Fourteen Mercerians were recognized for their contributions to Mercer University during the 10th annual Alumni and Friends Awards Reception and Program held Nov. 14 during Homecoming.
The Mercer Alumni Association honored recipients of the Thomas Sewell Plunkett Young Alumnus Award, Meritorious Service Award and Distinguished Alumnus Award, and it recognized six individuals as Alumni by Choice. The Mercer Athletic Foundation also recognized the newest class of inductees in the Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor.
The Thomas Sewell Plunkett Young Alumnus Award, given to an alumnus who has graduated within the last 10 years and demonstrated continued support of the University, was presented to Grant P. Radakovich.
Radakovich is a graduate of the School of Business, earning his undergraduate finance degree in 2015 and his Master of Business Administration in 2017. A former student-athlete, Radakovich played tight end for the Bears from 2012-15 and for Clemson University as a walk-on tight end. He now works for software startup Popmenu in a sales leadership role. He also co-founded the Indiebnb podcast, which serves as a platform for discovery and promotion of the indie music scene. Radakovich is a generous supporter of the Mercer Athletic Foundation, including the completion of a major gift commitment to name rack 1 in the Drake Field House weight room.
The Meritorious Service Award, given to an individual who supports the Alumni Association and the University through contributions of time, talents and financial resources, was presented to Charlie Cantrell.
Cantrell, owner of Five Star Automotive Group and a Mercer trustee, has a deep commitment to philanthropy and education. In 2015, Five Star made the largest commitment in Mercer athletics history with the Five Star Stadium naming agreement. In 2024, the family made another generous commitment to name the Cantrell Family Baseball and Performance Center. While not an alumnus by definition — Cantrell graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1981 — orange and black runs through the veins of his family. Daughter Christy Johnston was a member of Mercer women’s soccer team, and her husband, Kyle Johnston, played for the Bears’ baseball team. Daughter Laura Beth Dickey earned her Master of Education from Mercer as well.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award, given to an individual who serves his or her profession in an outstanding manner and, in doing so, brings honor to the individual and University, was presented to William “Bill” Pou Jr.
Pou, a Mercer trustee, earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1978. After graduation, he returned to his hometown of Plant City, Florida, and began working for W.S. Badcock Corp. He purchased his first Badcock dealership, owning and operating several throughout his career, which also included roles as director, executive vice president for retail operations and board chair. He is also a founding director of First National Bank of Polk County, now SouthState Bank. Pou and wife Kathy Oszmianski are generous supporters of Mercer. They have contributed to Greek Village and established the Bill and Kathy Pou Endowed Scholarship. They are Life Members of The President’s Club.
Alumni By Choice
The Alumni by Choice Awards were created to salute individuals who did not graduate from Mercer but have demonstrated loyalty to the University over the years. This year’s recipients were Mark J. Adams, Darla C. Bishop, Robert J. “Bob” and Carolyn B. Hargrove, Jackie Baugh Moore, and Joan L. “Joanie” Moore.
Adams, who is retired from a 35-year career in materials and process engineering at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, is the husband of Cathy Adams, a Tift College graduate and chair of the Mercer Board of Trustees, and parent and father-in-law to Mercer Bears. He enjoys spending time accompanying his wife to Mercer events, dinners and groundbreakings.
Bishop is the wife of Tom Bishop, immediate past chair of the Mercer Board of Trustees. Both of their children, Tyler and Darian, are Mercer graduates. For many years, the couple opened their home to feed their children’s Mercer friends on weekends. More recently, Darla has helped host a reception in Northwest Georgia for accepted students and their families.
Bob and Carolyn Hargrove came to Macon in 1975. Carolyn worked in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit, and Bob taught chemistry at Mercer, at times serving as department chair. He also served as dean pro tempore, went on leave to Liberia as a Fulbright professor and was a Foster Fellow in the State Department. Both are retired and regularly enjoy athletic, theater and musical events at Mercer.
Jackie Baugh Moore, a Mercer trustee, is president of the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which was founded by prominent Baptist laypersons who were also Moore’s grandparents. In 2012, the foundation provided a grant to establish the Eula Mae and John Baugh Center for Baptist Leadership at Mercer. The Baugh Foundation also is the largest single funding source for Mercer On Mission.
Joanie Moore is the wife of former Mercer trustee and 1976 graduate Robert L. “Bob” Moore. Married in 1974, their love for Mercer began when Bob first walked onto campus, sparking a lifelong connection to the University. Over the years, they have participated in many Mercer events, deepening their appreciation for the University’s values and community. The Moores are Life Members of The President’s Club.
Athletic Hall of Fame
The Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame, which originated in 1971, welcomed four new members: William Boli Bagrou, men’s soccer; James Florence, men’s basketball; Susie Gardner, women’s basketball; and Bobby Lamb, football. Gary Louis Abbott Jr. was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor.
Bagrou made history as the first Mercer soccer player drafted into the MLS, joining Sporting Kansas City in the 2018 draft. At Mercer, he earned numerous honors, including Division I All-American, MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist and Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, among others. With Bagrou on the team, Mercer men’s soccer earned three SoCon championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice. After graduating from the School of Business in 2018, Bagrou played professionally with Orlando City B and later in Austria. In 2020, he earned a certificate in computer science from Harvard University’s edX program. He is currently pursuing his Master of Business Administration at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Florence, a standout point guard, made a lasting impact during his collegiate career at Mercer from 2006-10. He became Mercer’s all-time leading scorer with 2,287 points, ranking second in Atlantic Sun Conference history. He was the first player in conference history to score over 500 points in four consecutive seasons and earned All-Conference honors each year, including two First Team selections. His dynamic play earned him an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, reserved for the top college seniors in the country. After college, Florence built an impressive professional resume overseas, including being named Finals MVP in 2017, Polish League MVP in 2019, winning two Polish League championships, and capturing the Polish Cup in 2022.
Gardner served as Mercer’s women’s basketball head coach from 2010-24, leaving as the program’s all-time winningest coach with nearly 250 career victories. Gardner transformed Mercer into one of the top mid-major programs in the NCAA and Southeast. At Mercer, her teams amassed 20-plus wins six times, including a run of five-straight seasons with 20 or more wins from 2014-19. She coached four SoCon Players of the Year, three Freshman of the Year awardees and four Defensive Player of the Year honorees, and she was named SoCon Coach of the Year four times. Gardner took the Bears to seven postseason tournaments. Prior to her arrival at Mercer, the team had not competed in postseason play since 1985.
Lamb served as Mercer’s football head coach from 2011-19. He was hired to resurrect the Bears’ football program, which had not fielded a team in 70 years. In 2013, the Bears won 10 games, which set an NCAA record for the most wins by an NCAA Division I program in its first season of competition. For his efforts, Lamb finished third in the Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year voting and was a top 11 finalist for the Football Championship Subdivision National Coach of the Year. Lamb mentored 55 all-conference student-athletes over seven seasons. Under his leadership, the football program helped Mercer athletics rank atop the Southern Conference in academic standing for three consecutive years.
Abbott, a 1999 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is a founding owner of Roland Abbott & DeZoort Insurance Agency. He is married to Jana, and together they have two young adult children. The whole family is known for sports spectating. The couple has held Mercer men’s basketball courtside season tickets since 2011 and football season tickets since the revival of the program in 2013. In 2021, together with Abbott’s parents — the Rev. Dr. Gary L. Abbott Sr. and Billie Uselton Abbott, both 1969 graduates from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences — the couple established the 1892 Fund, an endowed fund that enhances the football team’s operating budget.
