EKU Announces 2022 Athletics Hall of Fame Class

The Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame 2022 induction class featured five distinguished individuals and the 1967 football team. The 2022 induction class included: Alex Jones (women’s basketball, 2009-13), Larry Marmie (football, 1962-66 and 1972-76), Chanze Patterson (softball, 2005-08), Jim Tanara (football, 1979-2005) and Neil Sellers (baseball, 2001-04).

Jones was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection and is EKU’s all-time leading rebounder (1,050). She scored 1,290 points during her four-year career.

Marmie was a four-year starter at quarterback from 1962 to 1965 and team captain in 1965. He then served as an assistant coach at EKU from 1972 to 1976. He spent 28 years coaching college football, including four years as the head coach at Arizona State (1988-91). Marmie also coached in the NFL for 18 years (1996-2015).

Patterson started all four seasons at second base and was a three-time, all-conference selection. She finished her career with a .310 batting average and 70 stolen bases, which ranks second in program history.

Sellers was a Louisville Slugger All-American and a three-time All-OVC pick. He ended his career as EKU’s all-time leader in at bats (793), hits (279) and RBIs (214). After being drafted by the Houston Astros in the 32nd round of the 2004 MLB Draft, Sellers spent eight seasons playing professional baseball. Tanara spent 26 seasons as an assistant football coach, helped the Colonels reach 17 NCAA playoffs and was a part of two national championship teams. He coached five OVC Defensive Players of the Year. Starting in 1999, Tanara served as defensive coordinator in addition to the defensive line coach. The 1967 EKU football team was head coach Roy Kidd’s first OVC championship squad and finished with an 8-1-2 record. The team concluded the season by winning the Grantland Rice Bowl to claim the NCAA Division II Mideast Regional Championship. The Colonels defeated Ball State, 27-13, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on ABC-TV.

Learn more about the Athletics Hall of Fame at go.eku.edu/hall-of-fame.

Pattie Taylor, ‘10, graduate of the 20th KSP Telecommunications Academy, was welcomed to Kentucky State Police as a new telecommunicator.

Chris Flores, ‘11, was announced as a new leader by Fayette County Public Schools as program director at STEAM Academy.

Korey Bruck, ‘12 ‘14, was announced as the new director for Somerset Community College’s University Center of Southern Kentucky.

Dustin Howard, ‘12 , was named as the new superintendent of Clark County Public Schools.

Jillian (Jay) Watts, ‘12, was hired as the first-ever executive director of InterPride.

Katie Wiedmar, ‘12, was recognized as the 2023 PGA of America Merchandiser of the YearPrivate Category, the first PGA National Award winner from EKU.

Tina Belcher, ‘13 ‘17, started as UofL’s first director for the resident experience in August 2022.

Jenni Godbold, ‘14 , APRN, DNP, CNM, was welcomed as a certified nurse-midwife at St. Luke’s in Duluth, MN.

Kathy Tussey, ‘14, has been named the new chief operating officer at Harrison Memorial Hospital.

Marcus Pearson, ‘15 ‘16, joined Carleton College as head strength and conditioning coach.

Aaron Lang, ‘17, and Candace Moberly, ‘13 ‘15, were married on June 11, 2022 in Berea, KY, where the couple plans to reside.

Brian May, ‘17, was named the head women’s golf coach at Indiana University in May 2022.

Tyler Beveridge, ‘18, former cart barn employee and then pro shop assistant at Eagle Creek Golf Club, returns as head golf professional.

Sara Luther, ‘18, was welcomed to Jamestown Community College as instructor of nursing.

Dr. Lindsay Williams, ‘19, was welcomed at East Tennessee State University as assistant professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy.

Zach Akers, ‘20 ‘22, joined the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as the membership development manager.

Cherish Simpson, ‘21, joined the LEX 18 team as a digital content producer in September 2022.

Shelby Taylor, ‘21, was sworn into Louisa Police Department, making her the first female police officer for the City of Louisa.

David, ’07 ’17, and Rebecca Fifer, ’08 Colonels Help Fellow Kentuckians During Eastern Kentucky Flooding

David, ’07 ’17, and Rebecca Fifer, ’08, provided disaster relief to those affected by the devastating Eastern Kentucky flooding last summer.

David, assistant professor in EKU’s Emergency Medical Care/Paramedic program and director of the Center for Wilderness and Outdoor Public Safety, volunteers as a paramedic for the Kentucky State Police’s rescue helicopter, where he performed hoist rescues during the disaster.

No stranger to flood response, David said it was different from other floods he had seen, like Hurricane Harvey, where pockets of the city were badly affected. What struck him the most about seeing the Eastern Kentucky flooding was that entire communities essentially got wiped out.

While David performed helicopter rescues, his wife Rebecca helped coordinate response needs for the flooding. She’s a section chief for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing responses when local and state resources are overwhelmed. Although her team wasn’t deployed to help with the flooding, she volunteered by creating a Situation Report, an overview of the conditions, accomplishments and outstanding needs.

“It was very meaningful to be able to serve my fellow Kentuckians and work alongside them in this response,” Rebecca said. n