MONTEVALLO, Ala. - On Friday, Feb. 10, the University of Montevallo Athletics Department inducted its 2023 Hall of Fame Class at the university's Center for Performing Arts. The 29^th Montevallo Hall of Fame Class consists of six inductees: Dr. Cheyenne Thompson, Elaine Wood, Robert Blake, Phillip Agricola, Hon. Todd Strange and the 1971-72 men's basketball team.

With the addition of the 2023 Hall of Fame class, the UM Hall of Fame grows to 135 individual members and seven teams. This year's class features the first-ever Women's Track and Field inductee and just the second women's golf inductee.
 
"The 11-member Montevallo Athletics Hall of Fame Committee has done a fine job selecting some of the best student-athletes and pioneers throughout Montevallo Athletics' rich history," said Director of Athletics Mark Richard. "This year's class joins an elite group of Montevallo Hall of Famers that now includes 135 members and seven teams."
 
"This year's class features several firsts and trailblazers in Montevallo Athletics. Women's track and field has received its first Hall of Famer while just the second women's golfer has been inducted," added Richard. "Going back to the early years, even before Montevallo earned its current name, the remaining of these inductees helped lay the groundwork for what Montevallo Athletics is today – including the first team to win a championship."
 
 
2023 HALL OF FAME CLASS

Dr. Cheyenne Thompson       Women's Cross Country/Track and Field


 
Cheyenne Thompson was a four-year member of the cross country and track and field programs at the University of Montevallo. A Chelsea, Alabama, native, Thompson earned a plethora of honors while at UM including being named the Peach Belt Conference Track Athlete of the Year in 2015 and 2017, and a four-time selection to the PBC All-Conference Team. She was named to the USTFCCA NCAA Division-II All-Southeast Region team four times and named to the COSIDA Academic All-District team three years in a row. Thompson earned the athletic department's Margaret Blalock Award twice as the top female student-athlete. Thompson not only excelled on the track and the course but in the classroom as well. She was named a PBC Gold Scholar and to the PBC All-Academic Team four times in addition to being named the PBC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2017. She earned a COSIDA Academic All-American selection in 2015 and earned UM's Jan Eagles Award in 2017, awarded to the Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was named to the President's List during all four years of her collegiate career and was named Chemistry Senior Elite in 2016. She also earned the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award in 2016, was an Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete of the Year runner-up, D2CCA Southeast Region Scholar-Athlete of the Year and an NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist. During her time at Montevallo, Thompson helped the women's cross country team to three-consecutive PBC Titles and three-consecutive NCAA Southeast Regional Championships. Thompson competed at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Nationals during all four years. Thompson graduated with a degree in chemistry in 2017.
 
Elaine Wood                 Women's Golf


 
Elaine Wood was a four-year member of the women's golf team at the University of Montevallo. After coming to UM from Spanish Fort, Alabama. Wood quickly made a name for herself by winning the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year award in 2014. Throughout her career, Wood was named to the PBC All-Conference First Team four times and was a two-time NCAA First Team All-American. In addition, she was a two-time selection to the WGCA Southeast All-Region Team. In 2014-15, Wood was named a WGCA Second Team All-American. In the classroom, Wood excelled and was named to the PBC Presidential Honor Roll. She earned the department's Margaret Blalock award in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She earned four individual tournament wins during her career and posted a third-place finish at the PBC Championships in 2016. After tying for fifth at the NCAA Division II South Super Region Championships in 2016, Wood went on to represent the Falcons as an individual in the National Championship, finishing 15th overall. Outside of Montevallo, Wood has earned four amateur titles, three state amateur wins and four professional wins.
 
Robert Blake       Men's Golf


 
Robert Blake was a four-year member of the men's golf team between 1961-64 when Montevallo was named Alabama College. From Buffalo, New York, Blake graduated in 1965 from Alabama College and joined the golf team in September of 1960 which was formed earlier that year by Dr. Chester Palmer. Blake became the first student-athlete to letter in golf for four years. He served as the golf team captain in 1963 and 1964 and was the 1964 Alabama Collegiate Conference Individual Champion with a low score of 138 for 36 holes. Additionally, Blake earned All-Conference honors in 1964 and helped form Alabama College into a competitive golf program, laying the foundation for golf at the University of Montevallo.
 
Phillip Agricola    Baseball


 
Phillip Agricola graduated from Alabama College in 1966 with a degree in physical education and was the first athlete from Alabama College/Montevallo to be drafted by a professional team. Shortly after graduation in 1966, Agricola was drafted to Major League Baseball by the Boston Red Sox. He was a four-year letterman at Montevallo from 1962-1966. During his time on the baseball team, Agricola served as team captain, was named the team MVP in 1965 and was selected to the Alabama Collegiate Conference All-Conference First Team in 1964. Agricola came to Alabama College in 1961 as part of the first wave of male students and helped lay the foundation for the modern athletics program. In a game against Southern Union on May 5, 1962, Agricola drove in eight runs, a mark that is second all-time in today's record book. Across campus, Agricola was instrumental in forming social clubs that would later turn into the fraternity system at Montevallo. He specifically helped with the formation of, and was a member of the A Club, a social club for athletes, and the Delta Social Club. Col. John W. Schmidt, class of 1969, said, "Phillip was blessed with natural athleticism, he trained hard and his baseball feats were legendary. For example, he once threw a baseball over the water tower in front of Ramsey Hall." While playing baseball, Agricola served in the Birmingham Unit of the United States Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam era. After a brief stint in the pros, Agricola was hired as the first full-time assistant coach at Livingston University under Montevallo Hall of Fame Coach Bob Riesener and earned his master's in education in 1967. Following his collegiate coaching career, Agricola went on to teach and coach football at Columbiana High School from 1967-1968. Agricola passed away from a tragic canoeing incident in the fall of 1968.
 
 
 
 
Hon. Todd Strange                 Meritorious Service


 
Hon. Todd Strange was elected the 56th mayor of the city of Montgomery on March 10, 2009, and was sworn in on March 23, 2009. Strange graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama, and received a bachelors degree in political science from the University of Montevallo. Prior to becoming mayor, Strange served as chairman of the Montgomery (Alabama) County Commission for nearly five years. He also served as the former president, CEO and co-owner of Blount Strange Automotive Group where he managed hundreds of employees. As former director of the Alabama Department of Commerce, Strange collaborated in efforts that brought major industries to Alabama, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing in Montgomery. He also served as former senior vice president of administration, Blount International, Ltds., former president and CEO, Blount Development Corporation, and in several management roles with South Central Bell Company. Strange's extensive involvement in the community includes former chairman of the Capital City Club, former chair of Leadership Alabama and continues to serve on the Board and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the University of Montevallo. Strange was also the former chairman of the University of Montevallo National Alumni Association, former president and campaign chairman for Montgomery Area United Way, former chairman of the Board of Directors for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, Committee of 100, former president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Foundation, former chairman of the Montgomery's Riverfront Development Committee, and former President of Montgomery Kiwanis Club and Alabama National Fair. He also serves on the executive committee for the Alabama League of Municipalities. Strange has received numerous awards and honors for his visionary and progressive leadership. His awards include Business and Professional Women Boss of the Year, March of Dimes' River Region Citizen of the Year, AUM Outstanding Community Leader Award, Time Magazine's Quality Dealer Award for Alabama, an Alabama Director of the National Automobile Dealers' Association, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services 2016 Public Service Award, Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Award, Alabama State Council on the Arts' Legacy Award, Alabama Library Association Public Servant Award, River Region Maury D. Smith Award for Excellence in Professional Ethics and Montgomery Zoological Society's Golden Egg Award. While attending Montevallo, Strange was part of the golf team. Additionally, he is chair of the Board of Trustees which has approved major growth in facilities and sports at Montevallo over the past 10 years.
 
 
 
 
1971-72 Men's Basketball


 
The 1971-72 men's basketball team became the first team in program history to win a conference championship after winning the Alabama Collegiate Conference Championship in 1972 and was the first team to win a championship in any sport at Montevallo. The team finished with a 19-9 record under Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Jones. The team featured Eddie McCarter, Dale Hughey, Eddie Freeze, Bobby McCormack, David Conway, James Newman, Mike Newell, Willie Cash, trainer Mike Sellers, manager Robby Tibbs and current Hall of Fame members Ott Knight, Gene Meadows, Billy Cannon, Owen Butts, Gerald Douglass and Charles Averhart, along with assistant coach James Hobbs.