CCES Celebrates 2022 Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

Christ Church Episcopal School celebrated the achievements of three members of the community who made large contributions through athletics during their time at the school. On Friday, September 16, 2022, CCES Sports Hall of Fame inductees RJ Beach, Kendall Crawford ‘12, and James Quattlebaum ‘14 were celebrated and honored. 

 

(Note: The fourth inductee, Caroline Jennings ’13, will be recognized at the 2023 Sports Hall of Fame ceremony.) 

 

Kendall Crawford was a member of the Varsity Girls Swimming team at CCES for six years (2006-2011). Kendall broke nine team records, won six state championships (individual and relay), set a state record in the 100 Backstroke, and was a 4-time team MVP and 4-time SC Women’s Sports Swimmer of the Year. She was All-State and All-Region every year she swam. Kendall qualified for the Olympic Trials while in high school and after graduation, chose to continue swimming at Harvard over Stanford. She had a highly successful collegiate swimming career with several Ivy League championships and All-Ivy honors as well as breaking a number of Harvard records during her four years. 

 

To this day, many consider Kendall Crawford a “foundational cornerstone” of the CCES Swimming Program. Matt Jacobssen, CCES Swim Head Coach, calls Kendall “the model of the elite, hard-working athlete, committed and curious student, and inclusive friend,” and says, “We [CCES Swimming] are still standing on her shoulders.” He recalls what he describes as a “low-stakes weekend dual meet” where Kendall, with the meet already decided, out swimming the other relay anchor for the win, with very few in the crowd as most had left. Jacobssen says, “To her, every swim was an opportunity to race with pride, represent her school, teammates, and friends well, and show that she is a champion.” Former CCES Swimming teammate, Whit Rooke ’14, describes Kendall’s humility, sharing, “While we all saw the excellence, she saw room for improvement. That attitude was infectious.” Rooke calls watching Kendall compete and work hard day in and day out “inspiring” and says, “Her effect on the team was one that echoed into even the [CCES Swimming] teams today.”

 

During her induction speech, Kendall thanked her CCES Swimming coaches (Matt Jacobssen and Park Owings) and her parents for all they did to support and provide the opportunity to combine being a swimmer and attending Christ Church. She thanked the “community of CCES and the culture it creates in developing the whole person” and “pushing students to strive for excellence in anything they do.” 

 

James Quattlebaum was a member of the Boys Cross Country and Track and Field teams at CCES for six years (2008-2014). In Cross Country, James was a 4-time individual state champion, a team state champion in 2011, the school record-holder in the 5k, and the CCES Cross Country course record-holder. In Track and Field, James was a 12-time individual state champion, team state champion in 2014, and a school record-holder in the 800m, 1600m, 3200m, and 4x800m relay. After graduating in 2014, James ran Cross Country at High Point University and then at Clemson University, graduating in 2018. He was named to multiple All-ACC teams for Cross Country and the Steeplechase. After graduating from Clemson, he became the fourth South Carolina resident to break the four minute mark in the mile and has qualified for the Olympic Trials twice – as a marathon runner (2020) and for the Steeplechase (2021). 

 

Many consider James to be one of, it not the most, accomplished distance runner in CCES history. Charlie Woodward, Varsity Boys Cross Country Head Coach, describes James as dominant, winning four straight state championship races, with his senior year time being the fastest across all five classifications. Woodward says, “While he was vocal and committed in supporting his teammates, James’s main form of leadership was through his consistent, disciplined effort in daily practices and meet preparation. Hard work and dedication are key elements of distance running success, and James exhibited these all the time.” Eric Guth, former CCES Track Distance Runners Coach, recalls James scoring the maximum 40 points to help secure the team’s state championship in 2014. Guth calls James “impressive” and an “outstanding representative of the CCES Athletics community.” Rodney Adamee, former CCES Cross Country Coach describes James as hard-working and disciplined, sharing “His confidence and determination set the standards for the rest of the team.” 

 

James began by saying, “I want to thank the Christ Church community for all that it has offered me, academically and athletically.” James also thanked coaches Rodney Adamee, Eric Guth, and Charlie Woodward for all their contributions in high school. He thanked the cross country team for being there and he thanked his dad for pushing him to take up a sport, reflecting that running has opened so many doors for him. 

 

Coach RJ Beach served at CCES for 21 years and during his time here, held roles as Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach (1995-2015), Varsity Boys Golf Head Coach (1996-2010), and Director of Athletics (2008-2015). During his seven years as AD, the CCES Athletic Department was named #1 in Class A three times and won 28 state championships. When RJ retired from coaching basketball in 2015, he left as the winningest basketball coach in Cavalier history with 314 total wins and a 6-time region coach of the year. His teams had great success – winning seven region championships and making multiple Upper-State Championship appearances – and he coached in the 2009 (assistant coach) and 2013 (head coach) North-South All-Star games. Beach was the Boys Golf Coach for fifteen years and during that time, led the Cavaliers to nine state championships. He coached five different individual state champions, was a 2-time SCACA coach of the year, 13-time region coach of the year, and the head coach of the 2009 North-South match. Many of his basketball players and golfers went on to compete collegiately. 

 

While RJ’s basketball and golf teams saw great success, his leadership was far reaching with his impact on the entire CCES Athletics program. During his time as AD, RJ oversaw tremendous growth of the program, with the addition of Boys and Girls Lacrosse and the revitalization of Field Hockey and Swimming. He managed a large budget, seeking to be fair towards all teams, and oversaw several upgrades to the athletics facilities. During his seven years as AD, the CCES Athletic Department was ranked #1 in Class A of the SCHSL five times and Cavalier teams won 28 state championships. Peter Sanders, former CCES Upper School Director, recalls the large increase in students at the time and says, “I cannot imagine navigating this exhilarating time in the school’s history without RJ.”  David Wilcox, former CCES Boys Soccer Head Coach and 2021 Hall of Fame Inductee, describes RJ as “tirelessly dedicated, attentive to details, and boundless in service.” Wilcox recalls many of RJ’s accolades, but says, “Above all, RJ championed all of his teams, both varsity and sub-varsity, and was always willing to go the extra mile to provide support for his coaches.” 

 

RJ called it a “tremendous honor” to be joining the CCES Sports Hall of Fame. He thanked his family, administrators, assistant coaches, opposing coaches, team parents, and Miss Josie Burdine for all their contributions. Lastly, RJ thanked all the hundreds of athletes he coached over the years, saying, “I wouldn’t be on stage here tonight if it weren’t for the fact that I was able to coach some wonderful and talented young men.” He said, “It would be impossible to mention all their names or contributions, but they all made a difference.”