By: Elmira College Athletics
ELMIRA, NY -- Her name was associated with Elmira College for more than four decades and it will soon become a permanent fixture inside Speidel Gymnasium. Elmira College and the Department of Athletics are pleased to announce the court inside Speidel Gymnasium will be named in honor of former Vice President of Athletics and EC Athletics Hall of Fame inductee,
Pat Thompson '75, M.S. '88.
Thompson, who retired in December of 2018 following a 43-year career as a coach and administrator at her alma mater, will be on hand for a ceremony Saturday, February 1, when the men's and women's basketball teams host Utica College for an Empire 8 Conference doubleheader. With the christening of the court, Thompson will become the first athletics administrator in college history to have a home competition site bear their name.
"I am honored and appreciative the College has chosen to recognize my tenure in athletics by naming the Speidel Gymnasium floor in my honor," Thompson said.
"Pat not only has influenced the lives of countless EC students, alumni, and employees, but her impact reaches far beyond this campus," said
Renee Carlineo, Elmira's Associate Vice President of Athletics. "She paved the way for countless women in coaching and athletics administration. She was a leader and transformative in the NCAA, Empire 8 Conference."
"Pat created a lasting legacy, not only at Elmira College, but within collegiate athletics nationally," said Dr. Charles Lindsay, president of Elmira College. "The dedication of the Speidel Gymnasium court is but a small token of recognition for her incredible dedication and loyalty to the College, both as an alumna and employee."
Following graduation, Thompson spent her entire professional career serving the Elmira College community in a variety of roles within athletics. She was first named Director of Athletics in 1984, a post she held for the next 10 years until she was promoted to Dean in 1994. Thompson was then elevated to Vice President of Athletics in 2000. In addition to her administrative role, she coached the EC cheerleading program for 23 seasons and guided the Soaring Eagles to their first national championship in any sport when Elmira won the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) College Nationals in the spring of 2000.
Under her leadership, Thompson guided Elmira athletics through significant growth and a multitude of achievements. During her tenure, the College added 10 new varsity sports, including baseball, field hockey, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's lacrosse, men's volleyball, women's golf, women's ice hockey, and women's soccer. She was also instrumental in aligning the Purple and Gold with the Empire 8 Athletic Conference, United Volleyball Conference (UVC), and, most recently, United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC), the latter of which renamed its championship trophies in her honor last winter.
Additionally, Thompson – a two-time recipient of the College's Paul Brand Athletics Staff Award – played a key role during the renovation of Emerson Hall. Following a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign, the construction of Speidel Gymnasium, which opened inside Emerson Hall in 1996, hallmarked a new era for the basketball and volleyball teams, who were able to play their home competitions on campus for the first time.
"Speidel Gymnasium is a well-thought-out space with beautiful features for teams and fans, and it is only appropriate the court be named after such a great leader," said Associate Director of Athletics and Physical Education
Rhonda Faunce, who spent over 30 years coaching EC's softball and volleyball teams. "Pat's leadership was instrumental in promoting the women's programs with equal facilities and opportunity at a time when others overlooked such things."
Following the ceremony on Saturday, February 1, the hardwood floor in Speidel Gymnasium will be refinished during the summer months, at which time a permanent dedication to Thompson will be added.