August 6, 2010

Former Tech star Jerilynn Harper Carroll into Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame

Jerilynn Harper Carroll, a Kodak All-American during her three-year career on the Tech women's basketball team from 1979-82, was inducted Thursday night into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.

The 6-foot-1 wingstarred for Tech from 1979-80 to 1981-82

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech All-American Jerilynn Harper Carroll, who led the nation in scoring in 1981, was among the 10 people inducted Thursday night into the Greater Knoxville Area Sports Hall of Fame at the Knoxville Convention Center.

Joining the former Tech standout were John Cooper, Carmen Mercadal Foster, James David Kerr, Dirk Pohlmann, Austin Denney, Chuck Ramsey, Bill Higdon, Jackie Pope and Carolyn Peck.

Longtime Georgia football coach Vince Dooley was the keynote speaker at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Harper's jersey No. 30 is hanging from the rafters of Eblen Center to recognize the success she had as a student-athlete under coach Marynell Meadors.

In high school, Harper set the state single-season scoring record with 1,562 points in 1978 and was a two-time Parade All-American. At Tech, she led the nation in scoring in 1980-81 and was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference player of the year. She was inducted into the Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, the first year she was eligible.

Carroll is currently the volleyball coach at Halls High School in Knoxville. It was the third Hall of Fame of her career. In addition to the TTU Sports Hall of Fame, she is also a member of the KIL Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame after a distinguished coaching career at Halls.

Carroll began her college career at the University of Tennessee but only stayed one year.

“I’m more small town,” said Carroll, who grew up in New Market. “Tennessee seemed so big. I felt more comfortable at Tech.”

In her debut season at Tech, she averaged 14.7 points per game. In her second season in a Tech uniform, Jerilynn averaged 29.7 points per game and led the nation, scoring a school-record 1,011 total points. She shot 62.8 percent from the field.

As a senior, she scored 831 points and averaged 26.8 points per game, including a single-game high of 47 which she dropped on Pittsburgh in a WNIT contest.

Harper was a standout not only on the court, but also in the classroom. She won the team's Best Academic Average Award as a senior and was Academic All-America. She also was a two-time team MVP and won the John P. Hendrix Leadership Award.