Six to Enter SOU Hall
ASHLAND, Ore. -- The 2008 Southern Oregon University Sports Hall of Fame Class will honor five former Raider student-athletes and one longtime supporter.
Former women’s basketball player Melissa Bogh, track and field star Jill Carrier, football and track and field athlete Kerman Bennett, wrestlers Todd Keady and Vern Dulany and longtime Southern supporter Tommie Smith will be inducted into the Hall of Fame Friday, Oct. 17 and then honored at the Homecoming Football game against Azusa Pacific Saturday, Oct. 18.
Bogh starred for the SOU basketball team from 1993-97 and was the cornerstone of the Shirley Huyett-coached squads that reached the NAIA National Tournament Final Four during the 1996-97 season and fell to Black Hills State 80-79 in the National Semifinal. Bogh was a three-time NAIA All-American selection and was named NAIA District Athlete of the Year following her senior season. On the Cascade Conference level, Bogh earned All-Cascade Conference honors all four years of her career and earned the Conference MVP award as a senior. As of induction, Bogh still holds SOU records for career scoring (1,865), field goals in a game (18), career free throws made (552), free throws made in a game (18), consecutive free throws made (23), career free throw attempts (711) and free throw attempts in a game (19).
Carrier will go down as perhaps Southern’s top female track and field student-athlete. Carrier’s career was highlighted by winning the NAIA National Championship in the Heptathlon. Carrier also earned NAIA All-American honors in the event in 1994 and that same year was named NAIA District Athlete of the Year. During her career, Carrier won NAIA Regional Championships in the Intermediate Hurdles as a senior, the Intermediate Hurdles, High Hurdles and Heptathlon as a junior, and the Intermediate Hurdles as a sophomore. At the conference level, Carrier won the Intermediate Hurdles and the Heptathlon as a junior. Carrier currently holds the SOU record for the High Hurdles (14.59) and the 400 Hurdles (1:01.33).
Bennett competed in both football and track and field from 1959-62. On the football field, Bennett was an All-Conference running back as a junior and senior and also earned All-District honors as a senior. During his senior season in 1962, Bennett led the conference in rushing and touchdowns and set a school record with 12 touchdowns which stood until 1997. In track and field, Bennett set the school record in the 100 with a time of 9.8 and was a solid point contributor to the Raider team.
Dulany wrestled as a Heavyweight at Southern from 1969-73. Dulany finished fifth at the NAIA National Championships as a senior and earned a pair of NAIA District titles in 1972 and 1973. Dulaney also scored an Evergreen Conference title as a senior. Dulany went on to become a successful wrestling coach in Alaska, winning seven State Championships and earning induction into the Alaska Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Keady was a teammate with Dulany on most of those Raider wrestling teams as Keady wrestled from 1969-74. Keady wrestled at both 118 and 126 pounds and finished second at the 1974 NAIA Championships, which was the highest finish ever for a Raider at that point. Keady won NAIA District Championships as a junior and senior, and finished second three times at the Evergreen Conference Championships.
Smith is longtime fixture at SOU and Raider sporting events is being inducted for her meritorious service. Tommie and her husband Stan, who is also a member of the SOU Sports Hall of Fame, were founding members of the Raider Athletic Association - now known as the Raider Club. Smith also was instrumental in many of the inaugural fundraising events for the Raider Club that are fixtures yet today, including the Raider Club Auction and the Lithia/Raider Club Golf Shootout. Smith also developed the Raider Cookbook in the 1990s as a fundraising effort and remains active in the Raider Club.