Inductee a hit with Lady Vols

Bridget Jackson Chaira really didn't know what to expect 12 years ago when she came to Tennessee to help start the softball program.

So perhaps it was fitting that she had no inkling what Lady Vols athletic director Joan Cronan was calling about this summer when she left a voice-mail message on the cell phone of Jackson Chaira's mother.

Cronan was calling to say that Jackson Chaira again would be playing the role of pioneer as the first softball inductee into the Lady Volunteer Hall of Fame.

"That's a big deal; I'm proud of that,'' Jackson Chaira said. "Eventually you'll see (former pitcher) Monica Abbott in there."

Jackson Chaira will take part in a private induction ceremony Friday with fellow inductees Nicole deMan Dewes (swimming), Dianne Shoemaker DeNocochea (volleyball) and former basketball players Shelia Collins and Carla McGhee. The late Dr. Helen B. Watson will be inducted as an administrator.

The honorees will be recognized Saturday during the Tennessee-Louisiana-Lafayette football game.

Jackson Chaira didn't know the Lady Vols had a hall of fame. The honor is another eye-opening experience for a Lady Vol whose career was full of them.

Softball didn't have much to sell when Jackson Chaira, who was from Glendale, Ariz., made her recruiting visit. There weren't any players to be hosts. Former basketball players Abby Conklin and Laurie Milligan served as escorts. No matter, Jackson Chaira was sold on the novelty of the experience and the fact that Tennessee was one of the few remaining schools with separate athletic departments.

"That was something that appealed to me,'' she said. "Not that I wanted to be away from the guys. I thought that was really neat."

As one of the first softball players, there were many good memories and a lot of laughs.

The first set of warmups were too small. So was the first practice field, which Jackson Chaira thought was probably a little league field.

"It had a grass infield and it was along the Tennessee River,'' she said. "The fence couldn't have been more than a 100 feet. You'd just hit a line drive and it was over the fence and into the river."

Jackson Chaira, who played at third and first base, turned out to be a prolific pioneer. She was the team's most valuable player in 1996, during which she set six single-season records, including homers (15) and RBIs (77). She's tied for first in the latter category.

She's ranked in the top five in four career categories. Her .617 slugging percentage ranks first.

Jackson Chaira, who is a logistics coordinator in Phoenix, watched with great pride in June as the program she helped build came finished one victory away from a national championship. She imagined the disappointment the team felt. What she was thinking while watching UT at the Women's College World Series amounted to a founder's perspective.

"You don't know how far you've come in a short period of time,'' Jackson Chaira said.

As for the other inductees:

deMan Dewes: First Lady Vol in school history to win three events at the SEC Championships, the 20-time All-American was the Lady Vol athlete of the year is 1996 after winning the NCAA and SEC 50-yard freestyle races.

Shoemaker DeNecochea: She was an All-SEC honoree in 1987 and '88 and made the SEC all-tournament team in '88. Shoemaker DeNecochea twice received the Chancellor's citation for academic excellence.

McGhee: She played on two national championship teams at Tennessee (1986-87, 1988-89). During her UT career, the Lady Vols were 121-17. McGhee also played on 1996 Olympic Gold Medal team.

Collins: She's a member of the 1,000-point club with 1,423 points. Collins played for the 1984-85 team, which won the conference regular season and tournament championship.

Watson: The former Chair of the Department of Physical Education hired Pat Head in 1974. Watson was the first to request oversight and funding for women's intercollegiate athletics.