Athletics History | All-Americans | Athlete of the Year | Championships | Hall of Fame | KSU Olympians | Traditions | Coach of the Year

Beginning in January of 2003, the Kennesaw State University athletic department honored outstanding achievement in intercollegiate sports with the inception of the Kennesaw State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In it's relatively brief history, the Hall of Fame has become one of the proudest traditions of the athletic department.

Under the guidance of Athletic Director Dr. Dave Waples, the Hall of Fame honors former athletes who have demonstrated outstanding on the field achievements for their career. In addition, the Hall also honors individuals, who by their leadership, support, foresight and generosity have helped Kennesaw State achieve its success in the realm of intercollegiate athletics.

The Hall of Fame currently has 27 members ranging from players (17) to administrators (5), three donors and two coaches. The Inaugural Class of 2003 honored four administrators and one student-athlete with current KSU President, Dr. Betty Siegel, the featured inductee. Jenifer Turner-Reid, the Owls first-ever All-American and first multi-sport athlete, was the first student-athlete to be recognized by the Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2008 featured the first men's basketball inductee in the Owls all-time leading scorer, Herman Smith. All-American third baseman Tonya Carlisle became the sixth softball player honored while Chris Bowen was the sixth baseball player inducted. Bill Hamrick, the Registrar at KSU for 20 years rounded out the sixth class of inductees. Both the baseball and softball programs have six student-athletes honored by the Hall, the women's basketball program has two honorees while men's basketball, men's golf and women's track & field each have one member inducted.

Kennesaw State Athletic Hall of Fame

Class of 2008
Chris Bowen, Baseball
Tonya Carlisle, Softball
Bill Hamrick, Administrator
Herman Smith, Men's Basketball

Class of 2007
Kelly Alsup, Women's Basketball
Joanna Cuprys, Women's Basketball
Chris McKnight, Baseball
Roy Martin, Donor
Audra Thomas, Softball

Class of 2006
Colleen Thorburn, Softball
Jason Childers, Baseball
Bill Hill, Coach
Bobbie Bailey, Donor

Class of 2005
Cara Dornstauder-Coe, Softball
Jason Jones, Baseball
Kelly Rafter, Softball
Fred Stillwell, Donor
Ron Walker, Coach

Class of 2004
Ryan Coe, Baseball
Jon Hough, Golf
John Kelly, Baseball
Dyan Mueller, Softball

Inaugural Class of 2003
Roger Hopkins, Administrator
Herb Davis, Administrator
James "Spec" Landrum, Administrator
Dr. Betty Siegel, Administrator
Jenifer Turner-Reid, Track & Field


Kelly Alsup - Class of 2007
One of the greatest players to ever don a KSU jersey, Kelly Alsup, along with fellow honoree, Joanna Cuprys, becomes the first women's basketball player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She was a four-time NAIA and All-Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection after coming to the Lady Owls program from Lassiter High School. Alsup led the Lady Owls in rebounding in each of her four seasons and still stands atop the career list with 922 total rebounds. She is also tops on the all-time list with 448 free throws made, she averaged 16.1 points per gameover her career and led her teams to two consecutive GIAC titles in `87 and `88 and the 1988 District Championships.

Dr. Bobbie Bailey - Class of 2006
An ardent supporter of KSU athletics for over a decade, Dr. Bobbie Bailey is one of the most respected and generous supporters of Kennesaw State. An innovative and successful businesswoman, Dr. Bailey is also a pioneer in the promotion of women's sports. Championing her vision for female athletes and athletics, Dr. Bailey has been the quiet force behind the success of the Owls softball program. In 2004 after a generous donation and spearheading a fund-raising campaign, the Owls baseball and softball team proudly made the Bobbie Bailey Athletic Complex their home. In addition, she is also the founder of the prestigious Bobbie Bailey Awards, which honor the top female high school athletes in the area.

Jason Childers - Class of 2006
Jason Childers was simply one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of Kennesaw State baseball. A two-year letter-winner, his name can be found on nearly every single-season and career top ten list. An All-American in 1996, Childers also gained recognition as both the Peach Belt Conference and South Atlantic Region Pitcher of the Year as he put up one of the best-ever seasons in Division II history. A 12-0 record and 2.01 ERA highlighted the season which he capped off with a dazzling seven-hit shutout in the clinching game of the 1996 World Series. Childers was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers after the 1997 season and has enjoyed stints in the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Devil Rays organizations.

Chris Bowen - Class of 2008
Chris Bowen was one of the most dominating pitchers in KSU history. In 1998, Bowen led the Owls to an NCAA record 61 wins while earning a number of personal honors including being named an NCAA Division II First Team All-American, First Team All-Region selection and All- Peach Belt pick. Bowen finished third nationally in victories and 12th in ERA during his 1998 junior season. Currently, he is listed in 10 all-time pitching categories. He is second all-time in wins (35), innings pitched (331.2) and strikeouts (292). He is also sixth in complete games (12), eighth in ERA (2.99), eighth in hits per nine innings (7.99), seventh in winning percentage (.789), fourth in appearances (72), fourth in shutouts (3), and seventh in strikeouts per nine innings pitched. His 12 wins in 1998, and 11 in 1999, rank fifth and ninth respectively on KSU's single season record list. He is also in the top 10 in five other single season categories, including complete games, ERA, strikeouts, walks per nine innings, winning percentage and strikeouts per nine innings. He posted a winning record in all four of his seasons with the Owls, going 5-1 in 1996, 7-2 in 1997, 12-2 in 1998, and 11-4 in 1999.

Tonya Carlisle - Class of 2008
Tonya Carlisle was the first in the long line of Kennesaw State's great infielders. She was a three-time NAIA All-American selection before being honored as an NCAA Division II All-American in 1995. During that season, Carlisle helped lead the Owls to the first of back-to-back NCAA Division II National Championships while also earning all-tournament honors. Carlisle was the 1995 Peach Belt Athletic Conference Player of the Year as well as an All-Peach Belt Conference selection. A two-time NAIA All-District performer, Carlisle's .383 career batting average is good for tenth all-time and she is currently ninth among the Owls all-time leaders with 142 runs batted in and tenth with 12 triples. Her .425 batting average in 1993 ranks eighth in Kennesaw State's single season history while her 18 doubles in 1995 is good for fifth. During her 190 games with the Owls she compiled a .505 slugging percentage and a .467 on-base percentage while gathering 213 hits. Remarkably, Carlisle struck out just 30 times in 556 career at bats, never striking out more than 10 times in a single season.

Ryan Coe - Class of 2004
Ryan Coe will always be considered the first impact player to grace KSU. In just two seasons, he is among the all-time leaders in nearly every offensive category. Coe is the only player in college baseball history to have earned All-American honors at the JUCO, NAIA and NCAA levels. He is the Owls' all-time leading hitter, posting a .411 average. He was a member of the Owls 1994 National Championship team and was a draft pick of the Houston Astros.

Joanna Cuprys - Class of 2007
Joanna Cuprys will always be remembered as one of the most dominant players to ever play basketball for the Lady Owls. Although she only played for one season after transfering from Auburn-Montgomery, the Polish-born Cuprys led the nation in scoring and still stands atop the KSU scoring list after averaging 26.0 points per game. A 49.2 percent three-point shooter (2nd all-time), she led the Lady Owls to Peach Belt Conerence regular season and tournament crowns. She is still the only Lady Owls player to score 40 points in a single game and she was the main reason that KSU finished with a 30-2 record, which is still the best in the history of the program.

Herb Davis - Class of 2003
From the moment of his initial involvement with Kennesaw State athletics, Dr. Herb Davis has been interested in seeing that athletes succeed both academically and athletically. As the school's first and only Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR), Davis has gained a reputation for excellence among his Peach Belt Conference and NCAA contemporaries.

A basketball standout for Hendersonville (N.C.) Dana High School, Herb was the model student-athlete.

He began his college career at Berry College in Rome, Georgia where he earned his the B.S. Degree in Biology in 1957. From there he went to Emory University receiving an M.S. in Radiation Biology.

A teaching position brought Davis to Western Maryland College and then back to Berry two years later where he taught biology and chemistry. He received a doctoral fellowship at Emory where he completed his Ph.D. in Radiation Biology Cytogenetics. He was an Assistant Professor at Emory for five years prior to joining the Kennesaw Junior College staff in 1970 as Chairman of the Division of Science and Math.

Dr. Davis is regarded as one of the most intelligent, cooperative and sincere people in the KSU community. As possibly the longest acting FAR in the NCAA, his reputation has provided accolades among both the faculty and the community. He is the driving force behind the merging of academic worth and athletic prowess for the Owls.

His children, Greg, a 12-year NFL veteran, and Vicki, a Health Systems Manager, bring him much joy.

Cara Dornstauder-Coe - Class of 2005
Cara Dornstauder-Coe was one of the first offensive threats at Kennesaw State. A three-time All-American, she was a member of two National Championship teams. Her numbers are second-to-none, as she is a fixture in 16 Top-Ten offensive categories. She is the only four-year player in school history to have a career batting average of over .400 (.402) and only one of two players all-time to hit over the .400 mark for her career. She is currently the all-time leader in both career RBI's with 198 and doubles with 57. Dornstauder-Coe led the Owls to a 199-23 record during her career.

Bill Hamrick - Class of 2008
Bill Hamrick was the Registrar at Kennesaw State from 1987-2007 and during his tenure, which spanned three decades, he was instrumental in the growth of the athletic department from its infancy to where it is today. A by-the-book professional, Hamrick has worked with, and for, student-athletes as the Owls transitioned from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and into the Division I era. Over his nearly 20 years with Kennesaw State, Hamrick designed and implemented numerous processes and programs essential to the growth of Kennesaw State and the athletic department. Not only has Hamrick been an advocate of student-athletes success, certifying all of the Owls Division I student-athletes, he is also one of the proudest supporters of the Black and Gold.

Bill Hill - Class of 2006
Bill Hill will always be remembered for what he did for Kennesaw State, not only as a golf coach, but also as a man of distinction and character. Taken from us far too early in life, Hill left a strong legacy behind as he is credited with being the "father" of the Kennesaw State golf program. Characterized as a winner by all who knew him, Hill was a successful golf coach. After restarting the program in the fall of 1990, Hill quickly took the program into the national spotlight. His squad posted back-to-back Top Ten finishes in 1992 (4th) and 1993 (8th) and in 1994 he led the Owls to a Peach Belt Conference championship. However, he was most proud of his players. A caring a thoughtful mentor, he challenged his players both in golf and in class.

Roger Hopkins - Class of 2003
The four sport letterman at Roswell High School joined the Army upon graduation, serving locally at Fort Gordon and at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. He started work in the Business Services Department of Georgia State University in 1957 and earned the B.B.A. degree in 1960. His attention to detail caught the eye of GSU President Noah Langdale and he was appointed as the school's Assistant Comptroller.

Hopkins began as Kennesaw State University's Chief Fiscal Officer in 1967 with the position later becoming Vice-President of Business and Finance. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1995. He continued working at KSU as a special consultant on a part time basis until he finally relinquished formal ties to the school in 2002.

Besides being the Athletic Business Manager from 1981-1995, Hopkins also headed the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee from 1982-1992. He is a charter Owl Booster Club member since sports were instituted in 1982.

Knowing that the athletic fields were a big part of the campus, he involved the coaches in helping to manicure the facilities and offered the aid of Plant Operations in the completion of various projects. He also worked with Dr. Betty Siegel, Dr. Herb Davis and Coach Landrum to provide an athletic fee that met the school's needs and was also instrumental in helping to hire full time coaches. KSU athletics honors an individual each year with Roger Hopkins Award in recognition of community leadership.

He and his wife Anne have been together for 45 years and are the proud parents of three children, Mark, Tim and Cynthia. They also have five grandchildren.

Jon Hough - Class of 2004
John Hough was the first male, All-American athlete at KSU and in the truest of sense, he was the beacon of championship light that cascades onto Kennesaw State athletics. Hough won the Owls first-ever national championship when he captured the NAIA National Individual Championship in 1986 while guiding the Owls to a District Championship and a No. 10 national ranking.

Jason Jones - Class of 2005
Jason Jones was one of the most prolific hitters to ever don the Black and Gold pinstripes. A four-year letterman, Jones' name can be found on virtually every Kennesaw State offensive top ten list. The 1998 NCAA Division II Player-of-the-Year holds five KSU single-season records and five career records, including most home runs (58), RBI (234) and hits (285). He also set a then national record with a 41-game hitting streak during the 1998 season. A member of Kennesaw State's 1996 NCAA National Championship team, Jones was drafted by the Texas Rangers after his senior season, and on July 3, 2003 became the third player in Kennesaw State history to make his major league debut. Jones will be presented by his former head coach Mike Sansing.

John Kelly - Class of 2004
John Kelly is simply the greatest four-year pitcher in the history of Kennesaw State baseball. He was a 1990 Honorable Mention All-American and still holds a remarkable, ten, KSU pitching records. Over his stellar four-year career, Kelly is the Owls all-time leader in wins (47), strikeouts (318), complete games (51), shutouts (14), innings pitched (536.1) and appearances (84). In 1990 he established the still-standing school record for wins with 16.

James "Spec" Landrum - Class of 2003
As the first Athletic Director of Kennesaw State University, James `Spec' Landrum has watched the athletic department grow from a nonexistent entity to a dominating athletic powerhouse that sponsors eleven sports and has 175 student-athletes, coaches and administrators.

In 1981, he helped initiate the first intercollegiate athletic program at KSU. Asked to organize and administer the department by Dr. Betty Siegel, Landrum went to work immediately. In the span of five years, Kennesaw State boasted nine strong teams including tennis, golf, basketball, baseball and softball.

An athlete all of his life, Landrum played for South Georgia Junior College where he was a first-teamer in football, baseball and basketball during his two seasons. After his JC stint, he moved on to Mercer University and continued his stellar career, starting at both tailback and safety. Named All-South in 1939, Landrum graduated with a B.S. in 1940.

A WWII veteran, Spec was initially an Atlanta high school coach where he gave coaching legend Erk Russell his first job. Coach Landrum then moved to Wally Butts' staff at the University of Georgia and later moved to Georgia Tech as a member of Coach Bobby Dodd's crew.

A member of Mercer's Hall-of-Fame and part of their All-Time Football team, he has held memberships in most of Georgia's prestigious athletic clubs and associations. In 1982, he was named Athletic Director emeritus of KSU.

Spec and his wife Mildred reside in Franklin, North Carolina. They have two children, Laura and James, as well as grandchildren Michael, Mitchell McGinley and Ava Jean Landrum.

Roy Martin - Class of 2007
Roy Martin has been one of the most influential and generous supporters of Kennesaw State athletics for nearly 20 years. A great high school and minor league baseball player in his own right, he went to Georgia Tech on a baseball/basketball scholarship prior to signing with the Atlanta Braves organization. Martin is credited with starting and maintaining the KSU Booster Club as well as the KSU Scholarship Golf Tournament. named for his late wife, Dot. One of the most vocal and visible supporters to KSU athletics, he has been instrumental in taking the Owl's athletics program to new heights and will most undoubtably continue to do so in the future.

Chris McKnight - Class of 2007
Roy Martin has been one of the most influential and generous supporters of Kennesaw State athletics for nearly 20 years. A great high school and minor league baseball player in his own right, he went to Georgia Tech on a baseball/basketball scholarship prior to signing with the Atlanta Braves organization. Martin is credited with starting and maintaining the KSU Booster Club as well as the KSU Scholarship Golf Tournament. named for his late wife, Dot. One of the most vocal and visible supporters to KSU athletics, he has been instrumental in taking the Owl's athletics program to new heights and will most undoubtably continue to do so in the future.Chris McKnight came to KSU after transfering from Georgia Perimeter Junior College and made his impact felt right away. The left-hander posted a 10-2 record en route to leading the Owls to the first of their two National Championships in 1994. The following year he won 13 of his 16 appearances, finishing with a 13-1 mark and an astonishing 1.82 earned run average. During that season, he dominated the Peach Belt Conference on the way to earning numerous accolades, including the PBC Pitcher of the Year and a NCAA Division II All-American. His 2.44 career ERA stands as the third best all-time and his 23 wins places him fifth. McKnight was drafted by the Atlanta Braves after the 1995 season.

Dyan Mueller - Class of 2004
Dyan Mueller is one of the corner stones of the Kennesaw State fastpitch program. Considered by many as the first big name player to play for the Owls, she became the program's first All-American in 1991. A tremendous three-year career has placed her in the career top ten in no less than ten categories. She still holds a place in eight, single-season top ten categories. Her 29 wins in 1991 is the fourth best in school history.

Kelly Rafter - Class of 2005
A two-time National Champion and a three-time All-American, Kelly Rafter was a staple for the Owls over her four-year career. In 1995 she was selected as the NCAA Division II Player-of-the-Year and her career honors fall well into double-figures. There is no pitching record at KSU in which Rafter does not claim a share. She still holds five career pitching marks including an amazing 104 career wins. She is the only player to post back-to-back 30-win seasons and she threw a record six no-hitters and two perfect games. Rafter will be presented by her former head coach Scott Whitlock.

Betty Siegel - Class of 2003
Dr. Betty Siegel is not a stranger to successful athletic programs. Kennesaw State's proud president was a member of the student body at Florida State, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Under Dr. Siegel's leadership, KSU has developed into one of the most respected and successful athletic programs in the NCAA. From the beginning of her tenure, she forged the path to today's success by pledging to have an athletic program that was one of the country's best. She succeeded. With the same drive and vision that helped her guide the black and gold from a 4,000 student junior college into a bustling 18,000 student university, Dr. Siegel has overseen the development of the Owls athletic endeavors into today's beacon of regional and national success. With her desire of a total university experience for students, faculty, staff and community, and realizing that athletic accomplishment is essential, Dr. Siegel set into place hard-working individuals to make her dream a reality.

Using the talents of Roger Hopkins, Herb Davis and Spec Landrum, she was the moving force in organizing and creating KSU's athletic department in 1981. Since then, President Siegel has spearheaded campaigns to build two new athletic facilities with a third, soccer, in the works.

Dr. Siegel received her Ph.D. from Florida State, an M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in English and history from Wake Forest.

She is married to Dr. Joel H. Siegel. They have two sons, David and Michael, who both hold doctorates. The Siegel's are also the proud grandparents of Jacob, 3 and Nicholas, 2.

Herman Smith - Class of 2008
Herman Smith is simply considered one of Kennesaw State's first elite student-athletes. With 1,683 career points, he is the Black and Gold's all-time leading scorer and was the second member of the Owls 1,000 Point Club. During his four-year career with the Owls, Smith won a number of awards including earning back-to-back NAIA All-District and All-Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selections in 1989 and 1990. Smith began his career playing on the second-ever team at Kennesaw State and was a member of the first winning team in his junior season of 1988-89. In his senior season, Smith became the first KSU player to lead the team in points and rebounds in the same season and is one of only five players to ever accomplish the feat. Smith continues to be the Owls career leader in field goals made (691), field goal attempts (1199) and games played (120). He is second in free throws made (301) and attempted (432). He also holds a spot in the Top 10 of many single season categories including points per game (21.0), points (652) and field goals made (268); all set during his outstanding senior season.

Dr. Fred Stillwell - Class of 2005
A fan of the KSU baseball team for over 15 years, Fred Stillwell, or "Shake" as he is affectionately known, has become one of the most generous supporters of Kennesaw State. In 1995, Stillwell donated land which was sold and used to build lights for the baseball and softball fields. Before the start of the 1997 season, KSU thanked him by renaming the baseball stadium in his honor. Shake's generosity for the University is not limited to the athletic realm, as he also contributed largely for the campus theater, which was named Howard Logan Stillwell Theatre after his father. Stillwell will be presented by Kennesaw State head baseball coach Mike Sansing.

Audra Thomas - Class of 2007
Audra Thomas becomes the fifth softball player to be inducted into the KSU Athletic Hall of Fame. A career .398 hitter, she was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American and a two-time National Catcher of the Year in her time in an Owls' uniform. In the top ten in almost every career batting statistic, the Romeo, Michigan native is the only Kennesaw State player to have earned three All-Championship Tournament selections (1998-2000). Her teams compiled a four-year mark of 204-24 and won the Peach Belt Conference title in 1997, 1998, and 2000. Thomas is still the school's single-season leader with a remarkable .825 slugging percentage.

Colleen Thorburn - Class of 2006
Colleen Thorburn was one of the first superstars to play for the Owls and was the first in the storied tradition of sensational Kennesaw State catchers. A 1994 NAIA All-American, she was a member Kennesaw State's first softball national championship team. A lifetime .381 hitter, she never hit below .357 in her four years. Her speed and power numbers are second-to-none as she is the only KSU player to rank in the top ten in home runs, slugging percentage, triples and stolen bases. She currently holds the Owls career record for triples (47) and runs scored (199). After her KSU career, Thorburn was a two-time member of the Canadian Olympic team, playing in the 1996 and 2000 Games.

Jenifer Turner-Reid - Class of 2003
Jenifer Turner-Reid was a rare multi-sport athlete in an era where specialization was the norm. After a successful career at Morrow High School, Jenifer came to Kennesaw State and thrusted what was then an athletic program in it's infancy, into national prominence by being a three-time Owl All-American. The first in school history. As a track and field standout, Jenifer's fourth place finish in the 400-meter hurdles during the 1985 NAIA Track and Field National Championships in Hillsdale, Michigan made her the first ever Kennesaw State All-American.

Under the tutelage of then Head Coach David Poteet, she also participated in the 100-meter hurdles, short sprints, long and triple jumps as well as throwing the javelin. During her junior year in 1986 she led the Owls to their first-ever championship by helping the squad win the NAIA District title. She repeated as an All-American at the NAIA T&F Nationals in Russellville, Arkansas. After completing her third year of varsity basketball play, Jenifer capped her senior track season by three-peating as an All-American, this time in the long jump.

After receiving her B.S. degree in Public and Social Services from Kennesaw State, she was awarded a Master of Social Work degree from Atlanta University. Jenifer and her husband, Andre, now reside in Ellenwood, Georgia with her two sons Andre Jr. and Michael.

Ron Walker - Class of 2005
Ron Walker will be remembered for more than being a successful basketball coach. He was a man of distinction and savvy who was taken from us far too early in life. From 1986-1992 he never had a losing season. He posted four 20-win years and was the Lady Owls most successful coach when he left the game to battle cancer in 1992. Walker was the guiding force behind the Lady Owls flight into national prominence. He guided Kennesaw State to its first-ever postseason appearance in his first year as coach in 1985-86, and in his final two years with the Lady Owls he guided them to back-to-back national championship tournament appearances.