KRISTEN GORDON: All-State and All American, Four Year ERA of 0.68 at Cocoa High

By  //  April 27, 2017

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

ABOVE VIDEO: Kristen Gordon will be inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall Of Fame on May 12, for her outstanding career in softball.

KRISTEN GORDON’s pitching stats for Cocoa High are truly incredible as the Tigers went to the final four three out of her four years. Gordon had a four year ERA of 0.68 with 980 strikeouts, a record of 66-15, including nine no-hitters and 18 one-hitters, and was a 4-year All-Cape Coast Conference pick. In her senior year Gordon retired 358 batters on strikeouts and had a string of 57 consecutive innings without giving up a run.

‘SLAM DUNK’ INDUCTEE

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – When Dale Pierce’s nomination of Kristen Gordon was submitted for consideration for induction into the 2017 class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame the selection committee took one look at her “body of work” over the 8 years of her high school and college softball career and declared her a “slam dunk.”

Pierce, who coached softball at Cocoa High School (CHS) for nine years, has been the Viera High School skipper for the past 11 years and has a career 336-151 record, said, “The four years that Kristen played for me at Cocoa High were the most memorable and best years of my coaching career. She is the most competitive player and best high school pitcher I ever coached.”

Gordon’s pitching stats for her four years, 2003-2006, at CHS are truly incredible, and with her on the mound the Tigers went to the final four three out of her four years.

Gordon had a four year ERA of 0.68 with 980 strikeouts, a record of 66-15, including nine no-hitters and 18 one-hitters, and was a 4-year All-Cape Coast Conference pick.

In her senior year Gordon retired 358 batters on strikeouts and had a string of 57 consecutive innings without giving up a run.

2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Induction Set May 12 at Cocoa Beach Country ClubRelated Story:
2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Induction Set May 12 at Cocoa Beach Country Club

Gordon threw 3 perfect games and 5 no hitters, a stellar performance resulting in selection as the Florida Today Player of the year, 1st team all State and 2nd team All American.

Gordon’s dream coming out of high school was to play for the University of South Florida (USF) and Bull’s coach Ken Erickson, who was also the Team USA pitching coach at the time. She did just that.

Coach Erickson took Gordon under his wing and she hit the ground running in Tampa where in her freshman year she posted a sterling 2.05 ERA,195 strikeouts while winning 16 games, losing only 6 and registering 5 saves.

Over the next three years she continued to be a mainstay on the Bulls’ pitching staff, finishing her 4-year college career at USF with a record of 31-24 and 383 strikeouts.

Kristen Gordon’s dream coming out of high school was to play for the University of South Florida Bulls.

VALUE OF HARD WORK

Gordon took maximum advantage of her USF experience, graduating summa cum laude in earning her bachelors degree in nursing.

“Being a student athlete in high-school and college taught me the value of hard work, and I learned really quick that you get out of things what you put into them,” Gordon said.

“As a division I athlete you have certain things expected of you as a representative of your team and university. The hard work, punctuality, responsibility, and teamwork skills that were expected of me as an athlete are some of my best qualities as a nurse.”

For the past four years Gordon has worked in labor and delivery at Florida Hospital Winter Park. Driven to advance her professional career, she also started graduate school at USF in January of last year to become a Family Nurse Practitioner and is already half way through the program.

MOM IS INSPIRATION

Gordon points to her mother, Kaye, as an inspiration, pillar of strength and source of support growing up in a single-parent home.

“The fact that Mom raised us by herself didn’t cause my sister, Sara, and I to miss out on anything growing up,” said Gordon. “Mom kept us involved in everything, including softball, and raised us to be strong independent girls who understood that if you wanted something you had to earn it.”

Gordon married fellow USF student athlete, Dan Tolley this January. Dan, who played football for the Bulls, is a firefighter/paramedic for the Tampa Fire Department.

Looking to the future, Gordon said, “I would love to have my future daughters play softball, and I will definitely have my children involved in some sort of extra-curricular activities, preferably sports.”

The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame was founded by Space Coast Daily in 2011. The 2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction event, and the 2017 High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards, are sponsored by Community Credit Union, First Choice Medical Group, SOAR, Clear Choice Health Care, BioCellular Therapies, Savings Safari, Spectrum Sports, Friday Night Locker Room, Dr. Sangiv Patel, Dr. Mark Pinsky and Rock Paper Simple.

THE 2017 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will take place at the Cocoa Beach Country Club on Friday, May 12. 

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS 

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT the 2017 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME, call 321-615-8111 or e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com

CLICK HERE to see all the members of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.

Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Announced, Induction Ceremony Set May 12

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced Thursday an impressive array of outstanding individuals to be inducted into the 2017 Class of the Hall of Fame.

Dozens of nominees were considered for the 2017 class in four categories including professional sports, college sports, high school sports and amateur sports.

Special honorary recognition will also be bestowed upon individuals and teams that have made significant contributions to sports on the Space Coast.

Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and has so far inducted more than 100 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches and sports personalities.

Serving on the committee are Space Coast Daily President & Publisher Tom Palermo, Vice President Giles Malone, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Jim Palermo, Managing Editor Zach Clark, Assistant Editor Alan Zlotorzynski, local youth sports advocate and promoter Mike Cadore, Friday Night Locker Room Founders Steve Wilson and Orville Susong, former Health First COO Larry Garrison, Cocoa Beach City Manager Jim McKnight and AAU Vice President Rusty Buchanan.

“The list of inductees for 2017 induction include athletes and coaches everybody knows – and some that may have been forgotten with the passing of time,” said Tom Palermo.

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INDUCTION GALA & SPORTS AWARDS SET FOR MAY 12

The 2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Sports Awards will be held Friday, May 12 at the Cocoa Beach County Club.

The festivities include a meet and greet with the area’s sports royalty, dinner and the induction proceeding which includes compelling video tributes of each of the inductees.

The 2017 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction event, and the 2017 High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards, are sponsored by Community Credit Union, First Choice Medical Group, SOAR, Clear Choice Health Care, BioCellular Therapies, Savings Safari, Spectrum Sports, Friday Night Locker Room, Dr. Sangiv Patel, Dr. Mark Pinsky and Rock Paper Simple..

FOR INFORMATION about the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, or to make a reservation, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-615-8111.

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Tim Wakefield talks about his induction into the first class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2017

• PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY INDUCTEES:  Joe Kohlbrand, Football; and Cory Philpot, Football

• COLLEGE CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Jason Arnold, Baseball; Michael Coffey, Bowling; Reggie Hannah, Basketball;  Paige Kearns, Swimming; and Charles Wilson, Football.

• PREP CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Kristen Gordon, Softball; Ray Herring, Jr. Football; Katie Jackson, Soccer; and Hunter Pingston, Football.

• AMATEUR/REC CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Richard Chapman, Little League; Todd Erickson, Softball; Al Genchi, Youth Soccer; and David Kilgore, Running.

• COACHING CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Skip Arrich, Soccer; Tom Dooley, Baseball; Chuck Keener, Tennis; Steve Lamontagne, Golf; and Mike Soliven, Basketball.

• SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INDUCTEES: Jeff Carr, Eastern Florida State College; and Steve Englehart, Florida Tech.

• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT INDUCTEES: Linda Anderson, Athletic Director; and Les Stafford, Volunteer

• SPORTS OFFICIALS INDUCTEES: Neely Dunn and Bob Walton.

• SPORTS JOURNALISM INDUCTEES: Hillard Grossman.

• SPORTS AMBASSADOR AWARD INDUCTEE : Gary Gregory, PAL Boxing.

• CHALLENGER AWARDS INDUCTEES: Brevard Special Olympics – Coach Cindy Dropeski, Athlete Chuck Conway and Volunteer Kathi Madden.

• TEAM OF THE YEAR: Cocoa High School 2016 Football State Champions.

• SPECIAL TRIBUTE: Jim Grimes, Basketball, Eastern Florida State College

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame is located in the main athletic building on the Melbourne Campus of Eastern Florida State College. Portraits and biographies of the Hall of Famers are displayed on the wall in the building’s main hallway that runs parallel to the gym and outside the athletic department offices. Memorabilia items and related sports artifacts will be added to the display over time. (Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame image)