Bridgewater College

VIDEO: LARRY PENCE HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY

Larry S. Pence was a strong athlete for Bridgewater College who became an educational leader in the community of Bridgewater after his graduation. Larry was a four-year letterman in football, basketball and track & field for Bridgewater. He carried the distinction of never missing a game or meet during his entire Eagle career.

Larry started out his football career with a bang as he threw the winning touchdown pass to his brother, Fred, in his first collegiate game, a 6-0 win over Newport News Apprentice in 1953. He would go on to win All-Little 8 honors during his last three seasons and was a team tri-captain his senior season. As a cage star in basketball, he accumulated 1,459 career points and was selected to all-conference teams all four years. He was a team co-captain his last three seasons, and helped the team to 39 wins in four years. He was team captain of the track & field squad his senior season, and placed in the Mason-Dixon Conference meet during his junior and senior years. Larry won All-State honors in Track all four years. He graduated from Bridgewater with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957.

Besides his accomplishments on the playing field, Larry was a member of the Athletic Council, Student Senate and Vice President of his senior class. After leaving Bridgewater, he did a tour of duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, and then went to Altavista High School in 1959. He returned to Turner Ashby High School in Dayton/Bridgewater in 1961, where he was a teacher, coach and athletic director until his retirement in 1995. While at Turner Ashby, he was a teacher for 28 years, athletic director for 27 years and coach for 19 years. He guided the Knights to the 1968 State Group II Boys Basketball championship. He was a driving force in forming the Virginia High School League Athletic Director's Association and served as its second president. He was the State Athletic Director of the Year in 1977-78 and in 1992-93. In 1993, he was voted the Region II athletic director of the year (covering seven states) and was one of seven national honorees that year.

Larry Pence's outstanding efforts as a student-athlete at Bridgewater and his tireless efforts in Virginia High School Athletics make him an outstanding choice for the Bridgewater College Athletic Hall of Fame.