Gt buzz magazine 2 winter 13 14 final

BETTER THAN GOOD

Tech swim coach earns honor

WINTER 2013-14

Small by football standards, senior Robert Godhigh is a big-time performer

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WINTER 2013-14 • Volume 7 , Number 2 EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dean Buchan

Danny Karnik

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Georgia Tech Sports Information Staff

Summit Athletic Media www.summitathletics.com

WRITERS Simit Shah Adam Van Brimmer Matt Winkeljohn Jon Cooper

WINTER

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2013-14

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In This Issue 4

Georgia Tech’s first-ever ACC competition vs. Notre Dame came in October when the Yellow Jacket volleyball team hosted the Irish in Tech’s Dig Pink game. Above, Annika Van Gunst celebrates Point Tech.

PIONEER SPIRIT

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DIMINUTIVE DYNAMO

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14

BETTER THAN GOOD

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Philanthropy at Work

SOPHOMORE PUMP

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Gift Planning at Georgia Tech

CONSISTENT CONTENDER

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Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball celebrates its 40th season in 2013-14 5-foot-7 Robert Godhigh has gone from walk-on to big-time performer

Tech swimming coach Courtney Shealy Hart inducted into Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame

Basketball trio ready for jump from fantastic freshmen to super sophomores Katie Townsend has just one gear, but her steady pace is proving to be a winning formula

2013-14 GT Athletic Schedules

Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Swimming & Diving

donor profile: Lanny Hill

Lanny Hill became enamored with the White and Gold in the late 1940s Capital Projects Update as of June 30, 2013

A feature by guest writer Peter J. Ticconi

Compliance Corner

Tips and information for anyone with an interest in Georgia Tech athletics

LITTLE MAN MAKES IT BIG

Two-sport star Billy Williamson inducted into Georgia Tech Hall of Fame after 52-year wait

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WB women’s basketball

PIONEER SPIRIT

Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball celebrates its 40th season

By Jon Cooper

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The 1974-75 Georgia Tech women’s basketball team may sound unremarkable for its 6-16 season, but it encompassed all the traits of a champion. The members of that team were pioneers and an inspiration to other women at Georgia Tech and universities across the country.

While the history books only credit the team with six wins, the fact that this group of 11 female student-athletes and their head coach, Jim Culpepper, are in the history books speaks volumes about them.

All they wanted was to play as a team and represent Georgia Tech.

What they did was change the face of Georgia Tech Athletics.

“I didn’t think anything about it,” said Culpepper, who in his 12-year tenure at Georgia Tech (1969-81) coached the women’s basketball team its first six years and, two years after starting basketball, started Tech women’s volleyball, tennis and softball programs. “I was a part of history, but someone else would have done it eventually.”

Eventually wouldn’t have been soon enough for the women, who were still only playing intramurals even though Title IX had been put into effect two years earlier. That wouldn’t do for these women who wanted to truly compete.

“We thought intramurals was for the birds,” said Teresa McClure Caron (then Teresa McClure), Class of ’77, who also would letter in volleyball before graduating. “We wanted a real team.”

McClure and several others found a sympathetic ear in Culpepper, then the director of intramurals, who had started an intramural league for the women the year before.

“The girls came to me in 1973 and said they wanted a women’s basketball team,” he recalled. “I said, ‘Well, you have to show me that there’s interest.’ So we start-

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ed an intramural league. We [had] just never had any interest. We made a big to-do to get basketball rolling. We had four teams. The champion played Georgia State.”

Taking the next step required getting the green light from Athletic Director Bobby Dodd. Three of the women – Carolyn Thigpen, Deni Heitmann and McClure Caron – met Dodd face-to-face.

“We go in and talk to him.

Carolyn did a lot of the talking.

He was kind, but it was clear that what we wanted was not an issue,” Caron recalled. “Finally, at the end of the conversation, Carolyn said, ‘Coach Dodd, are you aware of Title IX?’ He was not. That’s when we said, ‘You might oughta look into that.’ That was the point where the meeting ended.”

A couple of weeks later, Culpepper got the call -- and the team. The team would play in the Georgia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (GAIAW), not the NCAA. That would come later, when Georgia Tech had a larger female enrollment and issued scholarships.

Filling out the roster was primarily done by word of mouth.

“A good friend who worked in the intramural office came to me and said, ‘E-Ray’ they’re getting ready to start a basketball team.

You need to talk to Culpepper,’” recalled Ellen Ray Chappuis (then Ellen Ray), Class of ‘79. “There were only two or three of us that had ever played organized ball.

They had all played pickup kind of games and some intramural, but there weren’t a lot of us that had real experience.”

In all, approximately 16 people showed up at the open tryout — 11 stuck. But unlike in today’s game, there were no fancy uniforms.

There were barely even basketballs.

“We had no basketballs,” Culpepper recalled, with a laugh.

“Dwane Morrison, who had become the men’s basketball coach,

gave me seven basketballs — two held air, the other five we had to pump up every day. Somewhere along the third week of practice somebody got in and stole all of our basketballs. I think they ended up at a fraternity house, but that’s beside the point. When they found out about that, [Associate Athletic Director] John McKenna went out and bought me 12 new basketballs. He supported us.”

Culpepper, who had never coached basketball, knew he only had a couple of weeks to get the team in shape.

“We practiced every day for two hours,” recalled McClure Caron.

“I can remember, we were supposed to run two miles before we

showed up to practice, then we had practice for two hours, then we did wind-sprints or steps at the end of practice. He was really getting us into shape.

“We started right off the bat with a 30-second shooting clock,” she added. “The men didn’t get that for several years after that.

We were ahead of the men.”

Being ahead of the men in any area was surprising, considering they weren’t even allowed to be near them.

“When we were practicing in the freshman gym, which was attached to the Coliseum, we were not allowed to go down and get water because it was near the arena court and we would distract

Teresa Caron attempts a layup in 1974. Photo courtesy of Marilyn Somers.

Georgia Tech’s first women’s basketball team

the men,” McClure Caron recalled. “So we were not allowed to get water.”

Other times they weren’t even allowed in their own gym.

“At one point, we had a game

where we got bumped out of the freshman gym for an intramural game,” McClure Caron said.

“They put us in the old gym, which was where the gymnastics team practiced, so it was totally

covered with chalk and we were sliding everywhere. We were spraying our feet with stick’em to try to keep from sliding. It was horrible. But the intramural team needed our court.”

“The old gym was very, very dangerous to play in because that’s where gymnastics was so there was chalk everywhere,” Ray Chappuis added. “We ended up blowing out a lot of knees and banging hips and heads because you couldn’t stop. When you tried to stop, you would literally slide. We got to the point that we would go in and wet-mop the floor before a game because we knew somebody was going to get hurt. We finally said, ‘We can’t play in here anymore.’ So most of our games were in the freshman gym.”

Finding opponents to play proved as difficult. The task of scheduling fell upon Culpepper, and he took to the phones, but the Georgia Tech women’s basketball brand wasn’t what it is today and his cold calls frequently were met with a cold shoulder.

“It was kind of funny,” he remembered. “I would call the college or university, identify myself. I’d say half the time the first response was, ‘You’re coach WHO? From WHERE? You coach WHAT?” Eventually, Culpepper cobbled

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together a 22-game schedule. So, with uniforms consisting of blue shorts — bought with money from fundraisers like bake sales held by the team — and old white men’s basketball jerseys (the team wore white T-shirts underneath) the team looked the part.

“We bought pretty much everything,” said Ray Chappuis. “We had to pay for the officials. We drove our own cars to away games, bought our own gas to do that.

You’d have a car full of players and everybody would pitch in a couple of bucks to buy a tank of gas. That first year was when we were doing all the fundraising and the begging, borrowing and stealing.”

Culpepper wasn’t even getting paid, and he wouldn’t until his sixth season on the job.

But regardless of how bad things seemed the team always found a bright side.

“We were just doing our thing,” said Ray Chappuis. “We were just playing for the love of the game. It didn’t really matter to us if there were 100 people in the stands or there were two people in the stands. We knew we were doing something important and that

we all loved the game.”

They adopted the nickname Jackettes and were ready to take the floor.

They debuted only weeks after getting the green light to become a program, participating in a three-game tournament at Shorter University in Rome (Ga.). Tech dropped its first ever game, 94-25, to the host school.

That was followed by a 67-14 loss to Augusta College and an 83-25 loss to DeKalb Central.

“They knew they had tried as hard as they could,” Culpepper said. “They beat us like a drum.

They beat us six ways to Sunday, but the players had a good time.

Their attitude was very encouraging. They never really got down.

They got disappointed but not defeated. They lost some games but they were never defeated.”

The Yellow Jackets would taste victory in their fifth game, a 5133 victory over Gordon, then made it two straight by knocking off DeKalb South, 56-48.

Few, if any, statistics were kept for the games, nor was there much game story coverage. Few of the games were really close, in fact,

as only two of Tech’s losses were by fewer than 20 points. But this team didn’t dwell on numbers.

“They were Tech students.

They competed. They really tried,” Culpepper said. “We won six ball games and lost 16. We won five games against junior colleges, and our only game we won against a four-year school was Tift College in Forsyth.

“The first couple of years, my players suffered because of me,” he added. “The women coaching these other teams, A) wanted to beat Georgia Tech, and B) beat up on that male chauvinist pig coaching Georgia Tech.”

But when all was said and done at the end of that first season, the Jackets were of one mindset.

“We’re going to come back and do better,” Culpepper said.

That fighting spirit paid off down the road and Georgia Tech became a first-rate D-I team and the powerhouse that recently graduated its winningest four-year class in program history, won 20 games and qualified for the NCAA Tournament six straight seasons.

The impact of that ’74-75 team isn’t lost on current head coach

MaChelle Joseph.

“If I could meet any of them I would say ‘Thank you’ to the coach and every player that dared to do something that had never been done before. Georgia Tech was a challenge for any female at that time, but even more so for a student-athlete.

“I seriously doubt today’s [student-athletes] can even wrap their minds around what it was like for that team,” Joseph added. “I can only hope that through the years I have helped them to understand how hard it has been to get our women’s basketball to the place it is today. I know where we were 10 years ago, and I can’t even imagine what it was like for them.”

The players on the ’74-75 are as grateful to Joseph for what she has done and the strides that the program has made, as it verifies their legacy.

“I am so proud when I see Georgia Tech playing on TV,” said McClure Caron. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me? Wow!” ■ Special thanks to Marilyn Somers and the Georgia Tech Living History Program.

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FB FOOTBALL

Godhigh chose to be a walk-on at Georgia Tech instead of receiving a scholarship at a smaller school.

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DIMINUTIVE DYNAMO 5-foot-7 Robert Godhigh has gone from walk-on to big-time performer

By Matt Winkeljohn

T

There is plenty that you don’t know about Robbie Godhigh, like, how did he get that superhuman strength and sculpt that body-by-Adonis?

“I eat candy all the time. My best friends tell me I have the worst diet they’ve ever seen and I’m still the most in-shape person they’ve ever seen,” said the Georgia Tech senior running back who can bench press 400 pounds and squat 535. “I eat the most junk food. Today, I’ve had Gummi Bears, Mike & Ike’s and a honey bun.”

As with his diet, Godhigh’s measureables don’t add up. He’s 5-foot-7.

His immeasurables? That’s an entirely different story.

He’s in the running for college football’s Burlsworth Trophy, which is given annually to the top former walk-on (non-scholarship player) in the land. Godhigh and Wisconsin wide receiver Jared Abbrederis are at the top of the list.

Abbrederis is 6-2. Godhigh is not. Yet he is long on a lot of other things.

Like guts.

Oh, and beyond his impressive ability to tote a football around, between and occasionally through defenders, head coach Paul Johnson loves the way No. 25 is willing to get down and dirty – and block. With a few days to reflect on Tech’s 68-50 win at North Carolina last year, and film to back up his thoughts, Johnson said, “Robbie Godhigh knocked 13 players to the ground . . . he was a one-man wrecking crew.”

It wasn’t always that way.

“He hated to block in high school,” said Robert Godhigh, Robbie’s father.

Well, yes he did because young Robbie was quite the ballcarrier.

After spending the first half of his freshman season at Harrison High School in Marietta with the other ninth graders, the call came. It was late, actually, as former Harrison coach Bruce Cobleigh remembers. Watching a freshman game in 2005, and having only called one freshman up to varsity previously, the coach was not inclined to do it again.

Then, Godhigh happened.

“That’s one of my best stories . . . he just kept running touchdown after touchdown after touchdown,” Cobleigh said. “I just sat on the steps, and all I can say to myself was, ‘What am I doing? Why do I not have this guy up here [with the varsity]? Am I stupid?’ “ Cobleigh’s been around a few blocks. You coach the brothers Morris, Joe and Jamie, at Ayer High in Ayer, Mass., and you build perspec-

Godhigh sees his small size as a positive. “I can hide behind the offensive line,” Godhigh said. www.ramblinwreck.com

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tive. All they did was go on to become the leading rushers in Syracuse and Michigan histories, and then play in the NFL. And they were each 5-7.

“Those guys [the Morris bros.] were worldclass 100-meter speed guys, but laterally, change of direction, I never had anybody like Robbie.

He has the greatest lateral quickness that I ever coached,” Cobleigh said.

“And next to Joe Morris, I never had anybody that strong . . . linemen included. Well, Jon Abbate [who played linebacker at Wake Forest] was ahead of him, but Robbie was so strong.”

All that strength and skill didn’t fetch Godhigh a college scholarship.

He was barely recruited in spite of a solid high school career that was impacted by the quality of his teammates. Several went on to play Division I sports or pro baseball so the carries were spread around.

And then, there was the height factor.

“His high school coach told him he could be a 5-star back if he was three inches taller,” Godhigh’s father said. “He didn’t say that in a bad way, but . . . the DI schools were hesitant on taking a chance.”

The net result was: “I only really got a scholarship offer, from Wofford,” Godhigh said. “Since I wasn’t getting any looks from the BCS schools, I was going to settle . . . I had accepted a scholarship to Wofford.”

Shortly before the time came to sign his name to a letter-of-intent to attend the small school in

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South Carolina, however, former Georgia Tech assistant coach Brian Bohannon called. He had an offer: Come be a preferred walk-on on the Flats.

Robert and Jeri Godhigh had mixed feelings.

Their son had a bird in hand, and they were not entirely comfortable with him looking at a flock in a bush and opting for an opportunity without guarantee.

“We’re a really close family, and . . . we thought about it,” Robert said. “I said, ‘Jeri, we’re going to have to pay.’ And she said, if that’s what he wants to do, we’re going to have to pay.”

And they did. Robbie redshirted in 2009, played sparingly on special teams in 2010 and in ‘11. But he was impressing coaches more than he knew.

“Third year, he started to get in on special teams and as a blocking back,” Papa said. “The coaches said, ‘Hey, this kid can block.’ I said, ‘Robbie, that may be your ticket.’”

It was. Before the ‘12 season, the Godhighs’ phone rang. Robert remembers it well: “Coach Paul Johnson called, and we were like kids in a toy store when he said he was going to give Robbie a scholarship.”

Robbie – officially, his name is listed as Robert on the roster -- started all 14 games in 2012, and has been a starter at A-back this season as well.

Turns out, he was impressing coaches more than he knew.

His heighth is unchangeable. That may be something that NFL scouts don’t like, but he is

comfortable with his vertical data.

Godhigh wants to follow his father into law enforcement anyway. He’s got a head start. He’s already pretty good at going unnoticed.

“I don’t really see any downside to [height],” he said. “Being behind linemen or other teammates, you can hide behind them. I will graduate in December with a degree in business management.

“I want to be an agent, and be undercover, going out and getting bad guys. It can be any of the branches, DEA, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security.

They’re all interesting to me.” ■

OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF GEORGIA TECH速 ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION

sw swimming

BETTER THAN GOOD

swimming coach COURTNEY Shealy Hart inducted into Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame

By Adam Van Brimmer

C

Courtney Shealy Hart owns two Olympic gold medals yet often sums up her swimming career by claiming the moniker “that other girl.”

Shealy Hart can be forgiven for feeling like a fourth wheel on the United States Olympic relay teams at the 2000 Sydney Games. The other three swimmers – Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres and Amy Van Dyken – claim a combined 28 Olympic medals and are legends of the sport.

Yet Shealy Hart is a storied swimmer in her own right, and the reminders keep coming.

Georgia Tech’s fifth-year swimming coach was inducted into the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame in August. The Hall is the third to include Shealy Hart – her alma mater, the University of Georgia, named her to the school’s Circle of Honor in 2012; and she joined her home state of South Carolina’s sports hall of fame in 2010.

“It never gets old because the different halls all mark different times in my life,” she said.

“Each one provides a great chance to thank the people who supported you and got you there.”

The Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame nod came as a surprise to Shealy Hart. She initially thought her nomination was a mistake – she’s a South Carolina native, after all, not a Georgian. And the fact the hall was new, with the first class inducted in 2012, meant there were decades of eligible aquatic stars for the selection committee to choose from.

What Shealy Hart failed to consider was her impact on swimming in Georgia. She is arguably the best swimmer in Georgia Bulldog history and an all-time collegiate swimming great.

Shealy Hart won national titles in five different events and led Georgia to back-to-back NCAA team championships in 1999 and 2000.

She anchored a Bulldog relay team that broke a world record, the first world mark ever set in a collegiate meet. She was a 28-time AllAmerican.

“Don’t let her fool you. She was good and she knows it,” said Kristi Kowal, Shealy Hart’s teammate and roommate at Georgia. “She was better than good.”

High praise from Kowal, one of the few swimmers who can claim to be in Shealy Hart’s league. Kowal won a silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in the same Olympics Shealy Hart claimed gold. Kowal also scored a World Championship gold in the 100-meter

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breaststroke. She won eight NCAA individual titles with the Bulldogs and teamed with Shealy Hart on the relay championships.

Shealy Hart and Kowal went into the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame and the Bulldog Circle of Honor together, appropriately enough. Sharing those experiences with the woman Shealy Hart still considers her best friend made the induction ceremonies “extra special,” Shealy Hart said.

“We shared so many accomplishments during our time together it was fun to share the hall of fames together, too,” Kowal said.

“When I think about the fact we came into Georgia together as freshmen, won those NCAA titles together, swam at the Olympics together and roomed together for eight years, it just seemed right.”

Shealy Hart and Kowal’s coach, Jack Bauerle, attended both ceremonies. Shealy Hart’s bosses at Georgia Tech, athletic director Mike Bobinski and senior women’s administrator Theresa Wenzel, were at the Georgia Aquatic Hall of Fame induction.

More halls of fame could be in Shealy Hart’s future. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, based in Macon, is a possibility based on her college and Olympic careers. Her burgeoning coaching success could one day land her in the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame, too. Her latest induction speech, at the aquatic hall ceremony, featured a reference to elevating the Yellow Jackets “to the next level” as a coach just as she did at Georgia as an athlete.

“I can hope,” Shealy Hart said. “Georgia Tech is an exciting program to be a part of right now.” ■

mb men’s basketball

SOPHOMORE PUMP

Basketball trio ready for jump from fantastic freshmen to super sophomores

By Adam Van Brimmer

A

As trios go, Chris Bolden, Robert Carter Jr. and Marcus Georges-Hunt make an unassuming bunch.

They lack the flair of musketeers, the slapstick talents of stooges and the pipes of tenors.

They shoot, score and rebound without snap, crackle and pop-like hype and they’re often good, sometimes bad, but never ugly.

Yet in a quiet and understated way, the threesome is on the verge of making an impact on Georgia Tech basketball not seen in two decades. The last trio to generate such excitement in the Yellow Jackets went by the moniker “Lethal Weapon 3” and lifted the program to national prominence.

“Cornerstones is what they are,” said head coach Brian Gregory of the three members of his first recruiting class. “They came here with the understanding they were expected to have

Robert Carter Jr.

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an impact as freshmen and give this program something to build from. They did that, and it was just the beginning.”

Bolden, Carter and Georges-Hunt have revived interest in Yellow Jacket basketball. Led by the three freshmen starters, Georgia Tech posted a 16-15 record last winter, the program’s first winning season since 2010.

Georges-Hunt led the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game, while Carter averaged 9.9 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds. Bolden averaged 10 points a game once he joined his fellow freshmen in the starting lineup during Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Surprisingly, not one of them made the ACC’s All-Freshman team. The snub meant nothing to them beyond serving as motivation to improve their skills going into their sophomore seasons.

Chris Bolden

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“We really didn’t have a clue what we were doing; we just went out and played as hard as we could and learned as much as we could as fast as we could and didn’t worry about the rest of it,” Georges-Hunt said. “We met or exceeded the expectations others had for us. But we could have been better. We’re looking forward to showing it.”

The 2013-14 season tips off Nov. 8 against Presbyterian at McCamish Pavilion. The sophomore trio anchors a team that returns five of its top six contributors and adds transfer Trae Golden, a two-year starter at the University of Tennessee. Improving on last season’s success will be a challenge, though, as the Yellow Jackets face a grueling schedule made more difficult by ACC expansion. Former Big East heavyweights and perennial NCAA Tournament contenders Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame join the league.

Yet when it comes to strength of schedule,

Bolden insists he and his fellow cornerstones “prefer it tough.”

“Lots of big games against teams used to playing in the NCAAs are what competitors play for,” Bolden said.

Constant Competition

The Georgia Tech trio bonded through their competitive natures.

The three roomed together as freshmen and challenged each other everywhere in everything: grades in shared classes, food intake in the cafeteria, victories on the video game console.

“We’d even compete to see who could tie his shoes the fastest every morning,” Carter said.

“We’d argue over who was better looking and why. It’s ridiculous but fun at the same time.”

The competitiveness carried over to the practice court. All three hail from metro Atlanta, and they started playing and working out with their

future teammates before they graduated from high school.

Their intensity set a tone that became a standard by the time preseason practice started in October, 2012. They fed off each other’s efforts, and the Yellow Jacket veterans quickly followed suit.

“Those guys battle every single day,” senior center Daniel Miller said. “They came in with the attitude that they were going to be starters.

It didn’t matter to them that they were freshmen. They weren’t hesitant at all.”

For the trio, familiarity bred chemistry.

Georges-Hunt played AAU basketball with both Bolden and Carter at separate times and understood their strengths. All three played against each other in high school and in pick-up games.

And the bond they forged in their first few weeks on campus resulted in a willingness to push and challenge each other.

“There is a tremendous amount of mutual respect between them,” Gregory said. “Chemistry comes easy from there.”

Tough Challenge Ahead

Marcus Georges-Hunt

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Gregory doubts much will come easy for his fantastic freshmen in their attempt to be super sophomores.

Opponents, particularly those in the ACC, adjusted their game plans to account for Bolden, Georges-Hunt and Carter as last season progressed. Bolden attracted more defensive attention on the perimeter while opponents squeezed Georges-Hunt on the dribble and put him on the foul line more often. Carter, meanwhile, saw fewer and fewer open jump shots.

Each responded by showing other sides to their offensive repertoires. When opponents took away Bolden’s 3-point shot, he became more aggressive off the dribble and looked for more jumpers in transition. Georges-Hunt, meanwhile, never got frustrated or forced shots, choosing instead to set up his teammates while taking advantage of scoring opportunities when presented with them. Carter worked the boards and looked for spot-up shooting chances off Bolden or Georges-Hunt drives.

“Everybody watches film and they think they know what you are going to do,” Carter said.

“The key is to be one step ahead.”

The trio worked this offseason to get several steps ahead – literally. Physical conditioning was the focus. Georges-Hunt improved his endurance, Carter dropped approximately 20 pounds and Bolden added strength.

Gregory compared the three to race car mechanics, always tinkering to squeeze more performance from their machines, or bodies in a basketball player’s case.

“Their mission this year is to become consistent contributors and evolve into go-to guys,” Gregory said. “Being consistent is about maintaining energy and performance level. They are very, very dedicated young men, and I expect them – and us as a team – to take another big step.” ■

xc cross country

CONSISTENT CONTENDER

Katie Townsend has just one gear, but her steady pace is proving to be a winning formula

By Adam Van Brimmer

K

Katie Townsend is no tortoise, but she is proof that slow and steady can win the race.

The Georgia Tech distance runner has topped her team’s finish list in 10 consecutive cross country meets dating back to the start of the 2012 season. Her success is a product of her ability to maintain the same steady pace from start to finish.

“I really only have one gear and it rarely takes me to the front early,” Townsend said. “But I kind of work my way up, slow and steady, and roll on through.”

Townsend’s steadily improving pace makes her a contender for the NCAA Championships in November. She has two top-10 finishes this fall and placed 35th at the prestigious Louisville Classic in October. She finished 53rd out of 227 runners at a Pre-National Invitational meet run on the NCAA Championship course on Oct. 19.

Georgia Tech cross country coach Alan Drosky predicts Townsend will make the nationals based on her qualifying for the NCAA track regionals in the 10K back in the spring. Townsend would be just the fourth Georgia Tech woman to qualify for the NCAAs and the first since 1998.

“Knowing the top runners in this region and the talent level it takes to get to nationals, we think she has a shot,” Drosky said. “She has to continue to work to get a little faster and not get caught far back in the pack.”

Running closer to the front goes against Townsend’s nature but would boost her finishes, Drosky said. Even at a steady pace, passing dozens of competitors burns up energy. Plus, the farther ahead of others she is in the final mile, the less chance they will catch her in the sprint to the finish.

Townsend describes her finishing kick as “laughable.” Her one gear is easily maxed out.

“I don’t have sprinter’s speed; I pass people because they slow down,” she said. “I’m working on my kick, but for the most part, it’s better for me to be several hundred yards in front with a quarter-mile to go.”

Getting To The Front

Townsend has always run from behind.

She took up distance running in middle school when her best friend joined the track team. She enjoyed the exercise and decided to go out for cross country as a freshman at Lakeside High School, located near Augusta.

She joined the Panthers along with another freshman, Anna Bowles. Bowles came from

20

The Buzz

a running family: Her father, Ken, ran cross country and track at the University of Akron.

He volunteered to help coach the team and his distance running background helped mold a dynasty.

Bowles and Townsend became best friends and proved a dynamic duo, but Bowles always finished out front. She won two cross country state titles and three track and field championships. Townsend was a perennial top-five finisher, including a second-place finish in the 3,200 meters as a senior.

“It wasn’t awesome that she beat me every race, but she is the reason I became as good a runner as I did in high school,” Townsend said of Bowles. “It was good to have someone to look at and say ‘That is the level where I want the be.’”

The duo split up for college. Townsend aspired to be an engineer, leading her to Georgia Tech, while Bowles signed to run with the Georgia Bulldogs. Stepping out of Bowles’ shadow required an adjustment period for Townsend, one that’s ongoing. She still battles an inferiority complex on the course, Drosky said.

“In high school, she thought she was No. 2, that she should be behind Bowles,” Drosky said.

“She has the same mindset here at times. The difference is, we think she’s better than most of the girls she runs against.”

Endurance In All Things

Townsend’s high school coach, Jerry Meitlin, once praised Townsend for her “thoroughness.”

It’s a trait that she continues to exhibit today.

Georgia Tech’s Drosky takes a high-volume, low-intensity approach to training, perfect for a pacer like Townsend. She focuses on her regimen and running mechanics. Running “never gets boring” to Townsend and her pace quickens as her fitness improves.

Such discipline translates to academics as well. She recently changed her major from biomolecular and chemical engineering to material science and engineering this year. She was an Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic team selection last school year.

She equates academic success to winning on the track and the cross country course.

“School is an endurance thing, just like running,” she said. “I keep going until I get through it. I don’t think about how long or hard it is. I just try and finish.” ■

Katie Townsend has been Tech’s top finisher in 10 consecutive meets.

HF HALL OF FAME

LITTLE MAN MAKES IT BIG

Two-sport star Billy Williamson inducted into Georgia Tech Hall of Fame after 52-year wait

G

By Adam Van Brimmer

Georgia Tech football history is littered with little men doing big things.

• Jakie Rudolph, all of 5-foot7 and 155 pounds, made the “$125,000 tackle” during the 1952 season.

• Joe Hamilton (5-foot-10) orchestrated three years of wizardry as the Yellow Jackets’ quarterback.

• Randy Rhino (5-foot-10) posted back-to-back-to-back AllAmerican seasons in the 1970s.

• Coach William Alexander’s teams were often so outmanned

justice that Billy was not selected years ago,” wrote Williamson’s Georgia Tech teammate, Taz Anderson, in nominating Williamson for the Hall of Fame.

Williamson is more than a half-century removed from his stellar career as a two-sport star.

Overshadowed from a historic perspective because he played with so many other Yellow Jacket greats, including Anderson, Maxie Baughn, Billy Shaw, Chick Graning and Billy Lothridge, Williamson was nonetheless a fan, coach

Williamson was a two-sport standout for the Yellow Jackets.

physically the coach denoted his team with tiny Xs and the opponents with oversized Os when drawing up schemes.

The mightiest mite of them all, though, is one long overlooked.

Billy Williamson was a three-year starter at Georgia Tech, averaging 55-plus minutes playing both ways and on special teams, all at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds.

The player sportswriter Ed Miles once described as “tough as a well-seasoned sinew of deer leather” headlined Georgia Tech’s 2013 Hall of Fame class. Williamson and six others, including volleyball great Kele Eveland, track superstar Andria King and national champion golfer Troy Matteson, were inducted Oct. 18.

“It is a real miscarriage of

22

The Buzz

and teammate favorite during his era.

“He was never overlooked back when he was playing,” Anderson said. “He was a great player, as tough as they come.”

The late Furman Bisher agreed with Anderson’s assessment. He wrote the following after Williamson’s final home game, Williamson is “one of the most valuable and most appreciated halfbacks of modern times at Georgia Tech.”

“I really didn’t think about it because I never thought it would happen,” Williamson said of his hall of fame induction during an August interview with Georgia Tech Sting Daily’s Jon Cooper. The honor “was a shock and something I didn’t expect, not at this age.”

Williamson shocked everyone

around him throughout his career by overcoming his physical shortcomings with a mix of versatility and toughness. His coach, Bobby Dodd, often praised his blocking skills, and he was a favorite target of Lothridge, the All-American quarterback and Heisman runnerup. Williamson led the Yellow Jackets in receiving in 1961 and caught four passes for 102 yards in his final collegiate game, the 1961 Gator Bowl.

Williamson was a shifty runner and dangerous punt and kick returner. He led the Yellow Jackets in all-purpose yardage in 1960 and 1961. Defensively, he was a ballhawking cornerback whose interceptions “saved several games” for the Yellow Jackets, according to Anderson.

Dodd adored Williamson because “anything you ask him to do he does well” and because Williamson reminded the coach of himself as a player.

“Billy’s a lot like I was when I played at Tennessee -- he wants to be in the ball game all the time,” Dodd told newspaper columnist Rick Minter in 1960. “Every time he comes out, he begs to go back in and I don’t give him much argument.”

Williamson earned All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior and senior.

Williamson also starred for the Yellow Jacket baseball team. Baseball was his “first love” and he had an opportunity to play professionally coming out of Miami’s Gables High School, where he counted Boog Powell as a teammate. Williamson’s father insisted his son get an education first, however, leading Williamson to Georgia Tech.

He showed the same versatility on the diamond for Tech as he did on the football field. Shortstop was his natural position, but he played several spots for the Yellow Jackets and was named All-Southeastern Conference as a utility player in 1961. He was part of the 1959

NCAA Tournament team and as a senior led the Yellow Jackets in at-bats, runs scored, triples, home runs and RBIs as well as stolen bases.

He continued his football career beyond Georgia Tech, albeit with the Fort Benning Army base team and not in professional ranks. He made the All-Army team while playing at Fort Benning. He also trained to become an Army Ranger and made more than 500 parachute jumps and helicopter rappels during his military stint.

Williamson went into football coaching in 1965. He worked a year at Georgia Tech as an assistant under Dodd followed by a season at East Tennessee State and two years at Colorado. He coached four more seasons at Georgia Tech under Bud Carson before getting out of coaching in 1972. He spent a decade as a consulting engineer before founding a company, Walls Systems, in 1983. He retired in 2003.

Hall of Fame Capsules Shilo Ayalon

Swimming (2000-03) The two-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion and AllAmerican holds the school records in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter and 1,600-meter freestyle races.

His fourth-place finish in the 1,650-meter freestyle event at the 2003 NCAA Championships stands as the second best NCAA finish in Tech swimming history.

Ayalon was legendary in the classroom as well, earning Academic All-America honors three times.

The ACC and NCAA awarded him postgraduate scholarships in 2003. He and his family live in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Kelly Campbell

Football (1998-2001) Georgia Tech’s all-time receptions leader, Campbell caught 195 passes and recorded a reception in 32 consecutive games, the

Richard Lewis

Baseball (1999-01) The unsung hero of the 2000 Atlantic Coast Championship team led by Mark Teixeira, Lewis played both shortstop and second base during his Yellow Jacket career. He earned second-team All-American honors in 2000 by virtue of his 109 hits and a .398 batting average. He finished his career with 259 hits, 16th most in school history. He was an All-ACC performer in 2000 and 2001. He lives with his family in Marietta.

Troy Matteson

The 1961 captains – Billy Williamson, Chick Graning and Willie McGaughey with coach Bobby Dodd.

second-longest streak in school history. Campbell earned All-ACC honors three times and his kickoff return prowess made him a finalist for the 2001 Mosi Tatupu Award, given to the nation’s top special teams player. Campbell ranks fourth in school history in career all-purpose yards and second in career touchdown receptions. He played professional football for the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins as well as in the Canadian Football League. He lives in McDonough.

Andria King

Track & Field (1996-99) A dominant hurdler and sprinter who won seven Atlantic Coast Conference championships in six different events, King broke five school records during her career.

She was a five-time All-American as a hurdler and posted runner-up

finishes in four hurdle events in NCAA Championship competition. King was name the Most Valuable Performer three times in ACC Championship meets. She won the 100-meter hurdles running for the United States at the 1999 World University Games. She lives in Miami.

Golf (2000-03) The NCAA individual champion compiled six victories and 10 more top-10 finishes in 43 career starts.

He won his NCAA title and the National Player of the Year in 2002 and repeated as the National Player of the Year in 2003 while also claiming the Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson awards. He was the third Tech golfer to win an individual national title and led Georgia Tech to two runner-up team finishes at the NCAA Championships.

Matteson recently completed his ninth season on the PGA Tour and has two victories and more than $9 million in career earnings. He and his family live in Austin, Texas. ■

Kele Eveland

Volleyball (2000-03) Arguably the greatest player in program history and the only one to have her jersey retired, Eveland led the Yellow Jackets to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances as well as three ACC titles. She holds the conference records for career assists and the school record for career assists, career assists per set and singleseason assists. Eveland stands as Tech’s only American Volleyball Coaches Association first-team AllAmerican. She was the 2003 ACC Player of the Year. She received the 2004 Tech Total Person Award.

Eveland played professionally in Europe and currently works as an assistant volleyball coach at San Diego State.

From left: Richard Lewis, Shilo Ayalon, Andria King, Billy Williamson, Kele Eveland, Kelly Campbell. Not pictured: Troy Matteson

24

The Buzz

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2013-14 schedules

2013-14 Women’s Basketball schedule

2013-14 men’s Basketball schedule

Date Opponent Location Oct. 27 Clayton State^ Atlanta, GA Nov. 8 Coppin State Atlanta, GA Nov. 10 Western Carolina Atlanta, GA Nov. 17 at Tennessee Knoxville, TN Nov. 24 at Georgia Athens, GA

Time TV 2 p.m.

5 p.m.

2 p.m.

7 p.m. Fox Sports South 2 p.m.

LIU Turkey Classic (Brooklyn, NY) Nov. 29 vs. Southern Utah Brooklyn, NY Nov. 30 Consolation Game Brooklyn, NY Nov. 30 Championship Game Brooklyn, NY

4:30 p.m.

2 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

Dec. 4 Illinois # Atlanta, GA Dec. 7 Alabama A&M Atlanta, GA Dec. 17 Portland State Atlanta, GA

7 p.m.

4:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

Puerto Rico Classic (San Juan, Puerto Rico) Dec. 20 vs. UTEP San Juan, Puerto Rico Dec. 21 vs. Oklahoma State San Juan, Puerto Rico

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

Georgia Tech Holiday Tournament (Atlanta, GA) Dec. 29 Alabama State Atlanta, GA Dec. 30 Consolation Game Atlanta, GA Dec. 30 Championship Game Atlanta, GA

2 p.m.

12 p.m.

2 p.m.

Date Day Opponent TV Time Nov. 1 Fri. YOUNG HARRIS (exhibition) -- 8 p.m.

Nov. 8 Fri. PRESBYTERIAN ESPN3 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 11 Mon. DELAWARE STATE ESPN3 7 p.m.

Nov. 15 Fri. at Georgia FSN 7 p.m.

Nov. 20 Wed. DAYTON ESPN3 7 p.m.

Nov. 24 Sun. NORTH CAROLINA A&T* ESPN3 2 p.m.

Nov. 26 Tue. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE* ESPN3 7 p.m.

Nov. 29 Fri. vs. Mississippi -- 4:30 p.m.

(Barclays Center Classic, Brooklyn, N.Y.) Nov. 30 Sat. vs. Penn State or St. John’s 2/ 4:30 p.m.

(Barclays Center Classic, Brooklyn, N.Y.) Dec. 3 Tue. ILLINOIS (Big Ten/ACC Challenge) ESPN2 7:15 p.m.

Dec. 7 Sat. EAST TENNESSEE STATE ESPN3 2 p.m.

Dec. 16 Mon. KENNESAW STATE ESPN3 7 p.m.

Dec. 21 Sat. at Vanderbilt FSN 4 p.m.

Dec. 29 Sun. at Charlotte FS1 7 p.m.

Jan. 4 Sat. at Maryland ACCN 2 p.m.

Jan. 7 Tue. at Duke ESPNU 7 p.m.

Jan. 11 Sat. NOTRE DAME ACCN 12 noon Jan. 14 Tue. PITTSBURGH ESPNU 9 p.m.

Jan. 18 Sat. MIAMI RSN 2 p.m.

Jan. 21 Tue. at Boston College ESPNU 9 p.m.

Jan. 26 Sun. at NC State ACCN 1 p.m.

Jan. 29 Wed. NORTH CAROLINA ESPN2 7 p.m.

Feb. 1 Sat. at Wake Forest RSN 12 noon Feb. 4 Tue. at Clemson ACCN 8 p.m.

Feb. 8 Sat. VIRGINIA ACCN 12 noon Feb. 12 Wed. BOSTON COLLEGE RSN 7 p.m.

Feb. 18 Tue. DUKE ACCN 9 p.m.

Feb. 22 Sat. CLEMSON RSN 12 noon Feb. 26 Wed. at Notre Dame ESPN2 7 p.m.

Mar. 2 Sun. at Florida State ESPNU 6 p.m.

Mar. 4 Tue. at Syracuse RSN 7 p.m.

Mar. 8 Sat. VIRGINIA TECH ESPN/ESPN2 2 p.m.

Mar. 12-15 Wed-Sun ACC Tournament (Greensboro, N.C.) ACCN/ESPN Networks Home games at McCamish Pavilion in BOLD CAPS All times Eastern Tip times and TV for remaining non-conference games to be announced All Tech games broadcast live on WYAY-FM/All News 106.7 in Atlanta All conference games carried on an ESPN network will also be available on WatchESPN. All conference games carried on the ACC Network or a regional sports network will also be available on ESPN3 FSN = Fox Sports South, FS1 = Fox Sports 1, RSN = ACC regional cable network (includes Fox Sports South in Atlanta), ACCN = ACC Network (includes WATL-TV in Atlanta) *Home games are part of the Barclays Center Classic

Jan. 5 Duke* Atlanta, GA 2 p.m.

ESPN3 Jan. 8 at Clemson* Clemson, SC 7 p.m.

Jan. 12 at Syracuse* Syracuse, NY 1 p.m.

Jan. 16 Wake Forest* Atlanta, GA 7 p.m. espn3 Jan. 19 Maryland* College Park, MD 2 p.m.

Jan. 23 at Virginia Tech* Blacksburg, VA 7 p.m.

Jan. 26 NC State* Atlanta, GA 2 p.m. espn3 Jan. 30 Clemson* Atlanta, GA 7 p.m.

Feb. 3 at Pittsburgh* Pittsburgh, PA 7 p.m.

Feb. 6 North Carolina* Atlanta, GA 7 p.m. espn3 Feb. 9 at Miami* Coral Gables, FL 2 p.m.

Feb. 13 Virginia* Atlanta, GA 7 p.m.

ESPN3 Feb. 17 at Notre Dame* Notre Dame, IN 7 p.m. RSN Feb. 23 Maryland* Atlanta, GA 4 p.m.

ESPN2 Feb. 27 at Florida State* Tallahassee, FL 7 p.m.

March 3 Boston College* Atlanta, GA 2 p.m. espn3 Home games in BOLD CAPS * - Conference game • ^ - Exhibition game • # - Big Ten/ACC Challenge

2013-14 Swimming & Diving schedule Sat., Sept. 28 Limestone GT Aquatic Ctr 11 a.m.

Tues., Oct. 15 at Georgia Athens, Ga. 4 p.m.

Fri., Oct. 25 vs. NC State *

at Florida State * Tallahassee, Fla. 4 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 9 Savannah Coll. of Art & Design GT Aquatic Ctr 11 a.m.

Fri., Nov. 22 Georgia Tech Invitational GT Aquatic Ctr All Day Sat., Nov. 23 Georgia Tech Invitational GT Aquatic Ctr All Day Sun., Nov. 24 Georgia Tech Invitational GT Aquatic Ctr All Day Thur., Dec. 19 at Florida International Miami, Fla. 12 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 21 at Florida Atlantic Boca Raton, Fla. 11 a.m.

Sat., Jan. 4 Louisville GT Aquatic Ctr 11 a.m.

Sat. Jan. 18 at Emory Atlanta, Ga. 11 a.m.

Sat., Feb. 1 Darton (Senior Day) GT Aquatic Ctr 11 a.m.

Feb. 19-22 Women’s ACC Championship Greensboro, N.C. All Day Feb. 26-Mar. 1 Men’s ACC Championship Greensboro, N.C. All Day Mar. 10-12 Zone B Diving Championship TBA All Day Mar. 20-22 Women’s NCAA Championship Minneapolis, Minn. All Day Mar. 27-29 Men’s NCAA Championship Austin, Texas. All Day Home meets in bold CAPS • All times eastern • Schedule subject to change • * ACC opponent

26

The Buzz

2013-14 CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULE DATE MEET SITE Sat., Aug. 31 UGA Invitational Athens, GA Sat., Sept. 14 Furman Cross Country Classic Greenville, SC Sat., Oct. 5 Greater Louisville Classic Louisville, KY Fri., Oct. 18 Crimson Classic Tuscaloosa, AL Sat., Oct. 19 Pre-Nationals Invitational Terre Haute, IN Fri., Nov. 1 ACC Championships Kernersville, NC Fri., Nov. 15 NCAA South Region Championships Tuscaloosa, AL Sat., Nov. 23 NCAA Championships Terre Haute, IN

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NO HIDING HIS LOVE FOR THE FLATS Lanny Hill became enamored with the White and Gold in the late 1940s

By Simit Shah

There are die-hard Yellow Jacket fans, and then there’s Lanny Hill.

Multiple times during the interview for this story, Hill paused and declared, “I just love Georgia Tech.”

It takes a lot for the Macon native to miss a Georgia Tech game. When he had surgery to remove his appendix, he was in his seats at Bobby Dodd Stadium just five days later. A hip replacement sidelined him for just a single game.

“We love coming to games, and it’s hard to imagine not being there,” he said. “There are a lot of fond memories over the years, and we’ve really loved getting to know the people of Georgia Tech.”

Hill started attending games on the Flats as a youngster in the late 1940s during the height of the Bobby Dodd era. A family friend would take him to Grant Field, and he became instantly enamored with the White and Gold.

“Of course, it was a lot different in those days,” he remembered.

“We used to have to wear coats and ties, and the women wore dresses.

The stadium was very different, but it was definitely the place to be on Saturdays. I absolutely fell in love with Georgia Tech by going to the games.”

Hill attended Mercer University but his allegiances were firmly aligned with Georgia Tech. Following graduation, he began working

for UPS in Atlanta and became a season ticket holder.

It was at UPS where he met his wife, Pat. “Of course dating at UPS was a no-no,” he explained. “We kept things very quiet, and when things got serious, it was obvious that one of us had to quit. We decided that she’d resign, and we got married in 1976. It’s just the two of us. My job required me to travel quite a bit, and she was able to come with me.”

One of Hill’s favorite games was Georgia Tech’s 3-3 tie with top-ranked Notre Dame in 1980.

The Jackets were in the midst of Bill Curry’s first season and would win only a single game. The Fighting Irish came to Atlanta with a roster filled with future NFL talent.

“That’s probably one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen,” he recalled. “My wife and I hadn’t been married long, and I told her, ‘Look we’re just going to the game to watch. We’re probably going to get beat, so don’t get too excited.’ It was such a wonderful game and we hollered the entire time.”

The Hills remained in Atlanta for some time before moving to other parts of the country. They were living in Michigan during Georgia Tech’s magical Final Four run in 1990.

When the Jackets faced Michigan State in the regional semifinal,

One of Hill’s favorite memories was Tech’s NCAA Tournament win over Michigan State when he lived in Michigan.

28

The Buzz

Lanny and Pat Hill with former Yellow Jacket football student-athlete B.J. Machen.

his neighbors sent over green and white M&Ms as a bit of friendly gamesmanship. They weren’t so happy after Kenny Anderson’s heroic, controversial shot sent the Jackets past the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament.

“Most of my neighbors were Michigan State alumni, and they were hot about it,” he said. “Boy, they never let me live that down.

They’d always say that the basket was no good, but I’d just tell them, ‘Well, it counted.’”

The Hills retired in 1995 and moved back to the Atlanta area.

With the ticket priority system in place, Hill decided to become an Alexander-Tharpe Fund Life Member to improve his seats. They currently have six football season tickets and two for men’s basketball.

“We’ve gotten to know a lot of great people over the years, not only the ones who work at Georgia Tech but also the ones we meet at games at home or on the road,” he said.

“They are some of the nicest people we know, and many of them have become our close friends.”

The Hills’ A-T gift endowed a scholarship, and the couple has enjoyed getting to know the various student-athletes who have been recipients.

“Our scholarship has gone to some outstanding student-athletes,” he noted. “We get a chance

to spend some time with them every year at the scholarship dinner, and they are so impressive. It’s tough for kids coming to Georgia Tech to maintain a grade point average while playing football, basketball or any sport. It’s a challenge, and I know I couldn’t do it myself.

“I hope that as these studentathletes graduate and find success in the real world, they’ll give back and help the next generation,” he added.

As the Hills contemplated their estate planning, they decided that Georgia Tech should be a recipient.

“The two things I love most besides my wife are my church and Georgia Tech,” he said. “We worked with our attorney to draw up a will to include Georgia Tech. It was the right thing to do, and Georgia Tech people are so impressive. I can’t tell you how much we enjoy spending time with (A-T Fund staffers) Jim Hall, Mindy Hyde and Barb Dockweiler, as well as others. It’s been a special relationship for us.

“I just love Georgia Tech.” ■ The Hills’ A-T gift endowed a scholarship, and the couple has enjoyed getting to know the various student-athletes who have been recipients, including football players Kevin Tuminello, Darryl Richard, B.J. Machen, and Patrick Gamble.

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30

The Buzz

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Gift Planning at Georgia Tech

The following feature is by Peter J. Ticconi, Jr., senior director of Gift Planning in the Office of Development at Georgia Tech.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra This amusing and well-known quote from Yogi Berra is applicable to much more in life than just baseball.

By their very nature, human beings benefit tremendously from the activity of planning. We all know how true this is for financial planning, family planning, and retirement planning. The process of planning provides us with a roadmap for reaching a specific destination point.

While it may not seem obvious at first blush, this is also true when it comes to planning your philanthropy. When you craft a gift plan, the starting point is always the needs of you and your family. Your support for Tech can be optimized to accomplish personal objectives that match your family interests. In my 30+ years, I have worked with engaged donors with dedicated gift purposes. In so many words, their well-formed gift plans have provided great satisfaction.

In today’s philanthropy, donors are more engaged than ever with their gifts, choosing to ensure that their support is effectively used for purposes that line up with their passions and values while enabling Georgia Tech to secure solutions to present-day challenges as well as prepare for the unanticipated challenges of the future. What makes philanthropy exciting and perplexing at the same time is the strange and wonderful feeling that comes with creating a plan to do good things. Fitting the plan into an individual donor situation might be thought of in the realm of the “art and science of philanthropy.” Once a donor decides to make a gift, then a gift plan can come together that artfully accomplishes donor wishes.

The science of philanthropy might be thought of taking advantage of the tax laws allowing tax benefits that include charitable deductions and tax credits, all of which to help maximize gift impact.

A few years ago, I was watching a Tech basketball game with an alumnus who told me that it was not a question of whether he would make a gift to Georgia Tech athletics, but rather when. He said that he’d made up his mind to make a gift to Tech that might have an impact many years earlier, leaving open the question as to when his

plan could come together. When, for him, was a matter of timing asset liquidity, planning family wealth transfer, and focusing on a designated use that could make a difference. In bringing his philanthropic plan together, he had a conversation with the dean that connected him with pressing needs to help advance the college, and a gift designation was in view. Family concerns were addressed with their advisors, and the best ways to complete their gift were introduced by the Gift Planning team. At the end of the day, their plan came together on their terms, fulfilling their passion to make a difference with steady immediate support today for Georgia Tech and long-term future support through their estates tomorrow – a winning combination all around for the donor, his family, and Georgia Tech.

As you make your plan, it is worth bearing in mind four interests in the estate planning process: selfinterest, family-interest, the IRS, and philanthropy.

The first phase of planning rightfully should focus on ensuring your and your family’s security. Next, address your philanthropy with an understanding of the taxes that would be due as a part of your

family planning in the absence of philanthropy.

Once you decide philanthropy has a place in your gift plan, you can address how to make your gift, when to make it, and what assets to use to fund the plan.

Timing gift support using tax-efficient assets and deciding on the right method of giving to complete the plan are key elements that move the plan in to action. The right “ways to give” will emerge based on personal objectives that work with family circumstances, whether giving longterm appreciated stock or a limited partnership interest to create a straightforward outright gift or one that pays income for a life.

Donor needs always come first in the planning process. Yes, it may seem a bit like a role reversal away from selling the Athletic Association’s needs for funding, but ultimately, donor aspirations do converge with the needs and vision for Georgia Tech athletics. Please know that the AlexanderTharpe Fund is just a phone call or e-mail away.

We hope that you will think of us as a personal resource to help you building your gift plan for Georgia Tech athletics. ■

For more information on Gift Planning at Georgia Tech, contact Jim Hall at 404-894-8219 or jhall@athletics.gatech.edu

32

The Buzz

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COMPLIANCE CORNER

By Shoshanna Engel, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Securing a Commitment – The National Letter of Intent

Shoshanna Engel Associate Athletic Director for Compliance

National Letter of Intent signing periods mark some of the most exciting times of the year. For our coaches it is an opportunity to solidify future team members, introduce them to the world, and welcome future Yellow Jackets into the Georgia Tech family. For our fans and supporters it is the first opportunity to learn about future student-athletes and their accomplishments thus far. While the excitement continues to build, we work hard to ensure all of our constituents remain aware of NCAA guidelines surrounding the National Letter of Intent.

What is a National Letter of Intent?

A National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a binding agreement between an institution and a prospective student-athlete. The institution is bound to provide an athletics

Shoshanna Engel Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance sengel@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-8792

Marquita Armstead Director of Compliance marmstead@athletics.gtaa.edu (404)894-5507

scholarship for one academic year and the prospective student-athlete is bound to attend the institution for one academic year.

The NLI is only fulfilled if the prospective student-athlete enrolls at and attends the institution for one academic year (e.g., fall and spring semester).

Are coaches/institutions permitted to publicize prospective NLI signees?

Prior to a prospective student-athlete signing an NLI, a coach/institution may only confirm or deny recruitment. Coaches and institutional staff members are prohibited from commenting on the skill and/or potential contributions a prospective studentathlete may make to the team. Coaches/ institutions are also prohibited from engaging in any public conversations with prospective student-athletes via social media platforms (e.g., contact may not occur on a prospect’s Facebook wall, coaches may not @mention prospects on Twitter, etc.). After a prospect signs an NLI, a coach/institution

Bret Cowley Associate Director of Compliance bcowley@athletics.gtaa.edu (404)385-0611

is not limited concerning publicity of the prospect/signing.

May representatives of athletics interests (boosters) and other fans or supporters of Georgia Tech contact prospective student-athletes inperson or via social media?

No. Boosters and supporters of Georgia Tech athletics should not initiate conversations in-person or via social media with prospective student-athletes. This includes contact via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

We greatly appreciate our supporters’ help as we welcome new members to the Georgia Tech family through the NLI signing process. Please contact the compliance office if you have any questions regarding NLIs and/or any other NCAA matter.

Kyle Buffolino Compliance Assistant kbuffolino@athletics.gatech.edu (404)894-0416

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