FORT MYERS, Fla. – Five iconic individuals who have written their place in Florida Gulf Coast University athletics history will be inducted into the FGCU Athletics Hall of Fame as the Class of 2025.
Sherwood Brown, Ashley (Cecil) Spencer, Sarah Hansen, Jason Peacock and Stanley "Butch" Perchan will be inducted Saturday morning, Feb. 1, 2025, at a breakfast at the Boardwalk Restaurant on the FGCU campus. A reception in honor of the inductees will take place at 9:30 a.m., with the breakfast and ceremony taking place at 10:15 a.m. Later in the day, the group will be presented at halftime of the FGCU men's basketball game against Stetson University.
"This year's group of inductees helped set the standard that we continually try to achieve on a daily basis," said FGCU Director of Athletics
Colin Hargis. "I'm thankful to our Hall of Fame committee and chair Dr. Tom Roberts for selecting such outstanding representatives of our department's history."
This is the fourth class of inductees. The 2024 class consisted of Mikel Alvarez, KC Correllus, Bryan Crislip, Adrienne McNally, and Courtney (Platt) Pohlman. In 2023, the class featured Richard Bleier, Casey Coleman, Cheyenne Jenks, Kate (Schrader) Bruce, Carmen (Paez) Jimenez and Derek Lamely. The inaugural class featured the 2012-13 "Dunk City" men's basketball team, Chris Sale, Brooke Youngquist Sweat, Ben Hill Griffin III, Bill Merwin and Duane Swanson Sr.
This year's inductees are:
Sherwood Brown – Men's Basketball – 2009-13
A shining star from the "Dunk City" era, Brown was an Associated Press Honorable Mention all-America honoree his senior year. The Atlantic Sun Conference player of the year for 2012-13, Brown was a three-time ASUN Player of the Week on three occasions his final year. Brown was the first player in FGCU history to record 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds. He would also be named to the ASUN All-Tournament team. Brown averaged 20.5 points per game in FGCU's two wins in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, helping the team to the Sweet 16. An NABC All-District 3 Team honoree in 2013, Brown was a First Team All-Conference honoree his senior year. In his junior year, Brown was an ASUN Second Team All-Conference member and was named to the ASUN All-Tournament team for the first time. Over his four years with the Green & Blue, Brown scored 1,229 points, grabbed 573 rebounds, and tallied 116 steals.
"My favorite basketball player Kobe Bryant said, 'Once you know what failure feels like determination chases success.' This stands out to me because in my junior year was our first year being eligible for the tournament we lost in the ASUN title game to Belmont. I felt like we came so far and came up short, but it set the pace for the following season," said Brown. "I was determined to make it back to the title game and win and keep it going. The rest is history."
Ashley (Cecil) Spencer - Softball – 2003-05
Perhaps the best player in the Division II history of FGCU's softball program, Spencer still holds the single-season record for batting average over 20 years after it was set, having posted a .486 mark in 2003. Having hit .486 in the first year of the program's existence, she is also the only player to have ever held the single-season batting average record for FGCU. She holds the top two spots for stolen bases in a season, having stolen 66 in 2005 and 65 in 2003. Twice, she scored five runs in a game to hold the school record. Twice, she racked up five hits in a game, tying former teammate Blaire Toleman and Rachel Homan for the school record. Her six stolen bases in one game are still a record, and the four times she stole four in a contest still rest alone in second in the record books. She was a two-time NFCA All-Region selection and was the first player in FGCU program history to achieve NFCA All-America status. Spencer was the Independent Colleges Athletic Association's Division II Player of the Year in 2005.
"When I think about this amazing honor, I truly cannot begin to express how grateful I am," said Spencer. "To share this achievement with Carmen (Paez), Cheyenne (Jenks), and Courtney (Pohlman), along with the rest of the Hall of Fame members, is humbling, to say the least.
"I want to thank Coach David Deiros for so many opportunities but especially for giving me the chance to play the game I love while staying in my hometown," Spencer continued. "I have endless memories of FGCU softball, and I cherish them all. Many years later, and I still take every opportunity I can to come to campus and feel the impact it has had on my life."
Sarah Hansen – Women's Basketball – 2009-13
Hansen, who was named to the ASUN's All-Decade Team after a highly-successful career in the Green and Blue, is the program's all-time scoring leader with 1,901 career points. The most decorated player in FGCU's history, she was twice named the ASUN's player of the year and nabbed one conference tournament MVP honor while being named to the all-tournament squad three times. After being named to the ASUN's all-freshmen team, the guard went on to become FGCU's only four-time all-conference selection, and she was named to the first-team three times. On top of that, she was a five-time ASUN player of the week and a three-time newcomer of the week. Hansen led FGCU to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances, including the program's first-ever at the Division I level in 2012. To this day, she holds the program's career records for points, field goals made, field goals attempted, free throws made, steals, games started and minutes played. Hansen will also be inducted into the ASUN Hall of Fame in May 2025.
"It is truly an honor to be inducted into the FGCU Hall of Fame," Hansen said. "I played with and watched some incredible individuals in my time at FGCU, and I know the pool of incredible athletes and coaches who have worn the Green & Blue. People always seem to consider a Hall of Fame induction an extremely high honor for an individual, but with this honor I'm starting to realize that this is more due to the people in my life. It was a blessing to be able to spend my college years at FGCU. There is no doubt in my mind I would not have had the career I had without my coaches, teammates, athletics and college staff, and even fans. I was never the type of flashy player to jump over someone for a rebound, score 30 plus points in a game, or throw flashy passes; and yet I'm the one fortunate enough to be recognized. I can say with complete confidence this induction was a group effort. They all deserve this honor and recognition for my success on the court just as much as I do."
Jason Peacock – Baseball – 2007-08
In 2008, Peacock had one of the greatest seasons of anyone that's ever worn an FGCU baseball uniform. He would go 3-for-4 in the second game of a doubleheader against North Florida, raising his batting average to .417 for the year. His average wouldn't dip below .400 for the rest of the way as he finished with a mark of .434. That average is still second in FGCU baseball history and the best in the school's D-I era. His on-base percentage of .525 is still the best in FGCU history. He would become the first FGCU baseball player to be named ASUN Player of the Year. Over his two seasons with the Eagles, Peacock would tally 155 hits, 107 RBI and exactly 100 runs scored, all while finishing with a career batting average of .380.
"I'm truly honored and humbled to be recognized by FGCU athletics and grateful to have had the opportunity to be an Eagle," said Peacock. I'm still blown away! Wings Up and Go Eagles!"
Stanley "Butch" Perchan – Administrator and Contributor – 2000-Present
Since FGCU was founded in 1997 and since intercollegiate athletics began play began a short time later, there has perhaps been no bigger supporter and friend to FGCU than Butch Perchan. He began "friendraising" and fundraising efforts for FGCU Athletics as one of the first members of the department's staff in November 2000. Since then, he has created and implemented all aspects of fundraising, marketing and special events for the department. Under his direction, FGCU developed one of the most successful fundraising programs in the NCAA, attracting more than $18 million in gifts during a 10-year period from 2004-14. In addition, he has assisted with the design and creation of nearly $28 million in athletic facilities. In February 2013, Perchan was recognized as a winner of FGCU's Staff Advisory Council's Finest of the Flock award. The award acknowledges staff members for exhibiting exceptional effort that reflects the values and mission of Florida Gulf Coast University. Additionally, in 2014, the "Green and Blue" Award was renamed the Stanley "Butch" Perchan Award. The award, which Perchan won in 2012, is presented annually to someone in the department who is a tremendous teammate to student-athletes and fellow staff alike, and who makes FGCU athletics a better place every day. He was also bestowed by President Wilson Bradshaw in January 2015 the distinction of being named the fourth-ever honorary letter winner - joining the founding father of FGCU Athletics Dr. Bill Merwin, Ben Hill Griffin III, and Duane Swanson, Sr. in Eagles' history. Perchan will retire at the end of 2024.
"What a wonderful honor this is as we end our time at FGCU, and what an outstanding group of fellow inductees in the Class of 2024," Perchan said. "The past 24 years have been the highlight of a 51-year career in higher education. So many people to thank —coaches, administrators, student-athletes, and the most dedicated and committed fans and donors, all right here in Southwest Florida. Dorothy and I leave the University with a great sense of accomplishment and joy, and we thank all of you that have been a part of this journey."