Induction ceremonies approaching after Fleming kicks off season
By Marcus Fitzsimmons | (marcusf@thedailytimes.com)
It’s almost time to deck the halls.
While the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame kicked off the season in August inducting Maryville’s Mimsy Fleming on Aug. 23, the Blount County Hall of Fame and Maryville College Wall of Fame have induction ceremonies later this month.
FLEMING
Fleming, recognized as one of East Tennessee’s top female amateur golfers for a number of years, was among those inducted in the Class of 2012 after she won seven Knox Area Women’s Golf Association titles. Her mother is Joan Ottinger Nease Elkins, and her father is the late Billy Gray Nease, both formerly of Greeneville. Her grandparents are the late Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Ottinger of Greeneville and the late Mr. and Mrs. Gray Nease of Parrottsville.
Mimsy’s father, Billy Gray Nease, died when she was only 5-years-old, and her mother remarried Jack Elkins and the family moved to Seymour. Mimsy was introduced to golf by Jack Elkins, and she cut her teeth playing at Seymour’s Bays Mountain golf course.
Fleming finished fourth in the state high school tournament her senior year and received a scholarship to play golf at UT Chattanooga. A multi-sport athlete, she was also offered a chance to play softball at Hiwassee. She played one season at Chattanooga before returning home to enroll at Tennessee. She won her first Knoxville Area Women’s title in 1987.In 1989 she became an assistant golf professional at Green Meadow Country Club and was there until 1997 when she decided to leave the golf business and start working at home as a bookkeeper for the business of her husband’s family. She later was able to regain her amateur status.
For years the match play KAWGA tournament field spent the first day trying to figure how far they could go before they ran into Fleming. Her dominance left a unique mark on the tournament that had not been seen since the legendary Ann Baker Furrow, a Maryville native, and hasn’t been challenged since.
Fleming’s fellow inductees included Glenn McNish, Charles “Bud” Lobetti, Bob Black, Charlie Severance, Terry McDaniel, Rick Byrd, Todd Kelly, David Parrington and Rocky Goode.
BLOUNT
The Blount County Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting Charles Headrick, Mike Stuart, Peggy Ballard, Kelvin Richardson, Wayne Dixon, Steve Cobble, Kenneth Hodson, and Ron “Yogi” Wilson. Also being recognized are the 1961 Walland High School Football team and the 1961-62 Walland High School girl’s basketball team.
Tickets for the 2012 Blount County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, sponsored by Blount Memorial Hospital and Pro Media, are now available at the Parks and Recreation office, 865-983-9244. Tickets for the banquet, which will be held October 29 at the Airport Hilton, are $30 each.
MC
Maryville College Athletics will celebrate the induction of six outstanding individuals into the Maryville College Wall of Fame. The year’s inductees include: Lee Taylor (Football, ’97), Scott Fletcher (Men’s Basketball, ’89), Molly Hewa Sers (Women’s Soccer, ’93), Jennifer McCafferty (Volleyball/Softball, ’94), Thomas Smith (Football, ’95), and Head Coach Phil Wilks (Football, 1988-2002).
A brunch beginning at 10 a.m Oct. 19 will initiate the festivities in the Alumni Gymnasium, 865-981-8280 and ask for Lori Christopher. MC Athletics Director Kandis Schram will introduce each inductee after a video presentation of each participant. The cost is $12.00 per person.
Wayne Phillips, of The Greeneville Sun, contributed to this report.
