GPS Adds Two New Inductees to Athletic Hall of Fame

While Girls Preparatory School is known for academic excellence, our students' and coaches' athletic performances have led to a higher than average entrance into the college athletic arena. On average, 20 percent of GPS student-athletes will go on to compete at the collegiate level, while the national average is roughly 7 percent for male and female high school athletes.

Each year, GPS recognizes a select number of alumnae and staff for their outstanding accomplishments in and contributions to athletics and who made a significant impact on the GPS athletics program with induction into the GPS Athletic Hall of Fame.

On Friday, GPS inducted two into its Athletic Hall of Fame. Head of School Megan Cover welcomed attendees to the event and introduced Director of Athletics Jay Watts, who served as emcee. 

Watts addressed the crowd saying, “The mission of the GPS Athletic Hall of Fame is to honor alumnae and other individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the GPS athletic program during their time at GPS. While there is a long list of great athletes, coaches, and support staff that have served our athletic department in the past, this group that we recognize for Hall of Fame induction represents the best of the very best.” He continued, “Today, we have two inductees that have earned numerous accolades during their time at GPS. They created a legacy that thrives long after they have left our campus. We are incredibly thankful for all the contributions these two individuals made to our programs during their time here, and we are happy to recognize them today as the newest members of our Athletic Hall of Fame.”

Jessica Phillips Stanfield was a four-year letterwinner during her time on the diamond at GPS. She was named Best of Preps by the Chattanooga Times Free Press three times and was also a three-time TSWA All-State and All-City selection. Her offensive and defensive skills helped lead GPS to back-to-back Division II state championships in 2007 and 2008 and state runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006. Jessica had a four-year career batting average of .392 with 95 runs, 32 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 130 RBIs. While at GPS, she also earned the Laura Holt Award and the Isabell McCall Pottery Award. In addition to her school softball success, Jessica played on the Chattanooga Eagles traveling team for six years and helped the team finish fifth nationally in 2003 at the ASA Nationals. She received a scholarship to continue her playing career at the University of Memphis, where she still ranks first all-time in putouts on defense (1,049) and double plays turned (35), second with sacrifice flies (5), runs batted in (103), and most career home runs (25), and third in school history in at-bats (514), doubles (27), and total bases (240). She holds the fourth-highest career slugging percentage (.467), most games played (198), most games started (183), most walks (61), and hits (132). Today, Jessica works as a doctor of physical therapy at the CHI Memorial-Glenwood Campus and resides in Ringgold with her husband, Tony, and their newborn son, Jackson.

Behind every great school athletic program are those who ensure the athletes stay healthy and fit for performance. After a bad ankle injury sidelined him in ninth grade, Robbie Williams turned to student managing and earned himself a scholarship to UTC for athletic training. He worked as a graduate assistant athletic trainer for football at the University of Southern Mississippi, assistant athletic trainer and instructor at East Tennessee State University, and part-time athletic trainer at UTC. In 1996, he worked as a volunteer athletic trainer for the Olympic Games in Atlanta. That same year, he accepted an employment offer from the Center for Sports Medicine to serve as the first full-time athletic trainer at GPS; for two-plus decades, he was the only athletic trainer for the Bruisers. Among other honors, in 2020, Robbie was recognized as the Tennessee State Sandy Sandlin High School Athletic Trainer of the Year, and in 2021 the Southeast Athletic Trainers Association Clinical/Industrial/Corporate Athletic Trainer of the Year. In addition to his role at GPS, Williams served as the coordinator of athletic training at the Center for Sports Medicine, where he supervised 15 athletic trainers; from 2010-2021, he also worked as an athletic trainer for the Chattanooga Football Club. Robbie and his wife, Angie, have two daughters, Jennie ’17 and Sydnie ’25.

Congratulations to our newest inductees!