Showcasing Excellence in Sports

Agnes Scott Athletics Celebrates Its 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

BY SARA BAXTER

The Agnes Scott College Department of Athletics hosted the 2022 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on Nov. 11, honoring former Scotties who made a lasting impact, from athletic accomplishment or meritorious service.

The Agnes Scott College Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 2021 to honor and pay tribute to athletes, teams, coaches and others who have made outstanding contributions to the Department of Athletics. Those selected for the Hall of Fame have used their contributions to bring recognition and distinction to Agnes Scott College.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which bans discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities, Agnes Scott created a new category of Scottie Hall of Famers: The Trailblazers.

“These are Scotties who competed in sports pre-1999 before we had an established NCAA program,” explains Markesha Henderson, Agnes Scott’s former director of athletics and physical education. “With a history of organized sports offerings dating back to 1897, Agnes Scott College was in many cases one of the few places women had access to sports before Title IX. The stories that are coming through the nomination process are simply amazing.”

Hall of Fame Class of 2022 inductees include:

Rachel Storz Parkman ’13 played tennis for Agnes Scott from 2009 to 2013 and has a 54-13 career singles record with only two conference losses in four seasons.

Coaches’ Honoree Catherine Geerlings served as head volleyball coach of multiple conference awardwinning athletes. Geerlings was the recipient of the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) Coach of the Year (2016-2017) Award and coached the 2013 volleyball team that won the GSAC Conference Championship, which is the only conference championship in the volleyball program’s history.

Administrator Honoree Gué Pardue Hudson ’68, dean of students emerita, made sports a primary part of the student experience at Agnes Scott. She navigated athletics’ membership in the NAIA and NCAA, which established a competitive intercollegiate athletic program that earned multiple conference championships and NCAA berths.

Legacy Honoree Bernie Todd Smith ’71x serves as the chair of the Athletics Advisory Board, which was formed to support the growth and strategic priorities of the intercollegiate athletics program. She has chaired the board since its inception and has championed many efforts to cultivate resources for the enhancement of athletics, including a facilities fund, the golf classic and the Athletics Hall of Fame.

Trailblazer Alice Davidson ’66 played field hockey, basketball, volleyball and tennis before formal intercollegiate competition was established. During the college’s intramural tournaments, Davidson was both the tennis singles champion as well as doubles champion with partner Judy Ahrano, and was recognized by her peers in the class of 1968 as the best athlete at the college.

The 2012 Soccer Team is the first and only Agnes Scott soccer team to win a conference championship. Coached by Joe Bergin, members included Hallie Bates ’16, Claire Cusack ’13, Kylie Flynn ’14, Vicky Freyer ’15x, Bria Harris ’16x, Anna Hernandez ’15x, Camila Hernandez ’16, Stephanie Hicks ’16, Sydney Holstad ’16, Clara Kienzle ’13, Emily Kirk ’16, Ciara Micacchione, Marisa Roecks ’12, Nikki Ruffin ’16, Maddie Shaul ’15, Dana Smith ’13, Helene Somda ’15, Janelle Sourbeer ’13, Ashley Watts ’13 and Betty Wright ’16.

The enshrinement activities included the induction ceremony and dinner on Nov. 11 and a presentation of the Hall of Fame inductees during halftime of the 2022 Agnes Scott Tip-off Classic on Nov. 12. The legacy of Agnes Scott athletics is forever enshrined in the Agnes Scott Athletics Hall of Fame. We extend our congratulations to the Hall of Fame inductees of 2022.