Catawba College Inducts 12 New Members Into Sports Hall of Fame
SALISBURY, N.C. – Catawba College inducted 12 new members into the school's Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Saturday, November 9, in Keppel Auditorium.
The 2024 inductees were McKenzie Burman Zinani '07 (women's soccer), Brian Graves '07 and Antonio Houston '10 (men's basketball), Craige Lyerly '10 (baseball), Allie Marshall Lyerly '10 (softball), Todd McComb '03 and Rodney Wallace '05 (football), Marty Tuohy '11 (men's lacrosse) and Ryan Willis '06 (men's cross country). Dr. Karl Hales, Bill Hall '66 and Bob Setzer '73 were Service Award honorary inductees.
There are now 224 members in the Catawba Sports Hall of Fame, dating back to the inaugural ceremony in 1977. Voting is conducted by members of the Catawba Sports Hall of Fame committee.
Special thanks to local advertising agency Dreamency and Brad Foster for providing us with photography services. Photography by Jason Shinn.
Photo Gallery: 2024 Catawba Sports Hall of Fame
Fans can rewatch the 2024 Catawba Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/oTlhpNsyiRo?si=Tx3gmOVOUpgmnAh5
To check out the Catawba College Sports Hall of Fame and previous inductees, visit: https://www.catawba.edu/hof
Check out the 2024 Catawba Sports Hall of Fame program:
https://www.catawbaathletics.com/general/2024-25/files/CatawbaSportsHOFProgram2024.pdf
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2024 Catawba Sports Hall of Fame Bios
McKenzie Burman Zinani '07 – Women's Soccer
One of the most prolific offensive players in Catawba women's soccer history, McKenzie Burman burst onto the scene as a sophomore, tying Catawba legend Catey Conner's single-season program record with 17 goals scored. She only topped it from there in her junior year, exploding for a Catawba record 23-goal, 51-point season, earning 2005 SAC Player of the Year and NSCAA First Team All-American honors. That season, Burman led Catawba to an undefeated mark in conference play and a road victory over top-seed Tusculum in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Burman ranks second in program history with 53 career goals, third with 124 career points and ninth all-time with 18 career assists. She was a three-time First Team All-SAC selection, earned two All-Region honors and helped lead the Catawba Indians to the 2005 SAC regular season title.
- Women's Soccer, 2003-06
- 2005 NSCAA First Team All-American
- Ranks 3rd in school history with 124 career points
- Ranks 9th all-time with 18 career assists
- Set the Catawba single-season program record with 23 goals and 51 points as a junior in 2005, earning SAC Player of the Year and NSCAA First Team All-American honors
- Tied the previous Catawba single-season program record with 17 goals as a sophomore in 2004. That total now ranks tied for third on the single-season list
- Ranks 1st in goals per game average in a single season, scoring 1.10 goals per game in 2005
- Ranks 1st in points per game average in a single season (2.43 - 2005)
- Ranks 2nd in career goals per game average (0.65)
- Ranks 5th in career points per game average (1.51)
- Her 41 points in 2004 rank as the third-highest single-season total in team history
- Led the team in goals scored and points in three out of four seasons
- Led the Catawba Indians to the 2005 SAC regular season title
- Helped lead Catawba to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament in 2004 and 2005
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Brian Graves '07 – Men's Basketball
A standout on the floor, Brian Graves was a three-time all-conference selection for the Catawba Indians, earning First Team recognition in his junior and senior seasons. Graves recorded three seasons with at least 150 assists, racking up a SAC conference record 600 assists, while ranking third in program history in career steals. Graves also ranks 24th in program history with 1,387 career points. Graves led Catawba to at least 22 wins in each of his final three seasons, capturing three SAC titles, including being named to the 2004 All-SAC Tournament team when upset-minded seventh-seed Catawba won the tournament title. Graves helped lead Catawba to the NCAA Division II Tournament in three out of four seasons.
- Men's Basketball, 2003-07
- Three-time All-SAC selection (2005, 2006, 2007), First Team pick in 2006 and 2007
- Second Team All-Region pick in 2007
- 2004 All-SAC Tournament Team
- Ranks 1st in South Atlantic Conference history with 600 career assists
- Ranks 2nd all-time in the SAC with a 4.92 assists per game average for a career and a 6.55 assists per game average for a single season
- His 203 assists in 2006-07 rank as the second-highest single-season total in SAC history
- Ranks 3rd in school history with 600 career assists
- Holds three of the top 10 single-season assists totals in school history: 2nd - 203 (2006-07), 8th - 153 (2005-06) and 9th - 151 (2004-05)
- Shares the single-game school record with 15 assists, which is the second-highest single-game total in SAC history
- Ranks 3rd all-time in school history with 179 career steals
- Ranks 24th in program history with 1,387 career points
- Ranks 11th all-time in career three-point field goals made (144) and 11th all-time in three-point field goals attempted (426)
- Ranks 12th all-time in career field goals attempted (1,169)
- Won three SAC titles, including one SAC Tournament title (2004) and two regular season conference championships (2004-05 and 2006-07)
- Helped lead Catawba to the NCAA Division II Tournament in three out of four seasons (2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07)
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Antonio Houston '10 – Men's Basketball
The second-leading scorer in the history of Catawba men's basketball, Antonio Houston scored 2,156 career points during his time in Salisbury. Houston ranks third all-time in scoring in South Atlantic Conference history. Houston holds program records in three-point field goals made and games played, while ranking second in free throws made and third in field goals made.
A three-time All-SAC First Team selection and the 2007 SAC Freshman of the Year, Houston holds the distinction of earning a spot on the All-SAC Tournament team in each of his four seasons. Houston won four SAC championships, including two SAC Tournament titles and two regular season conference championships. Houston was a two-time SAC Tournament MVP in 2008 and 2009 while leading the Catawba Indians to four straight NCAA Regional appearances.
- Men's Basketball, 2006-10
- Three-time First Team All-SAC selection (2008, 2009, 2010)
- Second Team All-Region pick in 2009
- Two-time SAC Tournament MVP (2008, 2009)
- Four-time All-SAC Tournament Team selection (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- 2007 SAC Freshman of the Year and SAC All-Freshman Team
- Ranks 2nd all-time in scoring in Catawba history with 2,156 career points
- Ranks 3rd all-time in scoring in South Atlantic Conference history, 2nd in field goals attempted, 3rd in free throws made and attempted and 5th in three-point field goals made and attempted
- Holds career program records in three-point field goals made (266), three-point field goals attempted (692) and games played (125)
- Ranks 2nd in career free throws made (498), 2nd in free throws attempted (660) and 16th in free throw percentage (.755%)
- Ranks 2nd in field goals attempted (1,671) and 3rd in field goals made (699)
- Ranks 8th in single-season scoring with 581 points scored during the 2008-09 campaign
- Ranks 9th in career steals (154)
- Won four SAC championships, including two SAC Tournament titles (2008 and 2009) and two regular season conference championships (2006-07 and 2009-10)
- Helped lead Catawba to the NCAA Division II Tournament all four seasons
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Craige Lyerly '10 – Baseball
One of the most prolific hitters in a long list of standouts in Catawba College baseball history, Craige Lyerly continues to hold the NCAA Division II record for consecutive games reaching base safely, with 88 straight contests across the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Lyerly holds program records for career triples and career stolen bases with his 39-game hitting streak still standing as the longest in the storied history of Catawba baseball.
Lyerly ranks second in program history in career hits and runs, while ranking third in RBI, fourth in career batting average, fifth in at-bats and seventh in career home runs. Lyerly was a four-time All-SAC and two-time All-Region selection, 2009 SAC Player of the Year and unanimous All-American as a senior.
- Baseball, 2007-10
- 2009 CoSIDA Second Team All-American
- 2009 ABCA and NCBWA Third Team All-American
- Two-time First Team All-Region selection (2009, 2010)
- 2009 SAC Player of the Year
- Four-time All-SAC selection (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010), First Team pick in 2009 and 2010
- 2010 SAC Gold Glove winner at third base
- Holds the NCAA Division II record for consecutive games reaching base safely with 88 straight contests across the 2009 and 2010 seasons
- His 39-game hitting streak stands as the longest in the storied history of Catawba baseball
- Holds the program record for career triples (17) and shares the school record for triples in a season (seven) and game (two)
- Holds the school record for career stolen bases (96) and shares the school record with five stolen bases in a single game. Stole 27 bases in 2008, 2009 and 2010, which ranks as the fourth-most stolen bases in a single season
- Ranks 2nd in program history in career hits (336) and runs scored (229)
- Ranks 3rd in career RBI (206)
- Ranks 4th all-time in career batting average (.392)
- Ranks 7th all-time in career home runs (40)
- Ranks 5th in career at-bats (857), 17th in career doubles (47) and 17th in career walks (91)
- Collected 106 hits in 2009, the second-highest total in a single season, and 98 hits in 2008, the seventh-most in a single season
- His .444 batting average in 2009 is tied for the sixth-highest all-time in a single season in school history
- His 70 RBI in 2008 are the sixth-most in a single season
- Shares the school record for most runs scored in a single game (six)
- Ranks tied for 8th in games played (216)
- Ranks 11th in career on-base percentage (.458) and 12th in career slugging percentage (.627)
- Two-time SAC Tournament champion (2009, 2010) and one regular season SAC championship (2008)
- Helped lead Catawba to three NCAA Regional appearances (2008, 2009, 2010)
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Allie Marshall Lyerly '10 – Softball
Arguably the most accomplished hitter in Catawba softball history, Allie Marshall's name is littered all over the Catawba softball record book, as she remains the program leader in career home runs and home runs in a season, career hits and hits in a season, and RBI in a career, season and game. She also ranks first all-time in career doubles, first in slugging percentage, second in on-base percentage, third in runs scored and fourth in career batting average. She was a two-time All-Region and two-time All-SAC selection and the 2007 SAC Freshman of the Year. Lyerly helped lead Catawba to 41 wins in 2007, the highest win total in program history under fellow Hall of Fame member Nan Whitley.
- Softball, 2007-10
- Two-time All-Region selection (2007, 2009)
- Two-time All-SAC selection (2007, 2010), First Team honors in 2007
- 2007 SAC Freshman of the Year
- Holds the school record for career home runs (43) and home runs in a season (15)
- Holds the school record for career hits (237) and hits in a season (74)
- Holds the school record for RBI in a career (202), season (70) and game (seven)
- Holds three of the top 10 single-season home run totals in school history: 1st - 15 (2007), 5th - 12 (2010) and 10th - 10 (2009)
- Ranks tied for 1st all-time in career doubles (52)
- Ranks 1st all-time in career slugging percentage (.672) and 2nd in career on-base percentage (.450)
- Ranks 3rd all-time in runs scored (129)
- Ranks 4th all-time in career batting average (.376)
- Ranks 2nd all-time in career at-bats (631), 2nd in career walks (89), 2nd in games played (208) and 2nd in career hits per game average (1.14)
- Ninth-highest batting average in a season (.403 - 2010)
- Helped lead Catawba to 41 wins in 2007, the highest win total in program history
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Todd McComb '03 – Football
A staple in the stout Catawba defenses of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Todd McComb ranks second in program history and ninth in SAC history with 401 career tackles. A unanimous All-American as a junior and senior, McComb was an All-Region selection in each of his four seasons as well as a three-time member of the Academic All-District team. The defense led by McComb helped Catawba to three straight 11-win seasons, two SAC titles and four trips to the NCAA Playoffs.
- Football, 1999-2002
- 2002 AP, AFCA and d2football.com First Team All-American
- 2001 AP and d2football.com Second Team All-American
- 2001 Don Hansen Football Gazette Third Team All-American
- 2002 Don Hansen Football Gazette Honorable Mention All-American
- Four-time First Team All-Region selection (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- Two-time All-SAC selection (2001, 2002), First Team pick in 2002
- Three-time member of the Academic All-District Team (2000, 2001, 2002)
- Ranks 2nd in program history with 401 total tackles
- Ranks 3rd all-time with 194 solo tackles
- Ranks 9th in SAC history with 401 total tackles
- Helped lead Catawba to the NCAA Division II Playoffs all four seasons
- 2000 and 2001 teams won back-to-back SAC Championships
- Played on Catawba teams that had three straight 11-win seasons (1999, 2000, 2001)
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Marty Tuohy '11 – Men's Lacrosse
Among the leaders of a successful boom for the Catawba men's lacrosse program in the early 2010s, Marty Tuohy excelled both on the field and in the classroom, earning USILA All-American honorable mention honors as a junior in 2010 before adding Academic All-American recognition as a senior in 2011. Able to both score and assist, Tuohy is one of only three Catawba Indians to rank in the top six in both categories. Tuohy ranks 6th in school history in career goals, 5th in career assists and 5th in career points. Catawba won the 2011 Deep South Conference Tournament title during his senior season.
- Men's Lacrosse, 2008-11
- 2010 USILA All-American Honorable Mention honors
- 2011 USILA Academic All-American
- Three-time Deep South All-Conference selection (2009, 2010, 2011), First Team pick in 2009 and 2010
- Named to the Deep South Conference All-Tournament Team in 2010
- Ranks 6th in school history in career goals (111)
- Ranks 5th in school history in career assists (66) and career points (177)
- One of only three Catawba Indians to rank in the top six in both goals and assists
- Ranks 10th in career goals per game average (1.82)
- Ranks 9th in career assists per game average (1.08)
- Ranks 8th in career points per game average (2.90)
- His 25 assists in 2010 are the eighth-most in school history in a single season
- His 60 points in 2010 are tied for the fifth-most in school history in a single season
- Led the Catawba Indians to a 12-4 record during his senior campaign and a 4-2 record in the Deep South en route to the 2011 Deep South Conference Tournament Championship
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Rodney Wallace '05 – Football
The most accomplished running back in Catawba football's storied history, Rodney Wallace is the program's all-time leading rusher with 3,769 career rushing yards. Wallace also holds the school record with 41 career rushing touchdowns and 769 rushing attempts. He ranks 13th in SAC history in career rushing yards, tied for 11th in rushing touchdowns and 8th in rushing attempts. The 2001 SAC Freshman of the Year and three-time all-conference back helped lead the Catawba Indians to two SAC titles, three NCAA Playoff appearances and was the leading rusher as a freshman for the 2001 national semifinalists.
- Football, 2001-04
- Two-time All-Region selection (2002, 2003)
- Three-time All-SAC selection (2002, 2003, 2004), First Team pick in 2002 and 2003
- 2001 SAC Freshman of the Year
- Program's all-time leading rusher with 3,769 career rushing yards
- Ranks 13th in SAC history with 3,769 career rushing yards, tied for 11th in rushing touchdowns (41) and eighth in rushing attempts (769)
- Holds the school record with 41 career rushing touchdowns
- Rushed for 1,020 yards in 2002, the third-highest total in a single season
- His 227 rushing yards vs. Lenoir-Rhyne in 2002 are the third-most in a single game in school history
- Rushed for 176 yards in one half vs. Lenoir-Rhyne in 2002, the second-most rushing yards in a half in school history
- Holds the school record for most rushing attempts (769)
- Ranks 2nd in career points scored (270)
- Had 12 career games with over 100 yards rushing, the most in school history
- Averaged 81.94 rushing yards per game over his career, the highest in team history
- Carried the ball 202 times in 2002, the second-most rushing attempts in a single season
- Helped lead the Catawba Indians to two SAC Championships (2001, 2003)
- Catawba made the NCAA Division II Playoffs in three of his four seasons (2001, 2002, 2004)
- Leading rusher as a freshman for the 2001 national semifinalists
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Ryan Willis '06 – Men's Cross Country
Wasting no time to make his mark on the Catawba cross country team, Ryan Willis burst onto the scene as a freshman, earning 2002 SAC Runner and Freshman of the Year honors and became just the second Catawba runner to qualify for NCAA Nationals. That freshman season, he led the men's cross country team to a second-place finish in the 2002 SAC Championship and a third-place finish in the 2002 NCAA Regional Championship. He proved it was no fluke in his sophomore and junior seasons, following up with two more seasons of First Team All-Conference and All-Region recognition and two more trips to the NCAA National Championships. If not for health concerns during his senior season, Willis likely would have repeated those accolades in his fourth and final season. Willis won five races during his career, including the 2002 SAC Championship.
Willis' 10K program record stood for seven years, while his then-program record 8K time of 24:45 stood for an impressive 15 years.
- Men's Cross Country, 2002-05
- 2002 SAC Runner of the Year and SAC Freshman of the Year
- Three-time qualifier for NCAA Nationals (2002, 2003, 2004)
- Three-time All-Region selection (2002, 2003, 2004)
- Three-time First Team All-SAC selection (2002, 2003, 2004)
- Became just the second Catawba runner to qualify for NCAA Nationals
- Willis' 10K program record stood for seven years, while his then-program record 8K time of 24:45 stood for an impressive 15 years
- The 8K time of 24:45 now ranks as the 18th fastest time in school history
- Won five races during his career, including the 2002 SAC Championship
- Led the men's cross country team to a second-place finish in the 2002 SAC Championship and a third-place finish in the 2002 NCAA Regional Championship
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Dr. Karl Hales
A master storyteller and longtime supporter of Catawba College Athletics, Dr. Karl Hales served as the public address announcer for Catawba Football games for 42 seasons, as well as nearly 14 years as the voice of Catawba College Basketball. In addition, he was the Faculty Athletic Representative for 14 years. Dr. Hales served as the emcee/program director for 38 years at the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association's annual awards banquet. A 1962 graduate of Drury University, Dr. Hales continued his education with a master's degree from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. from Florida State University in rhetoric and public address. He founded Catawba's communications arts department shortly after arriving at Catawba.
Dr. Hales is a Swink Award winner for Outstanding Classroom Teaching and a Paul Fisher Service Award winner. He was the college marshal for 14 years where he initiated the Marshal's Walk. He was inducted into Catawba's Blue Masque Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2018, Dr. Hales was received into the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine, considered to be the state of North Carolina's highest honorary society. He remains active at Catawba athletic events to this day, as his grandchildren, Cole and Kary Hales, are standout baseball and dual softball and women's volleyball student-athletes, respectively. Dr. Hales and his wife, Lynn, have five children and 10 grandchildren.
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Bill Hall '66
Bill Hall, a 1966 Catawba College graduate, returned to his alma mater to work in a special events role as a member of the Office of Development. In his role, Hall has teamed up with fellow Catawba Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Bob Setzer, to significantly impact fundraising for Catawba College Athletics.
Hall and Setzer have been at the forefront of Athletics fundraising, specifically leading the charge for annual events, including the Catawba Football Golf Classic, the Catawba Baseball First Pitch Dinner, Class Act, Homecoming and Tailgate America. In all, Hall and Setzer have helped raise millions of dollars that continue to have a meaningful impact on the Catawba College Athletics Department.
Hall, a 1962 West Rowan High School graduate, earned his Master of Arts in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1967. Hall then returned to Catawba in 1967 as an admissions counselor. Hall later served his alma mater as the Director of Student Activities, the Dean of Students and the Dean of Admissions. He left Catawba in 1983 and enjoyed a 28-year career as a yearbook publisher at Jostens. While at Jostens, Hall developed the third largest territory in the country right here in Salisbury behind Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. Hall has also served on the Chiefs Club Board of Directors for many years and has served as President three times. Bill and his wife, Rosemary, have three children, Jay, Nick and Paula, and six grandchildren.
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Bob Setzer '73
Bob Setzer, a 1973 Catawba College graduate, returned to his alma mater to work in a special events role as a member of the Office of Development. In his role, Setzer has teamed up with fellow Catawba Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Bill Hall, to significantly impact fundraising for Catawba College Athletics.
Setzer and Hall have been at the forefront of Athletics fundraising, specifically leading the charge for annual events, including the Catawba Football Golf Classic, the Catawba Baseball First Pitch Dinner, Class Act, Homecoming and Tailgate America. In all, Setzer and Hall have helped raise millions of dollars that continue to have a meaningful impact on the Catawba College Athletics Department.
Setzer, a 1969 graduate of John Handley High School in Winchester, Va., graduated from Catawba in 1973 with a degree in Business Administration and Economics. Immediately after graduation, Setzer began a 45-year career in banking in Salisbury. He retired in 2018 from F&M Bank as Vice President Senior Mortgage Lending Officer. Setzer has also served on the Chiefs Club Board of Directors for many years and has served as President three times. He is married to Pamela Gilkerson Setzer, Catawba Class of 1974. The Setzers have two daughters, Katie and Addie Laurie, and five grandchildren.