Two former basketball players were inducted into the Grace Athletics Hall of Fame last week. You can read here exactly what was read during their induction by Host, John Spooner.
Terry Ericson
It’s fitting this year, of Grace Bible College celebrating 50 years, that our first inductee, though in abscencia, played on the earliest teams in Grace history. My first time playing basketball for Grace was the Alumni game of 1973, two names kept coming up, Bill Rigg and Terry Ericson. There were two descriptions: Big for Bill and the toughest competitor you’ll ever face for Terry Ericson. I really didn’t know what that meant until somehow I found myself laying on my back trying to take a charge from a player that one official from the Big Ten in the 60’s said could’ve played for any team in the Big Ten. No wonder, because Terry also played football for GRCC his last two years at Grace. yet, perhaps his greatest athletic accomplishment, was Ping-pong. Terry was the GBC Champion for 4 years.
Terry was the first member of the 1,000 pt. club and after holding the record of 1,952 total points for 46 straight years, saw that record broken by Allen Durham last year.
Terry still holds the highest scoring avg. at Grace at 36.7 ppg.
He also holds the all-time record of 71 pts and 29 FG’s in one game.
Terry served as Head Basketball Coach and Athletic Director at Trinity Christian College for 9 years after graduation. He has been married to Jill DuClos for 45 years after meeting her at Grace.
In a conversation with Coach Bailey, Terry expressed his love for GBC and the things he learned, “many of which I didn’t understand until later in life.” Living in Florida, Terry along with Jill are active in their local church, and value the time spent with Family. Which is the reason he’s not here tonight.
Will you please join me in abscencia in welcoming Terry Ericson to the Tiger Hall of Fame.
Kirby Bailey
His father will claim genetics, some might ask for a DNA test, either way, not since the likes of Steve Shadley in 1970’s has a player so dominated Tiger basketball as our next inductee, Kirby Bailey.
He made it seem so smooth and effortless.
An All-Conference player out of Cedar Springs H. S., Kirby’s freshman year was cut short by a cancelled season which he had no say over. Disappointed, but showing commitment to Grace, Kirby came back the next three years anchoring the 2006 NCCAA II National Championship team and ACCA National runner-up that same year playing for his father and grandfather. Kirby still holds the ACCA National Tournament record of 29.5 ppg.
He was an ACCA and NCCAA Div. II All-American his last two years and was selected as Team Captain during those years as well.
Kirby is 5th all time scoring with 1,704 points. He is 4th all time in FG’s with 674. He is one of only two players to score over 700 pts in a season, with 702 in 2005. The other is Allen Durham.
He was a 2006 Tiger Award winner, 2005 team MVP and he was named to 7 different all tournament teams during his career, including the Calvin College all-tournament team where he still holds the single game scoring record of 31 pts.
Kirby is proud of his family, father Gary, mother Danette, sister-Kylie and is currently putting his GBC Dual Degree in Business to good use as an accountant with the RDV Corporation.
Will you please join me in welcoming Kirby Bailey to the Tiger Hall of Fame.
