On Friday, October 4th, the 2019 Homecoming Awards were presented in order to recognize and celebrate faithful leadership among Gordon students and alumni. The event took place at the A.J. Memorial Chapel.
Following the presentation of the “Athletics Hall of Honor” inductees, President Lindsay announced a multimillion-dollar gift in athletics from the Kanas family. The gift will benefit capital improvement for Gordon College’s athletics, some of which have begun and others that will be completed within a year, where there will be a formal dedication at Homecoming 2020. The majority of the gift will go to refreshing the Bennett Center gymnasium, which will be renamed in honor of the Kanas family.
“Improvements will include new bleachers, scoreboards, scoring tables, a fresh floor design, as well as acoustic upgrades,” said Lindsay. “The gift will also begin the formation of a baseball team room and an equipment room, renovations for the Bennett Center classroom, conference room, locker room, upgrades to the aerobics room, new roofing, and more storage for athletics.”
Also awarded that evening was the “Lindsay Leadership Scholarship,” which was presented by President Lindsay and Dan Tymann to Joshua Grambow ‘20 and Yabisi Wen ‘21. This award was created to recognize and honor students who serve in leadership roles on campus, exhibit excellence in their field of study, and demonstrate a commitment to Gordon’s Christian values.
Christine Gardner went on to present the “Dick and Jody Gross Servant Leadership Scholarship,” which was given to 12 current students. This award was established in the early 1990s to honor former Gordon College president and first lady Dick and Jody Gross. The recipients are individuals who demonstrate dedication and commitment to servant leadership. Awardees included: Addison Abbot ‘20, Matthew Alaniz ‘20, Tochi Anioke ‘20, Ashton Barkey ‘20, Amber Jogie ‘20, Arley Kangas ‘20, Isabelle Monteiro ‘20, Salome Palmer ‘20, Cassandra Reyes ‘20, Kenna Smigloani ‘21, Walker Tuttle ‘20, and Isaac Yang ‘20.
The “Eric Liddell Award” is given to student athletes who demonstrate a lifestyle consistent with the values embodied in the life and accomplishments of Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic gold medalist. He went on to become a missionary in China and demonstrated a strong commitment to the Christian faith, integrity, respect, and a dedication to excellence in sportsmanship and athleticism, both on and off the playing field. The award was presented by Christine Gardner to Anne Lemmer ‘20, Amanda Snyder ‘20, and Sebastian Toro ‘20.
Vice President of Marketing and External Relations Rick Sweeney, who is the cabinet member that oversees athletics, stood in for Athletic Director Jon Thymann as the announcer of the inductees. Two Gordon alumni were inducted into the “Athletics Hall of Honor.”
Brianna Riddell ‘04 was presented with the award by Cory Ward, who was her field hockey coach. Riddell is a two-time team captain, an all time record holder for goalkeeper wins, and holds multiple season records for goalkeeper wins. Former basketball coach Jack Augustine also presented the award to George Richardson, who graduated from Barrington College in 1967. He was a three-sport athlete and was the first in Barrington history to be a part of the All New England Selection. Richardson received 11 varsity letters in his athletic career for baseball, basketball, and soccer.
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