HICKORY, NC - Lenoir-Rhyne will add seven athletes, one coach, one contributor, and two teams to its Sports Hall of Fame as the class of 2024. Ed Byrd, Tracy Naidas Coleman, Catherine Glass (Fulton), Kent George, Michael Green, Dawon Millwood, Josh Rudder, Todd Starkey, and Isaiah Whitaker will make up the class. The 2010 Women's Soccer Team and the 2013 Football Team were named the Teams of Distinction.
The Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at 10:00 a.m. in P.E. Monroe Auditorium on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
The nine inductees, along with the 2010 Women's Soccer and the 2013 Football teams, will also be honored at halftime of Lenoir-Rhyne's football game against Tiffin, which begins at 1 p.m. at Moretz Stadium.
ED Byrd '69 – Contributor
Ed Byrd has been a dedicated supporter of Lenoir-Rhyne Athletics for over 40 years. One of LR's most loyal contributors, Byrd was a two-term president of the Bears Club. He has been instrumental in countless capital projects and athletic initiatives, including the recent purchase of a custom Mercedes sprinter van for the Lenoir-Rhyne Golf programs, supporting the centennial campaign and the Forever 46 campaign. In addition to those projects, Byrd also helped inspire the idea and secure the funding for the big Charge Bear that is now one of LR's most iconic symbols. He has been key in securing additional corporate sponsors in service to the Hanley H. Painter Golf Committee, where he also served as chair.
Byrd endowed the Larry Byrd Scholarship in memory of his father in support of LR football scholarships. He and his wife Polly were awarded the Alumni Service Award in 2013 for all the years of support they have given Lenoir-Rhyne over the years. He is currently the owner and CEO of Kontane Logistics that originated in Hickory, a business he started from the ground up and grew into one of the top companies in the moving and storage industry and morphed into one of the leading logistics, packaging designers and suppliers in the Southeast.
Tracy Naidas Coleman '06 – Women's Basketball
Tracy Naidas Coleman played basketball at Lenoir-Rhyne from 1998-2002, before coming back to finish her degree in 2006. During her time at Lenoir-Rhyne, she quickly marched her way into the record books. Coleman currently sits at fourth all-time in total points (1,615), fourth in rebounds (740), fifth in scoring average (16.8 ppg), and fifth in rebounding average (7.7 rpg).
Coleman helped turn LR Women's Basketball into a perennial contender, as from 1999-02 they notched three straight winning seasons, their most successful three-year stretch in 20 years. She was named to the SAC All-Freshman team in 1999, the All-Conference Second Team in 2000, and in 2001 was named to the All-Conference First Team. While finishing up her degree in 2006, she was an assistant for the team under head coach Todd Starkey. Coleman is currently a Tech Analyst at ADUSA in Charlotte, N.C.
Catherine Glass (Fulton) '08 – Volleyball
Catherine Glass (Fulton) was a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne Volleyball team from 2004-07. During that time, she helped lead the Bears to a four-year record of 87-49, the most successful four-year stretch in school history. During that time LR won the 2004 and 2006 SAC regular season titles, and in 2004 the team finished with a 27-8 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.
Known as one of the best liberos to ever come through the LR volleyball program, Glass holds the school record for career digs (2,316) and digs per set (4.67). Her 116 services aces put her seventh on the all-time list as well. In addition to her career marks, she holds the single season record for digs (735) and digs per set (5.75) and holds three of the top four single season dig marks in school history. Glass was an All-Conference Second Team honoree in 2005, and was named to the All-Conference First Team in 2007.
Following her time at LR, Glass has had a successful coaching career at Davidson Day School. Since she started in 2010, Glass has a record of 235-64-3, been named Coach of the Year twice, and has won three state titles. In addition to her coaching duties, Glass is also an Assistant Athletic Director and Physical Education Teacher.
Kent George '09 – Men's Golf
Kent George was a member of the men's golf team at Lenoir-Rhyne from 2005-09. During that time, he took home seven individual championships, and in 2005-06 he was named SAC Player of the Year. That 2006 was a monumental one for LR Men's Golf, as they took home the SAC Tournament Championship.
In 2006 George was named to the All-Region Team and was a GCAA Freshman All-American. During his four-year career, he would be named to the All-Conference First Team twice and the All-Conference Second Team twice. Following his LR career, he turned pro in 2010 and played on the E-Golf tour. George is currently involved in furniture sales, a role he has held for the past 10 years.
Michael Green '13 – Football
Michael Green was a star on the football team from 2009-2013. Playing both as a defensive back and return specialist, Green's name is all over the Lenoir-Rhyne record books. He ranks first all time in career interception yards (429), second in punt return yards (903), and fourth in interceptions (18). He still has two of the top ten marks in single season punt return yards and interception yards, and his eight interceptions in 2013 put him second all time. His 100-yard interception return vs. Fort Valley State in 2012 is tied for the longest interception in school history.
Green was named to the SAC All-Conference team for three straight years from 2011-2013. He is just one of three LR Football players to ever be named an All-American in two different positions, as he was a punt return All-American in 2011 and a Defensive Back All-American in 2013. In addition to his individual accolades, Green was pivotal in the resurgence of LR football. He joined a team in 2009 that had gone just 16-38 in their previous five seasons. During his five years with the team (redshirt in 2010), Green helped lead the Bears to a combined record of 41-18, cumulating in a 2013 campaign that saw the Bears go 13-2 and advance to the NCAA Championship game.
Following his time at Lenoir-Rhyne, Green went on to have a successful professional career. He began his career with the Billings Wolves, playing for them during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. There he was named the 2015 IFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and was 1st Team All-IFL during his second season. Following his time in Billings, Green moved on to the Wichita Falls Nighthawks in 2017, where he played in 17 games and led the team with with 75 tackles and six interceptions. He then closed out his career with the Carolina Cobras, earning First-Team All-NAL honors in both 2018 and 2019. Following his playing career, Green was a DB's coach for the Cobras, and now resides in Greensboro where he is a personal trainer.
Dawon Millwood '12 – Softball
When thinking of Lenoir-Rhyne softball, it is hard to not think about Dawon Millwood. Millwood was a member of the LR softball team from 2009-12 and holds the school record for career wins (100), innings pitched (835.1), pitching appearances (155), games started (125), complete games (97), and shutouts (43). Her 2012 season saw her set school records for wins (34), innings pitched (290.2), and pitching appearances (51). Millwood notched a career ERA of 1.76 and is one of just four LR pitchers to throw multiple no-hitters in their career.
Millwood was named to the Second-Team All SAC in 2009, and First-Team All SAC from 2010-12. She was the SAC Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and was the 2012 SAC Tournament MVP. She was an All-Region Second Team honoree in 2010 and 2012, and in 2011 was named to the All-Region First Team by both Daktronics and NFCA.
The Bears notched a combined record of 184-45 during Millwood's four years with the team. During that time, they won three SAC Regular Season Championships, three SAC Tournament Championships, and qualified for two NCAA Super Regionals. Following her LR career, Millwood played professionally for the Witches Linz in Austria, and played in the 2012 European Cup for team Denmark. She currently resides in Concord, N.C., where she is a Realtor for Millwood Homes, a firm she owns. In addition to her role as a Realtor, Millwood also is a the Co-Owener of Local Bottle Shop in downtown Concord.
Josh Rudder '09 – Men's Basketball
Josh Rudder was a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball program from 2004-09. He sits at second all-time in career steals (209), third in career assists (463), 10
th in career three-point percentage (37.8%) and is 12
th all-time in total points (1,477). He is fifth in single-season free throw percentage (90.5%) and his 58 steals in 2007-08 place him at seventh all-time.
Rudder was named to the All-SAC Freshman Team in 2005, and was a Second Team All-Conference honoree in 2006, 2008, and 2009. He made the All-Conference Tournament team in 2005 and the All-Regional Tournament Team in 2008. He helped lead the Bears to three SAC Regular Season Championships and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2007-08 and 2008-09. The 2007-08 team is one of just two teams in school history to qualify for the regional semi-final.
Following his Lenoir-Rhyne career, Rudder played on season for BG Leitershofen in Augsburg, Germany. There he averaged 23 points and seven assists per game and led the team to their first ever league championship. An injury ended his professional career following that season. Rudder currently serves as a loan officer for American Advisors Group in Irvine, California.
Todd Starkey – Women's Basketball Coach 2005-14
Todd Starkey is the winningest coach in Lenoir-Rhyne women's basketball history, racking up 165 wins over the course of nine seasons. Under Starkey's tutelage, the Bears qualified for four NCAA Tournaments, and were the #1 seed in the Southeast Regional in 2009. His teams won three SAC Regular Season Championships and took home the SAC Tournament Championship in 2009.
He took home three-straight SAC Coach of the Year awards, the most consecutive awards in conference history in either men's or women's basketball. Following Lenoir-Rhyne's 27-5 2008-09 season, Starkey was named the Russell Athletic/WBCA NCAA Division II Coach of the Year. In his time at LR, Starkey had a 100% graduation rate of players who remained past their sophomore year, while the team maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher every year. During that 2008-09 season, the Bears drew a larger average home attendance than 211 NCAA Division I programs.
Away from the court, Starkey was deeply invested and connected in the game as a State Farm/WBCA All-American Selection Committee member, a NCAA Division II regional Advisory committee member, WBCA/USA Today National Poll member, SAC Coaches Committee chairperson, Lenoir-Rhyne University Diversity Task Force committee member, WBCA National Convention clinician, keynote speaker at the Florida State High School Athletic Association State Coaches Clinic, and has continued to attend multiple national conferences as a WBCA member.
Following his time at LR, Starkey spent two seasons as an assistant at Indiana University, helping lead them to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1983. He was named the Kent State Head Coach in 2016, and in eight seasons with the Flashes has notched a record of 143-99 with one NCAA Tournament appearance and four WNIT appearances.
Isaiah Whitaker '14 – Football
Isaiah Whitaker led the running charge for the Lenoir-Rhyne football team from 2011-14. During his four-year career, Whitaker finished with 2,700 rushing yards, and sits at ninth all-time in LR history with 562 career rushing attempts. He is one of just 16 LR backs to notch at least six 100-yard games in their career.
He was named to three consecutive SAC All-Conference teams from 2011-13 and was a back-to-back All-American at the fullback position in 2012 and 2013. As a team, Whitaker helped lead the Bears to national prominence. Lenoir-Rhyne took home three-straight SAC titles from 2011-13 and went to the NCAA Division II National Title game in 2013. Whitaker currently resides in Hickory with his wife KC and their three kids. He is the Senior Operations Manager for Target's Global Supply Chain and has been with the company for the past three years.
2010 Women's Soccer Team
Led by head coach Adrian Blewitt, the 2010 Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Soccer Team set a standard for Lenoir-Rhyne athletics. That season, the Bears finished with a record of 19-2-2 and qualified for their first NCAA tournament in school history. Not only did they qualify for the tournament, but they advanced to the national quarterfinals, becoming the first athletic team in Lenoir-Rhyne history to do so.
Following a loss at UNC Pembroke in their second game, the Bears rattled off 12 straight games without a loss to put themselves at the top spot in the SAC. Going into the SAC Tournament as the #1 seed, LR took down Carson-Newman (2-1), Newberry (2-0), and Wingate (3-1) to take home their first ever SAC Tournament title. In the NCAA Tournament as a #4 seed, they won the regional by defeating Belmont Abbey (2-1), Columbus State (1-0), and Armstrong State (1-0). Facing nationally ranked Florida Tech in the quarterfinals, the Bears saw themselves tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Tech came out on top in penalty kicks, taking down the Bears 5-4 to advance to the national semi-finals.
The Bears saw Amber Holt, Catherine Hauck, Casey McDonnell, Caitlin Scruggs, Elizabeth Hawes, Kaelia Frazier, and Jessica Schob all named to the SAC All-Conference Team. Hauck, Hawes, Holt, McDonnell, and Scruggs were named to the All-Southeast Region team, while Hawes and Hauck were each named Third Team All-Americans. Denesha Soto was named SAC Freshman of the Year while Coach Blewitt was named SAC Coach of the Year. Hauck took home her first of two straight SAC Player of the Year awards while also being named SAC Tournament MVP.
2013 Football Team
Under the guidance of head coach Mike Houston, the 2013 Lenoir-Rhyne Bears were a dominant force in the world of NCAA DII Football. They went 13-2 and advanced to the first NCAA Title game in school history.
Following a loss to Concord in the opening game of the season, LR rattled off 13 straight victories before falling to undefeated Northwest Missouri State 43-28 the NCAA championship game. The start of those 13 victories was a big win over NCAA Division I Davidson (34-18). The schedule wasn't cake for the Bears, as they notched five ranked wins throughout the season. They took down #23 Newberry 35-14 on October 19
th, and #16 Carson-Newman 37-3 on November 2
nd. In a rematch with the Eagles in the second round of the playoffs, the Bears again came away victorious, this time winning by a score of 27-20. LR squeaked out a 42-39 win over #16 North Alabama in the quarterfinals, and finally took down #15 West Chester in the national semifinals.
That season, the Bears set a NCAA Division II rushing record with 5,563 yards gained, a record that stood until just last season. Leading the charge on the ground were Jarrod Spears, Miles Freeman, and Isaiah Whitaker, who each notched at least 900 rushing yards. Isaiah Whitaker (fullback), Michael Green (defensive back), Blake Baker (defensive line), Joe Ray (offensive line), Zach Neumann (placekicker), Tanner Botts (linebacker), and Jimmy Long (defensive line) were all named to an All-American Team. Rodney Singleton was named SAC Freshman of the Year, while Mike Houston picked up his third consecutive SAC Coach of the Year honor. Michael Green was the SAC Defensive Player of the Year and Joe Anderson became just the second football player in school history to be named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
