From the time she can remember, Marsha Adams excelled in whatever sport she grew up playing.
“I don’t know if you are born to be athletic, but sports always came easy to me,” said Adams, a 1985 graduate of Madison High School and multi-sport standout during her playing days for the Blue Streaks.
After graduation, Adams furthered those athletic gifts at Thiel College, where she excelled playing softball and volleyball for four years, and basketball (one) — the same sports she shined in at Madison.
Recently, Adams’ career playing for the Tomcats was honored as she was inducted into the 43rd Class of the Thiel College Athletic Hall of Fame, along with five others in a special ceremony on campus.
“The feeling of being inducted into the Hall of Fame was both honoring and humbling,” Adams, who has taught in the Geneva School system since 1995, said. “It’s such a prestigious recognition, that I never imagined I would receive when I walked on campus in the fall of ‘85.”
Adams knew she was nominated for the Hall of Fame, but did not hear immediately from the college about her selection, in part, because Thiel was in transition with ongoing changes with personnel in their athletic department.
“A retired Geneva teacher [Marion Carrel] shared it on Facebook and tagged me in it,” Adams said of how she found out.
The theme of change at Thiel was nothing new for Adams, as she endured much of it during her time there.
“It was quite interesting as I think we went through four softball coaches and four volleyball coaches,” Adams recalled of her career. “I even had some officials during games ask me why I stayed there.”
For Adams, the reason was simple — despite the fact the teams she played on had their fair share of struggles winning during that time.
“I loved the school and the people, and I didn’t want to leave,” she said. “I came from Madison, and I loved the small town environment. It was close to home, and I liked it.”
Adams, who admitted she hates losing, did her part keeping the Tomcats competitive.
Adams was a four-time Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) first-team selection in softball as a shortstop and outfielder. She batted .346 in her senior season, scored 16 runs and had 13 RBI’s, 14 walks and 14 stolen bases.
Adams was also a first team PAC selection in volleyball her final year playing at the school.
She also played on the Thiel Women’s Basketball team her freshman season, helping the Tomcats capture the PAC Championship.
Adams stopped playing basketball after her first season, as she felt the need to lighten her schedule a bit while balancing her academics and sports.
“It was just way too much to do all three,” Adams said.
Adams also admitted that playing multiple sports — even at the collegiate level — was not as unusual in the 1980s and 90s as it would sound today.
“At that time, there were a lot more multi-sport athletes than today,” Adams, who has coached local athletes in softball, basketball, volleyball, and golf at the high school and middle school levels throughout her 34 years teaching, said. “We didn’t have the injuries like they have today either.”
In a statement prior to the induction ceremonies, Thiel’s acting Sports Information Director Devin Weisbarth recognized Adams’ contributions to the school.
“We are thrilled to induct Miss Marsha Adams, Class of 1989, into our Athletic Hall of Fame,” he said. “Marsha was a stellar three-sport athlete in her time at Thiel.”
Adams had been back to Thiel a couple of times previously to watch Geneva graduates Courtney and Emily Harriman play basketball for the Tomcats.
The induction ceremony, however, was the first time she had actually been back to walk around campus – doing so with friend and classmate, Cheryl Brown, as well as Barbie Cooper Long, a Thiel employee for 40 years.
“It was delightful,” Adams said. “We reminisced about our days at Thiel and shared so many memories.”
Then the evening ceremony arrived, in which Adams said she will not soon forget.
“Being selected for this prestigious recognition is not something I take lightly,” Adams said in her speech to the attendees, which included her mother as well as other family members and friends.
“To be mentioned alongside such a talented group of athletes and to have my name enshrined in the Hall of Fame — it is something I will cherish forever.”
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