ASU duo enters Hall
From staff reports
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — In the long history of the Southern Conference, there has never been an evening like Monday night as the league inducted it’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in front of a crowd of over 250 at the Chapman Cultural Center.
Eight of the 10 inductees and their families were present for the event to honor their legacies and contributions to the storied 88 years of history in the league.
The night began with an hour-long reception in the foyer of the Cultural Center prior to the ceremony which took place in the David Reid Theatre. Each of the inductees was introduced to the crowd via a multimedia presentation. From there, Megan Dunigan (Furman), Dick Groat (Duke), Sam Huff (West Virginia), Melissa Morrison Howard (Appalachian State), Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern), Frank Selvy (Furman), Jerry West (West Virginia) and Valorie Whiteside (Appalachian State) each took the stage and were presented with their Hall of Fame plaque by Commissioner John Iamarino.
Barbara Crews, daughter of the late Charlie Justice (North Carolina) accepted the honor on her father’s behalf. Arnold Palmer (Wake Forest) was the only inductee not present for the event, due to a scheduling conflict, however Palmer submitted a taped message played for those in attendance.
Tom Werme “The Voice of the Southern Conference” served as the emcee for the evening.
Morrison, winner of two Olympic bronze medals, won a two-time All-American hurdler at Appalachian State.
She was 17 individual conference championships and was the Most Outstanding Performer in the 1992 and 1993 indoor and outdoor conference meets.
Whiteside is the all-time leading scorer in Southern Conference women’s basketball. She was a four-time, first-team all-SoCon player and was named the 1988 Player of the Year. Her 25.4 points per game career scoring average is still the highest in league history.
Student-athletes who competed for a minimum of two seasons in the Southern Conference, coaches and administrators who spent at least five years in the league, were eligible for consideration. A pool of 254 candidates from the conference’s current and former member institutions were nominated for the inaugural class.
The pool of former student-athletes, coaches and administrators was cut down to 45 individuals who comprised the final ballot. A voting panel of 20 media members and league administrators made the selection of the inaugural class in January.
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