Trinity High inducts first members of Athletics Hall of Fame
Jan. 8—THOMASVILLE — Trinity High School honored it first Athletics Hall of Fame class on Saturday.
During a dinner at Colonial Country Club, members of three state championship teams and 18 individual athletes were inducted as individuals.
Heading the list of individual inductees were longtime boys basketball coach Tim Kelly, who coached the 2003 state championship basketball team that was inducted, longtime multi-sport coach Mike Sink and Renee Crocker Hayes, who coached the 1987-88 state girls basketball champion team that was inducted. The other state champion team recognized was the 1988 volleyball squad.
"Everybody likes to be recognized for hard work," said Kelly, who has more than 600 wins and coached his 2002-2003 team to a state title. "I had a lot of people help me get here. I had a lot of good players and assistant coaches. Yes, it's special."
The oldest living individual inductee was Shirley Swiggett Clodfelter, a basketball player who scored more than 800 points and was named all-state and won an AAU state championship in 1951.
The list also included Josh King, a member of the state championship basketball team, and LeAnn Kennedy, who played on the state champion basketball and volleyball teams. Others were wrestling coach Harold Smith (who established the program), basketball standout Josh Pittman, longtime boosters Charles Riehs and Michelle Reynolds, 1980's football star Curtis Godwin (who played at South Carolina), Godwin's brother and wrestling standout Jeremy Godwin (who played for Duke), football public address announcers Gary Hill and Tony Stanley, basketball supporter Walter (Pop) Seward, Carson Ewings and Trinity athletic historian Dan Warren.
Other members of the state championship girls basketball team were assistant coach Elaine Croker Albertson and players Deana Brown Sessions, Denise Sikes Garrick, Gail White WIlliams, Renee Hyde Allen, Lydia Hancock Pegram, Holly Fulcher Hedgecock, Darcy Parrish Anania, Robin Joyce Johnson, Tobi Wood Hooper, Lori Hill Moffitt, Stephanie Pugh, Michelle Stilley Berlein, Dawn White and Kennedy
The state champion volleyball team was coached by Cathy Claris and included players Renee Canter Martin, Robin Joyce Johnson, Pergram, Hedgecock, Sessions, Kennedy, WIlliams, Daisy Barrios-Stephenson, Lachovia Parrish Freedland, Jenifer Hughes Kruger, Denise Sikes Garrick and Lori Hill Moffitt.
Joey Freeman, Brent McDowell, Brian Nance, Rich Brindle, Richard Austin and Lindy Hall were Kelly's assistants that helped coach the state championship basketball team that included King, David Idol, Dustin Everette, Jonathan Watts, John McEachin, Spencer Smith, Brian Downing, Ben King, Jason Lewis. Matt Watkins, Dane Young and J.B. McDowell.
