9 minute read
Hall of Fame
Leanna Neuner | WOMEN'S SOCCER
NEUNER WAS VOTED to be inducted with the 2018 Concord Hall of Fame Class, but was unable to attend the ceremony last fall. NeunerisoneoftwoplayerstobenamedWVIACPlayerofthe Yearinwomen’ssoccerprogramhistoryasshesharedthehonor withteammateand2017HallofFamerMeganDaviesin2006. During her player of the year season, Neuner was also named to theDaktronicsAll-RegionSecondTeamasshetallied20goals and 44 points. In program history, Neuner ranks second in goals scored with 45 and her 99 career points are third all-time.
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MT. LION NEWS
Former Basketball Standouts Sign Pro Contracts Early August was a busy time for Mountain Lion men’s basketball as Terry Hopewell and Tommy Bolte signed professional contracts to play internationally.
Hopewell Inks Contract with France’s Laval US A former CU forward, Hopewell (2013-16) landed a contract with Laval US of the NM2 in France. Hopewell spent last season playing for CE Bisbal Basquet in Spain. The Columbus, Ohio native also spent time in Uruguay playing professionally for Cordon after completing his eligibility at Concord at the conclusion of the 2016 season. Hopewell was a member of Concord’s 2016 Mountain East Conference and NCAA Tournament-bound team where he averaged 12.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game for the 22-10 Mountain Lions. For his career, he averaged 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds. Additionally, Hopewell finished his career at Concord, fifth in blocks (96), sixth in field goal percentage (56.9) and 11th in rebounds (701). During his senior season, Hopewell was named All-MEC Honorable Mention and was selected to the All-MEC Tournament Team after averaging 18.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in CU’s three wins en route to the MEC Championship.
Bolte Signs with Spain’s Real Murcia Bolte, a former Mountain Lion guard, signed with Real Murcia of Spain’s third division (LEB Plata). Over his career at CU, Bolte was one of six players in program history to go over 2,000 career points, and was the only player in the history of the program to notch career marks of 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists. At Concord Bolte was a two-time All-American, earning first team distinction from the Conference Commissioner's Association (CCA) as a junior. During his junior season, Bolte led all of Division II in scoring with 31.8 points per game.
The Chillicothe, Ohio native was a part of 70 wins in his time in the Maroon and Gray including a 2016 Mountain East Conference Championship as well as back-to-back appearances in the MEC Tournament Semifinals in 2018 and 2019.
The season for Real Murcia began in September.
Therese Podgorski | VOLLEYBALL
AS THE ONLY PLAYER IN PROGRAM HISTORY to record 400 or more kills in a single season, Podgorski accomplished the feat twice as she notched 434 and 432 in 1999 and 2001 as the latter campaign ended inaselectiontotheAll-WVIACFirstTeam. Overall,Podgorskifinishedhercareerasthe all-time leader in kills at Concord with 1,470 and is 10th in all-time hitting percentage at .184. Her 84 solo blocks rank eighth in programhistory.Podgorskiwillbethefirst volleyball player inducted into the Concord HallofFamesinceKatrinaTerryin2008.
THE 1961 CONCORD BASEBALL TEAM WON the school’s second championship withthefirstbeingthe1954baseballclub. It was the second championships in eight seasonsforheadcoachRobertKyle.Theteam included Eddie Holcomb, Pete Ergenbright, HarryTyree,JohnKersic,TomHalstead,Tom Morgan,BillPenny,BernieHamrick,Bernad Shinault, Wallace Flinchum, Bob Liakos, Chester Sword, Willis White, Bill Baker, Wayne Taylor, Dennis Perdue, Fred Parker, Ed Elmore, Bob Rodes, Dave Cook and Jerry Smith. 1961 Baseball Team Reggie Perry
| FOOTBALL
PERRY HELPED LEAD SOME OF THE BEST defenses atConcordduringthe1980sastheMountainLions madetheNAIANationalPlayoffsin1981and1984 with Perry on the roster. Perry was tabbed to the All-WVIACFirstTeamin1983and1984.Atthe conclusion of the 1984 campaign, Perry was voted totheNAIAHonorableMentionAll-AmericanTeam, the ninth player in program history to earn the distinction.DuringtheMountainLions’9-2season in 1981, Perry and Concord defense pitched three regular season shutouts and allowed just 9.1 points per game in 10 regular-season games before falling to Elon in the postseason. In 1984, Perry was on adefensethatledtheMaroonandGraytoan8-3 record before facing Carson-Newman in the playoffs.
PINTER WAS A CATALYST on the sidelines for six football conference championships in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1984 and 1987. Over his 15 years with the Concord football program, Pinter helped coach 15 current members of the Concord Hall of Fame and Perry will make the 16th Hall of Famer Pinter tutored. From1974-88,theMountainLionspostedarecordof 111-45-5, a win percentage of .704. John Pinter | FOOTBALL
Randy Jennings | MEN'S BASKETBALL
JENNINGS’ CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE men’s basketball program spans both as a player and an assistant coach. Jennings was a three-time memberoftheAll-WVIACSecondTeamduringthe1979-1980,1980- 81 and 1981-82 seasons. During the 1979-80 season, Jennings also addedanAll-WVIACTournamentaccoladetohisresume.Throughout his career, Jennings scored 1,757 points which ranks ninth and his 454 assistsareseventhmostinprogramhistory.Asanassistantcoachon 2015 Concord Hall of Famer Steve Cox’s staff from 1989-98, Jennings helpedtheMountainLionstothreeconferencechampionshipsin1991, 1995and1997.The1990-91teamalsoadvancedtotheNAIASweet16.
Brian Kennedy | FOOTBALL
KENNEDY WAS A PIVOTAL PART of the turnaround of Concord football during the early partofthe2010s.Inthefinalthreeyearsofhis career,KennedyhelpedtheMountainLionsto three straight winning seasons from 2009-11 after CU had not had a winning season since 1998. The former Concord rusher was on the 2011 conferencechampionshipteam,thefirstleague titlefortheMountainLionssince1990.Kennedy wrapped up his career as the leader rusher at Concord with 4,188 yards and currently ranks secondincareerrushingyards.Kennedy’s38 career touchdowns also rank second in program history.HewasvotedtotheAll-WVIACFirstTeam three times and was an all-region pick in 2009, 2010and2011.KennedymadeDonHansen FootballGazette’sAll-AmericanTeamasan HonorableMentionpickin2010.
Erica Farmer Morgan | WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
SHORTLY AFTER 2017 HALL OF FAMER MikeCox tookoverthecrosscountryandtrackandfield programsatCU,Morganbecamehisfirstconference champion during the spring of 2003 as she took homevictoryinthe400-meterdashattheWVIAC Championships.Morganwentontofinishrunnerup three other times in the 400-meters during her collegiatecareer,earningAll-WVIACSecondTeamin eachinstance.Additionally,Morganearnedapodium finishinthe200-meterdashin2005andaided the 2006 4x100-meter relay team to a conference championship. Overall,Morganstoodonthepodium asatopthreefinisherattheWVIACChampionshipsa total of nine times in her career.
MT. LION NEWS
Men’s Golf Wins MEC Championship
The Concord University men’s golf team won its third Mountain East Conference Championship and first since 2014 as it shot a tournament-best 297 on its way to the league crown. The competition was held in October at The Resort at Glade Springs, Daniels, WV. By winning the MEC Championship, Concord automatically qualifies for the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional in the spring. Concord finished with a three-round total of 908 to top Charleston by nine strokes. CU was the only team to break 300 during any round of the MEC Championship. Sophomore Noah Clark, of Pearisburg, Va., finished second with total of 221 after a final round of 75. Junior Brett Laxton, of Pineville, W.Va., tied for third as he carded the low round of the tournament with a final day twounder, 70. Laxton was one shot back of Clark with a 222 and moved up five spots during the final round. Freshman Carson Proffitt, of Camp Creek, W.Va., went from tied for eighth to tying for fifth at the MEC Championship as he put together a round of 74 and a total of 226.
After a second-round 83, freshman Bauer Galloway, of Vale, N.C., returned to form with a 78 on the final day to finish tied for 23rd with a total score of 239. Galloway vaulted seven spots on the final day. Meanwhile, fellow freshman Michael Growe Jr., of Pineville, W.Va., was also in the 70s with a final round 79 as he was 29th with a total of 244.
Leading by just one stroke over Davis & Elkins and another six strokes ahead of Charleston entering the final round, the Mountain Lions created some early separation. With the final three teams – Concord, Charleston and Davis & Elkins – starting on the back nine, CU played the back part of the Cobb Course at +6 as a team while Charleston was +11 and D&E +21. The Mountain Lions were led on the back by Laxton’s one-under and Proffitt's even-par nine of 36. On the front nine, the lead for the Mountain Lions never dipped below seven strokes.
As a team, Concord had 11 birdies on the back nine including three from Growe Jr. The Mountain Lions added five more birdies on the front nine to tally 16 birdies as a team on the day. All five golfers for CU had at least two birdies. Growe Jr. and Laxton each had four birdies including a birdie-three for Laxton on the 8th hole— acting as the 17th hole—to unofficially seal the title for Concord.
Glenville State’s Kyle Chung won medalist honors as he finished one-under for the tournament at 215. Shown from left to right are Michael Growe Jr., Bauer Galloway, Noah Clark, Brett Laxton, Carson Proffitt and Head Coach Trent Howard.
Andy Cather | MEN'S BASEBALL
AS THE BASEBALL PROGRAM’S FIRST all-region player under 2016ConcordHallofFamerandheadcoachKevinGarrett,Cather wasselectedtotheAmericanBaseballCoaches’Association(ABCA) All-RegionSecondTeamin1998.Thenextspring,Catherdidone betterandwasvotedtotheall-regionfirstteam.WithintheWest VirginiaIntercollegiateAthleticConference(WVIAC),Catherwas named an all-conference performer in three of his four seasons in theMaroonandGrayasheearnedthefirstteamnodsin1997,1998 and 1999 as a designated hitter. Even though Cather is 20 years removedfromhisplayingdaysinAthens,hestillranksfourthin career home runs with 32 and is top 15 in all-time batting average.
OLDEST living ALUMNI
When a call was issued in the spring magazine for Concord ’ s “oldest living alumni”, we heard from an amazing group of alums. These special individuals have outstanding accomplishments in their personal and professional lives, and continue to live life to the fullest in their 80s, 90s, and even past the century mark. We salute them and their place in the history of Concord!
At87yearsofage,Col.EddieLeeRhodesis a youngster among Concord’s oldest living alums.BorninMcGraws,W.Va.,hewasraised inSummersandMonroecountiesandisa 1950 graduate of Peterstown High School.
Eddie earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Chemistry from Concord in 1954. He was PresidentofKappaSigmaKappaFraternity and Vice President of the student council.
EddiejoinedtheAirForceinAugust1954 asanAirman,wascommissionedin1960 and retired in July 1987 as a Colonel with more than 32 years of service. He worked in intelligence operations, aircraft maintenance, missile nuclear safety and contracting
manufacturing in procurement. Following his military career, Col. Rhodes was a contract administrator in Northrop Grumman Corporation’s B-2 Bomber Division. He says he “retired again” in 1997.
EddiemarriedMarionBingham,aBritish citizen, in 1957. Their family includes four children, four grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.
Joan is originally from Williamson, W.Va. and currentlylivesinGulfport,Miss.Whileshe was a student at Concord, she was a member ofAlphaSigmaAlphasororityandworkedin thephysicaleducationdepartment.APhys.Ed major, Joan enjoyed swimming.
She graduated from Concord College on June 2, 1949 and continued her education by earning a master’s degree in physical education from West Virginia University. Shetaughtschoolfor25yearsinKanawha County, West Virginia. Then, she and her husband moved to Florida for his career. Her family includes three children and several grandchildren.
Althoughshecompletedherstudiesat Concorddecadesago,Mrs.Wilesenjoys being a Concordian to this day and is a proud alumna.
Afavoriteitemofclothingforherisasweater from her alma mater. “I wear that Concord College sweater all the time,” she admits.
