BRISTOL, Tenn. – The King University athletic department has announced the three individuals and two teams that have been selected to comprise the King Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Hannah Witt '13 from women's cross country and track and field, Cory Rhodes '13 from baseball, Frank Morgan '12 from men's wrestling, the 2008 men's soccer team and the 2014 women's wrestling team. The induction ceremony will take place October 5 during King Fest.
Hannah Witt '13 was a two-time Academic All-American, and finished 50h at the 2013 NCAA Southeast Regional meet. She still holds four of the fastest 5K times in program history, and won the 2013 NCAA Southeast Regional meet by over 25 seconds. She was the 2012 Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year and helped King to the Conference Carolinas championship in 2013.
Cory Rhodes '13 dominated opposing teams during his time at King, still holding the school record for lowest career ERA (3.62) and shutouts (four), while being second in career opponent batting average and wins, among other categories. He was a three-time All-Conference Carolinas honoree, and is responsible for one of only two no-hitters in the NCAA era, with his coming Feb. 8, 2013 against North Georgia. During his final season in 2014, he led the conference in strikeouts, and was eighth in opponent batting average and wins.
Frank Morgan '12, who currently is the Director of Esports for the Tornado, was a prolific wrestler during his time as a student. He is the program all-time leader in wins, and ranks in the top-five in many statistical categories. He was an NCAA All-American in 2012, becoming the first two-time all-american in program history. He remains one of just four King wrestlers to finish first at the NCAA Super Region II tournament.
The 2008 men's soccer team won their second consecutive Appalachian Athletic Conference championship in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. The team finished with a 13-6-2 record, winning the AAC championship with a 2-0 win at Covenant. King would end up with seven representatives on the All-Appalachian Athletic Conference team, including Bennett Giles, who was named third team NAIA All-American as a defender.
The 2014 women's wrestling team was part of what turned out to be a dynasty that continues to this day. The 2014 Tornado won the NWCA National Duals and WCWA National Championships, both of which started a streak of four straight championships. The team had four individual national champions in Haley Augello, Sarah Hildebrandt, Julia Salata and Alli Ragan, along with a total of 14 all-americans. Heading into the final round, the team trailed perennial power Oklahoma City University by 13 points, but Augello, Hildebrandt, and Ragan claimed national championships in their matches to bring King to within striking distance. Salata would defeat an OKC wrestler 5-1 to claim the individual national title and clinch the national championship for the Tornado by a score of 229-227.
