the College itself, the Saints athletics program has a rich history and has experienced much success. Until 1997, Limestone competed for championships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Limestone gained membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division II in 1991 and began competing for NCAA championships when it joined the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference in 1998. Today, 15 of Limestone’s athletic teams compete in the Conference Carolinas, while both swimming teams are affiliated with the Bluegrass Mountain Conference and wrestling competes as an independent.
Limestone helped pave the way for collegiate lacrosse and swimming in the South. The Saints fielded South Carolina’s first collegiate lacrosse team in 1990. The swimming teams are the only NCAA Division II swimming programs in South Carolina and among the few in the two Carolinas.

Over the years, the Saints baseball, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball, men’s soccer, and men’s and women’s tennis teams have all been ranked on the national level. Twelve student-athletes have gone on to play professionally in their sport, with seven of those signing professional baseball contracts. The Saints baseball program was started by two-time Cy Young winner Gaylord Perry, a member of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Additionally, 100 Saints athletes have earned All-American honors and 19 have been named Academic All-Americans.

The Saints have continued to improve each year. In 2006, the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams earned trips to the NCAA Division II semifinals and won conference tournament titles. The Saints and Lady Saints tennis teams earned their first national rankings in school history, and the cross country teams made their first appearances at the NCAA regional in the fall.

In the fall of 2006, the volleyball squad shared the regular season CVAC championship with an 18-2 record. The men’s soccer team won the conference tournament championship and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA national tournament.

Limestone’s winter sports also experienced success in 2006-07. The men’s basketball team posted its first 20-win season since joining NCAA Division II and advanced to the semifinals of the CVAC tournament for the third straight year. Saint heavyweight Trey Moss became the third wrestler in the history of Limestone’s program to advance to the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships. Donna Wickham also earned a trip to the NCAA Swimming Championship, where she earned Honorable Mention All-American honors following her 10th-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke, the first swimmer in school history to earn All-American honors. The Lady Saints lacrosse team won the conference regular season title for the fourth year in a row. The men’s lacrosse team won its ninth straight conference tournament title and earned its eighth straight trip to the NCAA tournament.