EKU Athletics Hall of Fame

RICHMOND, Ky. – The 2024 Eastern Kentucky University Athletics Hall of Fame induction class will feature seven distinguished individuals and the 1973 volleyball team.  The class is scheduled to be enshrined on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the EKU Center for the Arts.  The Hall of Fame brunch and ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.
 
The 2024 induction class includes:  Ole Hesselbjerg (track/cross country, 2011-15), Danny Hope (football, 1976-91, 2003-07, 2019, 2020-present), Jacob Korir (track/cross country, 2004-08), Sofie Levin (women's golf, 2013-17), Nick Mayo (men's basketball, 2015-19), Greg Stotelmyer (broadcaster, 1979-present) and Corey Walden (men's basketball, 2012-15).  The entire 1973 volleyball team will be inducted as a team of distinction. 

"This year's Hall of Fame class is another exceptional group of inductees," EKU Vice President & Director of Athletics Kyle Moats said.  "It features outstanding players, a record-breaking team and a legendary broadcast partner, all of which have helped build the legacy of EKU Athletics.  I look forward to their enshrinement and celebrating their unforgettable experiences and contributions as Colonels."
 
Hesselbjerg was a 4-time Ohio Valley Conference outdoor champion, a 3-time first team All-American and a 2-time Olympian in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.  The Charlottenlund, Denmark native won two bronze medals at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and competed in the NCAA Cross Country Championships three times.
 
Hope has had stints as a player, head coach, assistant coach and staff member at EKU.  He was a starter at guard on the Colonels' first national championship team.  As head coach, Hope was named OVC Coach of the Year after leading EKU to a conference title and an appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs.  He also led Purdue to a pair of bowl games as head coach of the Boilermakers.  Since 2020, Hope has served in EKU's development office.
 
Korir was a 3-time NCAA All-American in cross country and a 2-time All-American in track.  The native of Nairobi, Kenya finished fourth in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships, second in the 5,000 meters at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships and placed in the top-20 three times at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
 
Levin was a 4-time All-OVC choice and a 4-time OVC All-Tournament selection.  She earned MVP honors after winning the individual title at the 2015 OVC Championship.  The Stockholm, Sweden native led the Colonels to two conference titles and ranks third all-time in program history in career scoring average.
 
Mayo is EKU's all-time leading scorer with 2,316 points.  He was a 4-time first team All-OVC selection, the 2016 OVC Freshman of the Year and a member of the 2015-16 OVC All-Newcomer Team.  The Oakland, Maine native was a 4-time NABC All-District pick.  He is sixth on the program career rebounds list and has the seventh-best career free throw percentage.
 
Stotelmyer has served as the play-by-play broadcaster for EKU athletics since 1979.  He has broadcasted more than 2,200 athletic contests to Colonel fans.  In 2023, he was inducted into the Kentucky Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and was honored as the Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.
 
Walden was a 2-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year selection and the 2014 conference tournament MVP.  He scored 29 points to go along with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in the championship game victory over Belmont.  The native of Daytona Beach, Florida was a finalist for the 2014 Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year award and broke the program record for career steals despite playing only three seasons at EKU.
 
The 1973 volleyball team led by Hall of Fame head coach Dr. Geri Polvino compiled the best overall record for any team in program history, finishing 26-4.  The squad went undefeated against state competition, winning a third straight Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference crown.  The Colonels were one of seven teams from across the nation invited as an at-large representative to the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Volleyball Championship, but was not able to compete because of budgetary constraints.
 
For more information on the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, please contact Karl Park, Executive Director of the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, at karl.park@eku.edu.