NAIA National Championship History
1983
The Belhaven University Athletic Department picked up its first Team National Championship in 1983 when legendary and Hall of Fame Coach Charles Rugg led a group of young men to the Men's NAIA National Championship after finishes of 10th, 6th and 3rd in the three previous seasons. The 1983 Blazers squad included: Thomas Ljung, Martin Dyotte, Eric Bonneau, Robert Chagnon, Steven Bonneau, Roger Lavalee, and Stephan Brissman.
In the historic championship tournament format, where teams earned points based on how far singles and doubles pairings reached in the National Tournament bracket, Belhaven, who finished with 33 points, edged Lander (S.C.) University by one point to claim the programs first team National Championship. The Championship run was capped off by a max points earning from pairing Stephan Bonneau and Martin Dyotte, who claimed the outright doubles National Championship for the 1983 season.Â
The Charles Rugg led Blazers finished the regular season with a 17-2 record, including a final regular season ranking of third in the NAIA. The team also had a great season in tournament play. The Blazers finished first in the Millsaps Indoor Tournament, second in the prestigious Southern Miss Big Gold Tournament, and first in the Southern Miss Invitational. The Blazers also won the Mississippi Intercollegiate Tournament and the NAIA District 30 Regional Tournament, setting up their strong postseason run at the National Championships.
NAIA Singles Champions
1978
Francois Synaeghel
1985
Martin Dyotte
1988
Keith Evans
NAIA Doubles Champions
1983
Stephen Bonneau/Martin Dyotte
