From Catawba Sports Information

SALISBURY – Catawba College inducted 12 new members into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.