Five graduates, one former coach inducted into Flying Fleet Hall of Fame
A ceremony and brunch in the Founders Room of Moffatt Dining Hall Nov. 2—originally set for Sept. 28 and rescheduled along with Erskine’s Homecoming celebration— marked the induction of five Erskine College graduates and one former Erskine coach into Erskine’s Flying Fleet Hall of Fame.
Ford Blanchard ’15 of Orangeburg, S.C., served as team captain for Men’s Golf for three years. In 2013, he helped lead the Flying Fleet to a 2013 Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference title. He posted multiple top 10 finishes in tournaments during his Erskine career, posting 15 under-par rounds and accumulating 124 birdies in his final two years. He holds the sixth highest national scoring rating in program history.
George Goudelock, Jr. ’72 was honored for his performance in Men’s Tennis. A four-year member of the team and a leader on campus, he helped Erskine to a .667 winning percentage during his four years, the third best percentage in the NAIA at that time. He arrived at Erskine at the same time as longtime head coach Vardon Cox. “George had a phenomenal career,” says Cox. “He was our number one overall player for all four years and helped the Fleet to a second-place finish in the 1971 NAIA District 6 Championship.”
Lisa Jackson ’07, recognized for her role in Women’s Basketball, scored more than 1,500 points in her Erskine career and was a two-time All-Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference nominee. She averaged 13 points, six rebounds, and two steals per game. She helped lead the Fleet to 53 wins, including consecutive 17-win seasons. Appointed head coach of the Erskine Women’s Basketball program in June 2023, Jackson was this year’s speaker at the Signing of the Book.
Ralph Polson ’80, a four-year goalkeeper on the Erskine Men’s Soccer team, helped lead the Fleet to the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament. After graduation, his head coach, Ralph Lundy, brought him back to Erskine as assistant coach for three years. In 1983, he was named inaugural head men’s soccer coach at Presbyterian, where he spent 17 years and garnered 196 wins. He served with Lundy at College of Charleston for nine seasons, then became head coach at Wofford for 11 seasons. He accumulated 279 wins during his coaching career.
Warren Turner, honored for outstanding coaching, spent 16 seasons as Erskine Men’s Soccer Head Coach, leading the Fleet to Conference Carolinas Regular Season titles in 2013 and 2021, including a perfect 6-0 shortened regular season in spring 2021 in which Erskine did not concede a goal. A three-time Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year, Turner coached 47 all-conference nominees at Erskine. He reached the 100-win milestone in the conference tournament with a 3-0 win over Mount Olive in the 2019 semifinals.
Jon Williams ’98 of Pendleton, S.C., was recognized for outstanding performance in Men’s Basketball. Scoring nearly 1,300 points during his Erskine career, he was an All-Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference performer as a senior, averaging 17 points and six assists in his final season. Vice President for Athletics Ralph Patterson, who was head coach at the time, said of Williams on his senior night, “Jon competed every night and every time he stepped on the floor.”
Pictured at top, from left, are Jon Williams, Lisa Jackson, Warren Turner, Ralph Polson, Ford Blanchard, and George Goudelock. See more photos here!
The Flying Fleet Hall of Fame was established by the directors of the Flying Fleet Club and the trustees of Erskine College to give recognition and show appreciation to those men and women who, through their participation and support, have brought honor to the school and its program of intercollegiate and intramural athletics.
