On the evening of the final regular season men’s basketball game of the 57-year history of Ducey Gymnasium, the night began with a pregame celebration of Ducey Gym, and also ended in celebration as the CMS men’s basketball team defeated the University of Redlands to win the regular season Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship.
Prior to the game, a ceremony which honored the late Ted Ducey, and the Ducey Family, culminated with the announcement by Claremont McKenna College's Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee and Board Chair-elect of the Board of Trustees, David Mgrublian '82 P'11, that the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics Hall of Fame in Roberts Pavilion is going be re-named the “Ted Ducey CMS Hall of Fame.”
“One of the downsides of building a new facility is a cherished facility has to come down to make space for that,” Mgrublian said during the pregame ceremony on Feb. 19. “There is no way that the spirit of Ducey Gymnasium or Ted Ducey could ever leave the Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd or Scripps College community.”
Ted Ducey, who Ducey Gym has been named for since 1974, was one of the founding members of CMS Athletics as a men’s basketball and men’s tennis coach, along with being a physical education teacher.
“Coach Ducey had a positive impact on both teams and the athletic department from the start and throughout his career,” said Michael Sutton ’76, CMS Director of Athletics, William B. Arce Professor and George R. Roberts Fellow. “The programs he led went from “start-ups” to champions and he understood that a good coach must be an outstanding teacher, motivator, and tactician.”
Ducey led the Stags to 186 wins on the tennis court and 181 wins on the hardwood from 1959 until his passing in 1974. He also won two SCIAC Championships in basketball (1966-67 and 1971-72) and one SCIAC Championship in tennis.
Founding CMS Director of Athletics Bill Arce as part of the ceremony also presented the Ducey Family a Stags basketball jersey to honor Ted Ducey.
The evening carried added significance with the University of Redlands visiting since the head coach for Redlands is Jim Ducey, the son of Ted.