The Big South Hall of Fame was formed in 2003-04 as part of the League's 20th Anniversary celebration.  Each year the Conference will induct up to five people into the Hall of Fame.

Nominations for the Hall of Fame will be made by current member institutions and the League Commissioner. The Hall of Fame committee, made up of a representative from each member institution, will then select the inaugural class from the submitted nominations. Student-athletes who have graduated from a Big South institution and are 10 years removed from that institution are eligible for induction in the inaugural class. Administrators, coaches and other non-student-athletes who have ended their association with the Conference are also eligible. Significant contributors to the Conference are eligible whether or not their association with the League has ended.

2003 BIG SOUTH HALL OF FAME CLASS - INAUGURAL CLASS
Howard Bagwell
Charleston Southern Director of Athletics (1965-2000)
Bagwell served as a track coach, a men’s basketball coach and the Director of Athletics at CSU. He led then Baptist College from an NAIA school to Division I status, increasing the school’s sports sponsorship from 5 to 18. Bagwell compiled a 263-47 record as a track coach and a 27-16 record as men’s basketball coach. Bagwell was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. He also served 14 years on Dorchester County School Board. Bagwell was a co-founder of the Big South Conference, and the Big South Player of the Year Award was created and named for Bagwell.

Wendell Carr
Campbell Director of Athletics (1974-1992)
Carr oversaw CU’s move from NAIA to NCAA Division I athletics competition in 1977-78. He was one of the leaders in the formation of the Big South Conference in 1983, of which Campbell became a charter member. Carr wrote constitution and by-laws for the Big South Conference. He helped the Big South gain automatic berths in NCAA Championships in baseball and men’s basketball. Carr also oversaw the rise of women’s athletics at Campbell, adding six new women’s varsity sports during his tenure. Carr led Campbell to the 1991-92 Big South Commissioner’s Cup when CU won five League championships (men’s soccer, men’s basketball, men’s golf, men’s tennis and women’s tennis) and three runner-up trophies (men’s cross country, women’s basketball, women’s golf). Under his guidance, Campbell won 14 Big South championships. He was also named Big South Men’s Golf Coach of the Year in 1989 when he led the team to the Conference title.

Dr. George A. Christenberry
Big South Conference President (1983-1986)
Augusta State College President (1970-1986)
The Big South Conference’s first president, Christenberry was a co-founder of the Conference. Along with Howard Bagwell, Christenberry recruited members to form the fledgling League. As Conference President from 1983 to 1986 he helped guide the League from its initial stages to its move towards Division I status and he oversaw the addition of UNC Asheville to the League. In response to his service to the Big South, the Conference created the George A. Christenberry Academic Award, given to the male and female student-athletes each year who graduated with the highest GPA.

Tony Dunkin
Coastal Carolina Men’s Basketball Player (1989-1993)
Dunkin remains the only player in NCAA Division I history to be named a Conference’s Player of the Year four consecutive years, as he was the Big South Player of the Year from 1990-1993. CCU and the Big South’s all-time leading scorer with 2,151 points. He led the Chanticleers to the 1991 and 1993 NCAA Tournaments. He was a four-time Big South All-Conference honoree and three-time All-Tournament selection. He was named the 1990 Big South Rookie of the Year. Dunkin averaged 20.7 points per game during his career. He ranks third all-time at Coastal Carolina with 725 rebounds. Coastal Carolina had an 81-43 record during Dunkin’s career. He played professionally in Europe for five years.

Ilona Fekete
UNC Asheville Volleyball Player (1990-1992)
Fekete led UNC Asheville to three straight Big South Conference regular-season titles (1990, 1991 and 1992) and two tournament championships (1991 and 1992). The 1991 team advanced to the NIVC tournament in Dayton, Ohio, making UNCA the first Big South team to compete in post-season play. The 1992 team went 32-6 and unbeaten in Big South play and in the tournament, making them the last team to not lose to a Big South opponent during the course of a season. She was the 1990 Big South MVP and led the nation in blocks that year. Fekete was an All-Conference performer in 1991 and 1992. She led the Big South in blocks in 1990, 1991 and 1992. UNCA was 22-1 in League play during her three-year career and 29-2 counting tournament play. Upon graduation, Fekete played professionally in Sweden for one season.

Michelle Hall
Coastal Carolina Softball Player (1990-1993)
Hall had 104 wins as a pitcher for the Lady Chanticleers, one of just eight players in the NCAA Division I history to win more than 100 games. She was a four-time Big South All-Conference team member and a three-time member of the Big South All-Tournament team. She was named to the NCAA All-Southeast Region team three times and was the first Big South player ever to be named to that team. She ranks fifth in NCAA history with 172 games pitched and 140 complete games. She also ranks seventh in NCAA history with 140 games started, and she ranks eighth in NCAA history with 11 career saves.

Stephanie Howard
Radford, Women’s Basketball Player (1986-1989)
Howard had scored more points than any other RU basketball player when she finished her career in 1989. The first RU athlete to have his or her 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. She is a member of the Radford University Sports Hall of Fame.

Lisa Kemme
Winthrop, Softball Player (1988-1991)
Kemme was a standout pitcher for the Eagles from 1988-1991 who earned the Big South Tournament MVP three times, in 1989, 1990 and 1991 and was the Big South Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991. She holds several Winthrop career and single-season records, as well as the NCAA single season records for most strikeouts (282 in 1990 (1st) and 264 in 1989(2nd)) and most victories (34 in 1991 (1st) and 32 in 1989 (3rd)), and she is ranked in the top 15 of other NCAA single-season records. Kemme owns “The Pitchers Mound,” an instructional softball pitching school which has produced 60 collegiate players, 30 of which are Division I. A former member of the ASA Summer Team Redan Bandits, she was named the Regional/State MVP six times and was the National Championship MVP in 1994. Kemme also pitched against the 1996 Olympic Team, throwing 5 innings, taking a 1-0 loss after a two-year layoff from pitching .

George F. “Buddy” Sasser
Big South Conference Commissioner (1989-1996)
Coastal Carolina Director of Athletics (1986-1989 and 1996-1999)
Sasser served as the Big South Commissioner from 1989-1996 and had two stints as Coastal Director of Athletics (1986-1989 and 1996-1999). While Big South Commissioner, Sasser was responsible for increasing membership, gaining automatic bids to the NCAA Basketball Tournament and adding basketball television exposure for the League. The Commissioner’s Cup award, which goes to the institution with the best overall athletic performance for that year, was renamed Sasser Cup in his honor. Sasser served as head football coach at ETSU (1982-86) and Wofford (1977-82). He also served as Director of Athletics at ETSU (1982-1986).

Dr. Edward M. “Dick” Singleton
Big South Conference Commissioner (1983-1989)
Coastal Carolina Chancellor (1963-1983)
Singleton served as the Big South’s first Commissioner, holding the post from 1983 through 1988. He was also Coastal Carolina’s Chancellor from 1963-1983. One of the founding fathers of the League, he currently serves as a senior advisor to CCU President Dr. Ronald Ingle. He is a member of the Coastal Education Foundation and the CINO (Coastal Is Number One) Board. Singleton will also serve as the chair for Coastal Carolina’s 50th anniversary in 2004.

Dante Washington
Radford Men’s Soccer Player (1988-1992)
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 and is a member of the Radford University Sports Hall of Fame.

2004 BIG SOUTH HALL OF FAME CLASS
Holly Bottar
Coastal Carolina Women’s Basketball Player (1988-1991)
Four-time Big South Conference first team...1989 Big South Conference All-Tournament Team...Second in CCU history in scoring with 1,545 points...First in CCU history with 500 career assists...First in CCU history with 246 career steals...Seventh in CCU history with 640 career rebounds

Luis Lopez
Coastal Carolina Baseball Player (1991-1994)
Set seven school career records: Games played (230), Hits (264), At Bats (789), Walks (128), Total Bases (390), RBI (167), and Games started (228)...Led Coastal Carolina to 67 Big South wins from '91-'94, three Big South regular season titles, and two Big South Tourney titles...Played in 1991 NCAA Regionals...Selected to 1992 All-Big South Conference team...Led Big South in RBI (60) in 1992...Owns Big South Conference Record for games played (230)...Graduated from Coastal Carolina with B.A., Business Admin., 1994...Made Major League Baseball debut on April 29, 2001 with the Toronto Blue Jays becoming one of only 14 Big South alumni to reach the major leagues (among current conference membership)...Also earned major league service with the Oakland Athletics...Named South Atlantic League Player of the Year during minor league career...Still active through the 2003 season, Lopez has amassed a 9-year professional baseball career

Joe Spinks
Campbell Men’s Basketball Player (1990-1994)
Set school (Division I era) records for career scoring (1,711) and rebounding (954)...Finished third on Big South career scoring list after graduating in 1994...Was the third player in Big South history to earn four All-Conference awards (three first-team) in men's basketball...Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 1994 and Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year in 1991 (Big South)...Led team to 1992 Big South Tournament Championship and the school's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament (played No. 1 Duke)...Led team to 1994 Big South Final...Led Campbell to program's first-ever wins over an Atlantic Coast Conference (NC State) and Southeastern Conference (South Carolina) member during '93-94)...Recorded 33 double-doubles (points-rebounds in a game) during his career...Set Big South rebounding record (954 from 1990-94)...Led Conference in rebounding as a freshman, sophomore and senior...Named Campbell University's Outstanding Male Athlete for 1993-94...Has played professional basketball in Europe since graduation

John Vrooman
Coastal Carolina Baseball Coach (1975-77, 1987-95)
Winningest baseball coach in Big South league history with 124 regular season conference wins...2-time Big South Conference coach of the year...Led Chanticleers to two Big South Tournament championships...Coached 37 All-Big South Conference selections, 2 tourney MVPs, and 1 Player of the Year...Winningest coach in Coastal Carolina history with 325 wins (as of 2004 season)...Led Coastal Carolina to first NCAA Regional appearance in 1991, just the second all-time Big South NCAA baseball appearance...His teams led the Big South in batting four times; HRs four times; Runs scored four times; Stolen Bases four times; ERA twice; Complete Games five times; and fielding six times...After and during coaching, Vrooman served the Coastal Carolina academic community in various significant roles including Dean of the History department and instructor...In March of 2004, the playing field at Coastal Carolina's Watson Stadium will be named for Coach Vrooman.

2005 BIG SOUTH HALL OF FAME CLASS
Doug Day
Radford, Men’s Basketball (1989-93)
Day completed his Radford career as the NCAA Division I career leader in three-point field goals made with 401 during his career from 1989-93. He departed as Radford’s all-time leading scorer with 2,027 points – 2nd most in the Big South. He is one of only two Big South players to score 2,000 career points. Day led the nation in three-point baskets per game with 4.03 per contest in 1991-92, and earned All-Big South honors during each of his four seasons at RU. He averaged 17.3 points per game for his career, and his offensive prowess helped Radford to back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1990-91 and 1991-92. Day led the Highlanders to their first regular-season Conference title in 1991-92.

Sara Graziano
Coastal Carolina Softball (1993-94)
Graziano was a three-sport student-athlete during her collegiate career at Coastal Carolina in softball (1993-94), women’s basketball (1994-95) and volleyball (1993-94). She set a NCAA Division I record with a .598 batting average in 1994, while slugging 1.006 to lead the nation. Graziano earned All-South Region softball honors that season as well as earning Big South Player of the Year and GTE Academic All-American of the Year. Graziano played professionally in the Women’s Professional Softball League (WPSL).

Michelle Minton
Coastal Carolina, Softball (1990-94)
Minton was a two-sport student-athlete for Coastal as a member of the softball (1991-94) and women’s basketball squad (1990-94) during her four years.  She finished her career ranked in the top 10 in Coastal Carolina history in several categories, including hits (2nd - 308), at-bats (4th - 672), batting (2nd - .458), stolen bases (2nd - 77), triples (5th - 11), runs scored (1st - 194) and on-base percentage (2nd - .503).  She played 199 career games and was a three-time NCAA All-South Region selection (1992, 1993, 1994).  She was a four-time All-Conference selection in softball, as well as a three-time All-Tournament selection.

Jim Settle
Charleston Southern, Head Cross Country and Track Coach (1965-92)
Settle came to Baptist College as assistant cross country and assistant track coach in 1965, quickly developing the program into one of the finest in the Southeast. He worked hand-in-hand with Coach Howard Bagwell as an assistant and then later as the head coach, coaching several All-Americans, including 1992 Olympic Silver Medalist Charlie Simpkins. After four years out of coaching, Settle returned as head coach in 1985 and promptly led the men’s track team to an outstanding 29-0 record. The 1986 team followed up with a 31-4 record. All total, the Baptist College/Charleston Southern men’s track program posted 313 victories against only 62 defeats from 1966-92. This included five undefeated seasons. Settle is a member of the Charleston Southern Athletic Hall of Fame.

Shannan Wilkey
Radford, Women’s Basketball (1990-94)
Wilkey Bergen’s competitive drive fueled four consecutive Big South basketball championship teams from 1990-94. She was twice the Tournament MVP (1993, 1994) and finished her career with 1,714 points (third all-time at RU and eighth in Big South history). She also ranks among the career leaders in steals (244) and games played (117). Wilkey Bergen led the Lady Highs in scoring twice, including a 21.3 scoring average as a senior, the second-highest in school history. She was Big South Rookie of the Year in 1990-91, and became one of the first three-sport stars at RU, lettering in cross country and softball after her basketball career. She was the first two-sport All-Conference performer in the Big South, earning League honors in basketball twice (1992-94) and in cross country in 1994, finishing as RU’s leader in five of six meets. Wilkey Bergen also was an assistant coach at member institution UNC Asheville before taking a job at West Florida, where she is now in her sixth season as head women’s basketball coach. During her tenure at UWF, the Argonauts have won two Gulf South Conference (GSC) Eastern Division titles.

2006 BIG SOUTH HALL OF FAME CLASS
Chuck Taylor
Radford Director of Athletics (1974-96)
Taylor was Radford’s first Athletic Director and men’s basketball coach.  He served as athletic director from 1974-96, and led Radford on a remarkable journey from a six-sport unaffiliated small-college program to Division I athletics.  He led RU’s move to Division I status in 1984, and helped establish the Big South Conference, ensuring Radford’s entrance as a founding member.  Seven different athletic teams achieved national rankings during his tenure.  Taylor also chaired several key committees in the League, including budgets and awards.  The former men’s basketball coach helped shape the fledgling Conference’s basketball programs, including ensuring Radford’s teams were successful, with women’s basketball winning nine of the first 10 Big South titles and RU men’s basketball posting 20 winning seasons in his 22 years.

Charlene Curtis
Radford Women’s Basketball Coach (1984-90)
Curtis was one of the most successful coaches in the country while leading her alma mater.  Her teams were 121-53 in six seasons as RU’s coach from 1984-90, winning two Conference titles and earning a bid to the 1989 NWIT, the first appearance in ANY Division I postseason tournament by any Big South basketball program (men’s or women’s).  She was named Big South Coach of the Year twice (1987-88 and 1989-90) and still ranks second all-time in women’s basketball winning percentage (.700) among Big South coaches.  Curtis posted an impressive 46-2 won-loss record in regular-season Conference play and led the Highlanders to three of the first four Big South titles.  In addition, the Roanoke native scored 1,043 points as a player at RU to become the university’s first 1,000-point scorer.  Curtis later became head coach at Temple and Wake Forest, was an assistant coach with the WNBA Charlotte Sting, a television analyst and is currently the director clinician motivational speaker for Curtis Camps & Clinics.

Bryan Link
Winthrop Baseball Player (1992-95)
Link totaled 65 appearances, 46 of which were starts, as well as 22 complete games, 27 wins, 315 strikeouts, a 3.00 earned run average and 326.1 innings pitched in his career for Winthrop.  In his senior season of 1995, he was a First-team All-America selection, was voted to the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America First-team and was voted the Big South Conference Baseball Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year.  Link led the 1995 Eagles to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and posted League records that season for innings pitched (134.1), shutouts (4) and consecutive scoreless innings (32).  He held six Winthrop career pitching records when he graduated (including starts, complete games, wins, strikeouts and innings pitched) and was the Big South’s all-time strikeout leader at the time as well.  Link, who graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1995 with a degree in chemistry, drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 12th round of the 1995 MLB Draft and played professionally in the Rangers’ system before deciding to enter graduate school.  In 2005, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Winthrop University Athletics Hall of Fame and is currently a Director of Medical Liaisons in the pharmaceutical industry in Atlanta.

Hans Olsen
Charleston Southern Men’s Tennis Player & Coach (player 1989-92; coach 1997-01)
A four-year performer on the CSU men’s tennis team, Olsen was a two-time Big South All-Conference selection and was twice named the CSU men’s tennis MVP as the No. 1 singles player.  After graduating in 1992, Olsen returned as head men’s and women’s tennis coach in 1997.  Olsen guided the men’s teams to four consecutive Big South Conference Championships, earning Big South Coach of the Year four times.  He posted a men’s coaching record of 89-31 overall.  Combined with his women’s record, Olsen totaled a 133-92 overall record at CSU.  He is currently the women’s tennis coach at North Carolina State and was inducted into the Charleston Southern Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2004.

Tammy Brown Tew
Campbell Women’s Basketball Player (1987-91)
Brown Tew was a two-time Big South Player of the Year (1989-90, 1990-91) and was a three-time First-team All-Conference selection.  She ended her career as the League’s all-time leading scorer (1,893 points), which is now fourth all-time.  Brown set the Big South’s single-season scoring record in 1990-91 with 693 points for a 23.9 per game average and was twice named Campbell University Outstanding Female Athlete (1990, 1991).  She set school records for scoring, field goals and field goal percentage.  Brown was named a FastBreak All-America by the American Women’s Sports Federation in 1990 and 1991.  She led her team to four consecutive Big South Championship game appearances and one title in 1989.  Brown later served as an assistant coach at Campbell (1991-92) and has worked as a coach and teacher for the last 10 years.  She was inducted into the Campbell University Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

2007 BIG SOUTH HALL OF FAME CLASS
Ryan Werner
Liberty Track & Field Athlete (1992-96)
Liberty’s first Big South Hall of Fame inductee, Werner was Liberty’s first three-time NCAA Division I All-American (1994-95-96).  He placed ninth in the decathlon at the 1994 NCAA National Championships, fourth in the event at the 1995 NCAA National Championships and eighth in the decathlon in the 1996 NCAA National Championships.  Werner also was the first Liberty athlete to win an IC4A title, winning the 1992 decathlon as a freshman.  He won the IC4A decathlon title four times (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996), won the IC4A pole vault as a senior and also won the Penn Relays decathlon in 1995.  Werner was honored with the Liberty University Rock Royer Award as a senior, given annually to Liberty’s top student-athlete.  He still holds the Liberty school decathlon record and the Big South Conference season record with 7,662 points in 1995 (the Big South did not offer the decathlon as a Conference championship event until the 2001 season).  Werner was named to the United States Track Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 1994 and 1996.  Werner helped Liberty to its first three Conference championships in outdoor track & field.  In Big South competition, he was second in the 110-meter hurdles, third in 200 meters and fourth in 100 meters in 1993.  He also was second in javelin, third in pole vault, fifth in 400 meters, fifth in hammer, seventh in 110-meters and seventh in the discus in 1994.  Werner was Conference champion in the javelin and pole vault in 1995, as well as the Big South Track Champion high scorer with 41 points in 1996.  In addition, he was Conference champion in the javelin, second in pole vault, third in discus, third in shot put, third in 400-meter, fifth in hammer, eighth in long jump in 1996.  Werner has worked as an assistant track & field coach at Coastal Carolina and is currently a fireman and EMT in the Myrtle Beach area.

Sherry Johnson
Coastal Carolina Softball Player (1992-95)
Johnson ended her career as the NCAA career leader with 76 doubles (currently fourth in history) and finished her career ranked in the top 10 in NCAA history in runs batted in (third – 194), home runs (sixth – 31) and slugging percentage (fifth - .667).  She set Coastal Carolina school records for career games played (230), at-bats (697), doubles (76), triples (19), home runs (31), runs batted in (194) and putouts (1,567).  She was named NCAA All-South Region in 1994 and 1995 as well as Big South All-Conference those seasons as well.  Johnson is currently General Manager of Burroughs and Chapin’s Entertainment Golf Division in South Carolina.

Robert Dowdell
Coastal Carolina Men’s Basketball Player (1987-91)
Dowdell was Coastal’s point guard from 1987-91 and finished his career as CCU’s all-time assist leader with 561, which is second all-time in Big South history.  He helped the Chanticleers to their best four-year record ever with 78 wins during that period (78-39, =.667 winning percentage).  Dowdell was a member of two Big South Tournament team championships and three regular-season crowns, as the Chants posted a 42-8 Big South record during his four years (.840 winning percentage).  In 1990-91, he led the Chants to a school-record 24 wins and first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.  Dowdell earned First-team All-Conference honors in 1990 and 1991, as well as All-Tournament honors both years.  He ranks 46th all-time in Big South history in scoring with 1,202 points, as well as sixth all-time in free throws made (404), 11th in free throw attempts (523), ninth in free throw percentage (.772), third in career assists per game (4.88), second all-time in steals (239) and second in steals per game (2.08).

Horace Turbeville
Winthrop Baseball Coach (1978-91)
Turbeville was Winthrop’s first baseball coach from 1978-91, posting a career record of 373-157-1 (.703 winning percentage) at the helm of the Eagles.  He guided the team to the NAIA College World Series, finishing national runner-up, as well as capturing the Big South’s first-ever baseball Conference Tournament championship in 1985.  Turbeville was the 1991 Big South Coach of the Year and posted a 152-101 ( =.601) record in seven seasons when baseball began as a sponsored Big South sport in 1985.  He was 571-285-1 (.667) during his 32-year baseball coaching career, and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2000.  He was also inducted into the York County (S.C.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, as well as the Newberry College Hall of Fame in 1995.  Turbeville was named the South Carolina College Baseball Coach of the Year in 1972 and was a finalist for the 1980 NAIA National Baseball Coach of the Year.  In addition, he was inducted into the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.  Turbeville passed away this past January.

Dr. Donald Newton Dedmon
Big South Conference President (1986-92)
Radford President (1972-94)
One of the Big South Conference's founding fathers and past presidents, Dr. Donald N. Dedmon took office on March 20, 1972, as Radford's fourth president.  During Dr. Dedmon's administration, Radford College grew in stature and size to a comprehensive, coeducational institution.  The fall 1972 semester academic year marked the first time that men were admitted for the full academic year rather than just for summer school as had been the practice in the school's first years in operation.  In 1979, Radford was granted university status by the Virginia General Assembly, resulting in the school's fifth name change to Radford University.  In celebration of the Scotch-Irish heritage of Southwest Virginia, the "Highlander" was also adopted in the 1970s as the nickname for the athletic teams.  In keeping with the Scotch-Irish theme, the school colors were changed from the original purple and gray to the tartan plaid colors of red, white, blue and green.  The school newspaper was renamed The Tartan and the literary magazine adopted the name Gaelic.  The annual remained The Beehive. Growth continued at a rapid pace through the 1980s with over 9,000 students attending RU per year by the end of the decade. The look and size of the campus also continued to evolve with the construction of a state-of-the-art sports complex named for Dr. Dedmon.  The Dedmon Center was one of the first buildings designed with an inflated, air-supported roof, similar to that of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.  The location of the Dedmon Center was also a change for the campus, as new properties adjacent to the New River were acquired from the railroad.  Dr. Dedmon served as Big South President from May 1986-92, and his tenure included the Big South becoming a full-fledged member of NCAA Division I in September 1986, as well as the Big South having its first participants in NCAA postseason in men’s and women’s basketball.  Dr. Dedmon received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Iowa.  Prior to coming to Radford, Dr. Dedmon served as a professor at Colorado State University and executive vice president and acting president of Marshall University.  Dr. Dedmon passed away in 1998.

2008 BIG SOUTH HALL OF FAME CLASS
Peter Aluma
Liberty Men’s Basketball Player (1994-97)
Liberty’s second Big South Hall of Fame inductee, Aluma ranked as the Big South’s all-time leading shot blocker (366), was third in games played (119), second in free throws (451) and third in scoring (1,715 points) at the conclusion of his career, and helped the Flames capture their first-ever Big South championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 1994.  He currently ranks 24th all-time in NCAA history in blocked shots.  Aluma was a First-Team All-Conference selection in 1996 and 1997, earned Second-Team honors in 1995 and was named to the League’s All-Rookie Team in 1994.  He was named the Big South Tournament MVP twice in his career (1994 and 1997) and was a three-time All-Tournament selection.  Aluma, who was a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-Region selection in 1997, led the Big South in scoring in 1995-96 and was the League’s top shot blocker in 1996 (3.9) and 1997 (3.0).  He also was the 21st player in Big South history with 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds, and is one of just five players in League annals with 1,700 points and 600 rebounds.  During his career, Aluma was also honored as an All-State Team selection by both the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) in 1996 and 1997.  He still holds the Liberty Division I record for free throws in a season (159) and career, as well as the school’s blocked shot records for a game (eight), season (113) and career.  Aluma is still the Big South’s career shot block leader and ranks among the League’s top 10 in scoring, field goals, field goal percentage, free throws, free throw attempts and blocked shots per game.  He played professionally with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings (1999) and Phoenix Suns (2000), as well as for the Harlem Globetrotters (2001), and overseas for Argentina’s Toros De Aragua (1998) and Belarus' Gomel (1999) programs.
 
Jeff Greene
Winthrop Cross Country/Track & Field Athlete (1993-95)
Greene was the first Winthrop student-athlete to earn NCAA Division I All-American honors in 1994 for his performance in the indoor 5,000-meter run at the NCAA National Indoor Championship.  He also qualified for the 1994 NCAA Outdoor Championship in the 10,000-meter run during his career.  Greene captured the 1994 Big South Conference individual men’s cross country championship - Winthrop’s first individual Conference champion - and won the 1994 Big South Conference Outdoor Championship in the 5,000-meter run.  The 1994 Big South Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, Greene holds the Winthrop University record for the indoor 5,000-meter run with a time of 13:55 as well as the outdoor 10,000-meter run with a time of 29:04.  He was named Winthrop’s Male Athlete of the Year in 1994, and was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in January 2005. 

Tomas Malik
Coastal Carolina Men’s Tennis Player (1994-97)
Malik, who completed his stellar career in 1997, holds Coastal Carolina career records for singles victories (90) and doubles victories (79).  He earned three Big South Conference Player of the Year honors (1995, 1996, 1997) and was named the Conference’s Rookie of the Year in 1994.  Malik was a four-time All-Conference selection at both singles and doubles during his career, helped Coastal Carolina capture the 1994 Big South Conference championship, as well as two regular-season titles (1994, 1996) and a runner-up championship finish in 1996.  He also excelled in the classroom, as he garnered Big South Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in 1995, 1996 and 1997, and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American First-Team honoree in 1996 and 1997.  Malik also received ITA Scholar-Athlete recognition in 1996 and 1997, was voted the Big South Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1996 and 1997, and received the Big South’s Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence in 1997.  Following his Coastal career, Malik served as the hitting partner for Jana Novatna when she ranked among the world’s best and has also coached the Slovakian Women’s National Team to the Federation Cup Championship.  He is one of eight men's tennis players to earn All-Conference all four years, and is just one of two men's tennis players in Big South history to be named a four-time All-Conference performer in both singles and doubles.

Janet Wooten Collins
Campbell Women’s Golfer (1991-94)
Wooten led Campbell to consecutive Big South Conference women’s golf championships in 1993 and 1994 during her three-year career.  She and UNC Greensboro’s Kareen Qually were the first Big South women’s golfers to receive an at-large NCAA berth in the 1993 NCAA East Regional (both tied for 56th in the event).  Wooten, who was Campbell’s first-ever NCAA individual qualifier, led Campbell to 10 tournament wins in her three-year career while winning seven collegiate tournament championships and finishing among the top 10 individuals 19 times in 26 outings.  She was a three-time All-Big South Conference Team member and a member of the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll.  During her junior year, she was named Big South Golfer of the Year after winning the League individual title and leading Campbell to its first-ever women’s golf Conference Championship.  She won four tournaments - the Samford Classic, UNC Greensboro Fall Invitational, Big South Championship and Hartford Invitational - during her junior season, which was capped with her participation in NCAA postseason play.  As a senior, Wooten was honored as Campbell’s Outstanding Female Athlete for the 1993-94 academic year.  She won tournament titles at Nebraska and Georgia State and earned All-Big South honors for the third consecutive year with a fourth-place showing at the Big South Championship.  Wooten also led Campbell to its second-straight Big South team title and the school’s and Big South’s first-ever team invitation to the NCAA East Eegional (Wooten tied for 38th in the event).  She was inducted into the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2005.  She is just one of 17 women's golfers in Big South history to earn All-Conference honors three times.

Jill Young Booth
UNC Asheville Women’s Soccer Player (1993-96)
Young was UNC Asheville’s starting goalkeeper for four years and helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1995 Big South Conference championship - the school’s first women’s soccer title, as well as the program’s first-ever regional ranking.  She was a First-Team All-Conference performer for three-straight years (1994, 1995, 1996) and was the Co-MVP of the 1995 Big South Tournament.  Young is the school’s all-time leader in shutouts (25) and saves (297), and she holds the single-season school record for shutouts (12) and goals against average (0.75).  Her 12 shutouts are a single-season Big South record, and her 25 career shutouts still rank first in League history.  In 1995, Young was ranked nationally in shutouts, goals against average and saves, and she led the Big South Conference in goals against average in both 1995 and 1996.  In 2007, she was inducted into the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame, becoming the first women’s soccer player to be enshrined.  She was the first goalkeeper in League history to earn All-Conference honors three times.