Sumter Athletic Hall of Fame to add East Clarendon coach

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East Clarendon High School softball coach Lisa Johnson Ard is one of seven people who will be inducted Nov. 16 into the Sumter Sports Hall of Fame. Ceremonies for the induction will be held at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 630 S. Sumter St. in Sumter. Ard attended Hudgens Academy and Coker College before starting her career as a basketball and softball coach. Currently the head softball coach at East Clarendon High School, she has led the Lady Wolverines to two state titles in the past five years, most recently in the 2017 season. The team has made the Lower State finals every year for the past five years. Prior to her time with East Clarendon High School, Ard was the head girls’ basketball coach at Crestwood High School in Sumter, where she led the team to the state playoffs each of her eight years there. She also led the team to four region titles. Earlier this year, Ard was named the High School Sports Report Sports League Class A Softball Coach of the Year. “It’s a blessing to be able to coach this 2017 State Championship team,” said Ard. “Their hard work and dedication paid off. I am proud to be their coach, and they are the reason I received coach of the year and awards like this.” In an April 2017 newsletter updating Coker College alumni on their fellow graduates, Ard is said to have been married to her husband, Ike, for 27 years. The couple have two sons, the oldest of whom is a recent University of South Carolina Aiken graduate who was a catcher for the Pacers. Her youngest son also wants to play baseball at USC Aiken as the team’s pitcher.