The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Athletic Alumni Association will induct six members into the Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming festivities on Thursday, Sept. 26.
This year’s class includes the late Calvin Butler, of Hazlehurst, Kiara Etienne, of Houston, Texas, Andrew McGee, of Stillwater, OK, Xavier Qualls, of Lutz, Florida, Marianna Reeves, of Camden, South Carolina, and Johnny Steptoe, of Amite, Louisiana. The six will be inducted during the Alumni Association Awards Reception at 3:15 p.m. in the Thames Center on the Wesson Campus.
Calvin Butler
Butler was a 1947 graduate of Co-Lin, where he was a member of the Wolf Pack football team. He enrolled at the college after serving in World War II in the U.S. Navy.
After Co-Lin, Butler played football at Mississippi Southern College, where he was recruited for the professional football draft by the Baltimore Colts. After college, he worked as a high school coach and a sales engineer. He was a deacon and Sunday school president at his church, and he served as a poll worker and the president of the advisory council at Copiah Academy.
“This honor shows Calvin Butler has left a legacy of hard work, determination, and a love athletic excellence,” his daughter Aimee Butler Burns said.
Butler was married to Susan Spitchley, and they had three daughters, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He died Sept. 21, 1985 after a battle with cancer.
Kiara Etienne
Etienne is a 2011 graduate of Co-Lin where she was a member of the Wolf Pack basketball team. She was named to the second-team NJCAAA All-American in 2011, the NJCAA National All-Tournament Team, NJCAAA All-Region 23 and MACCC All-State First team. She led the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game. She made nearly 80 percent of her free throws and finished as the team’s top three-point shooter. Her team finished 27-4 overall and 11-1 in league play. They won the MACCC South Division Championship, the MACJC State Championship and the NJCAA Region 23 Championship. They also made a NJCAA National Tournament appearance.
After Co-Lin, Etienne played basketball at Prairie View A&M University. She currently works as a pipe fitter.
“Being inducted into the Hall of Fame means so much to me,” Etienne said. “Never in a million years, would I have thought a girl from a small town would accomplish such a thing. I’m glad to see all my hard work and dedication to the game of basketball had paid off.”
Andrew McGee
McGee is a 2008 graduate of Co-Lin, where he was a member of the Wolf Pack football team. While at Co-Lin, he was named 1st Team All-American and to the All-State team. He was also named Mr. Co-Lin.
After Co-Lin, McGee played football at Oklahoma State University. He was named to the First Team All Big 12. He currently is employed as the director of education at Leadercast. He is actively involved in his church and regularly volunteers at the YMCA and juvenile centers.
“My time at Co-Lin was one of the most important times in my life. It shaped who I am today,” he said. “Being inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame solidifies my time there and acknowledges my accomplishments during my time there.”
McGee and his wife a have a 4 year old son.
Xavier Qualls
Qualls is a 2006 graduate of Co-Lin where he was a member of the Wolf Pack baseball team. While at Co-Lin, he was named to the NJCAA All-American team.
After Co-Lin, Qualls played baseball at Southeastern Louisiana University. He was named to the 2000s All Decade Team at SELU. He currently works as a national sales executive with Molson Coors Beverage Company. He is a Lutz Little League baseball coach and a member of Disabilities United resource group.
“Being inducted into the Co-Lin Sports Hall of Fame is an incredible honor,” he said. “I’m extremely humbled to be among a fraternity that connects me to a long and impressive list of athletes and just overall human beings. I’m proud to be in such great company and inspired to give back to the community that has given me so much.”
He and his wife, Tara, have two children, Taya, 8, and Cassius, 5.
Marianna Reeves
Reeves is a 1996 graduate of Co-Lin where she was a member of the Wolf Pack softball and basketball teams. Selected for her outstanding softball achievements, she was named a 1st team All-American by the NJCAA, with a batting average of .617 and a slugging percentage of 1.062. She was also named to the All Region team both years and Co-Lin softball MVP in 1996. Her team won the 1996 state tournament, finished in the top three of the Region XXIII finals and placed seventh in the nation at the national tournament. She was also recognized as a MACJC All-Star in basketball in 1996. The basketball team finished the 1995-96 season with a tie for the regular season South Division and runner-up in the Region XXIII championship.
After Co-Lin, Reeves played basketball for one season at the University of West Alabama. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in physical education. She currently is an elementary PE teacher and a member of the South Carolina Foster Parent Association.
“It means the world to me to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at Co-Lin,” she said. “The two years I spent playing two sports that I love were filled with so many wonderful experiences and memories with people that I cherish every single day.
She is married to Debbie Smith Reeves, and they have four children: JJ, 11, Bryce, 10, Xae, 9, and Finley 8.
Johnny Steptoe
Steptoe is a 1987 graduate of Co-Lin, where he was a member of the Wolf Pack basketball team. While at Co-Lin, he was named the No. 1 player in the country. After Co-Lin, Steptoe attended the Southern University in Baton Rouge.
“It means a lot to be selected,” he said. “I really enjoyed myself when I went there, and choosing Co-Lin was one of the best moves I’ve made.”
Steptoe has three sons and one daughter.
Admission to the Alumni Awards Reception is free. Kickoff for the Homecoming game against Southwest is at 6:30 p.m. For more information on Homecoming events, visit www.colin.edu.
