The Legacy Vault™ | 7.31.2008 at 9:00 AM
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- John Brown University Director of Athletics Robyn Gordon has announced that six individuals and two teams will make up the Golden Eagle Hall of Fame Class of 2008 to be inducted this fall. The list of inductees includes John E. Brown Jr., Sam Starkey, Dr. Ed Renfrow, Mike Castleman '65, Mark Latham '77, Steve Matchell '78, and the 1983 and 1984 men's soccer teams.
Brown, Starkey, and Renfrow will be inducted under the Pioneer category, while Castleman and Matchell will be inducted as Athletes. Latham will be inducted for Meritorious Achievement, and the soccer squads will be inducted in the Team category.
To be nominated, the individuals or teams must have been outstanding athletic performers, outstanding coaches, or friends, whose identification with the athletics program has been unique, and who exemplifies the ideals and standards of John Brown University.
The Class of 2008 will be enshrined during homecoming weekend at a Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Ceremony to be held on Friday, October 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Former JBU president John E. Brown Jr. is arguably one of the most influential figures in JBU athletics. After succeeding his father John E. Brown Sr. as president in 1948, Brown Jr. reinstated varsity athletics in the fall of 1958 with men's basketball, track and cheerleading. Thirty seven years prior, in 1921, varsity athletics was discontinued due to athlete injuries and lack of practice time.
In 1958, Sam Starkey became the first head men's basketball at JBU. In four years as head coach (1958-63), Starkey positioned JBU as one of the premier small college basketball programs. In 1961, Starkey guided JBU to a Council for Advancement of Small Colleges (CASC) National Championship, and a year later as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), he guided the Golden Eagles to the District 17 Playoffs.
As a former JBU cross country coach, professor of health and physical education, and sports information director, Dr. Ed Renfrow has been a vital figure in the success of JBU athletics. His tenure with JBU began in 1981 when he helped reinstate the cross country and track program at JBU. While serving as head coach for the next seven years, Renfrow also taught in the physical education division. After his stint as head coach ended, Renfrow continued teaching in the division while also assuming added responsibilities as sports information director in 2003. At the end of the 2004 school year, Renfrow retired after 23 years of service.
During a successful four year college career (1974-78), Steve Matchell set a standard for men's basketball at JBU. He is only one of two former men's basketball players to score 2,000 points in a career (2,047). He also shares the highest scoring average for a career with 17.8 points per game and still holds the individual program record for field goals and points in a single game, 21 and 47 respectively, both coming against College of the Ozarks (Mo.) during the 1976-77 season.
Mark Latham helped JBU gain success in the water as a swimmer for four years (1973-1977). Despite the discontinuation of the program shortly thereafter, Latham returned in 1984 to help reestablish the men's program and create a new women's program. During that time, he served as head coach for both squads.
A forceful tri-sport athlete (1960-64), Mike Castleman will forever be known as the first player to hit a homerun for JBU, which came during baseball's inaugural season, 1963. Castleman also excelled in track and field while participating in numerous events including long jump, the 100 yard dash and relays. As a member of the basketball team, Castleman helped JBU prosper while playing both the point and shooting guard positions, and almost thirty years after graduating, Castleman returned to JBU to serve as an assistant women's basketball coach during the early 1990's.
Rounding out the group of inductees will be back-to-back National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) men's soccer national championship squads from 1983 amd 1984. In two seasons, led by head coach Bob Gustavson, the teams dominated the competition with a combined two-year record of 22-10-2.
*Update: Due to prior engagements, Roy Engelbrecht '67, originally apart of the Class of 2008, will not be able to attend the induction ceremony and will therefore be inducted at a later time.
