GGC Athletics Hosting Military Appreciation Day with Flyover on Friday

Georgia Gwinnett College’s Office of Athletics will honor local military personnel during special Military Appreciation Day celebrations as part of games for the Grizzlies’ nationally ranked baseball and softball teams on Friday, March 21, at the Grizzly Athletics Complex. Both games are scheduled to start at 5 p.m.

Pregame festivities at both stadiums will feature a ceremonial flyover of twin T-1 aircraft, along with special on-field military recognitions, ceremonial first pitches, and the presentation of colors by cadets of GGC’s Army Reserved Office Training Corp unit.

A similar spectacular flyover was conducted in 2019.

“This special event has been six months in the making,” says Assistant Softball Coach John Ihlenburg, a 22-year navy veteran and pilot. “The proper paperwork is submitted after the new fiscal year in October. The flyover plan has to go to the Federal Aviation Administration and local airport traffic control towers for approval. The Air Force then puts the flyover up to bid. The T-38 unit out of Columbus Air Force Base (Mississippi) also has T-1 multi-engine beginner training aircraft.”

Air Force pilots participating in Friday’s flyover are being trained to eventually fly C-17 and C-5 in combat situations, according to Ihlenburg, whose son, Greg, is an Air Force member and was one of the pilots for GGC’s 2019 ceremonial flyover.

GGC’s Military Appreciation Day also has special meaning for GGC softball outfielder Enna Lackey, a junior cadet in GGC’s Army ROTC program. The Rincon, Georgia, native is set to be commissioned as a second lieutenant after completing her Army ROTC commitment, which includes weekly military drills with the University of Georgia battalion in Athens, Georgia.  

“We go over formations, techniques and tactics that we will use in the Army. We build leadership and communication skills to become a unit leader,” states Lackey, who will become the third softball team member to contribute to military service after graduation.

Head Coach Kat Ihlenburg adds, “Enna has always been a player who has been focused on her goals. Once, as a team activity, I asked players to list their wildest dreams in life. Enna’s dream was to achieve all her personal goals. She has always been realistic on what she’s going to do.”

The Army ROTC program has taught Lackey important lessons about balancing her responsibilities as a GGC student, cadet and student-athlete. She is among the softball team’s leaders this season with a .394 batting average, five stolen bases and scoring 10 runs while playing in 19 games, with 13 starts. 

Military Appreciation Day offers a way for the softball program and GGC Athletics to give back to those who loyally serve or have served the United States, Georgia and Gwinnett County.

On their respective diamonds Friday, the No. 3-ranked baseball team (24-3) is scheduled to host the University of Tennessee Southern to begin a three-game weekend series at the Grizzly Baseball Complex. Meanwhile, the No. 8-ranked softball (18-5) team will host a doubleheader against the United States Sports Academy (Alabama) at the Grizzly Softball Complex.