Last Sunday, April 20, student-athletes weathered a sudden thunderstorm to make it to Ragan-Brown Field House for this year’s athletics award ceremony. The various teams sat together in the bleachers before the ceremony began. Greg Kerr, the sports director of television channel WFMY-TV2, opened up the ceremony and joked about how President Kent Chabotar told him that he prefers channel eight. The audience’s laughter set the evening’s light-hearted mood. Chabotar then addressed the audience to congratulate Guilford athletes’ dedication to academics, joking about many bigger schools where the athletes enroll to play sports and occasionally attend classes.

Chabotar then shared some of Guilford’s future athletic projects on campus.

A half-million dollar donation will fund the removal of current tennis courts to create a park across from Milner Hall.

Plans are set to build new courts on the north end of campus, with restrooms included so people don’t have to go all the way to the Frank Family Science Center, like they currently do. Cheers and laughter filled the Field House.

Cheers also sounded as Chabotar reported good news on funding to upgrade the fitness center.

Focus then shifted to this school year’s athletic accomplishments.

“This was a fairly awesome year for Guilford athletics,” said Chabotar before reading some team and individual accomplishments.

Chabotar then signaled the unveiling of the men’s basketball team’s new Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship banner.

Mary Broos, who is retiring as the head athletic trainer but staying on as a teacher, received a standing ovation upon Chabotar’s introduction. She graciously thanked Chabotar for the improvements in the athletic facilities that have come in his tenure, including more office space in the Ragen-Brown Field House. She then thanked her fellow trainers and the team physicians, giving each physician a gift.

“(She) is truly a gem,” said keynote speaker Brenda Goble, of Broos. “I changed my major three times and she was there all the time.”

After Broos finished, the awards were handed out.

The George T. Wynne Most Improved Athlete award went to sophomore basketball player Clay Henson, who improved his scoring from 5.2 points per game to 12.9 and started in every game this year.

The Richard Joyce Sportsmanship award went to senior Caleb Kimbrough, who plays on the tennis and basketball teams.

Best Male Athlete went to senior basketball player Ben Strong, who scored 25.8 points per game and won ODAC Player of the Year.

Best Female Athlete went to senior lacrosse player Mary Hutchins, with five school records.

The Quaker Club Ideal Student-Athlete Award went to senior lacrosse player Kelly Gonzalez, who’s the recent recipient of an Ethnic Minority Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship Award.

The last award was the Dean’s Award for Academic Achievement which went to the swimming team, represented by five team-members.

Randy Doss then introduced Goble ’94 by reading aloud some of her accomplishments at Guilford.

“If Brenda isn’t the finest woman athlete in Guilford College’s history, then A) I don’t know who is and B) she’s in the team picture,” Doss said.

Goble started off talking about the importance of student athletes.

“Most spectators at away games and matches will never step on Guilford College’s campus,” Goble said. “You represent Guilford College to them.”

She thanked many people who have helped her reach accomplishments, from her parents to her teammates and the training staff. She was also grateful for Broos, who helped her with her sports medicine major.

She then told about her start in basketball when she was thrown into playing a game due to a lack of players. Previously, she had been a cheerleader who acted more like a clown, riding a unicycle and juggling before games.

“Basketball might have saved my life, at least from a life in the circus,” Goble said.

Goble then proceeded to talk about the word never and how, because of the word never, many good surprises have come her way. Without being told never, she may not have been a successful volleyball and basketball player in college. Also, she might not have moved to Indiana, where she met her husband, after growing up in Florida. So she told the audience that no one should let never run their lives. At the end of her speech, Goble found out she will be inducted into the Guilford College Hall of Fame in the hall, which followed with a standing ovation.