Big South Inducts 2007 Hall of Fame Class
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The Big South Conference inducted three former student-athletes, one former head coach and one former administrator into its fifth Hall of Fame class Thursday night, May 31, during a ceremony as part of the League’s annual Spring Meetings and Hall of Fame & Awards Dinner at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The induction increases the Big South’s Hall of Fame membership to 30 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
The new class consists of Radford’s Dr. Donald Dedmon (administration), Winthrop's Horace Turbeville (baseball), Liberty's Ryan Werner (track & field) and Coastal Carolina's Robert Dowdell (basketball) and Sherry Johnson (softball). The 2007 Hall of Fame class was first announced on March 22.
Ryan Werner, Liberty, Track & Field (1992-96)
Liberty’s first Big South Hall of Fame inductee, Werner was Liberty’s first three-time NCAA Division I All-American (1994-95-96). He placed ninth in the decathlon at the 1994 NCAA National Championships, fourth in the event at the 1995 NCAA National Championships and eighth in the decathlon in the 1996 NCAA National Championships. Werner also was the first Liberty athlete to win an IC4A title, winning the 1992 decathlon as a freshman. He won the IC4A decathlon title four times (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996), won the IC4A pole vault as a senior and also won the Penn Relays decathlon in 1995. Werner was honored with the Liberty University Rock Royer Award as a senior, given annually to Liberty’s top student-athlete. He still holds the Liberty school decathlon record and the Big South Conference season record with 7,662 points in 1995 (the Big South did not offer the decathlon as a Conference championship event until the 2001 season). Werner was named to the United States Track Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 1994 and 1996. Werner helped Liberty to its first three Conference championships in outdoor track & field. In Big South competition, he was second in the 110-meter hurdles, third in 200 meters and fourth in 100 meters in 1993. He also was second in javelin, third in pole vault, fifth in 400 meters, fifth in hammer, seventh in 110-meters and seventh in the discus in 1994. Werner was Conference champion in the javelin and pole vault in 1995, as well as the Big South Track Champion high scorer with 41 points in 1996. In addition, he was Conference champion in the javelin, second in pole vault, third in discus, third in shot put, third in 400-meter, fifth in hammer, eighth in long jump in 1996. Werner has worked as an assistant track & field coach at Coastal Carolina and is currently a fireman and EMT in the Myrtle Beach area.
Sherry Johnson, Coastal Carolina, Softball (1992-95)
Johnson ended her career as the NCAA career leader with 76 doubles (currently fourth in history) and finished her career ranked in the top 10 in NCAA history in runs batted in (third – 194), home runs (sixth – 31) and slugging percentage (fifth - .667). She set Coastal Carolina school records for career games played (230), at-bats (697), doubles (76), triples (19), home runs (31), runs batted in (194) and putouts (1,567). She was named NCAA All-South Region in 1994 and 1995 as well as Big South All-Conference those seasons as well. Johnson is currently General Manager of Burroughs and Chapin’s Entertainment Golf Division in South Carolina.
Robert Dowdell, Coastal Carolina, Men’s Basketball Player (1987-91)
Dowdell was Coastal’s point guard from 1987-91 and finished his career as CCU’s all-time assist leader with 561, which is second all-time in Big South history. He helped the Chanticleers to their best four-year record ever with 78 wins during that period (78-39, =.667 winning percentage). Dowdell was a member of two Big South Tournament team championships and three regular-season crowns, as the Chants posted a 42-8 Big South record during his four years (.840 winning percentage). In 1990-91, he led the Chants to a school-record 24 wins and first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Dowdell earned First-team All-Conference honors in 1990 and 1991, as well as All-Tournament honors both years. He ranks 46th all-time in Big South history in scoring with 1,202 points, as well as sixth all-time in free throws made (404), 11th in free throw attempts (523), ninth in free throw percentage (.772), third in career assists per game (4.88), second all-time in steals (239) and second in steals per game (2.08).
Horace Turbeville, Winthrop, Baseball Coach (1978-91)
Turbeville was Winthrop’s first baseball coach from 1978-91, posting a career record of 373-157-1 (.703 winning percentage) at the helm of the Eagles. He guided the team to the NAIA College World Series, finishing national runner-up, as well as capturing the Big South’s first-ever baseball Conference Tournament championship in 1985. Turbeville was the 1991 Big South Coach of the Year and posted a 152-101 ( =.601) record in seven seasons when baseball began as a sponsored Big South sport in 1985. He was 571-285-1 (.667) during his 32-year baseball coaching career, and was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also inducted into the York County (S.C.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, as well as the Newberry College Hall of Fame in 1995. Turbeville was named the South Carolina College Baseball Coach of the Year in 1972 and was a finalist for the 1980 NAIA National Baseball Coach of the Year. In addition, he was inducted into the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004. Turbeville passed away this past January.
Dr. Donald Newton Dedmon, Big South Conference, President (1986-92); Radford, President (1972-94)
One of the Big South Conference's founding fathers and past presidents, Dr. Donald N. Dedmon took office on March 20, 1972, as Radford's fourth president. During Dr. Dedmon's administration, Radford College grew in stature and size to a comprehensive, coeducational institution. The fall 1972 semester academic year marked the first time that men were admitted for the full academic year rather than just for summer school as had been the practice in the school's first years in operation. In 1979, Radford was granted university status by the Virginia General Assembly, resulting in the school's fifth name change to Radford University. In celebration of the Scotch-Irish heritage of Southwest Virginia, the "Highlander" was also adopted in the 1970s as the nickname for the athletic teams. In keeping with the Scotch-Irish theme, the school colors were changed from the original purple and gray to the tartan plaid colors of red, white, blue and green. The school newspaper was renamed The Tartan and the literary magazine adopted the name Gaelic. The annual remained The Beehive. Growth continued at a rapid pace through the 1980s with over 9,000 students attending RU per year by the end of the decade. The look and size of the campus also continued to evolve with the construction of a state-of-the-art sports complex named for Dr. Dedmon. The Dedmon Center was one of the first buildings designed with an inflated, air-supported roof, similar to that of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The location of the Dedmon Center was also a change for the campus, as new properties adjacent to the New River were acquired from the railroad. Dr. Dedmon served as Big South President from May 1986-92, and his tenure included the Big South becoming a full-fledged member of NCAA Division I in September 1986, as well as the Big South having its first participants in NCAA postseason in men’s and women’s basketball. Dr. Dedmon received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Communications from the University of Iowa. Prior to coming to Radford, Dr. Dedmon served as a professor at Colorado State University and executive vice president and acting president of Marshall University. Dr. Dedmon passed away in 1998.