Belmont University Athletics hosted a dinner Saturday to honor the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.
Steve Layman of News Channel 5 and the voice of Belmont Athletics kicked off the evening by welcoming the inductees and guests.
The 2024 Chaney Award was presented to Randy and Rhonda Toney for their impact and support for Belmont sports.
“Whether it’s occupying their courtside seats, traveling with the Bruins or their financial generosity, the Toneys play an integral role for Belmont Athletics,” said men’s basketball head coach Casey Alexander.
Former University President Bob Fisher was inducted first and was presented by David Fish, a Belmont alumni and previous Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Sales.
“Dr. Fisher’s philosophy was simple yet profound, the students are the priority and to continually strive for excellence,” Fish said, “This was evident in everything he did, whether it was taking trips with our teams to NCAA tournaments or celebrating the achievements of our student athletes, Dr. Fisher always placed the highest importance on their experience.”
Fisher accepted the honor with a speech of reflection of the 1,575 Belmont sporting events he attended and gratitude for the people he met and worked with while he was president.
“We built these facilities with support of names like Thrailkill and Curb and Beaman and Maddox and Crockett and many more, but we built it on the people and many of you people are in this room today that have been a part of that spectacular athletic team,” said Fisher, “You have accepted this inheritance with the same gratitude. Now that treasure is in very capable hands that continue to make the words of those great poets Bachman-Turner Overdrive still true, ‘We Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.’”
Betty Wiseman presented Larry Thrailkill next, speaking of the positive effects he has had on Belmont and the community since Herbert Gabhart, a former Belmont president, asked him for a contribution in 1981.
“From that visit, Larry Thrailkill began his lifelong tenure and love affair with our dear Belmont University as a trustee and a faithful friend to athletics,” said Wiseman, “I would say that was a divine appointment and a historic visit from a very smart president. Take a walk through the past 42 years and you will find Larry Thrailkill’s footprints and his heartbeat on every aspect of this university.”
The next inductee was Cherie Strivers Abner who was a point guard for the women’s basketball team in the 1990’s during the “NAIA Golden Era”.
Stivers Abner played in 131 games with 826 career assists and led Belmont to win multiple Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference championships.
But she did not forget to acknowledge her teammates that helped her succeed.
“I may have given y’all a lot of assists throughout the years, each and every one of you, but I want to take this opportunity and thank you for assisting me tonight … You guys mean the world to me, and I wouldn’t be up here if it weren’t for you guys. Thank you Belmont, go Bruins,” said Stivers Abner.
J.J. Mann was the following Belmont athlete inducted into the hall of fame. He played on the men’s basketball team from 2011 to 2014 and helped win 109 games, the most during a four year stretch since Belmont has been competing in NCAA Division 1.
Mann’s most memorable game while at Belmont was the impressive win against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2013, ending their 66-game win streak against non-conference opponents at home.
Mann scored 28 points that night, nine of those being in the last 1:03 of the game. He went on to be named the 2014 Associated Press All America Honorable Mention and the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year.
Mann now plays professional basketball in Germany and sent in a video to accept the honor.
“There are so many wonderful people and places and things that Belmont does and offers and it is a special place, and I believe it is because of the amazing people … The work that you do and the work that you did for me, it matters, and it has absolutely impacted me. I continue to instill Belmont qualities and characteristics into the locker rooms over here and will continue to use them for the rest of my life and for my family,” said Mann.
Ashton Van Horne made history as the first men’s golfer inducted into the Belmont Athletic Hall of fame.
Horne’s former roommate and teammate, Logan Matthews, presented the award to him in a personal speech reflecting on their time competing together at Belmont.
“I also learned from Ashton what true dedication and hard work looks like. Since we were often each other’s rides to the golf course, I found out that we were going to be the first ones there. Well, most of the time unless Ashton chose to sneak a sleep in before practice. But he was always the last one to leave,” Matthews said.
Horne accepted in an emotional way, thanking Belmont and his mentors from college for where he is now as he is competing at the amateur and professional levels.
“People have committed their time to me and gone above and beyond to help me be successful and a taught appreciation for them has helped me so much throughout my life,” said Horne, “Thank you guys for all that you’ve given me, the lessons you’ve taught me and for giving me the opportunity to come to a school as great as Belmont.”
The dinner wrapped up with recognition of the 2008 women’s soccer team that won 13 matches and entered the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament as the No.3 seed.
The team went on to beat Kennesaw State and Mercer to win the women’s soccer program’s first conference tournament, earning a NCAA Tournament bid.
“The way the team came together at the right time, was really special and they deserve to be the first women’s soccer team to go into the Hall of Fame as a Legendary Team,” said Senior Associate Athletic Director Renee Schultz.
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This article was written by Bree Fabbie
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