Emory & Henry Inducts Four Into 2017 Hall of Fame Class

The Emory & Henry College Department of Athletics and Alumni Office held the annual Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday, September 2 inside the John Rutledge King Center. A group of four individuals were presented with the College’s highest athletic honor while two others received a Certificate of Appreciation for years of dedicated service and support.

The 2017 Emory & Henry College Sports Hall of Fame class consists of: Bobby Hill (‘73) (posthumous), Beverly Sheddan (‘84), Kevin Rogers (‘97) and Josh Hale (‘02).  Bob and Ann Dix were the recipient of the Certificate of Appreciation.

Hill was a three-year starter on the Wasps’ football team at defensive back and was named an Honorable Mention AP Little All-American in 1971. He still ranks fourth in the record books with 17 career interceptions, including nine in 1969 alone. Hill passed away in February of 2016 but will be long remembered for not only his athletic accomplishments but also his work as a community servant and artist.

Sheddan was a three-time ODAC Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year, winning the award in 1996, 1999 and 2005. She coached the Wasps from 1992-00 and again from 2002-06, racking up a 147-84 overall record. Her career win percentages stand at 63.1% overall and 73.2% against ODAC competitors. Under her leadership, Emory & Henry posted nine top-three finishes at the ODAC Championships. She has also served E&H as an athletics administrator and currently teaches in the Health & Human Performance Department.

Rogers was a three-time All-ODAC and All-State selection as an offensive guard, earning Third-Team All-America accolades as a senior in 1996. He helped lead the Wasps to three ODAC Championships including a trip to the NCAA Division III Playoffs in 1995 when the team posted a 9-2 overall record. Rogers was part of a physical offensive line that epitomized what Emory & Henry Football was about in the mid-1990’s.

Hale was a four-year letterman for Emory & Henry Men’s Soccer from 1998-01 when the program was just getting itself off the ground. He started all four years as a goalkeeper and holds the E&H records for saves in a match (20), season (160) and career (603). His career saves number still sits at the top of the ODAC list and ranks 10thh all-time in NCAA Division III. Hale is the first soccer player from either program to be inducted into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame.

Bob and Ann Dix were the owners and operators of WOLD radio in Marion, Virginia and served as the broadcast partners for Emory & Henry Football for more than 15 years. The pair and their team spent hundreds of hours and drove thousands of miles putting Wasps Football on the airwaves. Even when they were approached by much larger schools with offers to broadcast their games, Bob and Ann stuck by Emory & Henry.