INMAN, S.C. – Hustle. Heart. Energy. Leadership. Sisterhood.
Those are the five qualities used to determine the winner of the Trista Landrum Award, which is named after the late Chapman Lady Panthers basketball standout. The award is given to a current Chapman player that best displays said merits. “The five characteristics are some that I heard (Trista) possessed as a player and qualities that we focus on currently,” said Chapman head coach Leslie Boyd. “It was a combination of that, along with current players who decided that those are the core values of our program.” Boyd, the niece of Landrum, found some inspiration for the weekly award from a gift given to her by another family member. “When I was first hired as varsity head coach,” Boyd explained. “My grandmother, Brenda Landrum (Trissy’s mother) gave me the wooden trophy that Trissy had earned on the last state championship team in 1989. (Brenda) told me to let this be a daily reminder of what I really coach for: not wins or losses, but building young women up each day. After a year of having it on my desk, I decided to allow it to inspire our athletes, too.” Landrum played an instrumental role on the team and helped the Lady Panthers claim the state championship in 1989, marking the fourth one in program history. Harry McMillian, who served as Chapman High principal from 1988-1998, has very fond memories of Landrum both as a student and athlete. “She was the kind of student every teacher dreamed of having a classroom full of,” McMillan said. “She was a quiet student, but was one you could count on to keep a classroom discussion lively. She was a very solid teammate who took pride in doing whatever was asked of her by Coach (Jane) Ashworth (now Lewis).” Things took a sudden turn toward the end of Landrum’s time in high school. Not long after that state championship season, she began a battle against an even tougher opponent – breast cancer. Despite the challenges that she geared up to face, she refused to give in and continued to make a strong impact on others. “In 1988, cancer was thought of as something only older adults had, not young people in the prime of their life,” recalled McMillian. “I remember feeling helpless because as her principal, I was supposed to be there to help her prepare for her future. Everyone wanted to feel sorry for Trista, but she wouldn’t allow it. She helped us cope better than we helped her. She continued to be positive and worked very hard at enjoying her senior year.” “As a member of student council, she was on the fundraising committee and suggested to me that the council would make lots of money by putting me in a dunking booth! I went to GSP to see her off on a Sunday morning (to Houston, Texas for treatment) and her spirit was still strong… I gave her a one word lapel pin: ATTITUDE. She wore it with pride. When Trista died, everyone cried and did their best to comfort each other. The family asked me to speak at her funeral service and I remember thinking nothing in my preparation to be a principal had prepared me for this.” Though Coach Boyd and Trista never had the opportunity to meet, it’s as though they have spent their entire lives together. And as for the award that is handed out, the team has truly embraced it and the significance behind it. “The players get excited when we announce the recipient each week,” Boyd exclaimed. “They get to have the trophy in their locker until the next recipient is awarded. They value the importance of the award and allow it to serve as a reminder that we are bigger than basketball.” “It has meant the world to me (to honor her). Although I never met her, I feel like I know her so well. The stories and memories that have been shared with our family by coaches and teammates are priceless. It has given me the inspiration to look at our athletes for their hustle, heart, energy, leadership, and sisterhood, and not just the amount of points or rebounds they have in a game. It’s a tradition that we’ve had in our program for six years now that I look forward to growing in honor of who Trissy was and what she gave to our community during her short time here.” -Justin Mathis |
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