Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Markell Lotharp

Basketball player Markell Lotharp earned All-American honors in 2012 as a member of the first team in the Flyers' era of athletics at Sandhills Community College to win a national championship.

The 6-foot-6 forward is a product of Forest Hills High School in Marshville. In his first season at Sandhills he helped Head Coach Aaron Denton's team compile a record of 24-7.

As a sophomore, Lotharp led the title team in scoring (15.9 points per game) and in rebounds (6.7). The Flyers finished with a record of 30-6 in Mike Apple's first season as head coach, including a 101-86 victory over Cedar Valley (TX) in the championship game.

He was also honored that season by being selected to play in the NJCAA All-Star game held in Las Vegas. In early March he had been recognized as the NJCAA National Player of the Week.

Lotharp was the recipient of the 2012 Louis M. Brown, Sr. Award for Excellence in Athletics presented annually to the outstanding student/athlete at Sandhills. 

After Sandhills, Lotharp was a member of the basketball team at Johnson C. Smith University for two years before earning a Bachelors Degree in Sports Management. He is currently employed by The Boys and Girls Club of Sandhills as Teen Services Director.

C. Bergmann