2016 UE Athletics Hall of Fame Class Announced
Class will be inducted in January of 2017
The third-ever team along with four student-athletes will comprise the newest addition to the University of Evansville Athletics Hall of Fame.
Included in the class is the 1958-59 Purple Aces men’s basketball team, who won the first-ever national championship in program history. Kate Chybowski (women’s tennis), Jamie Davison (softball), Willie Glen (baseball) and Terra May (women’s soccer) will also be inducted along with women’s soccer player Kayla Lambert, who was officially part of last year’s class, but will be in attendance for this year’s induction.
The induction ceremony is set to take place on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at the Ridgway University Center on the UE campus. The evening event will feature a full dinner and ceremony. The inductees will also be recognized on the 29th at the men’s basketball game versus Illinois State. To reserve your seats, click on the registration link above.
Evansville’s first National Championship Men’s Basketball Team will be the third team inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining the 1964-65 undefeated men’s basketball team and the 1985 men’s soccer Final Four squad. The team went 21-6 over the course of the season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third year of what would be 10-straight trips to the tournament.
Coached by Arad McCutchan, team members included: Hugh Ahlering, Harold Cox, Walter Deal, Larry Erwin, Harold Halbrook, Tom Hamilton, Mel Lurker, Harold Malicoat, Tom Mulherin, Jim Nossett, Ken Reising, Bob Reisinger, P.M. Sanders, Ed Smallwood, Bill Thurneck and Dale Wise.
Kate Chybowski graduated from UE in 2011 with the most singles wins and combined victories in program history. She picked up 99 singles and 179 overall match triumphs. The recipient of the 2010 Ida Stieler Award as the department’s top female student-athlete was an All-MVC player on three occasions. Chybowski earned COSIDA Academic All-District recognition in 2010 while being named the recipient of the MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award on two occasions. She also earned ITA All-America Scholar-Athlete accolades in 2010.
Softball start Jamie Davison is one of just two players in program history to earn three 1st Team All-Conference honors, doing so in 2001, 2003 and 2004. The 2001 MVC Rookie of the Year finished her Evansville career ranked second in program history with 245 his and second with 124 runs scored. She also ranks in the top five in RBIs (99), batting average (.350), slugging (.516) and total bases (362). Her 72 hits in 2001 was the second-most in a single season for UE.
Evansville’s career leader with 22 saves makes his way into the Hall of Fame as Willie Glen made his mark on the program. Glen also finished with a school record 97 appearances. He became the first player in MVC history to record at least 20 wins and 20 saves in his career and earned a spot on the MVC All-Centennial Team for his efforts. A 3-time MVC Scholar-Athlete was named an ABCA All-Region player in 2000 while also garnering All-MVC First Team accolades. He had an extensive professional career, which saw his jersey retired by the Gary RailCats in 2014.
One of the pioneers of the women’s soccer program was Terra May. The 2-time MVC Defensive Player of the Year (1996, 1997) led the team to the conference championship in both of those seasons. The 3rd Team All-Region player in 1997 won the Ida Stieler Award in 1998. She was named to the MVC All-Centennial Team.
Kayla Lambert, who was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, will officially be inducted this year. She led the women’s soccer program and the Missouri Valley Conference as the leading scorer in the history of both. She holds the UE records for points (132), goals (50) and assists (30). The 2008 MVC Player of the Year was the first in program history to earn Academic All-American accolades. Lambert was also the first Freshman All-American in UE women’s soccer history, earning a spot on the 3rd Team in 2005.
