Clemson To Celebrate 50 Years of ACC Excellence

Sept. 17, 2002

Clemson will celebrate its 50 years of excellence in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Saturday, September 21. The celebration will be held in conjunction with Clemson’s football game with Ball State.

Throughout the summer and fall the ACC has named 50-Year Anniversary teams in all sports. Most teams are composed of a top 50 in each sport and Clemson has been well represented. In all the sports combined, Clemson had 145 different selections named 161 times to these teams. Many of these all-time ACC greats will be at Clemson on Saturday.

A total of 48 former Clemson greats have accepted invitations to return to campus this weekend. The festivities for the recipients will begin at 10:00 AM with a brunch at the Madren Center on the Clemson campus. Family members of the honorees will meet, have a family photo made and pictures of returning players by team will also be made.

The contingent will sit together at the Clemson vs. Ball State game at Death Valley. The group will then make its way to he floor of Death Valley for halftime festivities. Each former great in attendance will be introduced and presented a certificate commemorating the accomplishment from the ACC. Later in the year all 50-Year team members will receive a wood encased medallion. At the conclusion of the ceremony a group photo will be taken and later provided to the recipients. Plans also call for the photo to be prominently displayed in Clemson’s new Heritage Hall.

Clemson had nine players named to the 50-Year anniversary football team, more than any other school. Former players Joe Bostic, Steve Fuller, Terry Kinard, Jeff Davis and Bennie Cunningham are all expected to be on hand this weekend. The football team was one of seven sports in which Clemson had the most selections. The sports that saw Clemson lead the way in selections were baseball (12), golf (12), soccer (13), tennis (15) men’s indoor track (10) and men’s outdoor track (9).

Two of the honorees on Saturday are still playing for Clemson, golfer D.J. Trahan and women’s basketball player Chrissy Floyd. The selections date to the 1960s when Jim Moorhead competed for the Tigers in men’s track and Rusty Adkins earned All-America honors on the baseball diamond. Clemson will welcome both back to campus on Saturday.

Here is a list of the ACC 50-Year Anniversary athletes who will be coming back to Clemson this weekend.

Clemson ACC 50-year Anniversary Attendees Rusty Gerhardt, Baseball Rusty Adkins, Baseball Bert Heffernan, Baseball Tree Rollins, Men’s Basketball Barbara Kennedy, W. Basketball Itoro Umoh, W. Basketball Chrissy Floyd, W. Basketball Joe Bostic, Football Bennie Cunningham, Football Jeff Davis, Football Steve Fuller, Football Terry Kinard, Football D.J. Trahan, Golf Julie Augustyniak, W. Soccer Nancy Augustyniak, W. Soccer Clyde Browne, Men’s Soccer Paulette Russell, W. Swimming Jen Mihalik, W. Swimming Jan Kemmerling, W. Swimming Ruth Grodsky, W. Swimming Pam Hayden, W. Swimming Rick Aronberg, Men’s Swimming Neil Brophy, Men’s Swimming Vince Van Gelderan, Men’s Tennis Brandon Walters, Men’s Tennis Pender Murphy, Men’s Tennis Mitch Sprengelmeyer, Men’s Tennis Miguel Nido, Men’s Tennis Kent Kinnear, Men’s Tennis Jean Desdunes, Men’s Tennis Cathy Hofer, W. Tennis Nicole Stafford, W. Tennis Sophie Woorons, W. Tennis Susan Hill, W. Tennis Martin Flynn, Men’s Track Jim Haughey, Men’s Track Roger Collins, Men’s Track Jim Moorhead, Men’s Track Larry Clark, Men’s Track Tina Krebs, W. Track Shekera Weston, W. Track Angela Dolby, W. Track Jamine Moton, W. Track Cindy Duarte, W. Track Stephanie Weikert, W. Track Kerry Robinson, W. Track Ute Jamrozy, W. Track Donnie Heckel, Wrestling