Greensboro College announced its 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame class on Tuesday, consisting of six individuals and one team. The 2012 class includes David Horne (’00, golf), Eric Naglee (’03, football), Tara Thompson (’92, basketball), Jason Tuggle (‘02-’09, women’s basketball coach), Katie Smith (’06, volleyball), Paul Williams (’99, cross country) and the 1996-97 women’s basketball team. The 2012 Greensboro College Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 31, 2012.
Horne was a member of the 2000 National Champion men’s golf team. During his time at Greensboro, Horne earned Second Team All-American honors as a senior and was a two-time All-South Region selection. In addition, he was also recognized three times on the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (DIAC) All-Conference Team.
Horne’s outstanding performance was not limited to the golf course, however, as he was honored twice on the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Academic All-American Team.
Thompson’s impact came on the basketball court, where she was a four-time All-DIAC Conference honoree, including three First Team selections. In 1990-91, Thompson made the DIAC All-Tournament Team and was named the DIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Thompson’s name is written all over the Greensboro College women’s basketball record books. She is the school leader for most rebounds in a single season with 324 as well as holding the distinction of being the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,492 points. Thompson also ranks in the career top five in free throws made (2nd with 298), rebounding (2nd with 1,030), blocked shots (5th with 48) and steals (5th with 193).
Tuggle is the lone coach to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. He was the head coach at Greensboro for seven seasons from 2002-09, compiling an overall record of 138-58. Tuggle guided The Pride to four USA South regular season titles and three USA South tournament titles. Under his direction, Greensboro made the NCAA Tournament four times, advancing beyond the first round in three of those years.
His best season with The Pride came in 2008-09 when the team posted an unblemished 18-0 record in USA South action. Tuggle was recognized five times as the USA South Coach of the Year.
Naglee becomes the second football player in school history to be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a four-year starter for The Pride, serving as both the kicker and punter. For his career, he booted 19 field goals highlighted by a career long of 50 yards as a junior. During his sophomore campaign, he knocked home 81.8% of his field goal attempts.
As a punter, Naglee averaged 39.0 yards a kick. He set a standing school record with a 72-yard blast as a senior. Other single game records include most field goals in a game (4) and most points by a kicker (13). Naglee is also in the top three in nearly every career and season statistical kicking category in school history. Among the career records he holds includes, field goals made in a career (19), punt attempts (216) and punt yardage (8.424). Naglee still has season records for punt attempts (68), field goals made (9), field goals attempted (15) and punt yardage (2,814).
Smith played four years for The Pride volleyball team and helped lead them to regular season championships in 2004 and 2005. In addition to the success of the team, Smith was repeatedly honored as an individual, both in the conference and nationally.
On the national level, she was twice named an AVCA All-American and once the National Player of the Week. She was also a two-time member of the All-South Region team. At the conference level, she was the 2002 DIAC Rookie of the Year, 2004 and 2005 USAS Player of the Year, four-time 1st team All-Conference, three-time Conference All-Tournament, three-time GC MVP, and won the GC Newcomer Award.
Smith was also repeatedly honored at tournaments and was named to the All-Tournament team at seven different tournaments. She was twice named to the All-Tournament team at the Averett College Invitational and selected four times to the All-Tournament team at the Greensboro Invitational. She was also the Greensboro Invitational’s MVP three times. She excelled in the classroom as well and was twice honored with the Fred Joseph Award (2004, 2005), was named to the USAS All-Academic team, and was on the GC AD Honor Roll.
During her career, Smith re-wrote numerous records for The Pride in the attacking and blocking categories. She currently holds records for: kills in a three game match (23); career kills (1831); season attack percentage (.473); career attack percentage (.363); matches with double figure kills in a season (34) and career (107); block assists in three, four, and five game matches (11-7-10); season block assists (127); career block assists (446); total blocks in a five game match (11); career total blocks (589); and total blocks per game for a season (1.35) and career (1.25). She also is one of six players in school history to tally 30+ kills in a game, recording 33 against Illinois College. That game was also one of only five triple-doubles recorded in GC history.
Williams competed on the cross country team from 1995to 1998 and was named a DIAC All-Conference runner each of his four years. He was a member of the First Team from 1995-1997 and second team in 1998. Greensboro also honored him as their MVP each of his four years and he was team captain his junior and senior year. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Williams’ stature as a runner helped to establish cross country at Greensboro College. His prowess and dedication to the sport in the early years of the sport here at Greensboro helped to pave the way for future generations.
Academically, Williams was named to the Dean’s List in spring of 1999.Williams was very involved in on-campus activities. He was a Precis Leader and an Orientation Leader from 1996-1998. He was the Head Orientation Leader in 1997 and 1998. He was also on the campus activities board and a member of the Greensboro College Choral Singers.
The 1996-1997 women’s basketball team became the first women’s basketball team at Greensboro to earn an NCAA berth and only the second to win the DIAC tournament. They finished their season with a 19-9 overall record, 8-4 in DIAC play. It was the first winning season that Greensboro had posted since the 1991-1992 season when they finished 17-10, 7-3, just one year removed from their first DIAC Tournament Championship. The team was coached by Steve Johnson.
Greensboro outscored their opponents 1726-1603 that season, averaging 63.9 points per game. Statistically, the team was led by Deborah Meisenbach in points (385), Tina Lineberry in steals and rebounds (67-286), and Shannon Curtis in blocks (10).
Please check back for more information and details regarding the 2012 induction ceremony.