Winston-Salem, N.C.----Dr. Thomas Koontz ('60) can remember when he first decided to attend Wingate College; he says he owes it all to his former high school basketball coach, Francis Essic. "I had every intention of attending UNC Chapel Hill to study medicine, but Coach Essic offered me a basketball scholarship to play at Wingate," Koontz says. "I had such a respect for him from my high school playing days…I could not say no."
 
Koontz started for the basketball team both years he attended Wingate. "I was never the absolute best player on the court, but I had such a good time," Koontz remembers. "We won a few games and I made even more memories. My time playing basketball at Wingate is something I will always treasure." 
 
He says Coach Essic taught him several things, but perhaps the most important was to never give up. "Coach Essic always taught me to keep going," Koontz says. "He told me life was going to knock me down time and time again, but I always needed to get back up and keep trying."
 
After his graduation from Wingate as the class valedictorian, Koontz became the first junior college recipient of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship from UNC Chapel Hill. He studied pre-medicine for two more years while pursuing his undergraduate degree, then went on to study for a doctor of medicine degree at the same institution. "I had a great experience at Chapel Hill, but I will always remember my time at Wingate with fond memories," Koontz says.
 
A charter member of the Wingate Bulldog Club, Koontz "saw the importance of supporting our student-athletes immediately…this is why I wanted to become a charter member of the Bulldog Club. We have to support our student-athletes and the facilities in which they practice and compete to have the best possible athletic program we can convey to the public and surrounding community."
 
Koontz recognizes the value of Bulldog Club and Athletic Foundation gifts. "For many student-athletes, an athletic scholarship is the only way an individual is able to attend a college or university and gain an education," Koontz says. "I am so proud to be a part of both of these great organizations."

THOMAS KOONTZ Q&A
 
1) What is your top Wingate athletic memory?
 
"There was a guy who played in the conference who was extremely good. He was averaging well over 30 points a game. When we played his team I told Coach Essic I wanted to guard him. I knew that if I could shut him down even a little bit, our team would have a great chance to win the game. I held him to less than 20 points and we ended up with the win."
 
2) What is your top non-athletic Wingate memory?
 
"My second year in school, I ran for a student government position. During my entire campaign, I received so much support from professors and other students on campus. It was a really positive experience. The faculty and the staff seemed to genuinely care and would always ask me questions about how everything in the campaign was going. The social camaraderie among everyone on campus was my favorite thing about the college."
 
3) How did Wingate prepare you to become a Champion in Life?
 
"My friends, professors, and especially Coach Essic really impacted me and made me want to do life well and do it the right way with integrity and respect for others. Coach Essic always encouraged me to go after my dream of going to medical school and becoming a surgeon. I'm not sure if I would have had the same accomplishments in my life without my time at Wingate."
 
THE THOMAS KOONTZ FILE
 
Wife Lynne Koontz, son Jeffrey (bankruptcy attorney), daughter Jennifer (full-time mom, interior designer); Jennifer and her husband Donald have two children (the proud grandfather has many photos of his family)
 
Graduate of Wingate College (AA), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BS and Doctorate)
 
Two years service as a major in the Air Force; worked in a 22-bed hospital wing.
 
Thirty-five years in a multi-specialty group – Salem Surgical Associates, located in Winston-Salem
 
In 1993, Koontz started a Doctors Care program which helps people receive low-cost health care. To date, the Doctors Care program has given away more than $25 million of medical care in the Winston-Salem area
 
On Dec. 8, 2012, Wingate University dedicated the Thomas Koontz Family Court inside Cuddy Arena, honoring Dr. Koontz and his family for their dedication and devotion.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, ranked as the 8th "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration, and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past seven years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing private colleges in the 2000's with 57 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 57 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 66 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.
 
(Wingate University sports information student assistant Josh Williams contributed this article. Josh Williams is a senior Sport Management major from Mooresville, N.C.)