Wittenberg University Announces Athletics Hall Of Honor Class of 2016

Springfield, Ohio – Six Wittenberg University greats will be inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Honor during 2016 Homecoming Weekend ceremonies, Oct. 7-9, in addition to an alumnus who will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Darryl Gavin ’81, Adam Houg ’96, Dawn Reinhardt Holland ’99, Xan Smith ’97, Jim Thrasher ’71 and Kim Woodring Stewart ’98 will join 218 other Wittenberg greats who have previously been inducted into the university’s Athletics Hall of Honor, while Bill Martin ’62 becomes the university’s second recipient of the Athletics Hall of Honor Lifetime Achievement Award.

The honorees will be formally inducted into the Athletics Hall of Honor at a banquet on Friday, Oct. 7. They will be introduced to Wittenberg’s loyal fans during halftime of the annual Homecoming football game against DePauw, which is set to kick off at 1 p.m. the next day at Edwards-Maurer Field.

Few track and field student-athletes achieved more in their four years as a collegian at Wittenberg than Darryl Gavin. Gavin earned the team’s MVP award all four years of his career in the Red & White, and he ranks among the program leaders in All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) awards with seven outdoor and two indoor designations. Gavin won OAC indoor titles in the 60-meter hurdles in 1979 and 1981 and OAC outdoor titles in the 110-meter hurdles in 1979 and 1981, and he capped his career with OAC Most Outstanding Runner honors in 1981. A four-time NCAA Division III Championships qualifier, Gavin led the Tigers to a four-year dual meet record of 33-9, and he broke multiple school and OAC records in hurdles and relay events during his career. A native of South Bend, Ind., Gavin passed away in 1987.

Adam Houg is among the most accomplished swimmers in Wittenberg history. A breaststroke specialist, Houg served as a team captain during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons, and he was named team MVP three straight years on deck with the Tigers (no MVP was named in 1996). Houg earned seven All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) awards in his career, and he advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships in each of his four collegiate seasons. He claimed four honorable mention All-America awards, in addition to an eighth-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1995 that earned Houg first-team All-America recognition. Houg concluded his career as the owner of multiple school records in breaststroke and relay events. A native of Van Wert, Ohio, Houg currently resides in his hometown.

Not only did Dawn Reinhardt Holland practically re-write the Tiger women’s volleyball record book during her career, but she captured an impressive array of awards in recognition of her performance both in the classroom and on the court. Reinhardt Holland, who holds the school record and still ranks in the top 10 in NCAA Division III history with 2,458 career kills, led the Tigers to four-year records of 119-37 overall and 30-2 in the NCAC as Wittenberg won three league regular season titles, three league tournament crowns and competed in three NCAA Division III Tournaments during her career. A two-year team captain, Reinhardt Holland claimed four All-NCAC awards during her career, including three first-team designations, and she claimed NCAC Newcomer of the Year in 1995 and NCAC Player of the Year in 1998. Reinhardt earned three first-team All-Great Lakes Region awards, and she added a pair of All-America accolades, including a spot on the first team in 1998. Reinhardt Holland earned third-team Academic All-America and Ohio’s NCAA Woman Athlete of the Year honor in 1998, she received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and she was nominated for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. A native of Canal Fulton, Ohio, Reinhardt Holland currently resides in Charlotte, NC.

Xan Smith was a standout on the offensive line for the Tiger football team. Wittenberg posted a sparkling four-year record of 36-5 during Smith’s collegiate career, including a mark of 27-3 against NCAC competition, which included a first-place finish in 1995. Smith was rewarded for his hard work as a starting offensive tackle with first-team All-NCAC honors in both 1995 and 1996, and he capped his career by earning a prestigious All-America award from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Smith served as a team captain during both his junior and senior seasons, and he earned the team’s Bill Edwards Golden Helmet Award following the 1996 campaign. A native of Springfield, Ohio, who spent several years in the radio booth as a color commentator on Tiger football games, Smith currently resides in Pensacola, Fla.

Jim Thrasher is joining his brother, Al, in the Wittenberg Athletics Hall of Honor. Like his brother, a 1964 Wittenberg graduate who was inducted into the hall in 1986, Thrasher is among the finest men’s basketball players in university history. More than 35 years after he played his last game, Thrasher still ranks 17^th in career scoring with 1,207 points (one spot and 21 points behind his brother). The Tigers posted a four-year record of 69-32 during Thrasher’s collegiate career, winning the 1969 OAC title and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A two-time All-OAC and two-time Lutheran Brotherhood All-America selection, Thrasher served as a team captain as both a junior and a senior, and he shared team MVP honors in 1971. A native of Salem Township, Ohio, Thrasher currently resides in Elk Grove, Calif.

Kim Woodring made the most of her three years in Wittenberg’s Red & White after spending her first year of college on scholarship at South Carolina State University. Woodring’s name appears repeatedly in the Tiger women’s volleyball record book, most notably as one of just two players in program history with more than 2,000 career kills. The Tigers posted records of 94-27 overall and 22-2 in the NCAC as Wittenberg won two league regular season titles, two league tournament crowns and competed in two NCAA Division III Tournaments during her career. A two-year team captain, Woodring earned first-team All-NCAC honors following each of her three collegiate seasons, and she claimed NCAC Player of the Year in 1995 and 1997. Woodring earned three straight first-team All-Great Lakes Region awards, and she added a pair of first-team All-America accolades in 1995 and 1997. A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Woodring currently resides in Belgrade, Mont.

Finally, Bill Martin is being recognized for his extraordinary professional career, which has included leadership positions with the United States Sailing Association, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the University of Michigan. The founder of First Martin Corp., a diversified real estate firm, and founder and chairman of the board of the Bank of Ann Arbor, Martin served as president of the Washtenaw Land Conservancy and was a founding board member of the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation and the Washtenaw Technical Middle School, a charter high school at Washtenaw Community College.

Martin served as president of the United States Sailing Association, from 1988-91, and in 2003 he was awarded the Nathaniel G. Heereshoff Trophy for outstanding contributions to the sport. In 2005, Martin received the General Douglas MacArthur Award from the USOC, the organization's highest award, honoring his leadership as acting president of the USOC in 2003 and 2004. Martin served as Michigan's Director of Athletics from 2000-2010, and during that span the Wolverines won 72 Big Ten regular season or tournament championships and posted 35 top-five NCAA finishes. Martin, who served on Wittenberg’s Board of Directors from 1994-2007, received the Bobby Dodd Athletic Director Award in 2008 in recognition of his support and the development of programs that promote student-athlete welfare. Martin currently resides in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Written By: Ryan Maurer