Newsroom

rss

ICC Newsroom

Subscribe to receive news from ICC!

ICC to honor Alumnus of the Year, Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 23

Itawamba Community College will honor its 2021 Alumnus of the Year and Athletic Hall of Fame inductees during Homecoming activities, Sept. 23, at the Fulton Campus. They include Karen Camp McFerrin of Mantachie, Alumnus of the Year; and Cameron “CeCee” Austin Cavanaugh of Pontotoc and Jeff Tally of Saltillo, Athletic Hall of Fame.

            From 1968-70, McFerrin attended ICC, where she earned the associate’s degree. She was a Wesley Foundation officer, Drum Major, vice president of the Home Economics Club and charter member of Phi Theta Kappa, Hall of Fame, IJC Beauty and Dean’s List Scholar. She continued her education at the University of Mississippi, where she earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in home economics. She began her career working for the Mississippi Extension Service in Tylertown before returning home to accept a position at ICC, where she served as a recruiter, teacher and adviser. McFerrin played a vital role in the organization of the Indian Delegation. Through teaching nutrition classes, she empowered many nursing students to understand and implement the vital link between nutrition and health in their careers. Over the years, she has volunteered her time in community service. Since 1975, she has been a member of the Pilot Club of Mantachie and has held multiple offices on the local, district and international levels, including district governor and international director). McFerrin has served on the Sanctuary Hospice Regional Board, Itawamba County Development Council, Mississippi Home Economics Association, organizing board member of the Itawamba County Boys and Girls Club, Leadership Itawamba, BancorpSouth Community Board and Itawamba County Extension Service Board and numerous church committees at the Mantachie First Baptist Church where she is a member. Her honors include Outstanding Young Women of America (two years). She is the immediate past president of the ICC Alumni Board. She and her husband, Joe, have one daughter, Jodie Boyd (Garry), and two grandchildren, Anna Karen and Martin.

            Cavanaugh, a 2010 graduate of ICC, teaches at North Pontotoc High School, where she was head fast pitch softball coach for nine years. Many of her players have moved on to compete at the next level.  A standout softball player, Cavanaugh left ICC with a .468 career batting average with 143 hits, 29 doubles, four triples, 27 home runs, 109 RBI and 105 runs scored. She ranked among the nation’s best in every offensive category during her two seasons at ICC. In her final season, she earned NJCAA Third Team All-American honors, becoming the first player in the history of ICC’s program to earn All-American honors. She helped lead the Lady Indians to their first-ever North Division Championship, earning North Division MVP honors along the way. She earned the bachelor’s degree from Belhaven University, where she and the Lady Blazers finished third in the country in 2011. Cavanaugh’s Lady Vikings were Division 2-3A champions four straight years, from 2016-19, as well as runners-up for the north half title three times. Over her nine-year career, including fast-pitch and slow-pitch, Cavanaugh accumulated an impressive record of 235 wins and 92 losses. She and her husband, Jared, are the parents of Brighton, Maddux and Cace (deceased).

            Tally, who attended ICC from 1976-78, participated in basketball, baseball and track. An All-State basketball player, he played in the Mississippi Junior College All-Star game, and in track, he won the Mississippi Junior College state championship in pole vault. His IJC activities included guitarist for Kaleidoscope, sophomore favorite and Who’s Who among American Junior Colleges. In addition to his degree from ICC, Tally earned the bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He retired in 2018 after 29 years of service at Mooreville High School. He served as athletics director since 2010, and his additional roles have included coach for girls and boys basketball, football, baseball, softball, track, boys/girls cross country and golf. During his high school days, the 1976 graduate won three state titles in pole vault and one in high jump, and he was a pitcher and shortstop on the Troopers first state championship team in 1976. His honors have included while at Mooreville  High School, assistant coach for five state championship softball teams and two state championship baseball teams and head coach for the cross country division championship team and selection as the 2013 Northeast Mississippi Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Tally is a member of Calvary Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon. He and his wife, Lisa, have four children, Russ, Lance, Jim and Rachel, as well as eight grandchildren.

            For more information about Homecoming 2021, contact Michael Upton, director of advancement, at (662) 862-8035 or email maupton@iccms.edu.



Comments are closed.