Port Huron, MI – The St. Clair County Community College Athletic department announced it's 2024 SC4 Hall of Fame class on Tuesday (Jan. 30). The class consists of eight athletes, one coach, one team, and one champion of Skipper athletics.
Members of the class of 2024 includes Tom Clark, Howie Ferguson, Garnett Kohler, Dr. Gwen Kollmorgan, Richard Merritt, Randy Norris, Tom Norton, Troy Schneider, Riley Thompson, Jenny (Storm) Walther and the 2015-16 women's basketball team.
Tom Clark coached the SC4 hockey team from 1974 until 1978. He first came to Port Huron when he was playing in the International Hockey League (IHL) for the Port Huron Flags. After he hung up the skates he decided to coach.
Clark was the first and only coach in school history. He coached the team to NJCAA national tournament appearances in 1976 and 1978. Along with the team success, Tom found and trained talented individuals, coaching three NJCAA All-Americans during his time at SC4.
Howie Ferguson was one of the most dominant pitchers in SC4 history. Featuring a mid-90s fastball and a cocky confident mound presence, Ferguson made a big impact in his single season with the Skippers in 1990-91.
Howie was drafted by the New York Yankees after his freshman year and went on to finish his career with 68 strikeouts to just 35 walks. Former baseball coach Rick Smith says to this day he is looking for players with the same skill set and confidence as Howie.
Garnett Kohler was a tough guard from Brown City High School. As a senior he was named the best male athlete in the Blue Water Area by the Times Herald. At SC4 he kept up his competitive spirit and athletic success. Former head coach Dale Vos said, "Garnett brought a competitive spirit every time he stepped on the court… he always did see the game as a coach and that helped everyone around him play better."
After his time at SC4 Kohler continued playing basketball at Elmhurst College (IL) before transferring to Saginaw Valley State University where he finished his bachelor's degree. Garnett is an administrator and boy's varsity basketball coach at Yale High School.
Dr. Gwen Kollmorgan was a force on the basketball court during her time as a Skipper. She helped lead the team to back-to-back MCCAA Eastern Conference Championships in 1991-92 and 1992-93, only suffering two conference losses. Her success helped build a foundation that led to 7 straight conference titles for the Skippers. Kollmorgan was named to the MCCAA All-State team both her freshman and sophomore years.
After finishing up at SC4 She transferred to the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Upon the completion of her bachelor's degree, she worked at the Harvard associated Joslyn Diabetes Center in Boston. She later moved to Germany where she completed a master's and doctorate degree in biology at the University of Hamburg. She now works for Roche Diagnostics where she manages diagnostic clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.
Richard Merritt was the voice of the Skippers for over two decades. He first started in the mid 1990's when athletic director Dale Vos needed someone to do the Public Address. "I called him up one Saturday morning to see if he could help us in a pinch, he showed up an hour later and he never left," Vos said. Merritt would continue as the voice of the Skippers through the opening of the Fieldhouse in 2016.
Rich is a true Champion of Skippers Athletics and deserving of this award honoring the legendary Jim Whymer.
Randy Norris was a smooth swinging left-handed golfer from Millington, Michigan. Norris paired with fellow Hall of Famer Tim Langolf to form a dynamic duo for the Skippers from 2009 to 2011.
Randy made his mark at SC4 during his sophomore year when he was named All-Region after taking 4th place at the NJCAA Region XII championship. That 4th place finish punched his ticket to the NJCAA DII Golf National Championship at Goose Pond Colony Plantation in Scottsboro, Alabama. Playing against the best golfers in the country, Norris finished 70th.
After leaving SC4 Randy transferred to Cleary University and continued his athletic success. He was named Athlete of the Year at Cleary in 2013 for his work on the golf course.
Norris still loves the game, he is a member at Willow Springs Country Club in Vassar, MI where he runs the junior golf program and has been named club champion 10 times.
Tom Norton was one of the best pitchers to ever put on a Skippers uniform. He played just one season at SC4 in 1969, but he made it count. During his freshman season Norton threw 45 and 2/3 innings with 63 K's and an ERA of just 0.92. That Season was all the Minnesota Twins needed to see to sign Norton to a deal. He made his MLB debut in 1972, making 21 appearances in relief, throwing 32.1 innings with 22 K's and a 3.76 ERA.
Hall of Fame coach Dick Groch said he has never seen a pitcher match the velocity and movement of Tom Norton. He recalls having to be careful practicing indoors because the hitters and catchers couldn't see his pitches.
Troy Schneider was an all-around athlete. He attended Central Michigan University to play football out of high school, but ultimately ended up at SC4 on the hardwood. Troy was a competitor by nature and would do anything it took to help his team win games.
Coach Vos said Schneider was one of the toughest competitors he ever coached. He brought it every single day whether it was practice or a game. Schneider recalls his love for taking charges and even asking coach Vos if there was some kind of record for them.
After his time at SC4 Troy transferred to Eastern Michigan University where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in education.
Riley Thompson did it all on the softball field for the Skippers from 2014 to 2016. She helped lead her teams to back-to-back 20 plus win seasons.
In the batter's box Thompson boasted an impressive slash line of a .355 batting average, a .435 on base percentage and a .497 slugging percentage. She was equally dominant on the rubber. For her career she earned a 19-8 record in 27 starts with a 2.94 ERA. She threw 113 K's in 197 and 1/3 innings pitched. Thompson was named to the All-MCCAA Eastern Conference Second Team as a sophomore.
After leaving SC4 Riley continued to play softball at Cleary University where she was named a First Team All-American, Player of the Year and a USCAA National Champion in 2018.
Upon completion of her bachelor's degree Riley earned a master's degree in psychology. She now works psychiatric SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) imaging clinic that provides diagnosis and treats mental illness.
Jenny (Storm) Walther was a coach's dream at SC4. She was the leader on a team that finished the 1994-95 season as the NJCAA DII runner up after a triple overtime loss to Kankakee Community College in the championship game.
That season, her sophomore year, Jenny averaged 17.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 assists per game. She was awarded First Team All-Conference, All-State and All-Region honors during the regular season and was named the Regional Tournament MVP. She also made the NJCAA DII National Tournament Team for her stellar play during the postseason.
After SC4 Jenny transferred to Aquinas College where she continued playing basketball and earned a bachelor's degree in science and arts with an elementary teaching certification.
The 2015-16 Women's Basketball Team was the first and only season at the helm for coach Akilah Edmondson. The Skippers were looking to get back to the NJCAA DII National Championship for the first 4th time in 5 years, and they were able to do just that.
They finished the regular season with a 23-12 record including a 10-6 record in conference play. That earned them the 5 seed in the Region Tournament and that was all they needed. The Skippers played spoiler during the tournament upsetting the number 4 seeded Delta, the top seeded Oakland, and the number 3 seed Macomb on their way to a district championship.
Team members included Tamira McCoy-Motton, Keegan Nelson, Leah Humes, Da'Neesha Bracey, Madison Valko, Caitlyn Carlson, Tierra Kelley, Jordan Johnson, Jenna Boyl, Lauren Lewis, Carlie Theume, Kendall Stoll, and Briann Alspaugh. Head coach Akilah Edmondson was assisted by Lucretia Bowerman and Chrishonda Miles.
"I am excited to induct a new class into the SC4 Hall of Fame. This is a special class that has made a profound impact on Skippers Athletics." Said Director of Athletics Dale Vos.
The 2024 SC4 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, February 2nd at 7:30 PM. There will be a social hour with a cash bar and hors d 'Oeuvres at 6:00 PM. To purchase tickets, visit here.
To learn about past inductees or to read more about the 2024 class, visit here.
