FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2-2-00

Pirates Name Six To AASU Athletic Hall of Fame

SAVANNAH, Ga. – A NCAA Division II National Champion tennis player, a two-time baseball All-America, a standout women's softball player and a pair of star basketball and baseball-playing twin brothers make up the 2000 class of the Armstrong Atlantic State Hall of Fame, announced today by AASU Athletic Director Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher.

Chad Armstrong (baseball), Bobby and Tommy Cannon (men's basketball/baseball), Jennifer Roberson (softball) and Philipp Schertel (men's tennis) make up this year's class. The induction ceremony will be on Thursday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alee Temple Arena as a part of AASU's “Turn Back The Clock” Homecoming of the Millenium 2000.

Joining the class of former athletes is Service Citation Award recipient Dr. Irving Victor.

“This new class represents the finest of ASC and AASU Athletics,” Dr. Aenchbacher said. “These individuals made unforgettable contributions to their respective teams and added many other intangibles to the athletic program as a whole.”

Armstrong, an outfielder for the Pirates in 1989 and 1990, earned first-team All-America honors in 1989 and second-team All-America honors in 1990 for the two AASU baseball squads that finished the season ranked No. 1 in the final NCAA Division II poll. His .396 career batting average ranks second all-time among AASU players and his .634 slugging percentage ranks fifth.

Bobby and Tommy Cannon were each stars on the Armstrong baseball and basketball squads during the 1966 and 1967 seasons as the Pirates made the move from a two-year institution to a four-year program. Tommy hit a team-best .350 and went 7-2 on the mound for the Pirates in 1967 as a first baseman and pitcher, then also played guard for coach Larry Tapp for two seasons. Bobby hit .301 and also went 5-3 with a 1.77 ERA as a pitcher and third baseman in 1976, then played center for the Pirate basketball squad. Both Cannons earned All-Conference honors in 1967 in ASC's first year of baseball competition as a four-year institution as the Pirates went 20-8 and tied for second place in the GIAC.

Jennifer Roberson was a stellar four-year outfielder on the ASC women's softball team from 1977-1980. In her senior season, she batted .454 with 27 RBI on the Lady Pirate squad that captured the state GAIAW softball championship and advanced to AIAW regional play.

Philipp Schertel was a four-year standout for the ASC men's tennis team from 1991-1995 and captured the NCAA Division II Individual Singles Championship. A four-time All-America in singles and two-time All-America in doubles, Schertel played No. 1 singles for ASC four years.

The Service Citation Award recipient, Dr. Irving Victor, attended Armstrong Junior College from 1939 to 1941 and lettered in men's tennis at the school, then has continued to support the Armstrong athletic program in the donation of scholarships and also as the chairman of the Armstrong Commission, which oversaw distribution of funds to the college's athletic department before ASC became a state institution.

The induction ceremony will conclude An Evening of Excellence in conjunction with AASU Homecoming on Feb. 17. The AASU Alumni Association will meet at 5:30 p.m., followed by a cocktail buffet at 6:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the Evening of Excellence are $20 for individuals and $35 for couples and can be purchased from the AASU Alumni Association. To contact the Alumni Association, dial 927-5263 or 1-888-437-AASU (2278).

The six honorees bring the total membership of the AASU Athletic Hall of Fame to 36 since the inaugural class was inducted in 1995.

-Pirates-