DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Embry-Riddle Athletics will induct five individuals into the Daytona Beach Athletics program's sixth Hall of Fame Class. The announcement was made by the ERAU Athletics administration on Friday.
Evans Kirwa (men's cross country/track), Kevin Maloney (baseball), LaSha [Moton] Jean-Louis (volleyball), Ryan Rothrock (men's basketball) and Howard Walls (men's track & field) will formally be inducted at the Hall of Fame Ceremony on January 18, 2019 at 6 p.m.
Evans Kirwa
Men's Cross Country/Track
2009-12
Evans Kirwa was a member of the Embry-Riddle cross country and track and field teams from 2009-12. He remains the most decorated and successful runner in cross country program history, as well as one of the top track athletes Embry-Riddle has ever seen.
In cross country, Kirwa still holds eight of the top ten fastest times in program history, including the top two. He was named NAIA Runner of the Week an NAIA-record six times and is the only person ever to win The Sun Conference Runner of the Year in each of his four years. He was a two-time All-American, finishing 10th in 2009 and sixth in 2011 at the NAIA Championships. Kirwa led the Blue and Gold to four consecutive conference titles and a program-best fifth-place showing at the 2009 NAIA Championships.
As a track athlete, Kirwa currently holds six school records, including the indoor 1000m and 5000m as well as the outdoor mile, 3000m, 5000m, and 10,000m. He was an eight-time NAIA All-American and won The Sun Conference Track Athlete of the Year award in 2010. Kirwa also led the Eagles to four straight Sun Conference titles and the program's highest finish at a national meet, a fifth-place showing at the 2009 NAIA Indoor National Championships.
Kirwa is also a two-time champion of the OUC Half-Marathon and currently runs for the US Army training group in Colorado.
"There has been no better distance runner in the history of Embry-Riddle Cross Country and Track & Field than Evans. Despite all of his talent, Evans carried himself with great humility, living the core value of servant leadership. He always put the team first and worked hard to help the team meet its goals. There is no doubt in my mind that Evans belongs in the Hall of Fame."
Mike Rosolino
Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach (2001-present)
"Evans was a dedicated, goal-oriented teammate. His willingness to work hard was apparent, and there was little that could derail his positive outlook. Even early-morning practices before class could not dull his 'give everything' mentality and positive attitude. His commitment to improving inspired others to improve as well, and I can say without a doubt that he was a large factor behind the team's success."
Nick Gehlsen
Embry-Riddle Cross Country (2006-09)/Track & Field (2007-10)
"Evans was a great influence on the team from the very beginning. I remember his first day at practice, fresh off a plane ride but more than ready to start training with the team. His humbleness was my first impression of him and to my enlightenment that never faded. Evans is the type of athlete that listens to the coaches and does every workout according to plan. His passion for running goes beyond college and he continues to amaze me with his ability."
Flo Vazquez
Embry-Riddle Cross Country (2008-10)/Track & Field (2008-11)
Kevin Maloney
Baseball
2011-13
In the history of NAIA baseball, no one has had a better career winning percentage than Embry-Riddle's Kevin Maloney. The unheralded left-hander came to ERAU barely able to throw a bullpen, but left three years later as one of the most impactful players in the storied program's history.
A native of Dunedin, Florida, Maloney spent the 2011-13 seasons with the Eagles. He earned a spot on the roster as a walk-on and under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Therneau, transformed himself into the winningest pitcher in NAIA history.
Maloney posted an impressive 31-2 (.939) record over his three seasons with the Eagles, including a pair of perfect seasons in 2011 (10-0) and 2012 (9-0), en route to earning NAIA All-American honors as a junior and a senior. In 41 career starts, Maloney posted 27 quality starts with a 2.62 ERA in 264.2 innings. The Blue and Gold hurler became just the fourth Eagle baseball player to earn three All-Conference honors in his career when he completed the feat as a senior. He was also an NAIA Preseason All-American in 2013 and won The Sun Conference Gold Glove award as a sophomore.
Maloney helped lead the Eagles to 144 wins over his three seasons, including a 41-4 (.911) mark in games he appeared in, as well as three straight Sun Conference regular season titles, two Sun Conference tournament crowns and three straight trips to the NAIA World Series, including a third-place showing in his senior campaign.
While with the Embry-Riddle baseball program, Maloney served as a team captain, the Student-Athlete Leadership Team representative, and was a big part of the Big Brothers volunteer program that won Volusia County Volunteers of the Year award.
Maloney graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and earned his Master's degree in Management from ERAU in 2016.
"Kevin was, and still is, the definition of what we want from our student-athletes here at Embry-Riddle. He was not only one of the best pitchers we have ever had, he was also one of the very best teammates. Kevin won nearly 95% of the games in which he made an appearance while at Embry-Riddle, but more important than what he did on the field, it was his effect on his teammates off the mound that I believe made the biggest impact for our program."
Randy Stegall
Head Baseball Coach, Embry-Riddle University (2007-present)
"Kevin's statistics, as we all know, are more than impressive, but to really understand what he did in that Embry-Riddle uniform, you have to know the back story. Kevin emailed me with no place to go, nobody willing to take a chance on him. We brought him in for a bullpen and he could hardly throw the ball because he was in so much pain. We offered him a walk-on spot and even though when he first arrived he could barely throw more than inning at a time, he worked and battled his way into our weekend rotation while working his arm back into shape. Kevin was so appreciative of his opportunity; he nailed every single aspect of being a student-athlete at Embry-Riddle. He represented, and still represented, the baseball program and the university at the highest level."
Dave Therneau
Associate Baseball Head Coach, Stetson University (2016-present)
Pitching Coach, Embry-Riddle University (2007-15)
"Kevin came to Embry-Riddle unsure if he could ever compete in college baseball again, and at an age when most students are a few credits shy of a degree. Always a quiet leader, Kevin worked through months of training and offseason practices to earn a role in our starting rotation. His integrity and punctuality helped hold others accountable, as our top starting pitcher showed up to every class, workout, and practice on time, never taking a day off. The young man who wasn't sure about pitching left ERAU with a win-loss record no NAIA pitcher will likely ever touch.
"Off the field, Kevin also embraced his opportunity to earn an education…he competed in the classroom as hard as he did on the mound, and with a similar demeanor: calm, consistent, and reliable. After earning his Bachelor's degree, Kevin balanced a full-time job and part-time classes to earn his Master's from Embry-Riddle, of which he is supremely proud.
"Kevin continues to be an ambassador of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Embry-Riddle Athletics, taking advantage of every opportunity the school offered him years ago, and paying it forward as a beacon of perseverance and integrity in the professional world."
Adam Cellini
Embry-Riddle Baseball (2011-13)
LaSha [Moton] Jean-Louis
Volleyball
1996-98
Lasha [Moton] Jean-Louis is the second volleyball student-athlete to be inducted into the ERAU Athletics Hall of Fame. Jean-Louis competed for the Eagles from 1996-98 and remains among the career leaders in a number of statistical categories.
In her three years at ERAU, Jean-Louis helped lay the foundation for Embry-Riddle volleyball. She was a three-time first team All-Conference selection and a three-time NAIA All-Southeast Region honoree and at the time she finished her career, she was the program leader in kills, blocks, points, and attack percentage.
Jean-Louis joined the Eagles for the 1996 season and helped lead an impressive turnaround that saw the program improve from a four-win showing in its inaugural 1995 season to a 25-8 mark in 1996. The following season, Jean-Louis racked up 143 blocks, which was a program record at the time and still stands as the third-most blocks in a season in program history, leading ERAU to a 33-6 mark and the program's first-ever appearance in an NAIA Regional. Those 33 wins are also still tied for the most in a single season in Embry-Riddle history. In her senior season of 1998, Jean-Louis became the first Eagle to eclipse the 500-kill mark with 511, currently the third-highest single-season total in program history. Her 1998 season also ranks among the top ten seasons in program history in a number of other categories, including attack percentage (.345, 4th), blocks (138, 4th), and points (605, 3rd). Her efforts that year led Embry-Riddle to a 32-10 record and the program's first-ever Florida Sun Conference Tournament title.
Jean-Louis remains second all-time in program history in attack percentage (.318) and total blocks (362) and sixth in kills (1298) and points (1586). She is also tied for sixth in kills in a single match with 29 at Palm Beach Atlantic on Nov. 7, 1998 and holds two of the top ten single-match records for attack percentage.
Jean-Louis continued her involvement wtih volleyball after graduating from Embry-Riddle, and has served as a volleyball coach in the Dallas area for the past five years.
Jean-Louis has spent eight years as a youth leader working with first-graders at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship and works as a volunteer with her daughter's basketball booster club. She has worked for AllState Insurance Company in Dallas, Texas as part of the Catastrophe Team for the past eight years.
"What can I say about LaSha! Coach Ellen Bible saw a shining star in this young lady from Alabama back in the '90s and I was so very happy she had the foresight to recruit her to Embry-Riddle in 1996. I know Ellen would have been proud of how she was molded by Coach Trina Keeton into one of the most impressive middle blockers in Embry-Riddle history. If I can borrow Coach Ridder's phrase, LaSha has definitely become the "Total Package"! LaSha is now a loving and dedicated wife, mother, and employee for AllState's Catastrophe Team. Her tenacity on the volleyball court was only matched by her smile and joyful heart, so it figures that she is working for a company that helps others in times of need!"
Nina Turchon
Assistant Volleyball Coach (1995-01)
"As an alumnus and former staff member of Embry-Riddle and a friend of the volleyball program, I have known LaSha since the day she arrived on campus. During that time, I watched LaSha grow into an outstanding individual who personified the model of Student-Person-Player that helped put ERAU Volleyball on the map during her playing career. During her career she was a dominant force, but she was an even better person off the court."
Mark Hogan
Embry-Riddle, Class of '93
"LaSha has consistently demonstrated characteristics of an ambassador and leader. She emulated the true student-athlete and always took the opportunity to further both Embry-Riddle and the volleyball program. She displayed attributes of a true competitor who gave her all to her team's success. She encouraged teammates through positive motivation and her infectious optimism. Her exceptional performance, regardless of competition or situation, exhibited her true leadership."
Carrie L. Perez
LTC, LG
Operations Chief, DCS, G-1/ASA (M&RA) Strategic Initiatives Group
Ryan Rothrock
Men's Basketball
1999-02
Ryan Rothrock was the driving force behind the first national championship in Embry-Riddle Athletics history, leading the Eagle men's basketball team to the 2000 NAIA II National Title in his first season with the Blue and Gold en route to one of the best careers in program history.
The Illinois native transferred in to Embry-Riddle from Central Florida Community College and immediately took over the mantle of floor general and team leader. Rothrock helped weather the storm early in the 1999-00 season when the Eagles lost a pivotal player to injury, and was inducted into the ERAU Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the national championship team that reached the pinnacle of NAIA II men's basketball in Branson, Missouri in 2000.
Rothrock had a way of running the Eagle offense and distributing the ball to three future ERAU Athletics Hall of Famers (Kyle Mas – Class of 2011; Harold Pierson – Class of 2013; Jason Cruse – Class of 2015) that allowed the Eagles to have the most successful three-year run in program history with an 87-18 (.829) record.
Rothrock was a two-time first team NAIA All-American, a two-time first team All-Florida Sun Conference selection, the 2002 FSC Player of the Year, a member of the 2000 NAIA National Tournament Team and a 2001 Academic All-Conference honoree.
"Rock" was a do-it-all point guard, amassing 1,347 points (19
th all-time), 660 assists (2
nd all-time), 231 steals (3
rd all-time) and 315 rebounds in just three seasons, all while shooting 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from three (5
th all-time). His career 2.2 steals per game average ranks second in program history, while his career 6.3 assists per game still stands as the program record.
Rothrock graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2002 with a degree in Business Administration.
"Ryan distinguished himself as truly one of the very best in the history of Embry-Riddle basketball during his three-year playing career. His on-the-court accomplishments are very impressive, however, his greatest impact to the outcome of any game was his leadership ability. It would be fair to say that Ryan's level of discipline and his knowledge of how to play the game was off the charts. Nobody could outwork him in the weight room, classroom, in conditioning, or on the court.
"Ryan was the mentally toughest student-athlete to ever wear the Blue and Gold. He was a special leader who cared so much about the team and his teammates. His leadership was impactful because he led by example. He built a level of trust with everyone who came into contact with him and especially for those who had the honor and privilege to play with home or coach him."
Steve Ridder
Head Men's Basketball Coach (1988-present)
"Two words sum up why 'Rock' had the career he did: NO EGO. He came into an already successful program and made it measurably better. His attitude and work ethic infected the entire team immediately. He was clearly the best player on the court most nights…he dominated the game by setting everyone else up where they could shine. It was never about stats to Rock, it was about winning."
Kyle Mas
Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball (1997-01)
Embry-Riddle Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2011
"During my tenure as Sports Information Director for the Eagles, several athletes distinguished themselves as leaders both on and off the field of play, but few rose to the level of Ryan "Rock" Rothrock. Ryan's quiet and gentle demeanor off the court stood in fierce opposition to his amazing skill and leadership on it, and it the latter that I believe has earned him the right to be acknowledges as one of the best in the history of Embry-Riddle Athletics."
Dwayne Leach
Embry-Riddle Sports Information Director (2000-03)
Howard Walls
Men's Track & Field
2006-10
Howard Walls competed for ERAU's track and field team from 2006-10 and graduated from the program as the most successful and decorated hurdler in Eagle history.
In his freshman campaign, Walls became the first ERAU Men's Track and Field student-athlete to earn All-America honors with his fifth-place finish in the 60m hurdles at the NAIA Indoor National Championships. He repeated as an All-American in that event in 2008 and 2009, setting the ERAU record of 8.08 in a third-place finish in his senior year.
Walls also achieved All-America status in the 110m hurdles after finishing fifth at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships in 2010. He set a school record in the 110m hurdles of 14.11 in 2008 and that mark still stands as an Embry-Riddle best.
Selected as team captain, Walls led the Blue and Gold to its first conference championship and led the Eagles to four conference titles overall in his career.
After exhausting his eligibility, Walls remained involved with the ERAU Track & Field program as a graduate assistant coach, working primarily with the hurdlers. He helped Breanna Goring, Alex Dori and Crystal Bardge hit national championship qualifying marks, and played a role in Bardge winning national titles in both the indoor 60m hurdles and the 100m outdoor hurdles.
Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Walls earned his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Science in 2010 and completed his masters degree in Aviation in 2012. Tragically, Walls died in a motorcycle accident in March 2018. He was the Director of Quality, Compliance and Safety-Stations at Allegiant Airlines at the time of his passing.
"We all knew 'H-Dub' as a lovable, fun-loving, hard-working, dedicated friend and teammate. I could write a book about all that Howard has meant to me and to the program. He was one of the fathers of our program and the very first All-American in our track and field program's history. He raised our program and everyone around him to a new level. We will certainly miss Howard and his smile. I have never known anyone who had a negative thing to say about 'H-Dub'. He will always be remembered in our program.
"Howard was not just a great athlete. He was a leader and a great student, but an even better person. Howard's impact on the program can still be felt today. His success early in his career changed the culture of the team. It set a precedent and the team subsequently believed that it was possible to be successful at the highest level. He became a father figure and role model on the team. Others wanted to be like him, so they emulated his work ethic, attention to detail, mental focus and competitive drive. These key core values have been passed on from each generation to generation of athletes to the next. It was Howard's influence that caused this. That is why I believe Howard is the cornerstone on which our program was build."
Mike Rosolino
Embry-Riddle Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach (2001-present)
"Howard was known to perfect his technique and strength on the track, staying after practice to train, watch videos of himself and other athletes, tireless working with coaches and teammates to shave that one tenth of a second. His preparation and focus on race day was unmatched by any track athlete at Embry-Riddle. He gained respect from his competitors because of his speed and championships. He gained respect from his teammates because he would always step up when others went down. Howard would volunteer for relays or events that were outside of the events he trained to help the team compete. It was tough but he would always compete with a smile on his face. With his championships and his effect on the character, development and future of the ERAU cross country and track and field teams, he is greatly deserving of Hall of Fame recognition.
Drew Moses
Embry-Riddle Track & Field (2005-08)
"In the classroom and on the track, Howard demonstrated the five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership and put them into play at all times. Howard has set a great example for the students and athletes who come behind him."
Owenhegie Omoregie
Embry-Riddle Track & Field (2005-09)
"Howard was a true student, person and player. Not only was he a ferocious competitor during practice, he trained everyday like it was his last and took every practice to heart. Not only would he train hard; he would make sure that others trained hard as well. He always supported and respected every event in track and field like it was his own.
"As his friend, I can't describe the magnitude of how he treated others. Howard would open his home to those in need, giving advice on countless issues and always supporting anyone who needed it. Howard is by my definition a hero. He was someone you could always count on, lean on and go to. He took his studies very seriously. He was a superior student and showed that you could be a great athlete and student at the same time."
Reta Woodard
Embry-Riddle Women's Track & Field (2010-14)
