Carmel, IN -
Theta Chi Fraternity presented Carter Lyons (Gamma Phi/Nebraska Wesleyan 2019)
with the 2017/2018 James Ralph “Shug” Jordan Award during the 162nd Anniversary
Convention in Las Vegas. The Shug Jordan Award honors a collegiate member who
demonstrates excellence as a scholar-athlete.
Brother
Lyons is a double major in math and physics. He is a member of several honor
societies including Order of Omega, Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honorary Society,
Kappa Mu Epsilon Math Honorary Society, Blue Key Academic Honorary Society, and
Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society. He is a Goldwater Scholar and has achieved five
semesters on the Dean’s List as a 4.0 student.
Carter is a
three-time varsity letter winner in swimming and holds school records in the
100-m freestyle, 200-m freestyle relay, 400-m freestyle relay, 200-m medley
relay, and the 400-m medley relay. He is also on the liberal arts
all-championship team and is a member of the College Swimming Coaches
Association of America All-America Team.
Although he
has only been a member of Theta Chi for a little over a year, he was a member
of the scholarship committee and currently serves as Treasurer.
On campus,
Carter has held leadership positions as the Math Club President, Physics Club
Vice President, Sigma Pi Sigma Vice President, Kappa Mu Epsilon President, Blue
Key Academic Honorary Society Treasurer, and is a member of Society of
Scholars.
In the
community, Brother Lyons volunteers as a mathematics and physics tutor, as a
swim coach at the Greater Nebraska Swim Team, at the Center for People in Need,
at Matt Talbot Hunger Relief and Outreach Kitchen, and also participates in a
local biannual highway cleanup.
Gamma Phi
Chapter now boasts four total Shug Jordan Award recipients. Previous recipients
include Dan Novinski (2019), Connor Bohlken (2016), and Derek Kay (2014).
The Shug
Jordan Award is named in honor and memory of Brother James Ralph “Shug” Jordan,
of Chi Chapter at Auburn University, who served as Auburn’s head football coach
from 1951 to 1975. Brother Jordan’s team went undefeated in the 1957 season and
won that year’s National Championship.
The Grand
Chapter created the Shug Jordan Award in 1996 to honor the scholar-athlete who
best exemplifies the qualities of leadership, citizenship, academics,
brotherhood, loyalty to alma mater, and commitment to excellence in
intercollegiate athletics.
