The 18th annual Drury University Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in the Findlay Student Center on Saturday, November 24 and include an array of former DU basketball, baseball and swimming stars and a valuable contributor to the athletics cause.
This year's class includes Lyle Reed, a 1970 graduate of Drury and longtime member of the Drury Board of Trustees. Reed will be inducted in the category of Lifetime Achievement. The five other members of this year's hall-of-fame class are student-athlete standouts from the sports of men's and women's swimming/diving; men's and women's basketball; and, baseball. Swimmers Mike Wagnon (Class of 1980) and Brandi Kossub (Class of 1996); basketball standouts Brandon Kimbrough (Class of 2007) and Molly (Carter) Miller (Class of 2008); and, Panther baseball player, Justin Skinner (Class of 2008) complete this year's class of inductees.
The 2012 Drury University Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held in the Ballroom of the Findlay Student Center on Saturday, November 24. The event will begin with a reception at 11 am., followed immediately by a luncheon and the induction ceremony. The cost of the reception, brunch and induction ceremony is $20 per person. Those attending the induction ceremony will also be able to attend that day's Panther and Lady Panther basketball games at no extra charge.
Both the Panthers and Lady Panthers will host doubleheaders that afternoon/evening with the first game of the day set to tipoff in the O'Reilly Family Event Center at 1 pm. The Panthers host Arkansas Tech at 3:15 pm. and the Lady Panthers will play Union College (Tenn.) at 5:30 pm. The Hall of Fame Class of 2012 will be introduced at halftime of the men's game.
For reservations or more information call Dan Cashel at Drury University: (417) 873-7222. Reservations can also be made by contacting him via email: dcashel@drury.edu
The Class of 2012:
Lyle Reed received his undergraduate degree in economics and MBA from Drury and completed the executive management program at Columbia University in New York. He has served on the Drury Board of Trustees since 1996. As a student, as an alum and as a member of the Drury Board of Trustees, Reed has been a staunch supporter of the Drury athletic program and what has become its trademark: “excellence in athletics and academics.” Committed to that standard, his vision, direction and support of the Panther athletic program for more than 40 years has helped keep Drury one of the most respected athletic programs in the nation, regardless of its national affiliation. Lyle and his wife, Nell, have resided in Texas since 1996 along with their three adult children--Kim, Christy and James.
Interestingly, two members of this year's induction class are now members of the coaching staff for the teams for which, only a few years ago, they were playing. Both Springfield natives, Molly Carter and Brandon Kimbrough are now on the coaching staff for the Lady Panther and Panther basketball teams, respectively. Recently married to Derek Miller, Molly (Carter) Miller earned her undergraduate degree in management/marketing after seven semesters and immediately began work on her MBA. As a Lady Panther Molly earned virtually every honor possible and is found throughout the Lady Panther record books. She earned All-American, All-Region and All-Conference honors and in the spring of 2008 she was named the 2008 Paragon Award Recipient as the GLVC's Ouststanding Female Student-Athlete. She led the Lady Panthers to a four year record of 112-18 (2004-2008) and four NCAA-II National Tournaments, including the 2007 Elite Eight team. She graduated with 1,570 career points, 439 assists and 407 steals...all good for the #2 spot on the Lady Panther all-time list. Molly is now in her first year as an assistant coach for the Lady Panthers.
Brandon Kimbrough was also a player who was, simply put, a “winner.” Brandon led the Panthers to back-to-back NCAA-II National Tournaments in 2006 and 2007. He was named all-conference in each of his three-years at Drury. He was his team's leader in assists all three years and led the Panthers to a three-year record of 63-25. Kimbrough is ranked seventh on the Drury all-time assist list and scored 1,052 points in his three years (#35th on the Drury all-time scoring list). His last second “game-winning” baskets became a regular occurence during his career and his importance to his team's success is evident as he started 87 of a possible 88 games in his three years. Brandon played professionally for three years in Europe before returning last year as a graduate assistant coach for the Panthers. Brandon will complete his studies for his master's degree this academic year.
Justin Skinner, the first baseball player to be inducted into the Drury Sports Hall of Fame, was in so many ways, the “heart and soul” of the 2007 Panther baseball team. Skinner played pivotal roles that year as an infielder, pitcher and hitter. Skinner and his teammates claimed the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference) title in that inaugural season and qualified for the NCAA-II Regional Tournament. A GLVC Third Team All-Conference pick, Skinner graduated on December 8, 2008 (Major: Design Arts) and is still ranked #10 on the all-time records with a .317 batting average; third in saves in a single season; and in the top five in fielding assists in a season and career. Skinner and his wife, Kendra, reside in Springfield where he is a graphic design and marketing specialist.
Rounding out this year's class of inductees are swimming greats Mike Wagnon and Brandi Kossub. Both California natives were two of Drury's best in the tradition-rich swimming and diving program. Wagnon, who graduated from Drury on May 25, 1980 (Major: Physcial Education), shared the honor with Jim Yount as being the first individual event national champion in the program's history. That took place at the 1979 NAIA National Swimming and Diving Championships and at that year's national swimming championships Wagnon won both the 100 yard backstroke and 200 yard IM events. The Santa Cruz native was also part of the program's first national championship relay teams in 1978 and 1979. Wagnon now resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia where he is a partner in a real estate information company which is licensed to do business in 32 states. He has three children: Kyle (19), Hunter (18) and Ryder (13).
Brandi Kossub led her Drury teams to back-to-back third place finishes at the NCAA-II Swimming/Diving Championships (1995 & 1996). Now Brandi Pietsch after her marriage to former Drury swimming standout, Jesper Pietsch, the Anaheim, Calif. native, was the NCAA-II national champion in 1995 in the 200 backstroke and graduated from Drury as the program's record holder in both the 100 and 200 backstroke. She was a three-time NCAA-II National Champion and seven-time NCAA-II All-American. She also served as the program's graduate assistant after her graduation on August 17, 1996 (Major: Biology). Brandi, Jesper and their two daughters, now live in Örebro, Sweden where Brandi is now a Communications Professional for Atlas Copco.
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18th Annual Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Findlay Student Center Saturday, November 24, 2012
Reception: 11:00 AM.
Luncheon & Induction Ceremony To Follow
Cost: $20 per person
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