Six standouts inducted into College's Wall of Fame

October 27, 2010

Christopher Cannon Maryville College Sports Information

Maryville, Tenn.- On Friday, October 22nd six outstanding student-athlete alumni will be honored by Maryville College by being inducted into the Maryville College Athletic Wall of Fame. A ceremony will take place at 10:00 a.m. in the Alumni Gymnasium on campus. The six honorees include the late Julius Nicely (Track), Ken Dickens (Football), Ed Davalos (Wrestling), Eric Etchison (Baseball), Brett Stanley (Baseball/Basketball), and Lara Sibold (Women’s Soccer).

The late Julius Nicely excelled in track and wrestling while attending MC from 1938-1941. His efforts in the field events, the long jump and high jump, helped the Highlander tracksters to capture the Tennessee intercollegiate championships, a feat that had never been reached in school history. They finished the season by winning their third consecutive Smoky Mountain track crown, which included a dual meet victory over Tennessee, which happened to be another first for the track program of Maryville. With Nicely’s hard-work, the MC grapplers maintained their leadership of the State in 1941, taking over all competitors in an undefeated season on the mat. The 1941 Championship was the 11th Tennessee State Championship for the Highland grunters.

Ken Dickens is still listed today in MC’s football record book for his stellar football seasons between 1975-1977. As an athletic strong safety, he was converted to receiver after his first season with the Scots. His 1976 team won 7 of their last 8 challenges including wins over top 10 opponents Hampden-Sydney and Millsaps. He caught the 2-point conversion to help the Scots take the game from Hampden Sydney and finished the season averaging 23 yards every time he caught a pass during the season, a long standing Scots record. He also returned kick-offs for MC and finished the season ranked in the top 5 in the nation. He was a key member on one of the most successful teams in school history when the football program went 13-4 over the 1976-1977 seasons.

Ed Davalos came to Maryville College from New Jersey, just 32 miles outside New York City. This 124 pound dynamo wrestler overcame many obstacles to become an Old Dominion Athletic Conference champion, a Regional, and National qualifier, and eventually a NCAA Division III All-American. His teams challenged themselves by competing against Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and MTSU. He helped his team to a No.18 National ranking after his freshman season. He helped his team gain national acclaim by participating in the NCAA Nationals in Wheaton, Illinois. The wrestling program was disbanded during Ed’s senior season and this dedicated student-athlete, preparing as an individual, won Mid-South and SEIWA qualifiers and wrestled with no coach in the NCAA Finals in New London, Connecticut.

Eric Etchison, Maryville College’s present Director of Sports Information, began his career in 1984 on the baseball diamond. This three-time team Most Valuable player and two-time All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference performer finished as a .389 career hitter on Scotland Yard, including record setting seasons where he hit .465 and .405 during his junior and senior seasons. He became MC’s Head baseball coach in 1993 and won his 100th game in four seasons, quicker than any baseball coach in school history. Throughout his fourteen year career as Maryville’s baseball coach, Etchison has more 20-win seasons than any other baseball coach in the school’s history. He is the only coach in the Great South to date to win back-to-back league championships. His teams still hold nine single season school records including most wins in a season by his 1995 squad.

Brett Stanley was simply one of the best pure athletes to ever wear the Orange and Garnet. In 1986-87, Brett began to display his basketball skills in the Cooper Athletic Center. As soon as the basketball post-season concluded, Brett’s athleticism needed little transition to excel on the baseball diamond. For three seasons Brett roamed MC’s outfield with a career .339 batting average. He dominated on the hardwood and according to Coach Randy Lambert, “Brett was truly one of those players that you could not wait to see what he could do next. He might come out of nowhere to block a shot or make a steal. He could run the floor for a thunderous dunk or pull up and hit the three.” His senior season, Brett averaged 13.9 pts, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game to go along with an impressive 43% 3-point percentage.

Our final 2010 Wall of Fame Inductee is Women’s Soccer Standout Lara Sibold. This Chattanooga native was nothing short of spectacular as Coach Fernandez’s goalie for four seasons. This two-time first team All-South Goalie and team captain, was named Homecoming Queen and MC’s J.D. Davis Award winner during her senior season. Over her remarkable career she had a 46-19-6 record with 32 career shutouts while tending the net. She has made her name a constant in the Maryville College record books where she holds records in the top five ever for career shutouts, fewest goals allowed in season, and season shutouts.

171 dedicated student-athletes now represent the past 14 decades of athletic excellence at Maryville College. Our Wall of Fame is located in the main hallway of the Cooper Athletic Center and we encourage fans to make time to see those honored on MC’s Wall.

On a day filled with emotion and memories, one thing continually echoed over the six members of the 35th MC Wall of Fame induction: the impact Maryville College has had on their lives.

Whether that impact be a life change, a professor, or the community of Maryville, each person was affected by what this college has done for them. Eric Etchison, baseball standout described the experience in six simple words during his heartfelt speech.

"This school has changed my life,” he said.

Since it’s foundation, the Maryville College athletics program has been about a balance of athletics and academics. The opening phrase in the athletic mission statement says, “The MC Intercollegiate Athletics Program encourages the highest standards of competition while fostering a balance between academic and athletic experiences…The sports programs, staff, and faculties reflect the excellence of our institution.”

Ken Dickens, an MC football record holder, said that it went past the athletic department and the coaches. He stated that he came here confused and without direction, but the college embraced him, changing that fact.

“Outside the athletic department, the administration, and the faculty were always going above, always wanting to work with you, and help you get the most out of the experience…I just want to tell you the impact this has had one my life,” Dickens said.

“The friends. Randy Lambert and Tony Ierulli, to see them here as coaches, and to know that they are going to continue the tradition, that this university will continue to impact young people the way it did me. I love this place, and I cherish it.”

Those friends are something that Maryville focuses on. From freshman year, students are taught the importance of community. Through this community, many students find lifelong friends, each learning from the other.

“I feel like every person I crossed paths with at Maryville has a part of me. And I feel like I have a piece of them and learned something from them, while taking something from them as well,” said Maryville’s former standout goalie, Lara Sibold.

“I wish I had taken a lot more from smart people, but I didn’t. I took a lot from soccer players, but they are the ones that are here. The smart people are out building aircrafts or something, but I feel like you are built by the people you are surrounded with.”

At Maryville, a professor might be one of those people that help build you. Three of the six inductees, Etchison, Sibold, and Brett Stanley, found a huge help in Dr. John Perry.

“Dr. Perry, you saw my numbers athletically, he would not let me be a .250 hitter in the classroom. Bottom line, he said you’re much more than that,” said Etchison.

These six members bring the Wall of Fame total to 171. At Maryville College, those members were not only known as athletes, but as well rounded members of a strong community.

Video Presentations can be seen about each 2010 Wall of fame Inductee