RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University inducted seven distinguished individuals and a team of distinction into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday.
 
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), Corey Walden (men's basketball, 2012-15) and the 1973 volleyball team.
 
The group was also recognized at halftime of the Colonels' football game against Robert Morris.
 
For more information about the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, please contact Karl Park, Executive Director of the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, at karl.park@eku.edu.

Here are the biographies for the 2024 induction class:
 
Ole Hesselbjerg (track/cross country, 2011-15)
Hesselbjerg was a four-time Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (2011, 2013-15).  He competed in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2016 and the 2020 Olympics, the only two-time Olympian in program history.  Hesselbjerg was a three-time NCAA First Team All-American in the steeplechase and a two-time Bronze Medalist at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (2014 and 2015).  He competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 2012-2014, finishing 66th in 2014.  Hesselbjerg has the third best time in program history in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (8:33.22).  He was a 2014 Academic All-American in cross country. 
 
Danny Hope (football, 1976-91, 2003-07, 2019, 2020-present)
Hope played offensive guard for coach Roy Kidd and was a starter on the 1979 Colonel team that won EKU's first national championship.  He was a co-captain on the 1980 national runner up team.  Hope became EKU's head coach in 2003 and led the Colonels for five seasons, compiling a 35-22.  He guided EKU to the playoffs after winning the Ohio Valley Conference title in 2007.  Hope left the program to serve as head coach at Purdue University, where he won 22 games in four seasons and led the Boilermakers to two bowl appearances (2011 and 2012).  After one season as offensive line coach for South Florida (2015) Hope returned to coach the offensive line for EKU in 2019.  He has worked for the past four years for the EKU Development Office serving as the athletics department liaison.
 
Jacob Korir (track/cross country, 2004-08)
Korir was a three-time NCAA All-American in cross country and a two-time All-American in track.  He finished fourth in the 10,000 meters at the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Championships and finished in the top 20 three times at the NCAA Cross Country Championships (2005-07).  Korir finished in second place for the 5,000 meters at the 2008 NCAA Indoor Championships.  The four-time Ohio Valley Conference Runner of the Year for cross country (2004-2007) also owns three outdoor school records in track.
 
Sofie Levin (women's golf, 2013-2017)
Levin was a four-time All-Ohio Valley Conference golfer for the Colonels and a four-time OVC All-Tournament Team choice.  Levin was named MVP of the 2015 OVC Tournament when she won the OVC individual championship.  She finished in top-5 at the conference championship the other three years as well.  Levin had four individual tournament wins and 10 individual top-10 finishes.  She led the Colonels to two OVC titles (2015 and 2016).  Levin is third all-time at EKU for career scoring average (75.79) and second all-time in career win percentage (80.5 percentage).
 
Nick Mayo (men's basketball, 2015-2019)
Mayo is EKU's all-time leading scorer with 2,316 points.  He was a four-time First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference player, the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2015-16 and also named that season to the OVC All-Newcomer Team.  He was selected to the Lou Henson Award Watch List for top the mid-major player in the nation for three straight seasons.  In 2017-18, Mayo was on the watch list for the Karl Malone Award, recognizing the top power forward in the nation.  He was a first team selection for the All-District 19 unit as a senior after being a second team all-district pick his first three seasons.  Mayo is also the school's sixth all-time leading rebounder with 834 rebounds and the seventh all-time leading free throw percentage shooter with a career 82.3 percent mark.  He led EKU in scoring as a sophomore (18.5), junior (18.0) and senior (18.7).  Mayo is listed among EKU's top-10 career leaders in best scoring average for one season (18.7), most field goals made (829), most field goals attempted (1,612) and most blocks (177).  He played professionally in Japan for the past five seasons. 
 
Greg Stotelmyer (EKU play-by-play broadcaster, 1979-present)
Stotelmyer has served as play-by-play broadcaster for EKU's athletics team since 1979.  He has broadcast more than 2,200 athletics contests to Colonel fans during that time span.  Stotelmyer has served as EKU's play-by-play broadcaster for 45 years, 41 seasons for football and men's basketball in addition to four seasons providing coverage on the local cable company for EKU football and basketball replays.  He has also provided play-by-play for football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball on ESPN+.  Stotelmyer was inducted in 2023 into the Kentucky Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame and was honored as the 2023 Kentucky Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.  He produced/hosted Colonel football and basketball coach's shows on WTVQ-TV for 20-plus seasons.  Stotelmyer also broadcasted select Kentucky High School Athletic Association basketball and softball state tournament games over 30 years. 
 
Corey Walden (men's basketball, 2012-2015)
Walden is one of the most decorated EKU men's basketball players in school history.  The two-time Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2014-2015) was also a finalist for the 2014 Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year award.  He broke the EKU school record for steals (236) despite just playing for three seasons as a Colonel.  Walden scored what at the time was a career best 29 points to go along with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in 2014 OVC Tournament championship game victory that sent EKU to an NCAA Tournament appearance.  He hit a jumper in the lane to get EKU within three points, 64-61, of No. 2 seed Kansas with 3:39 left to play in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA tourney.  His three-year career aligned with the winningest three-year stretch in program history.  Walden earned NABC All District recognition in 2014 and 2015, and was a 2015 Lou Henson All-American.  The 2014 OVC Tournament MVP played in NBA Summer League for Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, and has played overseas for the past six seasons, most recently in Turkey and Spain.
 
1973 EKU Volleyball Team (Team of Distinction)
The 1973 EKU volleyball team, led by Hall of Fame coach Dr. Geri Polvino, compiled the best overall record for any team in the more than 50-year history of the program with a record of 26-4.  Due to funding issues, EKU did not participate in the 1973 National AIAW volleyball championship despite receiving an at-large bid to the tournament as a result of their outstanding record.  The '73 team dominated its opponents and for the third straight season went undefeated in state competition, winning EKU's third consecutive Kentucky Women's Intercollegiate Conference crown.  The state championship results qualified the team for the 10-team AIAW Region II championship where EKU was upset by Memphis State in the opening round, sending the Colonels to the elimination bracket.  EKU won the remaining matches, defeating Duke, Coker College and the rematch with Memphis State, 15-8 and 15-8.  Nine region champions automatically qualified for the national tournament, while seven teams across the nation were invited to be at-large representatives.  EKU received one of those bids but could not compete because of budgetary constraints.  Three of six starters on the team were named Outstanding College Athletes of America, including Dianne Jones, Melody Middleton and Lynn Morris.