Humbled and Honored

Do I answer it? you wonder. Is it spam? Or some scam? Or another annoying telemarketer? Or maybe just a wrong number?

That’s the quandary in which four Collegiate graduates recently found themselves. Each sat tight and let the message roll to voice mail.

 

Turns out it was fellow alumnus Alex Cecil ’83 calling with some exciting news — he just didn’t tell them what it was — and when they finally connected with him a few minutes later, they learned that they had been selected for induction into their alma mater’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Steve Sica ’01, Dominique Meeks Gombe ’09, Thomas Stephens ’11, and Campbell Brewer ’15 along with 1997 boys soccer (17-0-1, Prep League champ), 1998-99 wrestling (Prep League and state champ), and 1999 girls cross country (League of Independent Schools and state champ) will be honored today in ceremonies first in the Sharp Academic Commons and later in the Oates Theater.

 

“They were caught off guard, quite frankly,” said Cecil, who headed the selection committee. “The people who are that great at what they did, and it’s been a while for these folks, don’t think about it. They’re not waiting to be honored. That’s not how they’re geared.”

 

Still…

 

“They were honored and humbled,” Cecil added. “That was the underlying theme of what I heard from all four.”

 

In the purest sense, high school athletes compete in the moment for the love of their sport (or sports), for the shared experiences with their teammates and coaches, and for the myriad memories they collectively create. Then, when their eligibility expires, they head off to their next adventures. They may reflect on the practices, the bus rides, the games, meets, and matches, and the ups and downs that sports provide, but life moves on.

 

That said, occasionally they revisit the past, occasionally the past revisits them, and that’s a good thing.

 

“They’re excited,” Cecil said. “Some of them are in disbelief even though they know in their own hearts how good they were. I’m excited for them. It’s a really unbelievable group of four people.” 

 

Sica is Collegiate’s only three-time VISAA wrestling champion, twice in the 103-pound weight class and once at 119. He was also a three-time Prep League champ and twice a prep All-American. His 130 career victories rank third in program history. He recorded 17 pins during the 1998-1999 season when the Cougars won both the league and state titles.

 

He was also an All-Prep, All-VISAA, and All-Metro cross country runner who in spring track contributed significant team points in the 3200 in dual-meet, league, and state competition.

 

“Knowing how many great athletes are in there [the Hall of Fame] and being part of it is a great honor,” he said. “I appreciate being recognized. The best part is going in with the ’99 wrestling team. That was a special team all around. They worked just as hard as I did, and I’m glad they’re being recognized as well.”

 

Meeks earned All-LIS honors in volleyball, basketball, and track and field. She’s the only female basketball player in program history to surpass 1,000 points (1,191) and 1,000 rebounds (1017). She’s also second on the career list in steals (246) and ninth in assists (151).  She won three LIS shot put titles, and her personal best (38-4) stood as the school record from 2009-2022.

 

When the call came, she was, she admitted, taken aback.

 

“Actually, I really didn’t know what to think,” she said. “I never thought about the Hall of Fame. It’s very humbling that enough people thought I was worthy.”

 

Among his many achievements as a swimmer, Stephens earned seven state championships and 16 all-state, one state swimmer of the year, and 10 All-American citations. He was Collegiate’s co-valedictorian and Richmond Times-Dispatch/Sports Backers Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2011 and the T-D’s male swimmer of the year in both 2010 and 2011.

 

“There are incredible [multi-sport] athletes who have come through Collegiate,” he said. “I made strong contributions in one sport. I was really proud of the teams I was on through the years at Collegiate. This [individual recognition] is humbling.”

 

Brewer started five years each in varsity field hockey and lacrosse and four years in swimming.

 

As a hockey goalie, she was voted All-LIS and All-VISAA four times and All-Metro as a sophomore, junior and senior.

 

Four times, she earned All-LIS honors as a sprint freestyle relay swimmer and scored 18 times in various events in league meets. She also scored 13 times in state-level competition, shared three state relay records, and earned four all-state citations.

 

As an attack in lacrosse, she was All-LIS four times, all-state twice, US Lacrosse regional All-American and All-Academic as a junior, and US Lacrosse All-American as a senior.

 

“It made me feel really nostalgic,” she said of Cecil’s out-of-the-blue call. “I loved my time at Dartmouth (where she played lacrosse), but Collegiate was so special.”

~Weldon Bradshaw