Hall of Fame + Championships | Athletics | Hammond School | Columbia, South Carolina

Coach Charles McAlister, fondly known as Coach Mac, began coaching Hammond’s Girls Varsity Basketball Team in 1982, amassing 497 game wins and leading eight Hammond teams to state championship wins, including one varsity boys team.  In 1990, he became one of only a handful of South Carolina coaches to successfully coach both boys and girls varsity teams to state titles in the same year. He was named Coach of the Year six times throughout his career, while leading his team to 15 Region Championships.  Columbia Mayor Bob Coble proclaimed January 26 Coach Mac Day.  In 2002, Hammond’s basketball court was dedicated in his name.  His love and dedication to his players and the school never ended. Following his retirement from coaching, he was a staple at many Skyhawk games. He was passionate about supporting former players even after their journey at Hammond was over.
 

Bill began his varsity basketball career at Hammond in 8th grade, where he was a starter and five-year letterman. Voted MVP as a sophomore, junior, and senior, he was the all-time leading scorer, amassing 2,227 points. Bill averaged 19.8 points per game over his five-year career, averaging 27.4 as a senior. For three consecutive years he was named SCISA All Region, All- State, and MVP at the SCISA Inaugural All-Star game.  He was named 2A player of the Year and in 1975 he was named to the Midland’s Dream Team.  He appeared in a State Championship game all five seasons, winning two for the Skyhawks.  He was part of a 91-game winning streak and one of two members of the Hammond 2,000-point club.  Bill was the first SCISA athlete to receive a Division 1 Scholarship. While at the University of South Carolina, he was a two-year letterman, freshman All-Academic award winner, and started nine games as a sophomore.  His basketball jersey is retired at Hammond.
 

As a Hammond Skyhawk, Marsi participated in basketball and softball, as well as competed in track and field.  She was a five-year letterman in basketball, with two state titles, four region tournament championships, and four MVP honors.  Marsi was named an Adidas All-American, Parade All-American, and a Street & Smith All- American.  She was named to the Palmetto Service All State Basketball Team, recruited by over 100 colleges and universities. She was the national AAU Junior Olympics Basketball runner-up in 1981, and champion in 1982.  As a senior, Marsi was named Team Captain to the All-Midlands Team, All-Area Team, and listed as the #6 guard in the country.  She attended the University of South Carolina on a full basketball scholarship, where she played both basketball and softball.  She is a member of the 1,000 Point Club and in the top 30 in all time points scored.  Twice she was named team captain, and was chosen as the Gamecock’s Best Defensive Player three times.  She received many accolades including All-South Region, All-South Atlantic Region, All-Tournament teams, and was named to the All-State Collegiate team in 1983.  Marsi was named National American Women’s Federation Co-Player of the Week and was a member of the 1982-1983 Basketball team that was at one time ranked #3 in the country.  She received an invitation to try out for the WNBA in 1988.  Her basketball jersey is retired at Hammond.
 

Martha Parker Hester played basketball, volleyball, and softball while at Hammond.  As a basketball player, she was a four-time MVP of her high school team, a two-time Street & Smith, Parade, and an Adidas All-American.  She averaged 28.7 Points and 10 rebounds per game, scoring over 2500 points in her high school career. Martha led the Skyhawks to five State Championships.  She lettered four years in volleyball and six years in softball.  As a member of the volleyball team, she was a three-time MVP and a two-time MVP for the softball team.  She was also a High School Academic All American.  Martha Parker Hester played her four-year college career at USC.  At the University of South Carolina, she ranked 5th in all-time scoring with 1,728 points, and 2nd in all-time steals with 284, earned all-American honors from American Women’s Sports Federation, and was named twice All-American from the Women’s Basketball News Service.  Martha Parker started 122 of 124 games as a Gamecock and was named to the GTE All-American Team her last two seasons.  Martha was honored by the SEC in 2000 as the USC Female Entrepreneur of the Year.  She was inducted into the University of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2002 and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. Her basketball jersey is retired at Hammond.

Jason played football and baseball at Hammond, lettering in football for two years, and baseball for four years.  On the diamond, he recorded a 29-5 record as a starting pitcher.  He is a three-time All-Conference winner and a three-time All-Area Selection winner by The State Newspaper.  As a pitcher, he recorded over 100 strikeouts in each of three seasons.  In his junior and senior seasons, his combined batting average was over .400, with eight home runs.  As a senior, he hit five doubles, six triples, and had 30 RBI’s.  Jason was selected to be a member of the three-time PAC Conference team.  As a football player, he was captain of two state championship teams and named to the 1990 PAC All-Conference, All-Area, and All-State teams.  After graduating from Hammond, Jason was recruited to play baseball at Presbyterian College (PC) by Tim Corbin, current Vanderbilt Head Coach. As a Blue Hose, he was a three-year letter winner. Throughout his career his starts included third base, shortstop, and second base. In addition, he was a weekend starting pitcher for conference play. As a senior at PC he was a recipient of the Presbyterian College Team Cy Young Award.  Jason was named to Presbyterian College All-Century Team and is tied for 10th in all-time wins as a starting pitcher (15), third in shutouts (2), and is sixth in all-time ERA (4.03).  Jason’s baseball jersey is retired at Hammond.

In football, Michael was a three-year letterman, named three-time All-State, three-time All-Area, three-time All-Conference and three-time team MVP.  As a Hammond scholar-athlete, he was a member of the 1991 State Championship Team and the 1992 regular season conference championship team.  During his career at Hammond, he rushed for 3,348 yards and 41 TD’s.  On defense he was responsible for147 career tackles, three sacks, and five interceptions.  His team record over the three-year span was 25-6.  While at Hammond he also lettered in basketball and track.  In basketball, Michael was a three-time North/South All-State selection and averaged 10.7 points per game during his high school career. He was All-Conference in track, and set the 4x100 relay team conference and school records and was named All-Conference.  Michael graduated and pursued football at Wofford College where he was a four-year football letterman and a one-year track letterman.  While playing for the Terriers, he had 840 career yards, 10 TD’s and six receptions for 58 yards.  Michael was a two-year starter for Wofford and led his team in scoring his junior year with 44 points.  His biggest career achievement in college was in 1996 when he scored two touchdowns in the upset win over the Citadel in Charleston.   His football jersey is retired at Hammond.

Brian was a four-year letterman winner in baseball and a three-year letterman in football while at Hammond. As a baseball player, he received the Coach’s award as a sophomore and as a junior. Brian was named team MVP, All-Conference and All-State. During his senior season he was named Team MVP, All-Conference, All-State, Player of the Year for CISAA, and Player of the Year for Carolina Independent School Baseball Coach’s Association. The same year, he led his team in batting average and to a state runner-up title. As a football player, Brian was named Most Outstanding Defensive Lineman and All-Conference as a junior. He was named to the All-Conference and All-Area teams in his senior year. Following graduation from Hammond, Brian was recruited to play baseball at Clemson University. As a redshirt freshman he appeared in 23 games, four starts, and batted .320 for the Tigers. As a sophomore he was put in the lead-off position, with an on-base percentage of .535 and had the second highest batting average on the team with .374. His junior season, he started 56 games as catcher, and compiled 15 doubles, one triple, four homeruns, and 45 RBI’s. Brian was named Co-Captain and voted “Most Dedicated” by his teammates, starting 60 games and was named to the Johnny Bench Catcher of the Year list in his final season. He earned All-Region team honors as a senior and helped lead Clemson to the College World Series, where the Tigers finished #5 in the country. Brian’s baseball jersey is retired at Hammond.

While at Hammond, Jody lettered in basketball, football, and baseball.  As a hoopster, he ranked as the 92nd top recruit in the nation.  He led his team to a 23-6 season his senior year and to a Final Four appearance. While a senior, he averaged 18.5 points per game, 12 rebounds, and three blocks per game. As a junior, his average was 22.5 points per game, 14 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks per game. Jody earned Street & Smith All-American Honors and was three-time All-State and All-Conference.  After graduation, Jody played at the collegiate level at Rice University and the College of Charleston.  In 2001, he was named SoCon Player of the year, averaging 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.  He was a member of the Cougars team that went 19-0 in conference play and finished 16 nationally in the AP Top 25.  Playing for the Cougars, he led the team to three SoCon regular season titles and an NCAA appearance.  Jody was a first-time All-SoCon selection by coaches and a two-time All-SoCon selection by the media.  During his college career, he scored over 1300 points and 700 rebounds, was ranked ninth in all-time rebounding, and 18th in all-time scoring at The College of Charleston.  He holds the record for all-time leading career blocks for the Cougars and was the first basketball player in school history to be named an Academic All-American in 1999 and 2000.   In 2016, he was inducted to the College of Charleston Hall of Fame. Jody finished his career playing professionally overseas. Jody’s basketball jersey is retired at Hammond.

While at Hammond, Liz Price Brewer was a four-year letter winner in Volleyball and Basketball and a one year letter winner in Track.  In volleyball she twice was named Outstanding Offensive Player and was a two-time Junior National Competitor.  In 1994, she was awarded the Volleyball Leadership Award, and in 1996, she was named to the CISAA All-Conference team and the All-Midlands team. In 1997, she was named Captain of the Team, named to the SCISA All-Tournament team, All-Star team, All-Region team, All-State team, All-Midlands team, and played in the North/South All-Star game.  Liz also received the MVP award and was named SCISA Player of the Week. Her senior year in Basketball she was named captain of the team, selected to the SCISA All-Tournament team, was the SCISA Tournament MVP, and was named Outstanding Rebounder by Coach Mac. Liz was awarded the Senior Athletic Award and was a recipient of the Lenoir Rhyne Leadership Scholarship. Liz graduated to play volleyball for the University of South Carolina as a Preferred Walk-on and earned a full athletic scholarship her senior year. She was the first Hammond volleyball player to play at the Division 1 level.  She was a four-year letter winner, four-time SEC academic honor roll recipient, member of the Dean’s list, recipient of the TOAST Award by the Department of Student Life and Office of Leadership Programs. She also received the Richland County Gamecock Club Award for athletic accomplishment and leadership.  As a Gamecock, her team finished second in the SEC East four-years in a row and played in three NCAA tournaments. Her junior year the team was ranked 22nd in the nation, the first time in program history for a top 25 ranking.  In the 2000 season, Liz had 214 digs and 20 aces. Liz's volleyball jersey is retired at Hammond.

As a Hammond student-athlete, Zeb lettered in basketball and track and field. A basketball standout, he was named to the SCISA All-Region team and SCISA All-State team for three consecutive years. While a senior, he served as Team Captain and was honored as SCISA player of the year, averaging 23 points per game, 13.5 rebounds, and shot 70% from the field.   Zeb set the Hammond record for most points in a game and most rebounds in a season. In 1999, he led the Skyhawks to a state championship win and was named an Adidas All-American and All-Star. In addition to his success on the basketball court, Zeb was a three-time state championship winner in track and field, holding individual state championships in the triple jump and discus. After graduating from Hammond, he earned a scholarship to play basketball at The College of William & Mary, where he was a four-year letter winner for the Tribe. He was named Team Captain in 2003 and 2004, and started 27 of 28 games as a senior, averaging 12 points and 6 rebounds per game. Zeb played six years of professional basketball in Spain, Switzerland, and France. He was named four-time team captain over his professional career and in his best season averaged 18 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists earning All-League First Team honors, Forward of the Year, and MVP.

During Braeden’s tenure at Hammond, he was named to three All-Region teams, three SCISA All-State Teams, three HSSR All-State teams and invited to play in three North-South All-Star games in soccer.  He received the Coach’s Award in 2010 and 2011 along with the Carl Foster Award and the Joseph Walker-Sumpter Mills Clarke award.  Braeden was named SCISA player of the year in 2010 and 2011, was an ESPN Second Team High School All-American, named to Top Drawer Soccer, Top 100 in the Nation, and Top-Drawer Top 20 in the South Atlantic region.  He played for four years at the University of South Carolina.  While a Gamecock, he was named All- Conference USA three years in a row, named to the 2014 Conference USA All-Tournament team, received the Bill Lauritzn Best Defensive Player Award, the John Johnson MVP Award twice, 2015 Senior Class Award Candidate and Conference USA Men’s Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year.  In addition, he was named to the Capital One All-American First team and was the University of South Carolina Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2015.  He was drafted by the Richmond Kickers in 2015 and played four seasons with 124 starts and 133 appearances.

While at Hammond, BJ earned letters in football, track, and basketball.  He was a three-year starter on three state championship football teams.  His senior season BJ was named SCISA 3-A Offensive Player of the Year, SCISA All-State, Team MVP, and Team Captain.  In his senior year, BJ rushed for over 1,000 yards and 22 touchdowns, while catching 29 passes for 418 yards and 5 touchdowns.  He was named HSSR SCISA Mr. Football.  As a track athlete, he won MVP honors at the state meet and was named SCISA 3-A Male Track Athlete of the Year.  BJ still holds the SCISA state record in the 110 hurdles and the school record in the 400 hurdles, long jump, and triple jump.  BJ earned a full scholarship to play football at Elon University, where he was a three-year starter.  As a redshirt freshman he earned Freshman of the Year honors and was named to the All-Conference Rookie Team.  As a redshirt sophomore he led the team in rushing with 464 yards, and tied the team lead with four rushing touchdowns.  He caught 19 passes for 116 yards, and one touchdown.  As a redshirt junior he was second on the team in rushing with 292 yards and one touchdown.  As a senior he received the CAA Commissioner Award for Academics.

A star on the hardwood for the Skyhawks, Daniel Bailey was a lettered four years in basketball.  He was a three time All-Region and All-State selection, was voted Player of the Year two times, and is a member of the 1,000-point club.  Daniel led his team to two region titles and a state runner-up finish, earning him a chance to play at the next level.  After signing a scholarship to Queens University of Charlotte, Daniel finished his four years as the program’s second all-time leading scorer and rebounder, with 1,771 points and 812 rebounds. Daniel also finished his career for the Royals as the All-Time leader of Field Goals (687), Defensive Rebounds (758) and Defensive Rebounds per game (6.6). He was a three-time All-Conference selection, two-time NABC All-District selection, named Freshman of the Year in 2009, named two-time Captain, and was a 2nd Team All-American.  Daniel led the Royals to two conference championships.  After college, Daniel continued his career by playing professionally overseas for seven seasons. 

Ree was a three-sport athlete for the Skyhawks and lettered in basketball, baseball, and golf.  Ree Hart was a two-time state champion in basketball.  Through his career, Ree received multiple accolades such as All-Conference and All-State.  He is a member of the 1,000-point club (prior to the three-point line) and led his team in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.  A leader both on and off the court, Ree was named captain of the basketball team and served as Student Body Vice President and Student Body President.  On the diamond, he led his team with RBI’s.  After graduating from Hammond in 1973, Ree played and lettered in basketball at Presbyterian College.

Lucy Hines, a multi-sport star for the Skyhawks, lettered four times in basketball and volleyball, and one year in softball.  As a member of the varsity basketball team since her freshman year, Lucy garnered many accolades.  She was selected to two All-Conference, All-State, and All-Midlands Teams, was named team MVP, team Captain, and named to multiple All-Tournament teams.  As a senior, she averaged 16.3 ppg, along with 12.6 rbg, paving her way to a basketball scholarship to Wofford.  Lucy also played volleyball and was selected All-Conference, All-State, Team Captain, and Hammond MVP her junior and senior seasons.  Lucy was awarded the Joseph Walker Sumpter Clarkes Scholar-Athlete Award as a senior.  At Wofford, she was Captain from 1998-2001, awarded Team MVP, and was the SoCon Shot Block Leader for two years in a row.  She ended her career at Wofford with 803 points, 507 rebounds, 169 blocks, 90 steals, and 49 assists.

Roo Daniels was a four-year letterman in both football and baseball. Roo broke into the starting lineup in both sports as a freshman and never looked back. In football, Roo had 53 consecutive starts and was named All-State and All-Conference three times. As a junior in football, Roo was named Defensive Player of the Year by High School Sports Report, and was named captain by his peers both his junior and senior seasons. He also shined on the diamond where he was named All-Conference and All-State twice. He was a SCISA Shrine Bowl selection in football and a North-South selection in baseball. Roo was not only a leader on the field, but also in the classroom, and served as Student Body Vice President. He ended his high school career with four total state championships, three in football and one in baseball, before heading to Wofford on a football scholarship. As a Terrier, Roo was a three-year starter and an All-Conference selection.

Jennifer Hilliard was a four-sport athlete for the Skyhawks.  Earning a total of 14 letters while at Hammond, Jennifer played basketball, softball, volleyball, and ran track.  A member of the 1,000-point club in basketball, she was named three time All-Conference, three time All-State and All-Area Player of the Year in 1990.  She was selected Captain of the basketball team three times and averaged 25 points per game and 9 rebounds per game her senior season.  Jennifer didn’t stop there; she was named All-Conference in both volleyball and softball.  She was also named captain four times in softball and once in volleyball.  She is a six-time State Champion, winning three in softball, two in track, and one in basketball.  Jennifer earned a scholarship to Presbyterian College for basketball where she led the Blue Hose in rebounding for three years and was the lead scorer her senior season. At PC, she scored 1,353 career points (8th all time) and had 634 rebounds (6th all time).  She earned multiple All-Tournament accolades and tied the NCAA Division II record for most free throw attempts.

Coach Al Hough was Hammond's first Director of Athletics. While serving as Athletic Director, Coach Hough taught math and physical education, coached and started the baseball, basketball, track, and golf programs. He led the basketball team to its first state championship in 1970 and the baseball program to its first championship game. Coach Hough was an integral part of fundraising for athletics, and the design of the gym, a facility later used for practice by legendary Coach Frank McGuire. A Skyhawk, but also a Gamecock, he played basketball at the University of South Carolina from 1952-1954 and ran track from 1952-1953, living by the motto, Do things the right way and do it with class and good sportsmanship.

As a former Skyhawk and Gamecock, Jay Frye is known to almost everyone in the athletic community.  While at Hammond, he was a four-year letterman in football and track. He was a member of the 1977 State Championship Varsity Football Team and played in three additional state championship games. As a senior, Jay was named a Team Captain, MVP, and Player of the Year. He was also named All-Area, All-state, and Player of the Year by the local media. Jay continued his career at the University of South Carolina after earning a football scholarship. As a Gamecock, Jay played in two Gator Bowls, was part of the first ten-win season, the famous Fire Ant Defense, and was named captain of the Duke, Navy, and FSU games. His passion for the sport led him to coach at the high school level. A local coaching legend, Jay is a member of the Richland Two Hall of Fame, is the winningest Head Coach in Richland Two history, and led Richland Northeast Cavaliers to a state title. Returning home to coach seven years ago, Jay serves as the linebackers coach and liaison to the head coach. He has been an integral part of the Skyhawks’ seven state championship wins.

Articulating the profound impact that Deans and Peter Fawcett have had on Hammond, particularly the athletic department, is difficult to express. Their dedication and devotion to the school and its ideals have been expressed through gifts of time, treasure, and trust. They have given generously, they have trusted in the process, and they have made a difference in the life of student-athletes of today and tomorrow. Deans and Peter have served, and continue to serve Hammond, in numerous ways. Individually, they have been members of the Board of Trustees for a total of 13 years. Deans has served on the Alumni Council, the Skyhawk Board, and the Auction Committee. As a co-chair of the 50-Forward Campaign, Peter helped lead fundraising initiatives that included the renovation of Fawcett Indoor Stadium, the Innovation Center, and Lower School Playground. Head of Hammond’s athletic concessions for ten years, Deans saw an opportunity to revamp The Hawks Nest as a fundraising opportunity for the Skyhawk Club. Since 2006, funds from concessions have helped provide additional resources for athletics. Peter and Deans, a 1981 graduate, are the parents of six alumni. Collectively, these Skyhawks garnered 71 letters, 27 State Championships, and participated in 12 different sports, demonstrating the importance athletics can have in the development and lives of students.  Understanding the value of community and the power of investing in one’s beliefs, Peter and Deans have also instilled this spirit in their children. The Fawcett children’s investment in Hammond Athletics includes a combined 29 years of coaching experience and four state title wins. Deans and Peter have made immeasurable contributions to Hammond Athletics that are a lasting legacy. The tradition continued this year as we welcomed their first of three grandchildren as a new Skyhawk.

A six-time letter winner and all-state selection, Kelly Presper is one of the greatest competitive swimmers to swim for the Skyhawks.  Kelly was part of the two-time relay champion in the 200 medley and the 200 free, and was named a two-time captain, earning the Skyhawk Leadership Award three different years.  Honored by the league and the media, Kelly was named SCISA Swimmer of the Year and a two-time All-Area selection by the The State Newspaper.  She currently holds the record for the individual 500 freestyle and is a member of the relay team that holds the record for the 200 medley. Kelly continued her career at the collegiate level as a scholarship signee at Pepperdine University, where she was a four-year letterman and posted several personal records.

As a three-sport star for the Skyhawks, Lee Adams excelled in all areas. A four-year letterman in football, Lee led his team to three state championship appearances.  As a senior, he was named All-state, All-conference, and MVP.  Lee was also a three-year letter winner as a basketball standout, leading the team to the 1984 State Championship. In 1983 and 1985, he earned basketball MVP and all-conference and all-state. As he moved from the hardwood back to the field, Lee continued his dominance of opponents. In baseball, he earned four letters and four MVP honors. The 1985 team appeared in the state championship game, and Lee was named All-Conference and All-State. His talents on the baseball diamond led him to be recruited by the University of South Carolina.

Cody McMillion Berkeley, a founding member of the Hammond Equestrian Team, is a four-year letterman for the Skyhawks, leading her team to the first Western State Championship for Hammond.  As a Skyhawk, Cody earned many national accolades throughout her high school career.  A three-time IEA national qualifier and a two-time Reserve National Champion, she was also named a National Champion in Reining and Varsity Open Western Rider in her senior year.  Cody continued her career at the collegiate level by signing a scholarship to ride at The University of South Carolina.  While at USC, she helped lead her team to two SEC Championships and two national titles. Individually, she earned the most MVPs as a freshman in reining, was named NCEA Second Team All-American, the All-SEC Team, and the NCEA All-Championship Team. Cody holds multiple records at USC in equestrian and ranks third for most wins at the NCEA National Championship in reining.  While riding, Cody also excelled in the classroom, earning three-time conference academic honor roll and two-time all-academic second-team honor roll.

As the winningest wrestler in Hammond history, Gantt Castles is the only six-time individual state champion winner in South Carolina History.  Gantt was able to accomplish this feat in five different weight classes throughout his career.  An all-state selection for all six years in wrestling, Gantt was named team captain his 9th-12th grade seasons.  As captain, he led the team to the 2013 State Championship, beating Cardinal Newman 53-27.  With an overall record of 143-16, he is easily a member of the 100-win club and was named SCISA Mr. Wrestling for three straight seasons spanning from 2012-2015. He also earned the Coaches Award in 2010 and 2011 and was named Most Improved Wrestler in 2009 and 2010.  Gantt was a member of the 2014 State Championship Lacrosse team, where he scored 29 goals in that season. He was also a member of the swim team and sporting clays team, also earning an Eagle Scout badge. A member of Hammond’s chapter of The Cum Laude Society, Gantt graduated from Clemson University with a degree in biology.