Hall of Fame
Orma Felton Swearinger was one of Benedict College's most decorated women's basketball players, earning team MVP honors for three years in a row in basketball and two years in softball.
The fifth of nine children of Johnnie and Mary Felton, Orma is a native of Johnson, S.C. and a graduate of Strom Thurmond High School.
She attended Benedict College, where she was a standout on the basketball court. She was named MVP in 1994, 1995 and 1996. During her career, she accumulated such honors as All-Region three times, All-State, Defensive Hustle Award, All-Conference, HBCU Tournament All-Tournament team, HBCU Tournament Highest GPA Award, and Claflin/NationsBank All-Tournament Team.
She also contributed her athletic talents on the softball team, earning team MVP and All-Region honors in that sport as well.
A standout student, she served as President of the Student Government Association, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and was recognized at the Honor Program Capstone Ceremony. She was inducted into a pair of honor societies – Alpha Chi and Beta Kappa Chi. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.
Orma has remained active in the sport she loved for many years after graduating from Benedict College. She coached for 17 years on various levels, including as a Parks and Recreation head coach for 12 years, where her teams won many district and state championships. She also founded the Carolina Sparks Basketball Association in the Amateur Athletic Union. Under her leadership, the teams won several SC AAU State Championships, the 13-and-under 2009 AAU D-III National Championship, and the 14-and-under 2010 USBA National Championship. Many of her players went on to play basketball on athletic scholarships in college, and one is now playing professionally overseas. She also served as the assistant coach for the Abbeville High School girls varsity basketball team, where she helped lead the team to its first playoff appearance in years.
Orma lives in Greenwood, S.C., where she currently serves as a Technical Service Chemist with Quaker Houghton. Orma and her husband, Robert Swearinger, Jr., have two children, Dayarlo Sr. and Tianna. They are the proud grandparents of Dayarlo Jr. and Daija.
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