Bernardo, (Lischynski) Kerr, Rigney inducted into Club Sports Hall of Fame

The faith-filled lives of three Liberty University Champions for Christ were on display during Friday afternoon's induction ceremony for the 11th Club Sports Hall of Fame class, held on the third floor of the Hancock Welcome Center overlooking the adjacent Champion Center currently under construction.

The three new members, who only became eligible in the past year — Chantal (Lischynski) Kerr ('15, '18, Division I women's hockey goalie), Brett Bernardo ('16, '19, men's lacrosse midfielder, assistant coach), and Ian Rigney ('16, '17, archery athlete, assistant and head coach) — each helped elevate their respective teams to new heights, with Kerr starting in goal for the Lady Flames' first two ACHA Division I national championships and Bernardo and Rigney excelling as both athletes and coaches.

Speaking on behalf of the Club Sports Department to the new Hall of Fame inductees, Assistant Athletic Director of Development Ben Hughes, who also serves as Head Coach of the Division II men's hockey team, said, "We want to leave a legacy of champions … and what you guys did in your commitment to being a part of (the mission) for so many years, whether it was winning national championships or as we call it in hockey, 'Scoring goals and winning souls,' each one of the inductees today, that was evident, not just in your careers as a student-athlete or as a coach, but you cared about winning on the field or on the ice, but you also cared about your teammates … and Training Champions for Christ."

"Club Sports is special, and since 2008, when we started with six teams and 90 student-athletes to over 40 teams and over 700 student-athletes, God has provided," Club Sports Athletic Director and Division I men's hockey Head Coach Kirk Handy said. "We can see God's hand on everything we're doing."

Greg Tilley, executive director of Alumni Engagement in Liberty's Office of Alumni Relations, offered the opening prayer before men's lacrosse Head Coach Kyle McQuillan introduced the first inductee. Bernardo, who as first-year Head Coach of Palm Beach (Fla.) Atlantic's NCAA Division II men's lacrosse team was unable to attend the ceremony.

McQuillan said Bernardo was a pioneer for the Flames in that he transferred in from an NCAA program, as several others have since his arrival in 2014.

"His impact on the field was undeniable … and immeasurable," McQuillan said. "Brett Bernardo was an exceptional lacrosse player, one of the most talented athletes our program has ever seen. But to truly understand Brett's legacy, you have to look beyond the statistics. Brett represents a turning point for Liberty Lacrosse, one that transformed both the caliber of players we would attract and the way that we viewed what made Liberty so special. What set him apart was not just his talent, it was the reason why he chose to come to Liberty. Brett didn't transfer for playing time or accolades. He made the decision to leave the highest level of collegiate lacrosse because he wanted to align his passion for the game with his faith. He sought an environment where he could grow both as a player and as a man of character, surrounded by teammates in a program that shared these same values. That decision was profound. It was not a reflection of anything that Liberty Lacrosse had done to recruit him, but it was a testament to what we stood for."

Chantal Kerr and Lischynskis, Coach Bloomfield — Chantal Kerr with her parents and former Head Coach Paul Bloomfield, who served as her presenter at Friday's induction ceremony.

Former Division I women's hockey Head Coach Paul Bloomfield, who was inducted into the 10th Club Sports Hall of Fame class last spring, presented Kerr as the sixth member of the program he coached to be inducted.

"I remember getting the call from Coach Bloomfield after a tournament in (Washington) D.C.," Kerr said. "He said he wanted me to come play at LU, and I didn't know anything about Liberty at the time, but I took that leap of faith, and Coach was more than just a mentor on the ice for me, he was a living example of Christ's love. He guided me with patience, so much patience; he forgave my mistakes, my many mistakes. Even when I'd fall short, his constant encouragement pushed me to grow, not just as a player but as a person. His belief in me was a reflection of God's grace and I will carry that with me forever."

She remembered her senior year, when she started in goal for the Lady Flames' first national championship team in Club Sports history, with joy, as it was also the year that she met her husband, Club Sports Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance Chris Kerr.

"Over my four years at LU, we made it to nationals each year, but my fourth year was special," Chantal Kerr said. "Everything clicked. We had skill, we had systems in place, we had chemistry. Oh, and we also had a cute strength coach, who may have affected my performance. I played the best game of my life in that championship game when we won it all," with a 4-1 triumph over defending national champion Miami (Ohio) University in York, Pa.

She said as much as starting between the pipes in the Lady Flames' first two (of six) winning ACHA DI national title games ranked among the thrills of her hockey career, what she found at Liberty was much longer lasting.

"The greatest thing that happened to me wasn't a championship, an award, or even meeting my husband, but that's a close second," she said. "The greatest thing was coming to Liberty as a non-believer and dedicating my life to follow Christ just a couple months later. Hockey gave me so much, but my faith gave me purpose, and it's what's carried me through the highs and lows of life."

Rigney was presented by former archery Head Coach Mitch Reno, who hired him as an assistant coach after his competitive career that was the most decorated of any archer in program history.

A three-time U.S. Collegiate Archery 3D outdoor national champion, Rigney was part of Liberty's first archery trio to capture an outdoor national title — in men's compound at the USCA 3D National Championships as a freshman in 2012. He also earned an individual crown in that discipline that year before later adding three more national trophies to his quiver. As a junior in 2015, Rigney was recognized for the Outstanding Performance of the Year at the Club Sports Choice Awards after winning the men's bowhunter division at the 45th annual USCA Indoor National Championships in Lancaster, Pa.

"Here at Liberty, we say we're Training Champions for Christ and Ian exemplifies that more than anyone I've ever known," Reno said of Rigney, the first archery Hall of Fame inductee. "I personally can't think of another person who deserves this (induction) more than Ian, just for his contributions to the (Club Sports) program here at Liberty. He possesses qualities that exemplify this university and what it stands for … things like integrity, which means truth in action; respect which means love in action; responsibility, that's compassion in action. On the archery team, he was a servant leader, he prioritized always putting his teammates above himself. … And he continues to maintain his testimony and exhibits these qualities as a godly husband, as a father, and as a pastor."

Rigney eventually succeeded Reno as head coach from 2017-19 and guided the Flames to another USCA 3D outdoor team and individual indoor national title while serving as pastor of Hitesburg Baptist Church in Virgilina, Va., near his hometown of Gretna, in 2018.

In a three-point sermon of an acceptance speech, Rigney focused on the redeeming values of God's perfect timing, joy, and reflection in his life, which have abounded more and more as he became a husband to Alysha ('16, B.S. in Nursing) and father to his son, James, who will soon turn 3, and seven-month-old daughter, Anna.

He said his archery career has become inactive since concluding his eight-year tenure at Liberty, though he has introduced the sport to his wife and son and did recently go bowhunting with former Flames teammate and best friend Hunter Jacobs, who attended the ceremony.

In reflecting on his career at Liberty, Rigney deflected the glory to God as he cited 2 Corinthians 3:16-19, "When one turns to the Lord (comes to salvation by faith in Jesus), the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty."

"We are told that as a mirror reflects our image, so we are to reflect the image of Christ with our life, so the only way that we are able to do that is to show Christ to others, show the love that He had for the Father to others, show the love that He had for us to others. So, we are called as Christians to do that. Dr. (Jerry) Falwell talked about Training Champions for Christ. Dr. Falwell, Dr. (Elmer) Towns, all of our founders of Liberty had nothing to do with awards as far as what defines Champions. Yes, we do well in athletics, we do very well, especially in hockey and lacrosse and archery. But it's not so much being a champion in our sport; it's being a Champion for Jesus Christ. It's being a reflection of Him and showing Him to others."

Chantal Kerr performed the ceremonial puck drop before Liberty's ACHA Division I men's hockey team's game against defending national champion Adrian (Mich.) College at 7 p.m. in the LaHaye Ice Center.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Patrick Strawn/Club Sports Director of Video & Media

Ian Rigney Mitch Reno — Former Flames archery Head Coach Mitch Reno, who hired Rigney as his assistant coach before he succeeded him at the helm, served as his presenter.

Bernardo, (Lischynski) Kerr, Rigney inducted into Club Sports Hall of Fame

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