AMERICUS — South Georgia Technical College (SGTC), the second oldest technical institution in the Georgia, unveiled its first official mascot this basketball season!

The SGTC Jets and Lady Jet’s basketball teams have been flying solo during the past 11 basketball seasons but this year, they will be joined by the college’s new mascot – ACE!

ACE, SGTC’s own Jet Pilot, circled the basketball court this season to lend the Jets and Lady Jets aerial support as they face opponents from Georgia and five other states. He also makes personal appearances throughout the SGTC service area to promote SGTC and the Jets and Lady Jet’s basketball teams.

“We are very excited to have ACE at South Georgia Technical College,” said President Sparky Reeves. “We have a top-notch athletic program and it seems fitting that a college with such a long illustrious aviation history, should have a first-rate pilot to help navigate the skies as our students and athletes soar to new heights.”

SGTC officials made the decision to add a mascot to their line-up and then received input from faculty, staff and students on the new mascot and its name.

A mascot naming contest was held prior to the start of the basketball season. Several hundred entries from SGTC faculty, staff, and students were received. SGTC culinary arts Instructor David Finley submitted the winning suggestion to name the mascot – ACE.

Finley’s winning suggestion was also submitted by Craig Conley, a culinary arts student and president of SGTC’s Phi Beta Lambda organization. Many of the names were duplicated over the naming contest.

SGTC looked for a symbol that would be in keeping with the aviation theme that has dominated the campus since its inception in 1948. SGTC was an outgrowth of a World War I and World War II Air training base and aviation maintenance was one of the college’s original program offerings.

Since that time, the college has featured an aviation theme in almost every aspect of campus life. The Jets and Lady Jets are the names for the college sports teams, the gymnasium is known as the “Hangar,” the cafeteria is “The Landings,” and the coffee spot on campus is known as “Java Jets.”

ACE will be making personal appearances at the SGTC basketball games and will be visiting many of the college’s different programs over the next year.  To schedule a personal appearance by ACE at your next event, contact SGTC athletic director Steven Wright at swright@southgatech.edu