HALL OF FAME PAGE

WESTERVILLE – The 16th Otterbein University Athletics Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted during a ceremony at The Point in Westerville on Friday, Oct. 25. Five individuals comprise the class of 2024, including Laura (Basford) Cheyney, Austin Curbow, Jack Rafferty, Julie (Stroyne) Nixon and Bobby Weinberg.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. with opening remarks from master of ceremonies Adam Prescott, Athletic Director Dr. Greg Lott and President Dr. John Comerford. Otterbein Athletics is providing a live stream of the event here.

The event will proceed with a buffet dinner followed by the official induction ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, the inductees will be introduced to the public during halftime of the rivalry football game between Otterbein and Capital, which begins at noon.

Read more about each member of the Hall of Fame class of 2024 below.

• Laura (Basford) Cheyney – softball, class of 2014
   
  • A star outfielder, Basford turned in the most decorated career of any Otterbein softball player at the time of her graduation. The dynamic leadoff hitter broke 19 school records across four years, even more impressive considering she missed part of her junior season due to injury. Basford helped lead the program to its first-ever OAC Tournament in 2012 and went on to become the 2014 OAC Player of the Year (another first for the Cardinals). Additionally, she was the first softball player to ever receive All-American honors both on the field and in the classroom.
     
• Austin Curbow - track and field, class of 2012
   
  • A three-time All-American and five-time national qualifier, Curbow blossomed into a dominant hurdler for the Cardinals and hit the podium all three times at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The Gahanna native was a seven-time OAC champion and set school records in both the 55- and 60-meter hurdles, with the latter also good enough for a conference record. Curbow remained at Otterbein after graduation to serve as a valuable assistant coach for multiple years, recruiting and coaching more future All-Americans.
     
• Jack Rafferty – football, class of 2008/2011
   
  • This dual-threat quarterback returned to Central Ohio after beginning his college career at Western Kentucky, eventually leading Otterbein to its first/only appearance in the NCAA Playoffs during the 2008 season where he was responsible for six touchdowns in the opening round. Rafferty sparked the Cardinals to a 9-2 record that fall and was a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, presented to the top all-around player in Division III. The two-time All-OAC performer finished his run with 4,424 yards of total offense in just 23 games (18 starts) behind center.
     
• Julie (Stroyne) Nixon – women's tennis, class of 2014
   
  • One of the finest players in conference history to ever hold a racquet, this Pennsylvania native blossomed into a four-time OAC Player of the Year and finished a perfect 31-0 against the league. Her individual efforts also sparked a key uptick for the team/program as a whole, as the Cardinals snapped a decade-long drought between OAC championships with a stellar 2013-14 campaign. That team finished with a 20-3 overall record and battled Trinity (Tex.) admirably in the NCAA Championships in Virginia.
     
• Bobby Weinberg - men's soccer, class of 2002/2004
   
  • A dynamic talent, Weinberg became a decorated center midfielder for a program gaining national momentum. He was part of three OAC Tournament Championships as a player, morphing in a three-time all-conference standout before earning OAC Midfielder of the Year, first team All-Mideast Region and second team All-American as a senior in 2001. His teams went a combined 65-16-1 and reached as high as fifth in the national poll along the way. Weinberg then stayed around as a graduate assistant coach shortly thereafter and helped the Cards secure two more OAC crowns, including the stellar 2002 season that ended in the national championship match.

Expanded bios on each inductee, along with more content from Friday's ceremony, will be posted at a later date.