REVIEWING 2022-23: Gaston College's extraordinary year and some of its past a part of summer story series

When Gaston College president Dr. John Hauser laid out the plans for the school to restart its athletic program at a Nov. 24, 2020 Board of Trustees meeting, he made the following comment:

"Community colleges that offer sports regard the athletics program as an integral part of the educational experience. Sports programs have proven to enhance and strengthen student life, diversity, student mental and physical health, and overall college unity. This is something we believe that our Gaston College students and the communities we serve in Gaston and Lincoln counties are looking forward to enjoy and support in many ways. The reputation and widespread college promotions offered by athletic activities is helpful in creating a dynamic and synergistic learning environment for all students."

After completing the school's second year back on the athletic fields with five teams, even Hauser and the Gaston College Board of Trustees that voted unanimously to relaunch the program couldn't have imagined just how true those comments really were.

And this summer, we'll be wrapping up a title-filled season that saw four of the school's five sports teams advance to National Junior College Athletic Association championship events in addition to telling stories about the school's athletic pioneers and rich history.

We'll recap the NJCAA Hall of Fame ceremony that saw the most famous Gaston College alumnus of them all, Leonard Hamilton, become a member of the NJCAA Hall of Fame.

We'll look back at a local legend that taught and coached at the school and the legacy he left behind following his death.

We'll tell the story of how a former Major League All-Star outfielder once spent his offseason as a radio color commentator for Gaston College basketball games.

We'll discuss Gaston College's past and present athletic successes with a professor who's seen both eras of athletics at the school.

And, finally, we'll recap each of the school's five sports seasons in the 2022-23 school year with a Top 10 countdown of the top moments in a year filled with them as women's cross country, women's beach volleyball, women's softball and men's baseball all set school history by qualifying for NJCAA national championships.

The series begins with a recap of 1968 Gaston College graduate Leonard Hamilton becoming a member of the third NJCAA Hall of Fame induction class on June 8 at Charlotte's University Hilton.