Adrian College

Walter Chany Jr. ‘69 – Cross Country/Track

Walt was an important contributor during Adrian’s golden era in cross country, helping the Bulldogs to a 20-4 dual-meet record, the 1967 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association  title, and two runner-up finishes in 1965 and 1966. The team’s conference championship was its first in 26 years at the time and remains the program’s most recent.

In addition, the biology and physical education graduate earned All-MIAA First Team three times in track & field and the all-conference second team in 1966.

He continued to make his mark in the sport as the MIAA champion in the 880-yard run in 1967 and 1968, setting AC and MIAA records in ’68. Walt also set the school record in the 440-yard intermediate hurdles in 1969.

Two of his Bulldog memories that stand out to him were running part of a cross country race on a broken leg and competing in another event after 18 inches of snow had to be plowed off a course.

After getting a master’s degree in elementary physical education and a specialist degree in computers, Walt would pursue a career in teaching. He is employed by the Bedford Public Schools teaching computers and science. He also coaches track, cross country and judo for BPS, and has given back to the community as a baseball and softball recreation coach.

Walt and his wife, Linda, have two grown children, Breanne and Brett.

Lauree Dermyer ‘05 – Volleyball

Lauree was a four-year letterwinner from 2001 to 2004, earning All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association First Team accolades as the only Bulldogs women’s volleyball student-athlete ever to accomplish the feat.

Lauree helped Adrian win 58 matches during her career on teams coached by Mike Watkins. She was voted the team most valuable player for three years in a row (2002-04). She still holds school records for career kills (1,695) and attack percentage (.417)

Lauree’s best season came during the 2004-05 academic year when she was named the Adrian Athletics Senior Female Athlete of the Year, racking up 537 kills, .388 hitting percentage, 105 digs and 98 total blocks. The middle hitter ranked fifth in NCAA Division III with 5.21 kills per set.

Still active in competitive adult volleyball leagues, Lauree’s memories of her collegiate experience remains fresh in her mind. In particular, Adrian competed in a tournament at New York University and team members visited Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial.

During her playing days, Lauree listed Brooklyn as her hometown and graduated from Columbia Central High School. She has spent much of her time building monies toward a CCHS scholarship and soccer field in her brother’s name, Chad, who is a fallen police officer.

Lauree makes her home in Jackson with her daughter Amiyah. She currently works for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, as an eligibility specialist.

Jill Green Pedersen ‘91 – Tennis/Field Hockey

Jill excelled in two sports as evidenced by two All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association citations in field hockey during the 1988 and ’89 seasons, and two more all-MIAA awards in tennis, including to the 1991 conference’s first team.

Jill was a three-year women’s tennis team most valuable player from 1989 to 1991. She earned the MIAA Sue Little Sportsmanship Award for tennis in 1991-- the first Bulldog since 1977 –  emblematic for fair play on the court in the memory of the 1954 Albion graduate.

Jill recalls her greatest memory of her AC athletic career as the look on her coach’s face after informing her how she undergoes summer conditioning training. “As a freshman entering AC from the Upper Peninsula town of Escanaba, I told Coach (Amy) Gilmartin that I played kick the can, a hide-and-sprint game in my backyard. That was not the response Amy was looking for and I cannot explain the expression on her face.”      

After earning a master degree in exercise science from the University of Central Missouri, Jill worked in sports medicine clinic for five years. Then for the past 18 years, she has been a certified athletic trainer for high school athletics – currently with the Warrensburg R6 School District.

Jill and her husband, Kirk ’91, make their home in the Show-Me State with their children: James; Jodi and Amber.

Michael Lewis II ‘07 – Football

Mike is arguably the most decorated Bulldog in the team’s history with six All-America citations from three organizations: D3football.com, Don Hansen’s Football Gazette and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Mike was a force at defensive end as he became the program’s all-time leader in quarterback sacks with 40-1/2 – for 265 yards and another school record –  among 143 career tackles.

His best season came in 2005 when he was named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association defensive most valuable player and earned his place on the all-conference first team for his last three years. In that senior campaign, he received first-team All-America accolades by D3football.com and DH Football Gazette.

After his collegiate tenure with the Bulldogs, Mike embarked on a nine-year Arena Football League career with eight teams. He made his mark with the Utah Blaze where he made the 2011 All-AFL Second Team and his second stint with the Iowa Barnstormers where he became the first AFL player to notch three-straight double-digit sacks seasons (2011-13). He retired from the AFL ranked third in all-time sacks.

Mike parlayed a degree in mass communication media studies to become founder and CEO of the Lewis Hive Foundation, a non-profit is for community activism and charitable donation for Lupus Research. He also is a member of the Lions Club and active on the board of the Lupus Foundation of America.

He has two children: Ariyana and Aniya.

Vincent Harkins ‘97 – Soccer

Vince was a four-year men’s soccer letterman for the Bulldogs from 1993 to 1996, starting in all but one contest on his way to becoming the most successful goalkeeper in program history. He was named All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association four times, including three second-team nods, and Adrian’s most valuable player on two occasions.

On the school’s records charts, Vince ranks on top for all-time saves with more than 550 and he still holds the top-two single-season marks in that category with 221 in 1996 and 178 in 1994. He also is first in goalie appearances and third in save percentage for a career.

His most memorable moment came when he donned his jersey for his first game during freshman year. Adrian won at Ashland, 3-2, and celebrated its first victory in two seasons. “The team was jumping up and down like we had won the national championship. Little did I know at the time that would be our only win in 1993. But we forged as a family, sharing adventures together and knowing how important we were to each other.”

After graduation, Vince continued his soccer career playing internationally and attended a professional combine for the Eastern Indoor Soccer League in Dallas, Texas. Even today, he is still active in the sport as a goalie for various teams in leagues near his hometown. He also has helped coached for several high school teams, molding aspiring goalies to play in college.

Vince received his degree in exercise science and works as a personal trainer for Retrofit Studio and rehabilitation specialist for OmniKinetics.

He is married to the former Jenilyn Norman, also a graduate of the College in 2000.

Lindsey Eshelman ‘09 – Volleyball/Tennis

Lindsey was a two-sport standout for the Bulldogs with six letters combined in volleyball and tennis. She owns the distinction as being the only AC player named an All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2005, when she landed on the third team.

Lindsey excelled in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association during her career on the volleyball court with three all-conference citations, including first team honors in 2005 and ’06. She led NCAA Division III with 5.56 kills per set in 2005, which is still an Adrian single-season record, leading to all-region and all-America honors from the AVCA.

Her AC career rankings are second in kills (1301) as well as in attack attempts (3258) and third in hitting percentage (.291).

Lindsey also shined on the hard courts as a tennis student-athlete. She was the only Bulldog to be named 2007 All-MIAA Second Team in women’s tennis as a sophomore, going 6-6 at No. 1 singles. She served as a two-year team captain and earned the MIAA Sue Little Sportsmanship Award in 2008.

Lindsey parlayed a master’s degree in speech language pathology from Nova Southeastern University into a career as speech-language pathologist for Advanced Travel Therapy, which is based in Natchitoches, La. Her job takes her across the country to fulfill school contacts, including visits to Alaska and Florida. She is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Lindsey makes her home in Adrian.