EKU Athletics Corridor of Fame
RICHMOND, Ky. –
Japanese Kentucky College inducted 5 distinguished people and a crew of distinction into its Athletics Corridor of Fame on Saturday.
The 2022 induction class included: Alex Jones (ladies’s basketball, 2009-13), Larry Marmie (soccer, 1962-66 & 1972-76), Chanze Patterson (softball, 2005-08), Neil Sellers (baseball, 2001-04), Jim Tanara (soccer, 1979-05) and the 1967 Grantland Rice Bowl champion soccer crew.
The group was acknowledged at halftime of the Colonels’ soccer recreation in opposition to Southern Utah.
For extra details about the EKU Athletics Corridor of Fame, please contact Karl Park, Govt Director of the EKU Athletics Corridor of Fame, at [email protected].
Listed below are the biographies for the 2022 induction class:
Alex Jones (ladies’s basketball, 2009-13)
Jones performed for 4 years for Japanese Kentucky from 2009-2013. She had a really regular profession, enjoying in 115 video games and averaging 29.5 minutes per recreation. She completed her profession with 1,290 factors and 1,050 rebounds, changing into considered one of solely two Colonels in historical past to attain 1,000 factors and seize 1,000 rebounds. She is Japanese Kentucky’s all-time main rebounder, ending her profession in grand type by averaging 10.3 rebounds her senior 12 months. Jones amassed many Ohio Valley Convention recognitions throughout her profession, together with being a member of the 2009-10 all-newcomer crew and second crew all-conference designations her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. She was OVC Freshman of the Week 5 instances, probably the most by anybody participant that season. Jones posted career-highs of 34 factors and 18 rebounds as a freshman in opposition to Morehead State. She set a brand new career-best her senior 12 months when she grabbed 21 boards, ending that season because the OVC’s prime rebounder together with her 10.3 per recreation common. She was an impressive free throw shooter, making greater than 70 % in every of her 4 years, topped in her junior season when she hit 78.8 %. Jones got here to EKU as a prime 5 participant in Kentucky and the state’s greatest low-post participant by Blue Chip Basketball. She was crew MVP of the Kentucky-Ohio All-Star recreation and a two-time first crew all-state alternative.
Larry Marmie (soccer, 1962-66 & 1972-76)
Marmie was a four-year starter at quarterback for the soccer crew from 1962-1965. He began his Japanese Kentucky profession enjoying for head coach Glenn Presnell and being named third crew All-Ohio Valley Convention, setting a brand new faculty file for many yards passing with 172 in opposition to Center Tennessee. The Colonels had been convention co-champs that 12 months with a 4-2 league mark. He was additionally adept speeding the soccer and picked up 242 yards that season on the bottom and scored 4 touchdowns. His sophomore season noticed Marmie attain honorable point out All-OVC recognition as he led the crew in speeding with 428 yards and throwing with 475 yards and three touchdowns. His passing completion proportion picked up his junior season as he hit 54.8 % of his passes whereas enjoying for first-year head coach Roy Kidd. He additionally added one other 334 yards speeding. Marmie served as co-captain his senior 12 months as he threw for 724 yards, finishing 62.5 % of his passes for a brand new faculty single season file. He closed his profession with faculty data for passing proportion, most passes accomplished in a recreation, profession complete offense yards and most yards passing in a recreation and a single season. Marmie started his teaching profession, which spanned 50 years, with a two-year stint as head coach at Berea Excessive Faculty. His 28-year faculty teaching profession included a five-year stint at EKU from 1972-1976. Different teaching profession highlights included serving as head coach at Arizona State College from 1988-1991 and 18 years as an assistant coach within the NFL from 1996-2015.
Chanze Patterson (softball, 2005-08)
Patterson began all 4 seasons from 2005-2008 at second base for the EKU softball crew. She put collectively fairly a profession, highlighted in 2007 with a runner-up end for Ohio Valley Convention Participant of the Yr. She made all-conference groups in three of her 4 years with the Colonels. Patterson was a first-team All-OVC decide as a junior, whereas being chosen second-team all-conference in 2006 and 2008. She had a implausible sophomore season in 2006, making solely 4 errors in 226 probabilities for a .982 fielding proportion. Patterson completed her profession with a .310 batting common and 70 stolen bases, which on the time of induction ranked her second on the all-time Japanese Kentucky record. She was part of 107 victories throughout her 4 seasons, highlighted by a 28-win season and a third-place end within the OVC standings.
Neil Sellers (baseball, 2001-04)
Sellers began for 4 years for the baseball crew from 2001-2004, enjoying each third base and second base throughout his profession. He was an on a regular basis participant, enjoying in each recreation in all however one season, posting batting averages of .275, .346, .407 and .351. On the time of his induction, Sellers was Japanese Kentucky’s all-time chief in doubles with 62 and in RBIs with 214, whereas additionally rating excessive in at bats with 793 and hits with 279. He was a three-time first-team All-Ohio Valley Convention participant and served as crew captain for 2 seasons. Sellers’ prime season was his junior 12 months in 2003 when he batted .407, had 24 doubles, 17 residence runs and 85 RBIs, which nonetheless stands as an EKU file for RBIs in a single season. Coming into his senior season, he was chosen pre-season All-America by a number of shops and completed that 12 months as a 3rd crew All-American. He was additionally the one convention participant chosen for the nation’s Fab 50 by Baseball America earlier than his senior 12 months. Upon commencement, Sellers was chosen within the thirty second spherical of the Main League Baseball draft by the Houston Astros. He performed eight plus seasons {of professional} baseball with the Astros, the Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins organizations. Sellers led Class AA Studying in batting common in 2009, hitting .317 with 17 homers and 86 RBIs. He then performed for the Phillies’ AAA crew, Lehigh Valley, for 2 seasons. He completed his profession with the Marlins’ Double A crew in Jacksonville of the Southern League in 2011. Sellers received many awards in his minor league profession together with the Unsung Hero, the Huge Stick Award and the Most Inspirational Participant Award in Double A.
Jim Tanara (soccer, 1979-05)
Tanara got here to Japanese Kentucky in 1979 to function the Colonels’ defensive down linemen coach after 11 years on Bear Bryant’s Alabama workers working with the Crimson Tide’s defensive entrance. He continued his profession at EKU working with each head coaches Roy Kidd and Danny Hope. Tanara was part of 228 Colonel wins and 17 NCAA playoff appearances, together with two nationwide championship titles. He closed his Japanese Kentucky profession holding the title of defensive coordinator whereas additionally teaching the defensive position from 1999-2005. In 2001 and 2002, his protection ranked atop the Ohio Valley Convention and was ranked among the many prime 10 nationally. He guided 5 Colonels who obtained OVC Defensive Participant of the Yr honors – linebacker Justen Rivers, defensive again Yeremiah Bell, defensive lineman Chad Bratzke, defensive finish David Wilkins and defensive deal with Aaron Jones.
1967 EKU Soccer Group (Group of Distinction)
The 1967 soccer crew started the fantastic Fall soccer custom that we embrace. They shaped a crew that was very versatile – one which had velocity, expertise at each place, toughness when wanted, unmatched choice making and play-calling and an incredible will to win. It was Roy Kidd‘s fourth 12 months and the groundwork had been laid with the three earlier groups highlighted by the 1966 crew that completed 7-3. The ’67 crew completed the 12 months as Ohio Valley Convention champs with a 5-0-2 file. Japanese Kentucky was the OVC consultant to play Ball State within the Grantland Rice Bowl which signified the NCAA champion of Division 2 colleges which encompassed a 10-state space that included greater than 100 colleges. The sport was ABC-TV’s Regional Sport of the Week and it was performed in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Regardless of NCAA guidelines which prohibited the enjoying of freshmen within the recreation which took EKU’s prime tailback out of the sport, Japanese Kentucky was nonetheless capable of defeat the Cardinals 27-13 to safe the trophy on the power of MVP for the sport, quarterback Jim Guice hitting a file 16 of 19 passes and two touchdowns, plus a 60-yard fumble return for a TD by nostril guard Teddy Taylor. With 11 gamers receiving some form of OVC submit season recognition, Japanese Kentucky completed the 12 months 8-1-2 and ranked fifth within the nation.
