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51���� celebrated its inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony on Sept. 15, inducting three of the university’s most outstanding former student-athletes into its first-ever class.

Former Major League Baseball all-star Todd Worrell (’82), basketball and volleyball player Becky (Miller, ’86) White and basketball player Wade Kirchmeyer (’85) were all honored as members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

The Hall of Fame serves to honor and recognize outstanding individuals who have made exceptional contributions as a student-athlete, coach or an honorary member who brought honor, recognition and distinction to the intercollegiate athletics program and the university.

Wade Kirchmeyer (’85)

• Two-time NAIA All-American
• Helped lead basketball team to 1982 NAIA championship game
• Set single-season school record for scoring (691) and field goal percentage (.677)
• Holds 51���� record for career field goal percentage (.662)
• One of just 21 players in 51���� history to score over 1,000 points (1,077 total)

“The basketball memories resonate — going into battle side by side with your friends and teammates with one common goal of winning games. Every one of my teammates made personal sacrifices for the betterment of the team. We were watched over and groomed for basketball and life challenges by great coaches. ... 51���� has been and still is an important part of my life. The emotions that come over you, the memories of the friendships that developed at 51����, have been maintained over the years. 51���� has defined who I am as a Christian and my walk with the Lord.”

Becky (Miller, ’86) White

• First woman to be a four-time NAIA All-American in two different sports
• Holds 51���� volleyball records for career attack percentage (.573) and blocks (687)
• Holds 51���� basketball records for career points (2,411), rebounds (1,492), field goals (933) and free throws (545)
• Helped lead 51���� to first NAIA national championship tournaments in volleyball (1985) and basketball (1983–84)

“I learned more from losses than I did from wins. I really liked winning. Winning is fun and I am very competitive. But what I am more than competitive is driven. What you learn from losing is how to get better. Life as an athlete teaches you many things. What you learn from losses comes back to really be significant when you have a life that may hold, chronically, a lot of losses, and I’m very grateful for the passion that I learned here. I’m very grateful I learned to care here about many things. I think a community is critical. For me it has been life sustaining. I am grateful to have been educated here.”

Todd Worrell (’82)

• Played 11 seasons as a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers
• First-round pick in the 1982 Major League Baseball draft
• 1986 National League Rookie of the Year
• Three-time MLB all-star
• Currently ranks 30th on the all-time save list with 256 saves

“It was not easy moving into professional sports. If you love the Lord, that is not an easy task sometimes, especially when you live with 25 guys and you spend more time with them than you do your family. What I found more important at that point in my life was maybe not so much what rolled out of my mouth but how I was living my life and the choices that I had to make. A lot of that came back to what took place and what was invested in my life here at 51����. As I moved through my professional career, I found that not everybody agreed with what I believed, but they respected me ... because I was striving to live what God calls us to.”