May 6, 2021 - UMS-Wright Preparatory School
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UMS-Wright
Athletic Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony
May 6, 2021
2020 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Mikell William Taylor ‘89
Robert Latimer Mitchell ‘98
Anne Currin Pontius ‘01
Tofey James “TJ” Leon, IV ‘10
Jay Crawford Prosch ‘10
Robert Reagan “Bobby” Wyatt ‘10Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
M
ikell William Taylor is a member of the UMS-Wright Class of 1989 and is one of
the outstanding performers during Pat Galle’s remarkable tenure as coach of UMS
and UMS-Wright’s Track and Field Teams. In particular, Mikell excelled in the
pole vault and was the 3A Outdoor State Champion in 1988 and 1989 as well as the Indoor State
Champion in 1989. Not surprisingly, he won numerous school awards for his performance in
Track and Field at both UMS and UMS-Wright. In addition, Mikell won prestigious awards
on the regional and state levels. After he had earned the Outstanding Performer Award at
the 1989 State Indoor Track Meet, he was also chosen by the Optimist Club to receive the
Field Events Person of the Year Award for Mobile County. Prior to the great success of his
senior year, Mikell was even chosen to represent the State of Alabama in the National Junior
Olympics. In 1989, he would receive an athletic scholarship to attend Samford University in
Birmingham where he would compete in Track and Field.
Eventually, Mikell would transfer to Auburn University where he would graduate in 1993.
Today, he is the President and CEO of Mobile Rosin Oil Company and serves on the UMS-
Wright Board of Trustees. He is married to Claire Smith Taylor, UMS-Wright Class of 1994.
They have two children, William and Annie, who are 5th Generation students at UMS-Wright.
R
obert Latimer Mitchell graduated from UMS-Wright in 1998. He was the point
guard and the on court maestro of the UMS-Wright 3A State Championship Men’s
Basketball Team of 1998. Robert was a three year letterman and was the Team
Captain for two UMS-Wright Men’s Basketball Teams that appeared in Final Fours in both
1997 and 1998. He started as the team’s point guard as a sophomore, junior, and senior and was
a natural leader who made his teammates better through his intelligent decision making as well
as his physical skill during the heat of competition. He earned the Best Defensive Player Award
both his junior and senior years, but his greatest contribution was his ability to put teammates
in their best position to be successful.
Academically, Robert was a true scholar-athlete whose intellectual curiosity and academic
excellence matched his competitive nature and high achievements in athletics. His dedication
to his chosen sport of basketball and his diligent pursuit of knowledge made him one of UMS-
Wright’s most unique and intriguing students. Fittingly, he would go on to earn a B.A. from the
University of Virginia in 2002 and complete his Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama
School of Law in 2007. Today, Robert is a partner in the notable law firm Cunningham
Bounds, and he and his wife Ashley have three children; Alex, UMS-Wright 5th grader; Anne
Price, UMS-Wright 4th grader; and Ellie, who is a future Bulldog.A
Anne Currin Pontius was one of UMS-Wright’s most decorated and successful
multi sport athletes in the school’s history. She began competing in varsity sports as
a 7th grader, and initially her primary focus was on competitive swimming and its
unbelievably grueling training schedule. Clearly, her efforts paid off because Anne was a key
member of UMS-Wright’s first Women’s Swimming and Diving State Championship Team
when the competition had only one classification. She was on two record-setting relay teams in
the 200 and 400 yard relays as well as being an All State performer multiple times in 4 different
individual events. Being a natural leader, Anne would serve as the team captain for both her
UMS-Wright team and for her CMSA team. In fact, her CMSA coach referred to her as “a
coach in the pool.”
Anne’s excellence in Track and Field is extraordinarily impressive given that it was considered
her second sport. She ran both Indoor and Outdoor Track and was talented enough to earn All
State and All County recognition in multiple events. Along with her personal accomplishments,
Anne was a member of two State Championship teams and was versatile enough to compete in
the high school Heptathlon competition after regular season track had ended in 2001. She was
even a finalist in the High School Heisman competition for the State of Alabama.
Anne received an athletic scholarship to LSU and graduated from that university in 2005 with
a B.S. in Biological Sciences. Later, she would also earn a B.S. in Nursing from the Medical
College of South Carolina. Anne and her husband Lt. Commander Brandon Pontius, also a
member of the UMS-Wright Class of 2001, live in Port Orchard, Washington where he serves
in the U.S. Navy. They have three children: Cohen Magee Pontius, 9: Delaney Stewart
Pontius, 7; and Emerson Currin Pontius, 5.
T
J Leon is one of the most successful athletes and one of the most impressive scholar-
athletes in UMS-Wright’s history. He began swimming competitively with the City
of Mobile Swimming Association, CMSA, even before he enrolled at UMS-Wright
where he would compete until his graduation in 2010. With UMS-Wright and CMSA, TJ
excelled and garnered numerous awards. He would set two State Records and would become
a 4 time Individual State Champion as a high school swimmer. Additionally, TJ was a United
States Individual Champion who was twice invited to compete in the Olympic Trials. After high
school, he went on to Auburn University where he joined one of the NCAA’s most successful
swimming programs. TJ would be named Team Captain of this elite squad and would letter
for 4 years while he won National Championships on 2 relay teams and was named NCAA All
American 6 times! As a collegiate swimmer and student-athlete, TJ set a standard of excellence
for others to pursue. TJ was as impressive as a scholar-athlete at Auburn as he was at UMS-
Wright. After compiling a superior academic record which earned him numerous accolades, TJ
was presented the Cliff Hare Award, the most prestigious honor for an Auburn student-athlete,
for his academic and athletic successes. In addition, he would receive the NCAA’s Walter ByersGraduate scholarship which is presented to only one male and female NCAA student-athlete
yearly. After graduating from Auburn with a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences in 2014, TJ attended
the University of Alabama School of Medicine and graduated with Honors in 2019, the same
year that he married his wife Kelsie. TJ is now in his 2nd year of residency in Internal Medicine
at UAB. J ay Prosch graduated in the UMS-Wright Class of 2010 and was a superior athlete
who excelled in football as well as Track and Field. His numerous high school sports awards
include being named All State in football, 4A Lineman of the Year, Permanent Football Team
Captain as well as being a member of the 2008 4A State Championship Football Team. Jay
was also selected to play in the Alabama-Mississippi Football All Star Game before he moved
to the University of Illinois as a scholarship athlete. At Illinois, he played fullback and enjoyed
tremendous success in 2010 and 2011. His extraordinary play earned him recognition as an
All American as chosen by Pro Football Weekly and his legendary weight room exploits also
earned him a spot on ESPN’s Workout Warrior List. When Jay’s beloved mom Iris, who was
teaching at UMS-Wright, became seriously ill, he transferred to Auburn University where he
set the standard by which all future fullbacks/H backs will be judged. In 2013 he helped lead
Auburn to an SEC Championship and a place in the NCAA Football Championship Game.
In January of 2014, he played in the Senior Bowl before being drafted by the NFL’s Houston
Texans. He played for the Texans until 2018 and has the distinction of being the only UMS-
Wright athlete to have played in the NFL.
B
obby Wyatt, UMS-Wright Class of 2010, is probably the most high profile athlete to
graduate from our school. Beginning as a UMS-Wright golfer, he was a member of
the Varsity Boys Golf Team from 2005-10. During his time, he led a program that
would win 3 State Golf Championships and continue, perhaps even enhance, the tradition
of excellence associated with UMS-Wright Golf. Bobby was the high school Individual
State Champion 4 times as well as the Alabama Jr. State Champion 4 times. It was during
the Alabama Jr. competition that Bobby shot a legendary round of 57 which is still spoken of
with reverence among golfers today. In 2010, Bobby was ranked as the No. 1 Junior Golfer in
the world, and in 2012 was even ranked as the No. 1 Amateur Golfer in the world! Upon his
graduation from UMS-Wright, Bobby accepted a golf scholarship to the University of Alabama
where his record of individual and team accomplishments would continue. From 2010-2014,
the Crimson Tide Men’s Golf Team would win 2 NCAA National Championships and 3 SEC
Conference Championships. Individually, Bobby was an All American 3 times, the 2014 SEC
Individual Champion, and a 2013 Palmer Cup and Walker Cup competitor. After graduation
from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Commerce and Business Administration, he
played professional golf from 2014-18 on various professional tours with 2 years on the PGA Tour.
Today, Bobby works for Goldman Sachs Wealth Management in Atlanta where he lives with
his wife Jean Faircloth Wyatt, UMS-Wright Class of 2011, and their daughter Finlay.Athletic Hall of Fame Members
1980 1987
Oscar N. Barney ‘08 C. L. Burton ‘40
B. R. Wilson, Jr. ‘28 Gerald V. Rodgers ‘65
William C. Martin ‘40 Robert M. Weinacker ‘73
Thomas P. Martin ‘47 Gregg T. Hope ‘81
Roy F. Shoemaker ‘58 Andrew M. Hinson - Honorary
Joel B. Bullard, Jr. ‘68
B. Greer Radcliff ‘71 1988
Brazil Simon - Honorary Gordon Smith, Jr. ‘20
Charles W. Weinacker ‘40
1981 John H. Graddick ‘47
James McPhillips ‘19 Dean I. Gillespie ‘52
William B. Lott ‘24 Donald F. Pierce ‘78
John C. Davis ‘38 John H. Hartwell ‘83
Richard Flowers ‘42 Ben H. Harris, Sr. ‘27 - Honorary
W. Earle Smith, Jr. ’52
Christopher G. Hume, III ‘66 1989
Matthew W. Mosteller ‘71 J. T. “Sammy” Francis ‘40
Joseph Steiner ‘46
1982 Sidney E. Phillips ‘55
Mastin Cleveland ‘14 Edward E. Holmes ‘61
Bert W. Milling ‘38 Eugenia Cameron Foster ‘62
William B. Yost ‘42 T. Forress Rayford ‘70
Charles A. Graddick ‘63 Mary Weinacker Hale ‘78
Robert H. Rouse ‘73 Lisa Savell Drew ‘83
B. R. Wilson, III ‘61 – Honorary Arlene Jones Sevy ‘84
Susie Pager Parry ‘84
1983 W. Sherwood Pape ‘30 - Honorary
Edgar C. Fonde ‘21 Lois B. Lewis – Honorary
J. Burruss Semple ‘30
Joe Crabtree ‘37 1990
Roy N. Newell ‘41 Beauregard R. Ward ‘41
Clifton C. Inge ‘54 Nathaniel P. Harris ‘59
W. Allen Cox ‘69 Serena Edgar Willcox ‘63
Joseph W. Galloway ‘75 Louis N. DeAngelo ‘63
Thomas C. Huckabee - Honorary Kerry McKinney Ellis ‘79
Pfilip G. Hunt ‘79
1984 Lisa Eubanks Hollingsworth ‘81
G. Woodrow Scott ‘39 Mark F. Gottfried ‘82
Ray C. “Buddy” Lauten ‘46 Bruce Filippini – Honorary
Perry V. Lowery ‘50
John G. Walton ‘67 1991
Paul W. Brock, Jr. ‘72 O. R. “Randy” Tanner, Jr. ‘61
Marvin “Bull” Smith - Honorary Stephen C. Olen ‘68
Amy St. John Hamilton ‘74
1985 Douglas L. Anderson ‘75
Ben Hastie ‘21 Mary F. Riddell ‘76
Charles A. Chambers ‘38 Frances St. John Rouse ‘76
Howard V. Adair ‘43 Leah Yelverton Stimpson ‘76
Robert P. Hall ‘50 Marion H. Lyons, III ‘81
Russell H. Anderson ‘64 W. Patrick Galle - Honorary
Braxton C. Counts, III ‘76
R. E. Hanks – Honorary 1993
William H. Lyons ‘58
1986 O. M. Otts, III ‘63
Joseph K. Roe ‘20 Rea Schuessler, III ‘78
Andrew Edington ‘30 Doria D. Gibbons ‘78
Charles F. Grove ‘39 Irene Hickox Holbrook ‘80
Alex C. Hancock ‘44 Bradley K. Hildreth ‘85
Thomas G. Andreades ‘74 Don P. Kelly, Jr. - Honorary
Thomas E. Powell ‘81
William Earle Smith - HonoraryAthletic Hall of Fame Members
1994 2001
Oliver B. Alvarez ‘41 John C. Carrington ‘57
George V. Ward, Jr. ‘55 James E. Little ‘62
Joseph Jerome Masters ‘64 Allan R. Cameron ‘76
Linda Wert Olen ‘71 Victoria Coffer Fong ‘79
Mark C. Carmichael ‘78 Peggy Weinacker Piggott ‘82
Joseph H. L. Dzwonkowski, Jr. ‘80 John E. Witherington, Jr. ‘88
Leslie McInvale Addison ‘83 Chad E. Applin ‘90
O. M. Otts, Jr. ‘37 – Honorary Jimmie Lee Anderson - Honorary
1995 2002
Harold C. Miller ‘34 Shirley H. Cochran, Jr. ‘53
C. William Bodie ‘61 Angus R. Cooper, II ‘60
W. Lindsay Walker ‘67 Gary H. Dunn ‘76
Tammy Taylor Padilla ‘81 Laura Yelverton Adams ‘82
Meg Walsh Finkbohner ‘83 Alvin K. Hope, II ‘88
Douglas R. McLeod ‘83 Marc D. Hayden ‘92
Robert H. Radcliff, Jr. - Honorary
1996
Thomas L. Comer ‘48 2003
Robert E. Whigham, Jr. ‘56 Lee B. Graddick ‘50
Roy V. Elliot, Jr. ‘63 Randolph S. Weaver ‘63
William B. Taylor, III ‘72 R. Maurice Crowe, Jr. ‘73
Richard C. Hogan ‘80 Bryan D. Adams ‘89
Sara Jane Wood ‘84 Lori Leacy Roberts ‘89
Douglas N. Barfield - Honorary Christopher J. Walton ‘91
Walter C. Haffner, Jr. ‘62 – Honorary
1997
Frederick S. Crown ‘32 2004
Early T. Eastburn ‘57 Charles J. Smith ‘58
John A. Lamey, III ‘60 Frank A. Alardo ‘66
Joel B. Davis ‘75 J. Noel Turner ‘78
Scott N. Smith ‘81 Robert V. Dzwonkowski ‘82
Laura Bellew Hamby ‘85 Travis E. Havens ‘93
Janey P. Miller – Honorary Allison R. Beebe ‘94
E. Gordon Doody, Jr. - Honorary
1998
Walter C. Ernest, III ‘55 2005
Fred A. Coats ‘67 Francis S. Wold ‘49
W. Britton Cooper ‘83 Bert W. Milling, Jr. ‘64
Catharine Peebles Dukes ‘87 Robert Bruce King ‘78
Steven B. Hancock ‘88 Mimi Jardine ‘81
Gerald Reid - Honorary Roderick B. Slater ‘83
M. Bancroft McMurphy, III ‘92
1999 Aimee Holmes Stone ‘94
C. Ernest Edgar, Jr. ‘24 Ken McWilliams - Honorary
Ervin S. Cooper ‘28
Ollie H. Byrd ‘55 2006
Kenneth L. McLaughlin ‘64 Robert L. Comer ‘45
Donald A. Urquhart, Jr. ‘68 J. Gary Willard ‘77
Ben L. Martin, III ‘76 Ralph W. Mitchell, Jr. ‘86
Rebecca Montgomery Beall ‘89 Helen Sullivan Britnell ‘90
P. Colburn Maher ‘89 Edmund G. Doody, III ‘95
2000 2007
Donald R. Hansen ‘55 R. Owen Blackwell, III ‘56
Robert M. Montiel ‘69 Jimmy D. Shoulders ‘78
Jean A. Lankford ‘75 C. Hamilton McGuire ‘80
Christopher F. Hayden ‘89 Elizabeth Damson Freeman ‘94
Corey Galle Steele ‘90 Matthew Phillip Brennan ‘96
Kenneth Skipper ‘47 – Honorary Ethel Gholston - HonoraryAthletic Hall of Fame Members
2008 2015
William M. Sims ‘52 D. Jason Gregory ‘95
O. Lee Wilson, III ‘78 Mary Katherine Harvill ‘98
Charlotte Powell Andrews ‘84 Austin V. Hynson ‘99
B. Drake Ibsen ‘87 Lundy Plash Foose ‘01
Shane J. Mills ‘91 Ashley T. Wright ‘03
Carolyn Meador Marston ‘97 James L. Tate ‘59 - Honorary
Laura E. Hancock ‘98
Sam S. Haginas ‘98 2016
Kemper Todd - Honorary Michael V. Johnson ‘98
Elizabeth Otts Weaver ‘04
2009 Rebecca Willett Pruente ‘05
J. Ferrell Grimes ‘65 N. Donell Hill, Jr. ‘05
Charlotte C. Windham ‘77 W. Preston Dial ‘06
Kevin K. Hays ‘83 Meridy Lyle Jones ‘76 – Honorary
J. McDavid Miller ‘97
Hilton Billingsley Mostellar ‘97 2017
Steve Kittrell – Honorary Christopher J. Massey ‘93
Brett O. Boutwell ‘98
2010 Matthew T. Lomax ‘99
Herbert S. Solberg ‘52 Samantha Zimmerman Poeth ‘05
Robert M. Hope, Jr. ‘79 Brandon F. Gibson ‘07
Kenneth W. Wear, Jr ‘83 Donald L. Jennings - Honorary
Phillip S. Willingham, Jr. ‘97
Brooke Jarrell Bayne ‘99 2018
Michael Allen Jacobs - Honorary Norman E. Waldrop, III ‘98
Douglas V. Garner, Jr. ‘00
2011 Curran D. Foose ‘02
Brad R. Thompson ‘90 Leigh Gilmore Terry ‘08
M. Cullen Thompson, Jr. ‘95 Sarah Gilmore Weaver ‘08
Branden O. Phillips ‘98 Tony W. Havard - Honorary
Brooke Beard Dodson ‘01
Molly Crown Nordmann ‘76 - Honorary 2019
John S. Megginson, III ‘87
2012 Lacey Daughdrill Smith ‘00
Lonnie P. Cleveland ‘56 Nathan L. Cox ‘00
John D. Williams ‘89 John A. Dodson ‘02
Donald A. Urquhart, III ‘98 Patrick L. Hill ‘05
Le’Von D. Pears ‘00 Eddie Roberts – Honorary
Hallie S. Blunck ‘02
Harry A. Luscher – Honorary
2013
Warren E. Koffler ‘68
Forrest G. Crabtree ‘97
Adam N. Hardy ‘00
Alice Johnston Parker ‘00
T. Forress Rayford, Jr. ‘03
Terry Curtis – Honorary
2014
William C. Sharpe ‘62
Garrett Williamson ‘87
Kami Smith Ralph ‘96
Matthew H. Pierce ‘02
Edra E. Finley ‘03
Joseph R. N. Sykora ‘03UMS-Wright www.ums-wright.org
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