Ladies and Gents athletics introduces Centenary Athletic Club, facilities upgrades
SHREVEPORT, La. – The Centenary College Development Division and the Athletic Department announced the formation of the Centenary Athletic Club (CAC) Monday, February 19.
According to Centenary President Dr. Christopher Holoman, the CAC’s goal is to enhance the relationship between the College’s athletic programs and its alumni and friends. The CAC is also charged with increasing the level of financial support for the College’s athletic programs.
“Intercollegiate athletics is an important part of the Centenary experience for all our students as either participants or spectators,” said Holoman. “Student-athletes make up roughly half our student body and the CAC will help us provide the best competitive environment for our Ladies and Gents. It will also give our alumni specific opportunities to support the College and the sports they love.”
Centenary Athletics also announced a partnership with Shreveport-based architectural firm Somdal Associates who will assist the athletic department in creating a plan for the development of outdoor facilities.
“We’re very excited to begin work on an athletics outdoor sports facility plan,” said Centenary Director of Athletics and Recreation, Dr. Bob Bunnell. “Our first priorities are converting Mayo Field to an artificial turf facility that can accommodate both soccer and lacrosse. We plan to begin competition in men’s lacrosse in 2018-19, and are investigating the potential for also adding women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s track and field in the next several years. In addition to the renovation of Mayo Field, we plan a significant upgrade of our softball facility, which is much needed.”
With the CAC, athletic teams participate in fundraising projects for their sport along with projects which benefit all sports, such as the current project to upgrade the athletic weight room. For more information on the CAC and the individual team’s fundraising projects, visit centenary.edu/cac.
Rob Rubel ’01, a past President of the Centenary Alumni Council, has been chosen as the first board chair of the CAC.
“After years of limited opportunities to financially support athletics at our alma mater, we will finally have options thanks to the CAC,” said Rubel. “The board and I look forward to helping Ladies and Gents student-athletes succeed not only on the fields and courts, but in the classroom as well.”
Athletic fundraising projects have already been underway during the past year. In the spring of 2017, the Ladies Softball team and both Centenary Soccer teams raised money for new scoreboards at their respective fields. Centenary Golf teams, in conjunction with head coach Emlyn Aubrey, secured funding to install the state of the art Hal Sutton Golf Performance Center. The Center includes a putting green, a swing analyzer, and the ability to play a computer simulation of more than a dozen golf courses around the world.
“The initiation of project-specific fundraising for our teams is a key step in the ongoing development of the overall athletic program,” said Bunnell. “The CAC will allow us to create and recreate relationships with our alumni and supporters in the Shreveport-Bossier area. Money raised will permit us to make above-budget improvements to our facilities and team operations, and raise the level of the entire program.”
Bunnell also announced the addition of former Gents basketball great Robert Parish to the NCAA basketball Division I record books for the 2018-19 season and beyond. Due to a decision on his eligibility based on an NCAA bylaw active in the early 1970’s, Parish’s statistics were not acknowledged by the NCAA. Following an appeal filed by Centenary College in 2017 to the NCAA Media Coordination and Statistics Staff, the NCAA has decided to include his statistics as a footnote to any career and single-season statistical category applicable to Parish. Those categories include total rebounds, total double-doubles, and consecutive double-doubles. Parish will also be acknowledged as a member of the 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds club.
Parish finished his Gents basketball career with 2,334 points, 1,820 rebounds, and 93 double-doubles – including 21-straight from the end of his sophomore season through the beginning of his junior year.
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