North Buncombe – Wednesday night (Dec. 14th), North Buncombe High held its annual Athletic Hall of Fame banquet, which saw five of its former athletes inducted into their Hall of Fame.
Inductees and their families were treated to a meal where slides of their time at the school in their sport were shown while their athletic accomplishments were touted. North Buncombe Coach Lance Roberson led the event, and Buncombe County Athletic Director David Ball was in attendance.
This year’s class of inductees were Melody Edmonds (Class of 2003), Sage Proffitt (Class of 2012), Cody Geyer (Class of 2010), Dr. Jamie Pressley Johnson (Class of 1997) and Lewis Icenhower (Class of 2006).
Asked how the inductees are chosen, Roberson told the Tribune, “We have a committee that meets annually, and based on records and accolades from state championship performances, they select nominees … our committee votes on them. There’s also an outside nominating process where people can, through the school website, contact us and nominate a person from the community. A coach, athlete, or even a community member that has served the school over a number of years.”
“I just think it’s great that North Buncombe hosts a Hall of Fame event each year and inducts past athletes and recognizes the accomplishments of those past athletes,” said Ball when asked to comment about the event. “Every one of our high schools has a Hall of Fame in Buncombe County.”
While all high schools have a Hall of Fame event, they were not all started at the same time. Some are older than others as it is not a county event but is run on a school-by-school basis.
The inductees and their accomplishments
Melody Edmonds (Class of 2003) was All-Mountain Area Conference (MAC) in 2003 for softball, All-WNC in 2003 for softball and volleyball, and All-MAC in 2002 for volleyball. “It was a pleasant surprise,” Edmonds said about being inducted. “Yes, I feel honored about being inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
Sage Proffitt (2012) received four letters in track, was a three-time All-MAC in track, won 10 regional track championships, seven state track championships, and was a member of the 2012 state track championship team. “I think this is an honor, and I’m really glad North Buncombe is doing this now. They weren’t doing it 10 years ago, so it’s a cool thing,” said Proffitt.
Cody Geyer (Class of 2010) was All-MAC in baseball in 2008 and 2009, Rawlings All-American 1st Team for Region 10, MAC Player of the Year in 2009, was drafted by the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks, and played for the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears. Geyer was not present at the event.
Dr. Jamie Pressley Johnson (class of 1997) was a three-time All-MAC Player of the Year in 1997, played in the Blue-White Game, was a two-time All-WNC in 1996 and 1997, played for Mars Hill, and had over 1,000 points and over 435 rebounds. “I think it’s a great honor. We spent a lot of time here at the high school many, many years ago. High school was a very important part of our lives, and athletics have been a very important part of our lives, and it’s just a way for the community to recognize that and let everything come full circle,” she said.
Lewis Icenhower (class of 2006) was All-MAC in baseball in 2004, 2005, and 2006; MAC Player of the Year in 2006 in basketball; All-WNC in basketball in 2006; and played in the 2006 Blue-White All-Star Basketball Game. “It’s a privilege and an honor [being inducted]. It reflects a lot on the people you grew up playing with and all the coaches you had throughout the years,” Icenhower told the Tribune. “It’s nice to bring the kids back and show them where you went to school.”
The inductees were awarded a plaque during the intermission between the girls’ and boys’ basketball games being played that night.