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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame enshrined its nith induction class, featuring seven individuals and the 1940 football team, during a Saturday afternoon ceremony at the EKU Center for the Arts.
 
The 2014 induction class includes: Bobby Collins (men's basketball, 1984-88), Laphelia Doss (women's basketball, 1994-98), James Hand (football, 1991-96), Bill Hughes (football, 1975-80), Jennifer James Reichard (volleyball, 1988-91), Jamie King O'Shea (women's cross country/track & field, 1994-99) and Glenn Presnell (football and golf coach/athletics director, 1947-74). The 1940 football team was the first team in program history to go undefeated (8-0).
 
The group will also be recognized during halftime of the Colonels' football game against Eastern Illinois Saturday evening at 6 p.m.

For more information on the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, please contact Karl Park, Executive Director of the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, 859-200-6686 or karl.park@eku.edu.

Below are the bios for the 2014 induction class.
 
Bobby Collins (men's basketball, 1984-88)
Bobby Collins was a four-year starter for coach Max Good's EKU basketball team from 1984-88. One of Eastern's all-time favorites, he played in 115 games, scored 863 points and hauled in 456 rebounds. Nicknamed "Cat" because of his cat-quick, in-your-face defensive efforts, he also totaled 190 steals for his Colonel career, leading the OVC in steals his senior year with 71. After being named to the league's All-Freshman Team, he finished ninth in the OVC in assists as a sophomore with his 3.0 per game average. As a junior, he was fourth in the conference in steals per game, with season highs of 19 points against Morehead State, 11 rebounds vs. Murray State and 10 assists vs. Wilmington as Eastern went 19-11 overall and advanced to the finals of the OVC Tournament before losing to Austin Peay, 71-68, on a last second shot. His final season in 1987-88, he was chosen honorable mention All-OVC as EKU was 18-10 overall. He led the OVC in steals per game and was 10th in the conference in rebounding, although standing just 6-1.  The Eastern Progress named him Male Athlete of the Year for 1987-88. Following his collegiate career, he played in the Helsinki, Finland Classic earning Most Valuable Player honors. After graduating from Eastern in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in business administration and served EKU as an Admissions Counselor from 1992-94. He began his coaching career in 1994-95 as a restricted earnings coach for the Old Dominion Monarchs in a season that saw the Monarchs win the Colonial Athletic Conference and a first round victory over Villanova University in the NCAA Tournament. After that season, he was named Associate Head Coach at Hampton University, a spot he held from 1995-2002, highlighted by one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history when Hampton edged Iowa State, 58-57. He was promoted to head coach at Hampton and served in this capacity from 2002-06. While head coach at Hampton where he compiled an overall record of 65-57, he was Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2004-05 and also chosen Most Outstanding Coach of the MEAC Tourney when the Pirates won the tourney championship. From 2006-2014, he was the head coach at Winston Salem State University where he went 115-110. His best season with the Rams came in 2012-13 when he was 21-7 and was ranked seventh in the nation, earning WSSU to a second seed in the NCAA Division II tournament. It was the last four years that distinguished him as a premier head coach as he directed the Rams to a 79-35 record. His teams won at least 10 games in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference each of these seasons and twice made NCAA Division II regional tournament appearances. April 8 of this year, he was named head coach of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks, taking his 177-165 head coaching record with him back to the NCAA Division I Mideastern Athletic Conference.
 
Laphelia Doss (women's basketball, 1994-98)
Laphelia Doss played for coach Larry Joe Inman's Lady Colonels where she started all 113 games that were played by Eastern from 1994-98, ranking her second on Eastern's all-time games played list. She started her Eastern career in fine fashion, being named to the All-OVC freshman team in leading EKU to a four-way tie for the OVC championship. In the summer following her freshman year, she represented the United States through People-to-People Sports in Australia winning a silver medal. She put together a stellar first-team All-OVC sophomore year that saw her lead the OVC in rebounding and finish ninth in the final NCAA stats with her 11.5 rebounding average, while scoring in double digits in 22 games. She set an EKU single game record that year with 26 boards against Tennessee State and finished just one rebound shy of the EKU single season rebound mark with 309. The Lady Colonels excelled her junior year in 1996-97 when they went 24-6 and ran off a stretch of 20 wins in 21 games, winning their first-ever outright OVC title. Doss did her part to help the Eastern cause that season by averaging 12.5 points in being named second-team All-OVC. Eastern won the conference regular season and league tournament as Doss was named MVP of the OVC Tournament. EKU made its first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament that season, playing Georgia in Athens, Georgia. She closed out her playing career in 1997-98 as Eastern went 20-8 and won the OVC record with a 15-3 mark. Doss was again first-team All-OVC as she ranked second in the conference in rebounding and in field goal percentage, while scoring 14.6 points per contest. She ranks second on Eastern's career list in rebounds with 1,026 and 12th in scoring with 1,378 points. She holds the EKU career record for double-doubles with 38, offensive rebounds with 413 and is second in career field goal percentage with her final 51.3 shooting mark. She is one of only two Lady Colonels to ever record more than 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Graduating from EKU in May of 1998 with her degree in broadcast journalism, she later received her master's degree in sports administration from Eastern. Doss began her coaching career in 2002-03 at Eastern where she served as an assistant coach for four seasons. Since leaving EKU, she has completed a 16-year coaching career, making stops at James Madison, Southern Polytechnic State, Brewton-Parker, Austin Peay and North Carolina A&T.
 
James Hand (football, 1991-96)
James Hand was a four-year starter at left guard on the Colonels' offensive line, playing in 48 consecutive games from 1992-1995 after being redshirted his first season. He opened holes for All-American tailback Markus Thomas that first season as Eastern went 9-3, participated in the I-AA playoffs and finished 12th in the final poll. EKU led the league in rushing that season with 2,783 yards, finishing fourth in total offense and second in scoring. As a sophomore, Hand continued to help open holes for an EKU running attack that featured two 1,000-yard rushers, including tailback Leon Brown who led the OVC in rushing with 1,046 yards. EKU turned in a perfect conference season that year at 8-0 and advanced to the I-AA playoffs where the Colonels lost a heartbreaker at Georgia Southern, 14-12. EKU rushed for 3,512 yards in 1993 and closed the season ranking second in the OVC in rushing, total offense and scoring and Hand was rewarded with his first of three first-team All-OVC awards. As a junior, Eastern won its second straight league title, defeated Boston University in the first round of the playoffs before losing in the last minute, 18-15, at Youngstown State, the eventual national champions. Hand was named first-team I-AA All-American by two outlets as Eastern finished fifth in the final poll. The '95 season was another 3,000-yard rushing year for the Colonels' offense as Hand received his second of three team offensive line MVP awards. In 1995, his senior season, Hand served as offensive co-captain and was a three-outlet choice for All-American honors as Eastern finished 10th in the final I-AA poll and made its 16th playoff appearance in the past 17 years. 
 
Bill Hughes (football, 1975-80)
Bill Hughes was a three-year letterwinner at EKU at quarterback, highlighted by leading the Colonels to their first I-AA national championship in 1979. As a sophomore, Hughes, a member of the Lancaster Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame, was instrumental in directing Eastern to a huge comeback 38-34 victory at East Tennessee as he provided back up that season for All-OVC quarterback and EKU Athletics Hall of Famer Ernie House. As a junior in 1978, he took over as starting quarterback in the spring and was chosen OVC Player of the Week twice in leading Eastern to an 8-2 record.  That season, Eastern led the league in total offense and points scored as Hughes tied an OVC single game record for accuracy when he hit 12-15 passes against Dayton. While serving as offensive co-captain that year, he finished fifth in the league in total offense and fifth in passing offense. His senior year in 1979 was his most memorable season as he led EKU to an 11-2 overall record in securing the University's first national football title. Again serving as offensive co-captain, he threw for 1,000 yards and seven TD's, while rushing for 264 yards and four more scores. One of his top games his senior year was in the 8-6 win over arch-rival Western Kentucky at Roy Kidd Stadium before a record crowd of 25,300. Hughes was a part of all eight Eastern points that afternoon when he scored a rushing TD himself and hit tight end Cris Curtis for the game-winning two-point conversion. Other notable games in '79 were a 226-yard, three-TD passes day in a 35-10 victory over Austin Peay and a 154-yard passing, 50-yard rushing game in a 30-7 win over Morehead State. For his efforts, Hughes was chosen second-team All-OVC and the Colonels' co-MVP on offense. He was selected as Real Estate Student of the Year and Insurance Student of the Year at EKU for 1979-80. Since graduation in 1980, he has had a 25-plus year career with Arc International, the World's Largest Producer of tabletop glassware. He has been the all-time sales leader for that company and was chosen Sales Person of the Year on numerous occasions. He recently celebrated his 26th year anniversary with his wife Cheryl and their son, Alex, recently completed a successful three-year EKU baseball career and graduated from EKU in 2013.
 
Jennifer James Reichard (volleyball, 1988-91)
Jennifer James Reichard was a four-year starter for coach Geri Polvino's EKU volleyball team from 1988-91. During those four seasons, she was named to the All-OVC Freshman team her first season, second-team All-OVC as a sophomore and first team All-OVC as a junior and senior. In her first season at EKU in 1988, she helped lead Eastern to the OVC Tournament championship by finishing second on the team kills with 278 and leading EKU in block assists with 57. Her top match came when she collected 10 kills vs. the previous season's NCAA champions, Texas. In 1989, she was named second-team All-OVC and was invited as an alternate to play in the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. As a junior, James-Reichard was a first-team All-OVC pick as he led Eastern in attacks with 1,438 and kills with 585. She led the Colonels to the OVC regular season and tournament championships. Her senior season in 1991, she was chosen OVC Player of the Year and again was selected first-team All-OVC. This season was highlighted for James Reichard with four straight games with more than 30 kills. During her four years at EKU, the Colonels recorded 41 wins with just nine losses against OVC teams and won 78 games overall. She left Eastern with school records for career kills with 1,909 and single season marks for kills with 709 and total attacks with 1,735. Following her senior year, she was invited to the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Camp and was selected as first alternate to compete that season in the Barcelona, Spain games. She recently completed her 20th season in the coaching profession and is currently the head volleyball coach at Eastern York High School in York, Pennsylvania, where she was named Coach of the Year in 2010.
 
Jamie King O'Shea (women's cross country/track & field, 1994-99)
Jamie King O'Shea was a four-year letterwinner in track and cross country for coach Rick Erdmann's EKU team from 1994-99. In her stellar career, she was the Ohio Valley Conference Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 1997 and 1998, and duplicated that honor both seasons as OVC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year. She was also OVC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year in 1997 and was a four-time NCAA Track All-American. King O'Shea was a four-time conference champion in the indoor mile run and also won the OVC indoor 800 meters and the indoor 3,000 meters at the OVC meet in 1998. She was also the OVC outdoor champion in the 800 meters and a four-time champion in the OVC outdoor 1,500-meter run and twice took the outdoor 3,000 meter run. She proved time after time during her career that she could excel at any distance from the 400 meter dash to the 5,000 meter run. She ran the second fastest indoor 800 meter run as a freshman and also had the fourth best indoor mile run in 1995. In 1996, she missed the outdoor season with an injury but came back strong to set a school record in the 800-meter outdoor run with a time of 2:10.97 the next season. As a junior, she finished eighth in the 1998 NCAA Outdoor championship in the 1,500 meters and had the fastest time from the heats that year. In 1997, she broke the school record in the outdoor 800 meters with a time of 2:06.19 in finishing fifth at the prestigious Drake Relays Special Invitational. She finished 10th at the 1997 NCAA meet in the 1,500 meters, giving her All-American status. King O'Shea also received NCAA Division I All-American recognition in 1997 in the 800-meter run. She was also a member of Eastern's record-setting sprint medley and distance medley relay teams. She holds EKU records in the indoor 800-meter run with a time of 2:08.21 set in 1998 and the indoor mile run also set that same season with a time of 4:42.90.
 
Glenn Presnell (football and golf coach/athletics director, 1947-74)
Glenn Presnell was a valuable member of the Eastern athletics department for 28 years, serving the University as assistant football coach, head football coach, athletics director and men's golf coach during the years 1947-1974. After a distinguished career as a player at the University of Nebraska where he was a first-team All-American, starting all three of his collegiate playing years from 1925-27 at single-wing halfback/quarterback and middle safety on defense. One of the highlights of his sophomore season at Nebraska included leading the Huskers to a 14-0 victory over an Illinois team that featured the "Galloping Ghost", Red Grange. As one newspaper writer stated, "All the galloping was done by Presnell this day!"  As a senior for Nebraska, he gained his All-American recognition when he led the nation in total yards gained and played in the East-West Shrine Game. From 1928-30, he began his professional football career by serving as player-coach for the Ironton Tanks. In 1930, he led the Tanks to upset wins over the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears. The victory over the Giants included a 29-yard punt return that took the ball to the Giants' 27-yard line with just three seconds remaining. On the last play of the game, Presnell eluded Giant defenders and threw a TD pass that tied the game 12-12 with no time remaining. He finished the one-man demolition of the Giants' by kicking the winning extra point in the 13-12 victory. Presnell called this win "the biggest thrill of my career." In the 26-13 win over the Bears, Presnell again got the better of Grange as he raced 88 yards for a touchdown, prompting legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice to pronounce, "Presnell is better than Grange." The Ironton franchise folded after this year and he played the next three seasons for the Portsmouth Spartans. He led the league in total offense in 1933, the inaugural season for the NFL, and set the NFL single season record with 64 points and was chosen to the All-NFL team. After the 1933 season, the Great Depression claimed another small town team and Detroit bought the Spartans for $7,850. In the first year of existence, Detroit owner Dick Richards called Glenn and his wife, Liz, in to his office and asked them to pick the team's colors. They chose Honolulu blue and silver, colors that have remained the Lions' colors for the past 80 seasons. Also, in his first season with the Lions, Presnell scored the game's only points in a 3-0 win over Green Bay by kicking a league-record 54-yard field goal, a mark that stood as the league's best for 19 years. In 1935, Presnell quarterbacked the Lions to the NFL championship. His nine-year pro career ended the next year as he finished his pro career with more than 2,500 yards rushing and 3,000 yards passing and accounted for 35 touchdowns. He began his collegiate coaching career in 1937 by serving as an assistant coach at Kansas, before returning to Nebraska as backfield coach from 1938-41. In 1942, he was head coach of Nebraska before serving three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He went back to Nebraska in 1946 as backfield coach before beginning his career at Eastern in 1947 as backfield coach for Maroon head mentor Tom Samuels where he remained for seven years before being named head coach at Eastern in 1954. His first season as Eastern head coach was his best as the Maroons went 8-1-1 and compiled a perfect 5-0 mark in OVC play to capture the school's first conference football title. That '54 team also was invited to Orlando, Florida, where they played Omaha in the Tangerine Bowl, losing 7-6. In 10 seasons as Eastern head coach, the Maroons collected 42 wins and added the 1962 league title to the '54 OVC crown. Following his exit from serving as head football coach at Eastern in 1963, Presnell was EKU's Director of Athletics from 1963-71, while still coaching the Colonel men's golf team, a position he held from 1957-74.
 
1940 undefeated football team
This team, 26-men strong, won all eight contests it played in 1940 by the unbelievable combined score of 273-27. Coach Rome Rankin's Maroons shutout five of the eight opponents and held two other foes to just one touchdown. Highlights of the season included a 20-0 win over Illinois State, a 39-0 victory over Arkansas State and a 35-0 decision over Northern Illinois to begin the season. Eastern closed that magical season with a 25-0 win over Central Michigan and a 48-0 drubbing of Bowling Green. Team members included Al Dressman, end Ber Rasnick, Bill Cross, Bill Hickman, Bob Goosens, Bob Mowat, two-time All-American halfback Chuck Schuster, Cliff Tinnell, Francis Haas, Frank Flanagan, All-American tackle Fred Darling, George Ordick, Harold Yinger, Joe Bill Siphers, All-American quarterback Spider Thurman, Kenneth Perry, Larry Lehman, Nelson Gordon, Ora Tussey, tackle Ralph Darling, Roy Buchaus, fullback Ted Benedett, halfback Travis Combs, Walter Grob and Walter Mayer. Spider Thurman was the quarterback for this team and received Little All-American honors while also being selected to the All-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference two seasons and being chosen KIAC Most Valuable Player his senior year. This team also featured the "Harlan County Backfield" which included halfback Bob Mowat, blocking back Travis "Tater" Combs, freshman quarterback Joe Bill Siphers and starting QB Spider Thurman.