SWEET BRIAR, Va. – Sweet Briar College hosted a ceremony on Saturday afternoon honoring its three inductees into the inaugural class of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Hall of Fame.
Honored by the Conference in a ceremony attended by ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston and Sweet Briar Director of Athletics
Donna Hodgert '89 were Miss Ackerman '87, Jennifer Crispen and Bonnie Kestner.
A standout field hockey and lacrosse player during her time at Sweet Briar, Missy Ackerman has gone on to a very successful coaching and athletics administration career.
Ackerman is currently serving as the Assistant Director of the University Farm at Case Western Reserve University and previously served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations, Corporate Sponsorships, and Marketing. Before her current appointment, Ackerman worked for Longwood University and Saint Gertrude High School in Richmond, Va.
In addition to her experience in athletic administration, Ackerman was an accomplished college lacrosse and field hockey coach, including five years at Sweet Briar. She coached 17 Academic All-Americans and 11 National All-Americans over her career. She was named Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in women's lacrosse three times and field hockey twice.
During her collegiate playing career, Ackerman was named All-Conference twice in both field hockey and lacrosse. During her senior campaign, she was named ODAC Player of the Year and an All-American for both sports. Her Sweet Briar career concluded with scoring 60 goals during the 1987 lacrosse season.
Jennifer Crispen was an associate professor in physical education and a coach at Sweet Briar for more than 30 years. She began in July 1977 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 1982. She received tenure in 1981 and served as the chair of physical education from 1979 to 1983. She was the first woman to serve as the chair of the faculty senate. As a coach at Sweet Briar, Jennifer was the Field hockey coach from 1977 until 2008 and the lacrosse coach from 1977 until 1995. Having mentored hundreds of Field hockey and Lacrosse women through many generations, it is rare that an athlete would graduate from Sweet Briar without having worked with Jennifer.
Among the winningest coaches in the country, Crispen had 39 years of collegiate experience as well as work in the U.S. Elite and Olympic Development Programs. She coached at Skidmore and Mount Holyoke before coming to Sweet Briar, and in 2002, she coached her 500th field hockey game. In 2004, she was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame.
As a player, she was a member of the U.S. squad and played against Germany, Wales, Canada, Holland and England. She also chaired the U.S. Field Hockey Association committee that created the first national coaching certification program. She was a member of the NCAA Division III National Field Hockey Committee and was the NCAA collegiate rules liaison. She was honored by her peers as the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times, and in 1994 became the 10th inductee into the 200 Victory Club of the College Field Hockey Coaches Association. Her career record was 292-226-21.
Bonnie served as the head swim coach from 1977-1987, again from 1997-2003 and was assistant coach from 2003-2014. She came to Sweet Briar from Yale University, where she broke barriers as the first-ever female competitive swimmer at the institution and first captain of its varsity women's swimming and diving program.
Bonnie's impact on the program was immediately felt, as the team went on to become Virginia Small College Champions in the spring of 1978. A four-time Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Coach of the Year, Bonnie produced one AIAW National finalist, five NCAA Division III All-Americans and 18 All-Conference swimmers. During her time at the helm of the program, the Vixens went on to win four ODAC titles, while five swimmers were named ODAC Swimmer of the Year.
Additionally, Bonnie served on the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Committee and, in 2007, was ranked by FINA as one of the top ten master swimmers in the world in her age group. Currently, the ODAC keeps Bonnie's legacy alive through the Bonnie Kestner Sportsmanship Award, which goes to a swimmer who demonstrates dedication and true sportsmanship every year at the conference championships.
"This inaugural Hall of Fame class embodies the heart and soul of the ODAC," explained ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston in an earlier press release put out by the Conference. "They are champions, leaders, and trailblazers whose influence reaches far beyond wins and championships. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are proud to honor individuals whose dedication and spirit have left an indelible mark on the conference and inspired all who have been part of our story."
This first class features honorees from all eight original charter members from 1976: Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite College (now University), Emory & Henry College (now University), Hampden-Sydney College, Lynchburg College (now University of Lynchburg), Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College, and Washington and Lee University. Each of those schools selected four members for inclusion, while three honorees each from Guilford College, Hollins College (now University), Randolph-Macon Women's College (now Randolph College), Sweet Briar College, and Virginia Wesleyan College (now University) feature in this class.
To read the release from the ODAC on the inaugural Hall of Fame class, click
HERE.
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