MURFREESBORO- The Chowan University Athletic Department is proud to announce the Jim Garrison Hall of Fame Class for 2015.  This year's class features six deserving honorees.  Billy Coles, Jawarren Cowles, Eddie Giersbrook, Kim Hetherington, Charles Pond, and Craig Vosler will be honored at halftime of the Chowan football game against Saint Augustine's University.  Kick-off is slated for 1:00pm on September 26^th in Garrison Stadium. 

William "Billy Coles" Otey
Men's Basketball
1986-1989
 
William "Billy Coles" Otey came to Chowan in 1986 to play for Chowan's legendary men's basketball coach, Bob Burke. Burke recruited Coles from Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Virginia to help solidify his front court. Coles played the 1986-1987 season, sat out the 1987-1988 season, but came back with a vengeance for his final season, 1988-1989.
 
Coles poured in over 1,000 points in two seasons with Burke's squad. Burke's teams during those seasons with Coles in the frontcourt put together an overall record of 52-12.
 
"Billy was the most versatile big man we ever had at Chowan," stated Burke on Cole's play. "I could use his 6'8'' frame anywhere on the court. "
 
That versatility led him to a lights out freshman season with the then-Braves. The freshman helped the team to a 27-5 overall record and a #3 NJCAA National Ranking. He averaged over 10 points an outing for Chowan and just as many rebounds. His performance in the NJCAA Region IX Tournament earned him a spot on the NJCAA All-Region IX Tournament Team.  That great start as a freshman led him to a stellar sophomore season (1988-89).
 
Coles averaged an outstanding 22.5 points per game in his sophomore year on the court. That led him to be named First Team All Carolinas JUCO Conference and First Team All-Region IX. That same season Coles was named a member of the NJCAA National All-Star team, only the second player in program history to accomplish this feat.
 
Coles was entertained by several major NCAA Division 1 schools after his sophomore season.
 
"He had his choice of colleges after Chowan, but Lefty Driesell sold him on James Madison," said Burke of Coles' college options following Chowan.
 
Coles went on to star at James Madison University under the direction of Driesell. Over two seasons with the Dukes he scored 674 points and grabbed 340 rebounds. He earned MVP honors at the Richmond Times Dispatch Tournament in 1990 and was also named to the Richmond Times Dispatch All-Tournament Team that same tournament.
 
Coles graduated from JMU with a degree in Human Science & Sociology. Coles now uses his life to help at risk teens and adults get back on track in life. He is currently employed as a Career Services Advisor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has a passion for helping people and sees it as his life's work.

Coles, who now goes by William Otey, has one daughter, Aylah. They reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Jawarren Cowles
Football
1999-2003
 
Jawarren Cowles came to Chowan in August of 1999 to play football for then-coach Steve Lee. Little did he know when he arrived on campus that summer for training camp in his freshman year that four years later he would leave as the school's all-time leading rusher.
 
The Fredericksburg, Virginia native rushed Chowan to it's first-ever winning season (as a four year school) in 1999 after going 5-4. Cowles rushed for 2,353 yards over four seasons with the then-Braves, still a school record for rushing in a career. As well, no Chowan running back has eclipsed his single-season rushing yards record that he set in his junior season after tallying 1,011 yards. That same season Cowles ran for 11 touchdowns and was named to the USA South All-Conference Football team.
 
In fact, Cowles' name is etched seven times in the Chowan Hawks Football Records book:

• Rushing Attempts in a Game: 38 vs. Averett (2001)
• Rushing Attempts in a Season: 213 (2002)
• Rushing Attempts in a Career: 634 (1999-2002)
• Rushing Yards in a Season: 1,011 (2001)
• Rushing Yards in a Career: 2,353 (1999-2002)
• Rushing Touchdowns in a Season: 11 (2001)
• Rushing Touchdowns in a Career: 17 (1999-2002)

 
Cowles graduated from Chowan in 2003 and although his time on the college field was done he still ached to play the game. Cowles joined up with several other Chowan football graduates  to play for the Virginia Ravens, a semi-pro team out of the Petersburg, Virginia area. He won three league championships and led the team in rushing each year. He has also played for the Virginia Vipers and currently still plays for the Virginia Titans.
 
Cowles is currently co-owner of United Family Services, LLC, a Richmond, Virginia based company that provides mental skill building services for adults. Along with his playing duties with the Titans, Cowles serves as a coach with the youth organization the Central Virginia Hurricanes.
 
"Chowan took a chance on me for who I was and what I had to offer outside of football. They believed in me as my parents did and allowed me the opportunity to work for my dreams of becoming a better me," Cowles said of his four years at Chowan.
 
Cowles is the proud father of one son, Jawarren Cowles, Jr. He resides in Richmond, Virginia.
 
Eddie Giersbrook
Football
1990-1994
 
Eddie Giersbrook came to Chowan in 1990 as a highly touted place kicker from Boca Raton, Florida recruited by then-coach Jim Garrison.  Giersbrook came to Chowan not only as one of the nation's top place kickers out of high school, but also battling almost a decade worth of surgeries and obstacles stemming from a boating accident in his home state when he was just 10 years old.
 
Having the support of family, friends, and coaches, Giersbrook came to battle at Chowan where he continued his prowess on the field. He served as a captain in his sophomore season and earned All Region IX honors as a kicker after kicking three game-winning field goals.  In both his freshman and sophomore seasons he was named to the NJCAA National All-Star Football team.
 
In 1992 Giersbrook left Chowan to continue his playing career at West Virginia University. However, Eddie's support system was still at Chowan. After a year he transferred back to Chowan, now a four-year institution, to finish out his playing career.
 
Giersbrook spent his final two seasons with the then-Braves, closing out what was a record-setting career as a place kicker. He kicked 147 out of 148 career point after attempts and made 15 of 18 career field goals.
 
Coach Garrison once said about him in an interview with a Boca Raton newspaper, "Eddie's in a place where people have cared about him, pushed him. There is not a solitary soul on this campus who doesn't know Eddie Giersbrook. Knowing what he's gone through and how far he has come, I'm really proud of him. He's just like a son to me. I love that little guy."
 
Overcoming adversity in his life has been part of Eddie's life story. In fact Garrison ensured that his name would linger on in Chowan football history after naming an award after him, the "Eddie Giersbrook Perseverance Award". This award was given out to Chowan football players who showed endurance and perseverance in the face of adversity.
 
After graduating from Chowan, Giersbrook returned to his home state of Florida. He was hired by Palm Beach County to teach physical education. He is working on this 20^th year in education in Boca Raton. In 2007 he returned to his former high school as the head football coach. In that same year he was named Palm Beach County Coach of the Year. He has also been named a Dwyer Award Finalist, an award that recognizes the top teacher in Palm Beach County.
 
Giersbrook's greatest love is son Peyton, who also resides in Boca Raton, Florida.
 
Kim Hetherington
Softball
1993-1997
 
Kim Hetherington came to Chowan from Key West, Florida in the fall of 1993 to play softball for then-coach Jack Goldberg. The feisty infielder quickly earned the nick name, "Skeeter", after Goldberg likened her on-the-field feisty persistence to that of a mosquito.
 
The hard-working, tough as nails Key West native quickly helped the then-Braves softball team to an overall record of 124-37 over her four seasons, some of the most successful seasons that the Chowan softball program has seen.
 
Hetherington was recruited by Goldberg and then-volleyball coach Janet Collins as a two-sport athlete. As a freshman in 1993, she served as a setter on the Chowan volleyball team for one season before a shoulder injury forced her to choose one sport.  
 
Hetherington went on to make a name for herself and put a lasting mark on the Chowan softball program. Over four seasons she tallied a .314 career batting average and once held program records for single-season runs batted in (31), career doubles (40), and career runs batted in (107).  Those marks stood for more than ten years.
 
"The time I spent at Chowan was some of the best years of my life. I was able to earn a degree and be surrounded by people who supported me in the classroom and on the field," said Hetherington of her time at Chowan. "I made a lot of memories with some great people. I am honored to be inducted into the Chowan University Athletics Hall of Fame."
 
Hetherington graduated from Chowan in 1997 with a degree in Sport Science. Following graduation she was hired to teach elementary physical education in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District. She has taught there for more than 18 years.
 
She earned her M.S. from the United States Sports Academy and also earned her National Teaching Board Certification.  She was also named Teacher of the Year for her work in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.
 
Hetherington currently resides in Salisbury, North Carolina.
 
 
Charles Pond
1960-1962
Patron
 
Charles B. Pond III of Smithfield, VA is deeply involved in the growth and development of Chowan University, his alma mater from the Class of 1962. Presently, Pond serves as a Trustee and is a member of the Executive Committee and the Chair of the Business Affairs Committee. In the past, he has served Chowan on the Alumni Board and the Board of Visitors.

Pond is also a founding member of the Chowan Christian Service Association and serves on the Special Gifts Committee. In 2005, he was the recipient of the North Carolina Baptist Heritage Award for Chowan University and the most coveted award given to an alumnus, The Distinguished Alumni Award.

Through successful business ownerships that include Nansemond Cold Storage, Inc. in Suffolk, VA and Taylor Freezers, Inc. in Chesapeake, VA, Pond has been able to share his blessings freely for the benefit of Chowan, his church and his community. The Pond Football Center was named for him and his wife Juanita in recognition of their unwavering support of Chowan over many years.

His long-time service extends beyond his alma mater to his community where his dedication to the Colonial Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts of America, where he serves on the Executive Committee and is Chair of the Development Committee, has been recognized with the prestigious Silver Beaver Award.
Charles and Juanita are members of Windsor Christian Church in Windsor, Virginia, and he has served as a representative to the Religious Herald's Board of Trustees. Pond is also a founding member of the Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts and is currently the Treasurer. Additionally, he is a founding member of the Suffolk Foundation dedicated to developing philanthropy in the Tidewater region.

Craig Vosler
Football
1975-1977
 
Craig Vosler came to Chowan in the fall of 1975 after being recruited by then-coach Jim Garrison from nearby Virginia Beach, Virginia. Vosler quickly made a name for himself and the then-Braves as a linebacker for Garrison's defense.
 
Vosler's break out season for Chowan came in his sophomore season (1976) when his on field performance at middle linebacker garnered him All Coastal Conference 1^st Team honors. He was also named All Region IX and an NJCAA All American (honorable mention). He was also named Chowan's Best All-Around Student in his sophomore year at Chowan.
 
Vosler earned his two-year degree in Communications Art from Chowan and continued his studies at East Carolina University. Vosler's dedication to his academics and his football career came to fruition as he earned a spot on ECU's football team. Vosler was a started on the special teams and a backup strong safety for the Pirates.
 
Just prior to graduation at ECU Vosler interned as a Communications Art Leading Graduate for the DEA in Washington, D.C. He earned his BFA in Communications Arts in 1980 from ECU.
 
Since leaving Chowan in 1977 Vosler has had a diverse and enriching work and personal life. He returned to his hometown of Virginia Beach after graduation from ECU where he worked as a freelance artist in the commercial communications field. He commissioned works of art during that time that garnered the attention of local, regional, and national media outlets. Vosler worked in Israel for one year and was honored as an Ambassador to the State of Israel's Kibbutzim by Kibbutz Shittufi Danial.
 
Following his work in Israel Vosler returned to the United States and his hometown where he continued his work in the communications art field. He founded Amen Art in 1994 and has been commissioned to work on several national and regional art projects. He currently resides in Fort Pierce, Florida where he is the Assistant Manager for The Frugal Framer (Vero Beach).  He is also a certified personal trainer and avid golfer.