Athletic Hall of Fame Winners: 2012
Cindy Fotti Potter
Cindy Fotti Potter had a long journey to become a Columbia Cougar, literally. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Cindy spent her high school years playing numerous sports with the hopes of someday playing college athletics. Those dreams came true when the opportunity presented itself to play volleyball, basketball and softball at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Potter would spend her first two college years at Three Rivers before making the jump to Columbia College to play softball for the Cougars in 2002.
In her first year with the Cougars, while leading the team in batting average, Cindy had a season ending knee injury that forced her to the sidelines, but true to form she worked her way back into a starting position at second base for the Cougars the next season, a season that turned out to be the most successful for the Cougars to-date. As a team captain, Cindy helped her team to a fifth place finish at the NAIA National Tournament in 2004, where she was one of the first Cougars to collect National Tournament All-Tournament Team honors. Potter was named to the academic all-conference team in each of her seasons as well as NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades as a junior. In her final season, Cindy earned first team all-conference and all-region honors.
Following her playing career, she helped as a student assistant for the Cougar softball program while finishing her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. In 2006 Cindy earned her Master of Arts degree in teaching and was promoted to the Coordinator of Athletic Information and Compliance for the Columbia College Athletic Department. She coached for Team in Training (TNT), a marathon training group that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Potter started coaching for TNT in May of 2006 and is a nationally certified running coach. Having run more than 10 full/half/relay marathons herself, she has coached over 45 individuals to the finish line in just three years.
Potter is a member of CoSIDA, College Sports Information Directors of America and was appointed to the board of directors in 2011. She currently sits of the board for the NAIA division of Sports Information Directors and is a member of the College Division Management Advisory Committee for CoSIDA. In 2011 Potter also became Columbia College's first associate athletic director and currently services all of the department’s student athletes in the areas of Media Relations and Compliance.
Cindy lives in Columbia with her husband Cory.
Kory Thoma
In 1997 Kory Thoma graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. But biology wasn’t the only science that he excelled at, during his tenure at Columbia College Thoma had basketball down to a science as well. Kory will be joining his brother, Kyle Thoma (inducted in 2007) in the hall of fame.
Thoma joined the Cougars in 1993 and completed his senior campaign in 1997 with a (.781) winning percentage (107-30) and joined the Cougar Century Club. Upon joining this distinguished club he brought along some notable awards, including the thoma Roberts Award, Athletic Director’s Award and Male Athlete of the Year. His accolades also include a NAIA All-American Honorable Mention during his senior campaign and NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete during his junior and senior campaigns. He is currently listed on the Columbia College all-time record List as #2 in assists with 520 assists; #14 in scoring with 1,079 total points; and #17 in rebounds with 441 rebounds.
Thoma’s hard work and determination expanded beyond the basketball court and into the classroom. Kory graduated summa cum laude in 1997 from Columbia College with a BA in biology, and he went on to attend the University of Missouri at St. Louis-School of Optometry. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree in 2002. Kory graduated cum laude and received many honors that included the prestigious Contact Lens Clinical Research Award for Clinical Excellence in the field of contact lenses. Additionally, he was a recipient of the William. R. Jackson Jr. O.D. Memorial Scholarship by the Missouri Optometric Foundation Board as the student who best exemplified independent optometry.
Upon graduation from optometry school, Kory began working for Leet EyeCare in Cape Girardeau, Mo., and is now a full partner and owner with Drs. Greg Leet and Laura Evans. Leet EyeCare currently employs four doctors and has a staff of 20 employees in their two locations. Leet EyeCare was named the 2010 Cape Girardeau, Missouri Small Business of the Year by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.
Kory and his wife Kim married in 2004. The couple live on a farm in Cape Girardeau County with their three sons, Braedon (7), Kolton (5) and Easton (1). Thoma keeps busy with teaching, coaching and practicing for basketball, soccer and little league tee ball games. In addition to relaxing with family and friends in his spare time, Kory also enjoys hunting, fishing and working in the new vineyard he has planted this year.
