The Gilmer Sports Hall of Fame’s latest inductees have been unveiled.
The hall of fame announced the class of 2022 last Thursday, and five will be inducted in December. This year’s honorees include athletes Mark West (GHS class of 1977), Ronald Thomas (1978), Chris Berry (1991), Lauren McCutchen Dudley and support personnel Lex Rainey.
West earned varsity letters in baseball (four years), football (three) and basketball and track (two). As a senior baseball player, West earned the Best Pitcher Award, was team captain and received a scholarship to play at Georgia College. He also set the previous track and field’s discus throw record.
West went on to serve as a GHS football assistant and baseball head coach for 12 years. He prides himself on being “a true Bobcat who bleeds purple.”
Thomas was a varsity letter winner in five sports as a senior. He lettered four times in basketball, twice in football, baseball and tennis and once in track.
He was voted most athletic as a senior, and he was the recipient of the Huff-Mosley Award (football). Thomas batted .451 with five home runs to be named MVP of the baseball team while securing co-MVP honors for basketball. He was awarded a scholarship to play baseball at Georgia College.
Berry was a four-year letterman in basketball and tennis. On the basketball court, he helped lead the Bobcats to Region 8-2A North championships in 1990 and 1991. As a senior, he led GHS with 15.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. On the tennis court, Berry and the Bobcats won the Region 8-2A North title in 1991 and he received the Senior Award.
Berry received a basketball scholarship to Jacksonville State University. He coached and mentored Gilmer County youth in the rec basketball program for several years.
McCutchen Dudley was a standout cheerleader and tennis player at GHS. She was a member of the tennis team from 1992-94 and served as team captain her last two seasons. She won the Class 2A singles state championship in ’93 and was runner-up in ’94. She was voted all-state in ‘93 and ‘94 and was team MVP in three straight seasons.
McCutchen Dudley was a varsity cheerleader from 1992-1995, served as team captain in ’93 and ’94 while earning the Coaches Award and being named Most Outstanding. She received NCA high school All-American honors in ’93 and ’94.
She went on to cheer at the University of North Carolina and has served as a role model to many young children in both tennis and cheerleading.
Rainey served Gilmer County Schools from 1975-2004. He started as a GHS teacher in 1975 before going on to be the school’s assistant principal from 1977-80. He was GHS principal from 1980-96 and transportation director from 1996-98. Rainey then went on to be system’s superintendent from 1998-2004.
Throughout all these years, Rainey supported GHS athletics with his attendance and leadership. He was named Gilmer County Citizen of the Year in 2011 and has served Ellijay and Gilmer County as a member/chairman of many boards. He is a member of Ellijay First United Methodist Church where he has also served in leadership positions.
All historical information from the preceding paragraphs was provided by the Gilmer Sports Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame would like to extend an invitation to all GHS friends, family, fans and supporters to attend the induction ceremony Friday, Dec. 9, at the GHS gym. New members will be honored after Gilmer’s varsity girls basketball game versus Dawson.