Jamie Childs ('00) and Rick Peel ('00) are the latest additions to the Piedmont Sports Hall of Fame.

Childs, Peel named to Sports Hall of Fame

(More photos from Alumni Day)

The Piedmont College Letter Club inducted two new members into the Sports Hall of Fame during Alumni Weekend April 8. Jamie Childs, a basketball standout and now coach of the women's team; and Rick Peel, a four-year All-Conference baseball player, were tapped for this year's honors. Both are from the graduating class of 2000.

Former Piedmont baseball coach Steve Harwood introduced Peel, a first baseman who also pitched and "had the best swing I've seen in 22 years of coaching." Peel was an All-Conference player for each of the four years he played at Piedmont. He was a three-time team MVP and an NAIA All-America honorable mention. He was also captain of the team for three years and held the team batting titles his junior and senior years, hitting .418 in his finale season.

"I want to thank all of the supporters here from Piedmont College and my family," Peel said. "I came from a small school in South Georgia, and Piedmont gave me the opportunity to play. I appreciate the support, and I thank you."

Dr. Delene Lee, former athletic director at Piedmont, introduced Childs and said that as a player, "Jamie exemplified the type of student-athlete Piedmont seeks to recruit. She was a leader on the court and in the classroom." Lee said that the late coach Charles Cooper recruited Childs to return to Piedmont as an assistant coach. "It was his opinion that this outstanding former player would do an outstanding job when he retired," Lee said. "I know Coach Cooper most be smiling down on us today to see Coach Childs inducted into the Hall of Fame."

Originally from Statesboro, Childs played four years of varsity basketball at Piedmont from 1996 to 2000 and was twice named the Best Defensive Player. She also played two years of varsity softball. After graduating with a degree in psychology, Childs earned a master's degree in sports kinesiology with an emphasis on sports psychology. Before returning to Piedmont, Childs coached women's basketball at Middle Georgia College and was the assistant coach at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. In her first season as coach at Piedmont, the Lady Lions finished 20-7.

"I'm so overwhelmed and honored," Childs said of the award. "I want to thank Dr. Lee and her husband, Jasper. They are big-time supporters and followed us throughout the season. I want to thank President Cleere for the opportunity to come back and follow my dream. It was Coach Cooper's dream, too. Within a couple of months of graduating and not being able to play the game anymore, I knew that I had to get involved. He helped me along the way to get into coaching."