Two student-athletes and one coach to be inducted into The University of Olivet Athletic Hall of Fame

OLIVET, Mich. – Two former student-athletes, Lauren (Campbell) Modad and John Nametz, and one legendary head coach, Doug Kay, have been selected for induction into The University of Olivet Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 2024. The trio will be officially inducted at the alumni awards dinner on Friday, October 4, and then recognized prior to the Homecoming football game the next afternoon.

Modad, a 2012 Olivet graduate, was a four-year letterwinner and All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) selection on the women’s golf team. She earned All-MIAA Second Team honors in 2008 and 2009 and moved up to the All-MIAA First Team in 2010 and 2011. As a senior in 2011, Modad also swept the All-MIAA special awards, earning Most Valuable Golfer honors after posting a 77.7 stroke average and receiving the sportsmanship award. In addition, she was a Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region honoree in 2010 and 2012.

Modad led the Comets to two MIAA championships (2008 and 2011) three trips to the NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships (2009, 2010, 2011). She holds the Olivet 18-hole scoring record with a two-under par 70 at the Bedford Valley Country Club. The 70 is also a MIAA 18-hole record. Modad ranks fourth all-time at Olivet with an 82.7 career stroke average.

Modad lives in Holland with her husband, Kyle, and two young children, Kyler and Korra. She works at BioLife as a quality manager.

Nametz, a 1974 Olivet graduate, was a four-year letterwinner on the men’s basketball team. He was a member of Olivet’s three MIAA Championship teams in 1971, 1972 and 1973. Nametz earned All-MIAA First Team honors in 1974. That year, he served as the captain and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Nametz ended his Olivet career with 897 points, 523 rebounds and 194 assists. The 523 rebounds still rank ninth all-time at Olivet.

After graduating from Olivet, Nametz earned a Doctor of Optometry from The Ohio State University in 1978. Upon graduation, he began practicing optometry in Charlotte. Four years later, Nametz started his own private practice in Spring Lake. He left his own practice in 2011 and worked as a staff optometrist at Shoreline Vision until retiring from the field in December 2015. Nametz has been also involved in all the communities he has lived in. Those activities include being a member of the Jaycees, Rotary and Spring Lake Public Schools Board of Education. Nametz also coached varsity boys’ basketball for 30 years.

Nametz resides in Spring Lake with his wife, Cheryl. They have two adult daughters, Lindsay and Abigail.

Kay served as Olivet’s head football coach for five seasons from 1971 to 1975, compiling a 23-20-1 overall record. He led Olivet to the 1974 MIAA Championship with a perfect 5-0 record. At that time, it was the only undefeated MIAA season in school history and the first Olivet team to win a MIAA football title in 60 years. Kay coached 14 players who earned 23 total All-MIAA awards. Eleven earned this honor in 1974, including Tim E. Baker, the MIAA’s Most Valuable Player.

Kay’s successful career at Olivet propelled him into an impressive NCAA and professional coaching career. At the NCAA level, Kay coached at San Jose State University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and University of Hawaii. Professionally, he worked for the New Orleans Breakers and Tampa Bay Bandits in the United States Football League, as well as Tampa Bay Storm, Albany Firebirds, Charlotte Rage, Arizona Rattlers, Carolina Cobras and Columbus Destroyers in the Arena Football League.

Kay served his country in the United States Army from 1954-56. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in 1961 and master’s degree from Western Illinois University in 1966.

He lives in Tampa, Florida, with wife, Dawn. He has two adult children, Bart and Kimber.