(August 4, 2016) KANSAS CITY, MO – Five individuals and two teams will be inducted into the Avila Athletics Hall of Fame during a homecoming ceremony on October 1. The 2016 class is the largest in the 34-year history of the hall of fame that was originally constructed in 1983.
“It will be a great day for Avila University and the athletic department,” said Avila University Director of Athletics Cristina Cowan. “I am extremely proud of all of the accomplishments on and off the field for all of our 2016 inductees, and I am pleased to be involved with such a great group of individuals.”
The newly installed Avila Hall of Fame display will also be unveiled at homecoming, and was a generous gift from Avila friend and neighbor, Tom McCoullough. McCullough was a close friend of hall of fame member Bill Waris and is a former Avila Trustee. An artist’s rendering now covers a Mabee Fieldhouse wall that frames three-touch screen video monitors. The interactive display highlights the expanding athletic history of the university.
2016 Inductees included:
- Jinny Chapman, ’02 Softball
- Mike Klein, ’97 Baseball
- Andrew Diaz, ’99 Baseball
- Charles Otec, ’87 Men’s Soccer
- Ashley Townsend, ’08 Women’s Basketball
- 1975-76 Volleyball Team
- 2004-05 Dance Team
Avila University, a Catholic University sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, is a values-based community of learning providing liberal arts, professional, undergraduate and graduate education to prepare students for responsible, lifelong contributions to the global community. Our approach to education brings out the best in our students, so they can bring out the best in others.