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The Radford University Sports Hall of Fame
The Class of 2004
 Mitzi Hartwell
One of the most dominating performers in the history of the Big South Conference, Hartwell was undefeated in league competition as a junior and a senior, capturing the conference’s first women’s championship at the 1986 meet and leading Radford to the first recognized team title that season. She was the Big South’s first women’s cross country Runner of the Year. The previous season as a junior, she also won the league title and led RU to the championship though the sport hadn’t officially become recognized by the conference. Hartwell, a native of Radford, emerged as the team’s top runner as a sophomore, setting a work ethic that would later propel the entire squad to those championships. Competing in the Division II National Championships in 1983 as a freshman, Hartwell finished seventh in a field of over 110 runners.
 Travis Morgan
A cornerstone of the baseball program’s early years, Morgan (’93) was on his way to becoming one of the greatest athletes that the university had ever produced when a back injury slowed him late in his sophomore season. A first-team all-conference catcher in 1988 and 1989, Morgan was also named VaSID all-state in 1989, when he hit .431 and had eight home runs and 40 RBI before the injury. He still holds the school record for slugging percentage, set that season with a .748 mark, and his three home runs and 10 RBI in a 1988 game against UNC Asheville are also still school milestones. A four-year starter, Morgan ranks among the team’s alltime leaders in career average (.335), RBI (139) and home runs (23), and the Lynchburg native remains one of the most popular figures to ever don a Highlander uniform.
The Class of 2003
 Laurie Morris Bell
A founding member of both the field hockey varsity team and the softball club, Bell was at the forefront of the explosion of athletics at Radford in the early 1980s. She was a letter winner and team leader on the first field hockey squads, including the first varsity team in 1981. The Virginia Beach native was a final cut from the U.S. Olympic team in 1980, and went on to a successful coaching career after her 1982 graduation, beginning with a four-year stint at Radford. Only 21 years old when she took over in 1982, by her second season she had turned Radford into a Division II powerhouse. The team went 14-2-3 and was ranked 10th in the nation in the final 1983 poll. Her final RU team was 10-7 in 1985, making the difficult transition to NCAA Division I play.
 Mike Perrone
Arguably the greatest men's tennis player in Radford history, Perrone qualified for the 1984 NCAA Division II nationals. He played No. 1 singles and doubles for the Highlanders for three seasons and captained the 1984-85 squad, Radford's first season in NCAA Division I. He led the Highlanders to a second place finish in the Big South Conference that season, earning all-league honors and was also honored as an all-academic performer. The Woodbury, N.J., native burst upon the scene as a freshman in 1982, helping the Highlanders to a 20-5 record, and the team had winning records in three of his four seasons. He was ranked among the Top 10 players on the East Coast as a senior. Since graduation in 1985, Perrone has enjoyed a successful career as a tennis club director, instructor and as a player.
The Class of 2002
 Anne Fontaine Sluder
One of Radford's most decorated volleyball performers ever, Fontaine holds a distinction few collegiate athletes can claim. She played in two different NCAA championship tournaments the same year, leading the 1993 volleyball team to a berth, and playing a key role on the basketball team's 1993-94 tournament team, too. Fontaine is the career leader in digs and service aces and number two in kills in volleyball. She was All-Big South Conference from 1991-93, earning all-tournament honors in 1990, 1991 and 1993. She was a three-time team MVP and VaSID All-State in 1992 and 1993, a four-time selection to the Conference Presidential Honor Roll and named as one of RU's Outstanding Students in 1995. The Wytheville native was a three-time letter winner in basketball, and played on three conference title teams.
 Shannan Wilkey
Wilkey's competitive drive fueled four consecutive Big South basketball championship teams. She was twice the tournament MVP (1993, 1994), and finished her career with 1,714 points (third all-time at RU). She also ranks among the career leaders in steals (244) and games played (117). Wilkey led the Lady Highs in scoring twice, including a 21.3 points per game average as a senior, the second highest average in school history. The Edinboro, Pa., native was Big South Rookie of the Year in 1991. Wilkey became one of the first three-sport stars at RU, lettering in cross country and softball after her basketball career. She was a rare two-sport all-conference performer, earning league honors in basketball 1992-94, and in cross country in 1995, finishing as RU's leader in five of six meets.
The Class of 2001
 Donnie Tickle
Tickle was one of Radford's top cross country competitors ever, leading the team to an ultra-successful transition to Division I in the mid-80s. He was third at the 1983 Division II Southeast Regionals after winning the Virginia state championship as an individual and guiding Radford to a second place team finish. Behind Tickle's strong showing, Radford was second at the regionals as a team. In 1985, his second place finish at the Big South Conference championships paced Radford to the team title, and his fourth place showing in 1986 led to another Big South team championship for the Highlanders. The Dublin, Va., native won the Virginia state championship as a sophomore in 1983, was third in the regionals and competed at the NCAA Division II national meet in 1982 and 1983.
 Andi Lawler Van Wagner
Radford's first scholarship athlete in volleyball, Lawler helped take the program to a higher level during her four-year career. The leading hitter on state championship teams in 1980 and 1981, she led Radford to 28-8 and 30-6 records those seasons and to berths in the AIAW Regionals. She was co-captain and the leading passer on Radford's first NCAA Division II team in 1983, as the squad posted another strong 24-9 record and earned another trip to the regionals. Overall during her career, the Lady Highlanders were 98-37 (a winning percentage of .726), in moving from the small college ranks to Division II competition. She earned all-state honors in 1981 and 1982, and was also all-region in 1982. Lawler graduated in 1983 with a degree in Liberal Studies.
The Class of 2000
 Fred McCoy
An outstanding volunteer, fundraiser and organizer, McCoy served as chair of the Athletic Association from 1980-89 and served as the first chair of the organization's Advisory Council. He spearheaded fundraising efforts which secured a total of $1,543,469 during his 10 terms as elected chair, which helped pave the way financially for RU's successful move to NCAA Division I competition. During his tenure, McCoy helped the association's annual contributions grow from $25,000 to nearly $300,000
 John White
One of the most decorated athletes in the early years of men's athletics at RU, White still holds numerous records as a soccer goalkeeper. He was a four-year starter and a three-time Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Association all -star from 1978-81, and he still holds records for saves in a season (138 in 1979) and saves in a career (475). His four shutouts and 1.19 goals against average (GAA) in 1981 paced the Highlanders to the Division II and III State Championship. In 1979, the Arlington native posted a record six shutouts, including four in a row, on his way to a 0.941 GAA and NAIA All-District honors. His career 1.23 GAA still ranks among RU's best ever.
The Class of 1999
 Ricky Saunders
Radford's first baseball scholarship recruit, Saunders lived up to the honor, hitting .367 over his four-year career and finishing as the school's all-time hits leader. His .456 batting average in 1985 set the standard for a single season and his six hits in a single game that year rank as the best day in RU and Big South Conference history. The Hopewell, Va., native was RU's first all-conference athlete in baseball, earned team MVP honors in 1985 and 1986, and was an all-state selection in 1986. He led the team in hits, batting average and RBI each of his first three seasons, and went on to serve as an assistant coach on RU's first winning squad in 1989. Saunders graduated in 1988 with a degree in heatlh and physical education.
 Sue Williams
Williams was simply the best player on one of Radford's best sports teams ever, the 1993 women's soccer team that posted a 15-3-2. An All-America selection and a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, soccer's top collegiate honor that season, Williams was second in the nation in scoring with 18 goals and 19 assists. The Medford, N.J., native finished her brilliant career as RU's all-time leading scorer with 57 goals and 32 assists from 1990-93. A four-year starter at forward, she was RU's MVP each season, and earned Big South Player of the Year honors and a berth on the prestigious All-Central Region squad in 1993. She earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies in 1994.
The Class of 1998
 Joe Davis
Davis successfully guided the Highlander men's basketball program from an unaffiliated small college entry all the way to the NCAA Division I ranks. He posted nine winning seasons in 10 years as RU's head coach from 1978-88, including a 23-4 record in 1978-79 and a 16-12 mark in 1984-85, RU's first Division I season. Davis left Radford as RU's all-time winningest coach, posting 165 victories and a .589 winning percentage. Davis earned his master's degree in physical education from RU in 1970.
 Doug Day
Day completed his Radford career as the NCAA Division I career leader in three-point baskets made. He sank 401 three-pointers during his career from 1989-1993, and left RU as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,027 points. Day led the nation in three-point baskets per game with 4.03 per contest, and earned All-Big South honors during each of his four seasons at RU. He averaged 17.3 ppg for his career, and left Radford ranked second on the Big South Conference career scoring chart. Day's offensive prowess helped RU to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1990-91 and 1991-92, and to the Highlanders' first regular season conference crown in 1991-92. Day earned a degree in education from RU in 1993.
 Chris Nelson-O'Keefe
Nelson-O'Keefe was arguably Radford's first superstar in women's tennis, helping the Highlanders earn a national reputation in the early 1980's. She played No. 1 singles during each of her four years at RU, compiling a 91-34 career record. Nelson-O'Keefe led the RU squad to the 1984 NCAA Division II National Tennis Tournament, posting a 23-11 singles record in helping the Highlanders to a 21-7 overall mark. She competed in singles in the 1984 national tournament, reaching the final 16. Nelson-O'Keefe captured the Virginia State Division II Tennis title as a freshman in 1981 and gained a spot in the AIAW Region II, Division II Championship. Nelson graduated with a degree in business/marketing in 1984.
The Class of 1997
 Nan Millner
Millner became the first Radford basketball player with over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career (1,288 rebounds, 1,069 points). Leading coach Pat Barrett's strong Division II teams in rebounding for four consecutive seasons from 1980-84, Millner set school records with 21 rebounds in a 1981 game with Roanoke College, with 342 rebounds in 1981-82, and records for best rebound average in a season (11.5) and in a career (11.2). RU was 79-36 during her career, including a 23-5 mark in 1983-84. The Martinsville native graduated in 1984 with a degree in business.
 Steve Robinson
Robinson was one of the first scholarship athletes ever at Radford University. Robinson was a two-year starter and co-captain for the men's basketball team from 1978-80, averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 54 games. Robinson averaged 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds during one of Radford's greatest seasons ever, the 23-4 year in 1978-79, under coach Joe Davis. He hit 51.7 percent of his field goals, and later distinguished himself as an assistant coach at RU from 1983-86. The Roanoke native earned both his bachelor's ('81) and master's ('85) degrees from Radford, and has gone on to great success as a collegiate head coach. Robinson led the University of Tulsa to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances before landing the head coaching position at Florida State University in July.
 Dr. Chuck Taylor
Taylor served as athletic director from 1974-1996, and led Radford on a remarkable journey from a six-sport unaffiliated small-college program to Division I athletics. Also serving as men's basketball coach from 1974-78, Taylor compiled a 56-43 record, never suffering a losing season, and setting the stage for basketball's great future success. He led RU's move to Division I status in 1984, and in the growth of the Big South Conference. During his tenure as athletic director, RU athletics was nationally-recognized as a leader in opportunities for women and minorities, and in graduation rate for athletes. Seven different athletic teams achieved national rankings during his tenure.
 Dante Washington
Washington led the nation in scoring in collegiate soccer in 1988 and 1990, and finished his career at RU in 1992 as the second leading scorer in NCAA history. He tallied 82 goals and an NCAA record 66 assists. He had RU record totals of 27 goals and 22 assists in 1988, leading RU to its first Big South soccer title. A two-time All-American, he earned Academic All-America honors in 1992. Washington would go on to compete on the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team, and for the U.S. National squad. He now stars with the Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer. A Columbia, Md., native, Washington earned a double major in history and political science.
The Class of 1996
 Pat Barrett
Barrett was Radford's first basketball coach of the modern era, starting the intercollegiate program in 1971. Over the next 13 years, her Radford women's teams won nearly 70 percent of their games, posted a remarkable 198-95 record, and never suffered a losing season. She established Radford as a state and regional basketball power and paved the way for future success in NCAA Division I. Her 1979-80 team won the Virginia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (VAIAW) state championship to cap a 19-11 season. The next year, the Forest, Va., native was named coach of the year in the state. Barrett's final team, in 1983-84, finished 23-5 and was ranked 16th in the nation in the final NCAA Division II poll.
 Billy Gerber
Gerber was Radford's first soccer All-America selection, earning the honor in 1983. A four-year starter on defense and as a midfielder, he went on to play professionally with the Washington Diplomats of the American Soccer League. Gerber had 16 goals and 14 assists for the Highlanders from 1982-85, while playing primarily on defense. A second team Division II All-America in 1983, the Annandale, Va., native earned a selection on the Division I All-Region team in 1984, and was named to the first Big South All-Conference squad in 1985.
 Dr. Tom Hondras
Hondras wrapped up a long and brilliant coaching career as the patriarch of Radford women's tennis in 1995. He coached 16 seasons, posting a 248-143 record in a career that ended when he retired. The 1990 Big South Conference Coach of the Year, his team was 17-4 that season and captured the conference championship. In nine seasons of league play, Hondras coached 17 individual conference champions and his teams posted winning records in 13 of his 16 seasons at the helm. His 1983-84 team finished 21-7 and placed seventh in the country at the national championship tournament.
 Peggy Poore
Poore was a brilliant student-athlete from 1982-85, earning national attention as a goalkeeper on some of RU's strongest soccer teams, and earning recognition for her academic work, as well. Named to the Academic All-America Team in 1985, she was a three-time team Most Valuable Player and earned a berth on the All-State Tournament Team in 1982 and 1983. The Virginia Beach native posted eight consecutive shutouts in 1984, and was the goalkeeper on RU's 1983 state championship team and the 1985 NCAA Tournament squad. Poore set school records with 39 saves in a 1982 match against UNC, and with 174 saves in the 1985 season.
 Ron Shelburne
Shelburne, a native of nearby Snowville, Va., became only the fourth Radford men's basketball player to score more than 1,000 points and grab more than 500 rebounds in a career. A three-time team Most Valuable Player, he led the Highlanders in scoring in 1989-90 and earned Big South All-Conference honors in 1990-91. He never missed a game during his four-year career, playing in 116 consecutive contests. He averaged 11.5 points per game and shot 51.8 percent from the field, and 75.3 percent from the free throw line during his career, gaining a reputation as a clutch performer. Shelburne finished in 1991 as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,332 points.
The Class of 1995
(Inaugural Class)
 Charlene Curtis
The university's first 1,000-point scorer, Curtis played basketball at Radford from 1972-76, and then was one of the most successful coaches in the country while leading her alma mater. A Roanoke native, she scored 1,043 points while serving in four academic honorary organizations and as a distinguished member of the Highlander band. Dedicated to Radford, she has served on the Board of Visitors, and as National Alumni Association chairperson. Her teams were 121-53 in six seasons as RU's coach from 1984-1990, winning two conference titles and earning a bid to the 1989 NWIT.
 Janell Nester Dobbins
A 1955 Radford graduate, Dobbins is a popular and familiar figure in Highlander athletics. She served 19 years as Radford's volleyball coach before retiring in 1993 as the school's winningest coach in any sport. Her teams were 369-219, growing from an unaffiliated small college team in 1971 to an NCAA Division I Tournament participant her final season. A Radford native, she built RU volleyball into an NCAA Division II power in the early 1980s, "retired" for three seasons, and then returned to coach the team to two Division I Big South Conference titles in the 1990s.
 Stephanie Howard
Howard had scored more points than any other RU basketball player when she finished her career in 1989. The first RU athlete to have their number retired, the Harrisonburg, Va., native owned 27 records when she ended her Highlander career and moved on to play professionally in Switzerland. Her records included career points (2,146), assists (661) and steals (377). She set single game records for points (42), assists (17) and steals (9) and set a single season scoring mark in 1987-88, averaging 22.7 points. Howard, who was named an AWSF All-American four times, finished her career with averages of 19.2 points and 5.9 assists per game.
 Phil Leftwich
Leftwich became the first Radford athlete in the major leagues when he joined the California Angels in 1993. The Angels' top selection in the 1990 Major League draft, he was taken in the second round, leaving RU with 13 school pitching records. A Lynchburg, Va., native, Leftwich was RU's first all-conference and all-state pitcher. He helped Radford's young baseball program turn the corner, leading the Highlanders to their first winning season in 1989. Leftwich was 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA for the 27-19 Highlanders that year, in only their fifth season of varsity play. Overall, he was 19-14, pitching 25 complete games and 265 innings from 1988-1990.
 David Smith
Smith finished his sterling four-year basketball career from 1981-1985 as the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. In the process, the 6-5 Amherst, Va., native keyed Radford's move from NAIA competition to NCAA Division II play and then Division I. A fierce competitor, Smith started each of Radford's 107 games during his career and shot 52.7 percent from the field. He scored 1,313 points and pulled down 739 rebounds, leading the team in rebounding and field goal percentage three years. Remaining active at his alma mater, Smith has served on the Athletic Association Advisory Council and on the National Alumni Association Executive Council.
 Chuck Tickle
Tickle led the golf program to its greatest heights in the early 1980s, and placed himself among the top collegiate players in the country. A native of Pulaski, Va., he was second at the 1982 NAIA championships, leading RU to a 12th place national finish in only the squad's fourth season. In 1983, RU's first season in NCAA Division II, he helped the Highlanders win their first state championship in golf, and again qualified for nationals. He placed 40th in his first NCAA meet as the only at-large qualifier from this region. Tickle fared much better in 1984, finishing fourth among 88 golfers at the NCAA championships after leading the field for two days.
Inductees to the RU Sports Hall of Fame are selected each year from nominees solicited through mailings to former Radford athletes and through a ballot in the RU Magazine. Alumni, friends and members of the Radford University community can nominate future candidates based on the following criteria established by the Hall of Fame Selection Committee:
- Nominees must be individuals who participated in, or made
a positive impact on, Radford athletics. Nominees will be considered
after five years from the end of intercollegiate participation
or at the conclusion of their athletic employment at Radford
University. The committee will normally induct no more than three
candidates each year.
A nomination ballot is available online, or you may obtain one by contacting Tom Lillard, Executive Director of the RU Highlander Club, via e-mail at tlillard@radford.edu or by calling (540) 831-5228.
Inductees into the Radford University Sports Hall of Fame receive a replica of a plaque featuring the achievement of the honoree. The original plaque is placed on permanent display in the Dedmon Center as part of the athletic department's trophies and team awards display.
The selection committee is comprised of the Athletic Advisory Council Chairperson; the Director of Alumni Affairs; the Director of Athletics; the Dean of Students; the Executive Director of the Highlander Club; the NCAA Faculty Representative; and the Sports Information Director.
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