From Catawba sports information

SALISBURY — Nine former Catawba College student-athletes and three honorary members will be inducted with the 2024 Catawba College Sports Hall of Fame, the athletics department announced Tuesday morning.

Inductees include East Rowan graduate Craige Lyerly and his wife, Allie Marshall Lyerly.

The inductees are 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 are Service Award honorary inductees.

“We are thrilled to induct such a distinguished Hall of Fame class this year,” Director of Athletics Michelle Caddigan said. “Their athletic success is outstanding, and they are each fantastic representatives of Catawba College and our athletic department. The honorary inductees are three incredibly special men who I’m happy to see recognized for all they do for Catawba. We’re looking forward to having this group on campus this fall and celebrating their many successes!”

The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9 prior to Catawba’s home football matchup with Lenoir-Rhyne University. The induction ceremony, sponsored by the Catawba College Chiefs Club, will be held at Peeler Crystal Lounge and Hedrick Little Theater from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Later, the inductees will be honored at halftime.

McKenzie (Burman) Zinani  – Women’s Soccer ‘07

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 record 23-goal, 51-point season, earning 2005 SAC Player of the Year and NSCAA First Team All-America 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 and third with 124 career points. 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. Now a happily married mother of four, Zinani found her passion in her carpentry career, currently working with Raleigh Reclaimed.

Brian Graves – Men’s Basketball ‘07

A standout on the floor and on the sidelines as a coach, 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 conference record 600 assists, while ranking third in program history in career steals. 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.

After a four-year professional career, Graves returned to his alma mater, where he served as the associate head coach from 2012-15. He moved on to take the head coaching position at junior college Bryant & Stratton before a series of assistant coach positions at Division I schools Hampton, Longwood, North Carolina Central and Western Carolina. He returned to Hampton in 2024, where he currently serves as the team’s associate head coach.

Antonio Houston – Men’s Basketball ‘10

The leading scorer in the NCAA era of Catawba men’s basketball, Antonio Houston became the first Catawba Indian to reach 2,000 career points in 37 years, ranking third all-time in scoring in South Atlantic Conference history. Houston holds program records in three-point field goals made (266) and games played (125), while ranking second in free throws made (498) and third in field goals made (699).

A 3-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 was a two-time SAC Tournament MVP in ‘08 and ‘09 while leading the Catawba Indians to four straight NCAA Regional appearances. Houston remains a Salisbury resident working with Food Lion.

Craige Lyerly – Baseball ‘10

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 hit streak still standing as the longest in the storied history of Catawba baseball.

Lyerly ranks second in program history in hits and runs only to SAC Hall of Famer David Thomas, while ranking third in RBI, posting a .392 career batting average with 40 home runs. A 4-time All-SAC and two-time All-Region selection, 2009 SAC Player of the Year and unanimous All-American as a senior, Lyerly was drafted in the 19th round of the ‘09 MLB Amateur Draft, playing over 100 games across three seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

Allie (Marshall) Lyerly – Softball ‘10

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 hits, RBI, doubles, home runs and slugging percentage. Now Allie Lyerly, she was a two-time All-Region selection and the 2007 SAC Freshman of the Year.

Still involved in Catawba Athletics to this day, Lyerly currently serves as an Assistant Coach with the Catawba Softball program. In her first season, the team enjoyed a 21-win improvement. Lyerly aided Riley Tucker to an NFCA All-American season and the SAC batting title in 2023. Coincidentally, Tucker tied Coach Lyerly’s program record for career doubles late this past season. Craige and Allie reside in Thomasville with their black lab Camo and enjoy camping, hiking and hunting.

Todd McComb – Football ‘03

A staple in the stout Catawba defenses of the late ’90s and early 2000s, Todd McComb ranks second in program history with 401 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 NCAA Playoff berths.

After graduating from Catawba, McComb joined former head football coach David Bennett at Coastal Carolina, earning his masters as a graduate assistant with the Chanticleers. McComb returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach, working the Catawba sideline for seven seasons. After brief stints at Winston-Salem State and as a defensive analyst for Mack Brown at UNC Chapel Hill, McComb joined the staff at Division I Hampton University as the team’s co-defensive coordinator.

Marty Tuohy – Men’s Lacrosse ‘11

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-America honorable mention honors as a junior in 2010 before adding Academic All-America recognition as a senior in 2011. Able to both score and assist with the stick in his hands, Tuohy is one of three Catawba Indians to rank in the top six in both categories.

Tuohy’s leadership resulted in immense success for the program, as Catawba won three straight Deep South tournament titles starting with Tuohy’s senior year in 2011. Currently, Tuohy serves as the VP of product development at Mutual of America Financial Group in New York City.

Rodney Wallace – Football ‘05

The most accomplished running back in Catawba football’s storied history, Rodney Wallace is the program’s leading rusher by over 1,100 yards with his 3,769 rushing yards the third most in the SAC since the turn of the century. Meanwhile, his 41 rushing touchdowns is 13 more than the next most in Catawba history. 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 ‘01 national semifinalists.

Upon graduation from Catawba, Wallace made a name for himself in the mixed martial arts world, making three appearances on an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) card. To date, “Sho Nuff The Master” has racked up 26 professional MMA victories across nearly a decade in the ring, last competing in 2017.

Ryan Willis – Men’s Cross Country ‘06

Wasting no time to make his mark on the Catawba cross country teams, Ryan Willis burst onto the scene as a freshman, earning 2002 SAC Runner of the Year honors and became just the second Catawba runner to qualify for NCAA Nationals. 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’ 10K program record stood for seven years, while his then-program record 8K time of 24:45 stood for an impressive 15 years. A father of two daughters, Willis now resides in Ventura, Calif., serving as an education facilitator and program manager for the U.S. Navy Fleet and Family Readiness program.

Service Award Inductees

The Catawba College Athletics Hall of Fame honorary inductees are individuals who have displayed extraordinary service to the College’s athletic department through efforts off the playing field.

Dr. Karl Hales – Public Address

A master storyteller and longtime supporter of Catawba College Athletics, Dr. Karl Hales served as the public address announcer for Catawba football games for over 40 seasons, as well as nearly 20 years as the voice of Catawba College basketball. In addition, Dr. Hales served as the emcee for 38 years at the National Sportscaster & 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 before founding Catawba’s communications arts department.

Dr. Hales is a Swink Award winner for Outstanding Classroom Teaching, a Paul Fisher Service Award winner, a member of Catawba’s Blue Masque Hall of Fame and in 2018, was received into the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine. 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.

Bill Hall ‘66 & Bob Setzer ‘73 – Athletics Development

Bill Hall and Bob Setzer both returned to their alma mater to work in a special events role as members of the Office of Development. 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 Athletics Department.

The Catawba Football Golf Classic has grown exponentially over the years under Hall and Setzer’s leadership. The 2024 Catawba Golf Classic saw a record 63 teams play and a record $150,000 raised to support the Catawba football program. The First Pitch Dinner has helped fundraise for the Catawba baseball team, with an all-time high of $115,000 raised in 2024. Hall and Setzer regularly serve as members of the Catawba College Chiefs Club, both serving as president three times.