On March 30th, three exceptional individuals were inducted into the Loyalist College Sports Hall of Fame. Inductees are athletes, coaches and builders who, through outstanding achievement, have brought honour to Loyalist College by attaining prominence in a sport, or who have made a major contribution to the development and advancement of athletics at Loyalist. This year’s inductees were Greg Gavin, Joey Martins and Jutta Merilainen.
Left to right — Greg Gavin, Maureen Piercy, Joey Martins, Jim Buck and Jutta Merilainen.
Greg Gavin was employed at Loyalist College for 34 years, 32 of which were as the Director of Athletics. Known as a voice of reason within the Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA), Greg worked tirelessly to ensure that all of the colleges in the Association were treated fairly, no matter what their size. Greg was treasurer of the OCAA executive from 1979 until 1981 and was a convenor for men’s and women’s volleyball on numerous occasions. Under his guidance Loyalist developed one of the strongest volleyball programs in the country. From 1986 to 2003 he either coached or managed the men’s volleyball team, which won seven Ontario titles and brought home three medals from the National Championships. Greg always stressed the importance of academics and Loyalist was one of the first colleges to adopt a strict academic policy for student athletes. His contributions have had a tremendous impact on varsity sports at Loyalist College and within the OCAA.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this award and sincerely believe it also recognizes those who worked with me,” said Greg Gavin. “We shared the common goal of always striving to make things better for the students. I was very fortunate to hire great people who were talented and dedicated. They made me look good. This is a tribute to all of us.”
Joey Martins was a dominant force from the moment he set foot on the volleyball court at Loyalist College, where he was enrolled in the Recreation and Leisure Services program. From 2001 to 2003, Joey helped lead his team through two undefeated seasons in league and championship play. Loyalist won two consecutive East Division titles and back-to-back OCAA gold medals. At the national level, Loyalist captured bronze and silver medals. As a Lancer Joey was recognized as a:
- two-time OCAA Championship All-Star
- OCAA Scoring Champion
- two-time Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) All-Canadian
- two-time member of the CCAA first team All-Stars at the National Championships
- two-time team MVP and Loyalist College Athlete of the Year
- OCAA Athlete of the Year
- All-Star or MVP in every tournament he played in
Joey furthered his studies in Alberta at Red Deer College. During this time he continued to be recognized for his outstanding athletic accomplishments. He was selected to play for Team Canada FISU (International University Sports Federation) in 2005 and in 2007 played professionally in Portugal.
Jutta Merilainen, a member of the cross-country running team during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, entered the Loyalist Nursing program as a mature student and mother of four. Initially hesitant to compete against younger athletes, Jutta soon demonstrated that she had nothing to fear. In her inaugural race Jutta finished in first place and from that day forward she dominated cross country running at the OCAA level. During her time at Loyalist Jutta was:
- the winner of every race she entered
- two-time OCAA champion
- instrumental in the team winning the OCAA gold medal in 2004
- two-time OCAA All-Star, OCAA Academic Award Winner and Loyalist Female Athlete of the Year
- CCAA silver medalist at the National Championships for two consecutive years
- member of the 2004 CCAA bronze medal team
- two-time CCAA silver medalist as member of Team Ontario
- two-time CCAA All-Canadian and CCAA Academic All-Canadian
While continuing her nursing studies at Trent University Jutta competed at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) level and for two years finished in the top ten at the OUA Championships. Since completing her B.Sc.N. Jutta continues to compete in marathons and triathlons.
“These three individuals set a standard of excellence that others can follow with pride,” said Jim Buck, Manager of Athletics and Campus Recreation. “This induction ceremony recognizes exceptional people, dedication and skill. Without individuals such as Greg, Joey and Jutta, we would not have experienced some of the greatest victories and excitement that the Loyalist Lancers have ever known. Thank you for helping make Loyalist’s athletic program one of the finest in Ontario.”
The new inductees’ photographs and citations will be added to those of previous inductees–located outside the Loyalist College gymnasium in the Kente Building.
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College (613) 969-1913, ext. 2332, email: mwarren@loyalistc.on.ca or Jim Buck, Manager of Athletics and Campus Recreation, (613) 969-1913, ext. 2245