For the last three years, South Alabama soccer has been a dominant force in the Sun Belt Conference.
The Jaguars have won the last two league titles and the last three conference tournament titles, making South Alabama only the second team in league history to win three or more consecutive tournament titles.
Head coach Graham Winkworth transformed the program nearly overnight when he took over in 2013. The year before, South Alabama finished seventh in the Sun Belt Conference after an 8-10-3 season.
Success doesn't come without hard work, and no one knows that better than the seniors who have grown with the program. These four players — Sarah Hay, Emily Farrell, Monique Autmon and Nikki Shirtcliffe — have been with the program since its historic turnaround began, or even before.
"From someone who has seen our program from the bottom of the Sun Belt Conference to the standard of success that we hold now, not just for the conference but in the country, people expect a lot out of us," fifth-year senior Sarah Hay said. "It's been a really unique experience. It's been cool to watch this program and the level of play grow. I'm very lucky to be a part of it."
The beginning of the rebuild was not an easy task. Farrell, Autmon and Shirtcliffe all came in as freshmen in 2013 while Hay redshirted the season prior.
Hay, a native of Waxahatchie, Texas, said that first season under Winkworth helped shape her as a player, and that it was one of the most challenging times in her career.
"The spring of my freshman year when he came is something I will never ever, ever forget," Hay said. "It was mentally and physically pushing your buttons all the time. That's when we had over thirty people on the team, (which was) way too big. He wanted to really figure out who wanted to be a part of this program.
"His job was to make sure that we had the people who were dedicated. I mean, it was 6 a.m. every day, running and lifting every day. I don't think mentally or physically I'll ever go through anything like that again."
Coming in as freshmen, the other three agreed that that preseason was difficult, but it was a time that they grew the most in their sport and in their relationships with each other.
"When we came, it was something I had never experienced before," Shirtcliffe, a Burnley, England product, said. "There were a lot of adversities for us coming in."
Those hardships created a strong bond between the newcomers.
"That's why we became so close," Ocean Springs, Miss. native Autmon said. "By the second or third day I was on the ground in my dorm crying for my mom to come get me. I was rooming with Nikki and we hadn't even spoken yet and I'm on the ground hysterically crying.
"She came in and checked on me. She's from across the world and she's trying to help me while I'm on the floor crying, telling me it'll be okay. Those are moments you don't forget."
Those bonds not only became stronger as time went on, they became actions and accountability among the Jaguar teammates. Farrell, a Burnley, England native, said that was one of the reasons why the program was special; it wasn't just hard work and talent, it was chemistry shared by teammates working towards the same goal.
"We would would get each other out of bed, I mean like silly little things just to get each other through," she said. "We would drag you out of bed because we had each other's back. It made our first two years special, the bond that we had.
"We really came together because we've been through so much. It's not just about where we've been, it's about what we have been through behind closed doors as well. It's the tough things that people don't see - the running, the spring workouts where our hands were all bleeding together."
As seniors, the four look to end on the same note they've reached for three years, but they said there are still challenges to overcome.
The Jaguars took their first conference losses since 2013 this year with a loss against Troy, breaking a 33-conference win streak, and Louisiana-Lafayette.
"Our losses should be a wake up call to the team and that we don't want it to be a continuous thing," Farrell said. "It's the losses that that make you come together as a team. Sometimes when you win, you forget what it's like to lose."
"Losses are like a blessing in disguise," Shirtcliffe said. "Sometimes you get complacent. Now that we're held to a higher standard, people are going to play their hardest against us and beating us is big to them. We have to remember where we started and we have to readjust our mindset."
South Alabama bounced back with a win over league leader Coastal Carolina in the home finale and is currently 11-4-1 and 6-2 in conference play. The Jaguars dominated in a 4-1 victory and with two more wins, can claim their third straight league crown.
The seniors will make their final postseason appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Foley, Ala. Nov. 2-6, for one last run for their fourth tournament title in as many years.
After their final season, no matter if they leave with a fourth ring or not, the biggest take away are the friendships they have made along the way,
"You will never forget the nights you had with your team," Autmon said. "The celebrations, the highs and lows, those are the moments you never forget. The lifelong friendships are something we'll always have and the moments we all shared together are what we'll tell our kids about."
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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