So Many Banners, They’ll Need a Bigger Gym
Trinity Valley Community College Athletics Banquet celebrates a record-setting year
(Post sponsored by Tinsley Title, Holt Wrecker, R&R lawn specialists, Gibson Pharmacy.)
By Michael V. Hannigan
Photo by Travis Tapley
The smiles came easy Thursday night as I attended TVCC’s annual Athletic Banquet at Athens First Methodist Church.
And why not?
It’s hard to overstate just how special this year was for The Valley. Five national championships -- with softball still chasing a title -- historic firsts, and a season full of milestones made 2024–25 one of the greatest runs in school history and one the college wasn’t going to let pass without a proper celebration.
But before we got to the well-deserved awards and recognition, I wanted to know what all this success meant for the future. So I tracked down some key members of the athletic department and asked them a simple question:
What does this year’s athletic success mean for the future of TVCC’s sports programs?
The theme was clear: as good as this year was, the road ahead could be even better. They talked about tradition, momentum, opportunity — and why they expect The Valley to keep winning.
At the heart of their answers was a sense of pride not just in the trophies, but in the work it took to earn them.
"It's a tradition," TVCC President Dr. Jason Morrison said. "It's not about just this year, it's all the years prior and the years to come after. It's being part of something that's bigger than all of us. And most importantly, it's the student-athletes that come in and sacrifice."
Longtime Sports Information Officer Benny Rogers said, "It probably opens doors for athletes that might not have looked at Trinity Valley. They knew of Trinity Valley, but just the fact of five national championships this season gets your foot in the door for some athletes. It just kind of solidifies our brand as being a premier junior college program in America."
Head Athletic Trainer Troy Scott said, "I think the success can fuel the recruiting and the rebuilding every year, because we lose so many kids that go off to the next school, and we've got to replace them. The new crop of kids that come in, they want to be successful, so they're going to want to come here. It gives us the ability to use it as a tool to promote the school."
Athletic Director Eddie Kite wrapped it all up by saying, "Anytime you have this kind of success, it just builds momentum for all the other programs. You can kind of see that happening, just the momentum, the enthusiasm that other programs have. It is contagious and it builds a lot of excitement. When one team wins a championship everybody thinks they've got the same kind of opportunity, which at Trinity Valley they do because we support all the programs that way. So it's a great momentum building for all the programs, and it's very exciting to be around."
All great points and all reasons to be a fan of Cardinal sports.
But I wasn't there Thursday night for the future. It was a night to celebrate work these student-athletes had already done — and the mark they had left on The Valley.
Individual awards were handed out across all programs, recognizing leadership, perseverance, and excellence on and off the field. Top honors included:
Male Athlete of the Year: Zati Loubaki (Men’s Basketball)
Female Athlete of the Year: Kiara Wiedenhaupt (Softball)
Male Cardinal Award: Tyler Smith (Men’s Basketball)
Female Cardinal Award: Kynnedi Davis (Women’s Basketball)
Leadership Award: Champ Harris (Football)
Unsung Hero Award: Alizah Fields (Softball)
The Rock Award: Cameron Williams (Men’s Basketball)
Dynamic Duo Award: Tamara Bojanic and Vitoria Gasparini (Volleyball)
The future may be bright, but on this night, the spotlight belonged to the ones who earned it — and to a season that will be hard to top.