WATERVILLE, September 2016 — Three-time NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Champion Head Coach Jim Calhoun will speak at the 2016 Thomas College Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on October 14 from 6-8:30 p.m. in the Spann Student Commons at Thomas College in Waterville.
Calhoun is a member of both the Basketball Hall of Fame (2005) and the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2006) as the result of an illustrious 26 years coaching the University of Connecticut Men’s Basketball team, as well as 14 years at Northeastern University. During his time at UConn and Northeastern, he amassed 877 career wins, placing him fifth all-time amongst college basketball head coaches. He led his Huskies to seven Big East Tournament championships, five Final Fours, and three national championships. During that time, he recruited and coached seven consensus All-Americans. He was also the NCAA Coach of the Year during the 1990 season.
The event will include a half-hour social and dinner to go along with the induction and plaque unveiling for the Class of 2016. Cost is $25 to attend for adults and $15 for youth ages 6-12. Registration for the event is required and can be completed online.
The inductees include Mike Ross ’09, Erin Lovely ’03, and Brittany (Morin) Johnson ’09.
Mike Ross joined the Thomas Lacrosse program during its first full season, participating as a member of the NCAA. A four-year starter at mid-field, Ross immediately established himself as the best all-around player for the Terriers. He also served as captain for two seasons in 2007 and 2008. He earned First-Team All-Conference honors for three seasons: 2006, 2007, and 2008.
In his final season, Ross was named to the North Atlantic Conference All-Tournament Team and was named NAC Player of the Year, leading the Terriers to their best season in program history. Ross was also captain of the Men’s Basketball team at Thomas during the 2008-09 season.
At the completion of his senior season, Ross was the first Thomas College and North Atlantic Conference representative to participate in the USILA Division III North South Game, as well as the NEILA Division III East West Game. Both are prestigious all-star teams comprised of the best senior lacrosse players in the country.
Originally from York, ME, Ross also excelled at York High School, where he was a three-sport athlete. Ross graduated Thomas with a degree in Finance in 2009 and now resides in Maine.
Erin Lovely is one of the great scorers in Thomas College Women’s Basketball history, with over 1,600 career points scored. She was named the Maine Athletic Conference Basketball Rookie of the Year, as well as being included on the State of Maine All-Rookie team her first season on campus. She went on to earn MAC First-Team All-Conference honors during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.
Lovely was a standout for the Terriers in field hockey, being named 1999 Maine Athletic Conference Field Hockey Rookie of the Year, as well as earning All-MAC Field Hockey Team recognition in 2000 and 2001. She was also a member of the Thomas Softball program.
Originally from Oxford, ME, she excelled at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School where she was a three-sport standout. Lovely graduated with a degree in Sport Management in 2003 and now resides in Maine.
Brittany (Morin) Johnson was a four-year starter at shortstop for the Terriers Softball program. Never batting below .341 in a season, she earned numerous North Atlantic Conference selections, including being named the NAC Rookie of the Year in 2006, 2nd Team All-NAC in 2007, NAC Honorable Mention in 2008, and 1st Team All-NAC in 2009. She was also named to the NAC All-Tournament Team in both 2008 and 2009. On the soccer field, Johnson was a standout as a three-year starter and captain as a junior, where she earned the 2005 NAC Rookie of the Year as well as being named 1st Team All-NAC. She was also named 2nd Team All-NAC in 2007. As a point guard, she was a strong contributor to the Thomas Basketball program.
Johnson came to Thomas from Winslow High School in Winslow, ME, where she was a three-sport standout. There she won three combined state titles in basketball and softball and was named 2005 Miss Maine Softball. Johnson graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and now resides in Maine.