Former athletics director Carl Ullrich was enshrined into the St. Andrews Presbyterian College Athletics Hall of Fame at the first annual Hall of Fame breakfast on Saturday morning during alumni weekend.

Brian Mand, St. Andrews Presbyterian College director of athletics, announced Ullrich as the lone inductee into the SAPC Athletics Hall of Fame for 2009 at the breakfast.

“I was pleased and proud to be inducted into the SAPC Athletic Hall of Fame,” said Ullrich. “Having the opportunity to provide leadership for the program when I did was a special one, and I am grateful that the college feels my work there was deserving of this honor.”

Ullrich served as St. Andrews athletics director on two separate occasions, from 1995-97 and 2002-04. Ullrich moved to Laurinburg to retire after a long career in athletics, including a 10-year stint as the first civilian athletic director at Army, but came out of retirement on two separate occasions to help St. Andrews.

“When Susan Wentz, alumni director, asked the athletics department to take a more active role in the Athletic Hall of Fame selection and induction ceremony, in conjunction with alumni weekend, it immediately became evident to me that Carl Ullrich was the logical and unanimous choice to be the lone inductee for this year,” said Mand. “Carl exemplifies the qualities and characteristics of what a true athletics administrator should stand for, which has previously been recognized at the dedication of the fitness center and the annual special recognition award at the athletic awards banquet, that both bear his name.

“I consider it an honor and a privilege to serve in the same position as Carl did on two separate occasions at St. Andrews and to have him as a confidant and colleague.”

Ullrich was instrumental in the institution’s move to NCAA Division II status, establishing the Hall of Fame room in the P.E. Center, and in the renovation of the Knights weight room. St. Andrews dedicated the Carl F. Ullrich Fitness Center in his name in 1997 to exemplify the characteristics of his namesake in discipline, commitment, courage, respect and sportsmanship.

“We actually came to Laurinburg to retire,” said Ullrich. “I spent a lot of time around SAPC as a volunteer when we first arrived, and it was fun to work on some of the things that needed to be done, especially in the area of facilities.”

Ullrich has an annual award given out in his honor at the St. Andrew athletics banquet. The Carl F. Ullrich Award is given to the Knights student-athlete each year who best demonstrates the characteristics of leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship.

St. Andrews was honored with the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference (now Conference Carolinas) Messick Award for sportsmanship under the leadership of Ullrich for the 2002/03 academic year.

Ullrich, who was also inducted into the Army Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, has had a career in athletics that spanned several decades, including being on the Cornell University championship crew team in 1949.

Ullrich concluded by recognizing some of his co-workers during his tenure at St. Andrews: “Jason Hughes was coaching and an assistant AD and he worked hard in construction and planning of a number of projects, including the weight room.

“Elizabeth Hernandez was instrumental in getting the organization squared away in many areas, and she worked very hard to do this while still coaching. I was very grateful to Harry Kraly, who was VP for administration and finance, and allowed us to make the progress we did in the improvement and addition of facilities. This is especially true of the weight room, a project with which I worked very hard.”