Converse University Announces Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Class

The Converse University Athletic Department has announced that Margaret Moore, Joy Couch and Jenni Russell will be enshrined as the Inaugural Hall of Fame Class on February 21, 2025.
 
Converse University Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Jenn Bell said, “We have discussed the possibility of establishing a Hall of Fame for several years, and I am thrilled that we have finally taken the leap to do so. The history of Converse Athletics dates back to the founding of the college, and the evolution of athletics began long before my time. However, Converse Athletics is stronger now because of what these three individuals accomplished throughout their careers in athletics, and I could not be more excited to start this new tradition and celebrate each of them in February.”

Associate Professor of Physical Education Margaret Moore arrived at Converse 50 years ago and has held nearly every position in Converse’s athletic department. Moore was the first official Athletic Director at Converse for 15 years (1992-2006), coordinator of women’s athletics for 19 years (1973-92), coordinator of intramural activities for 21 years (1973-82, 1998-2008), chair of the health and physical educations department for 10 years (2001-2010), advisor to the Converse Athletic Association for 35 years (1973-2007), head tennis coach for 23 years (1973-94, 2001-02), head field hockey coach for 11 years (1973-83), head volleyball coach for 16 years (1973-87), and head basketball coach for nine years (1973-81).

A Hall of Fame dual-sport athlete (basketball, tennis) at Queens University (N.C.), Moore steered Converse’s tennis team into the nation’s Top 20 for three consecutive years (1991-94) and was named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) District Six Tennis Coach of the Year in 1988, 1992, and 1993. Moore also enjoyed a highly decorated career as a tennis player during various periods of her life, ranking among the top five players in the state of South Carolina for her age group on numerous occasions and as a regional all-star field hockey player.

Moore evolved the athletic department from its humble beginnings until a program hiatus in the mid-1990s. Following the reinstatement of the athletic department, Moore began to build the program once again. She expanded the program through fundraising, recruiting, and coaching. Moore has guided the athletic department through a trio of transitions from the  Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), NAIA, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Moore also helped the athletic department secure a bid into the Carolinas/Virginia Conference, which has since been rebranded to Conference Carolinas. As a professor at Converse, Moore has been the Senate Faculty President, was named an Honorary Alumna, and won the Spirit of Converse Award.

Joy Couch was the Director of Athletics at Converse from 2006-2018. Under Couch’s leadership, Converse built a highly competitive intercollegiate athletic program as the only women’s college competing at the NCAA Division II level, including gaining full Division II membership, admission into Conference Carolinas, growing from 5 to 13 sports programs and increasing the number of student-athletes from 37 to 240.

The rapid growth led to the construction of the $3 million Marsha H. Gibbs Field House in 2014, which Couch credits as being instrumental in positioning Converse to build a winning program. In her final year at Converse, the athletics department was recognized by the NCAA for contributing the sixth highest number of community service hours in the nation, received the Allen Sharp Award for the highest academic success rate in Conference Carolinas, and the Valkyries swim team earned Scholar All-American for the eleventh consecutive year. In its inaugural season, the all-freshman Acro and Tumbling team qualified for the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association’s National Championship as the No. 8 seed.

Prior to her time at Converse, Couch was a coach and administrator in Spartanburg County Schools, serving as a physical education teacher and basketball coach in Spartanburg School Districts one, three, and six.

Couch coached multiple sports and was the head basketball coach at Broome High School, Chapman High School and Dorman High School. During her nine-year tenure at Dorman, the Cavaliers won a trio of 4A State Championships. Couch has earned recognition at the local and national levels, including being named the 2007 WBCA National High School Coach of the Year and coaching the 2004 Nike All-American game. Couch has numerous state and region coaching awards, with her career coaching record standing at 551-186.  
 
Jenni Russell Currier ’13 (Nisbet Scholar) swam for Converse from 2009-2013 and left as arguably the greatest swimmer in program history. The Palmetto State native finished her career at Converse as a two-time All-American, a two-time Academic All-American, an eight-time All-Conference selection, and a four-time Academic All-Conference selection.

Currier was the first Converse athlete to qualify for the NCAA Championships in any sport, and she accomplished the feat a trio of times in 2010, 2011, and 2013. During her senior campaign, Currier finished 15th nationally in the 200-Breast event and won the 2013 Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championship in the event as well. While at Converse, Currier was a Presidential Scholarship Recipient, a Weisiger scholar athlete and won the coveted Weisiger Cup in 2013.

In the pool, Currier held the program record in both the 100 and 200 breast events until they were broken last season. Currier still has top-10 times in the 1,000 free event, the 50 breaststroke event, the 200 IM event and the 400 IM event.

Since graduating from Converse, Currier, a Chemistry major, has been employed by Contec, Inc. and is currently the Product Manager of their Professional Clean product line.

In 2019 she was awarded Young Professional in Innovation at the YPs by the Spartanburg Young Professionals. Currier is a graduate of Leadership Spartanburg and is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of North Carolina, where she is a Forte Fellow Awardee. In 2024 she was awarded the Hygea Scholarship.