DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle Athletics administration announced the 2025 Hall of Fame Class on Friday. The Eagles' eighth Hall of Fame roster features three individuals from three different sport programs and boasts multiple team and individual conference championships and All-America honors.
The 2025 Hall of Fame class includes Michael Pyle (men's basketball), Tova Torstensson (women's soccer) and Daniel Whelan (men's soccer).
Details regarding the induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.
Michael Pyle donned the Blue & Gold for the men's basketball team from 2004-06, piecing together one of the more impressive stints at Embry-Riddle. Pyle is one of 34 Eagles to reach the 1,000-point plateau, doing so in just two seasons. He was highly regarded within the program as well, being named team captain for the electric 31-3 2006 squad that was ranked No. 1 in the nation at one point.
Now helping to lead local Brown & Brown Insurance, Pyle led the Eagles to a 57-11 record over his two seasons, garnering All-America status twice, along with being named the 2005 Sun Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2005 and Player of the Year in 2006. Along with his 1,060 points, Pyle finished ranked in the top-10 in ERAU career field goal percentage (57%) and rebounding average (8.0 rpg), and put together an impressive 22 career double-doubles.
Pyle graduated from ERAU in 2006, and along with his senior vice president role at Brown & Brown, is still very active in the local community. He spearheaded the Volusia County Bourbon Society, which has donated more than $100,000 to local charities in the area.
"I believe, very strongly, that Michael Pyle has separated himself as just one of our many great players. Having coached for 44 years in collegiate basketball, and fortunate for 36 years at ERAU – very seldom do you have a player who is truly the very top player in the conference – Player of the Year, First Team All-American, win a conference regular season and tournament championships, and lead your team to be the No. 1 ranked team in the entire country. To me, these accomplishments are, without a doubt, Hall of Fame-induction level."
Steve Ridder
Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball Head Coach, 1989-Present
"Mike recognized the importance of being part of a program bigger than himself and was willing to sacrifice individual accolades for team success. As a newcomer (in 2005), Mike was thrust into a leadership role during the season, then became an established leader. What makes a Hall of Famer from the basketball program is someone who not only leads his team in statistical categories, but leads his team to wins."
Austin Brownlee
Embry-Riddle Men's Basketball, 1995-99
"Since Michael graduated with a degree in Business Administration, I followed his success in business and in the community. I saw that Michael translated his aggressive and positive style of competition in the business world to achieve success. This is a characteristic of ERAU athletes who obtain their degrees and apply them to their chosen careers. It is always a formula for success. Michael is also a "family man," and this is also an important consideration, in that this demonstrates that he is grounded in the tradition of commitment to providing for his wife, Stacy, and their children."
Chris Bonner
Embry-Riddle Associate Professor
"Michael exemplified the values of a true team player. Though statistics on taking charges aren't officially recorded, his willingness to put the team first was evident in every game. He was selfless, often passing up personal glory for the team's success, aligning perfectly with why he chose Embry-Riddle: pursuing a national championship and top-quality education."
Jamie Joss
Florida Tech Director of Athletics
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Tova Torstensson was a standout four-year student-athlete for the Embry-Riddle women's soccer team. The Stockholm, Sweden native came to Embry-Riddle in the fall of 2010 and immediately secured a spot in the starting lineup, anchoring the Eagles' back line. By the end of her career, she had started in each of her 86 games played and is Embry-Riddle's all-time leader in minutes played (6,962).
Torstensson was part of the group that helped Embry-Riddle women's soccer achieve national prominence in the NAIA ranks. During her time with the Eagles, Embry-Riddle made four NAIA National Tournament appearances, including three consecutive trips to the national quarterfinals. In addition, the Blue and Gold won The Sun Conference regular season title in 2010 and 2011 and the Sun Conference tournament championship in 2012.
While her position isn't one known for filling up a stat sheet, Torstensson's presence on the back line helped the Eagles to some impressive team numbers, such as 41 shutouts in her four years, including 12 in 2013. She also made her presence felt on the offensive end of the field, capping her career with 16 points on three goals and 10 assists.
Torstensson holds the distinction of being the only Embry-Riddle women's soccer player to earn NAIA All-America honors four times. She was a first team selection in 2010, a second team honoree in 2011 and was named to the third team in 2012 and 2013. Torstensson was also a four-time first team All-Conference selection.
Selected team captain as a sophomore, Torstensson retained that title throughout the remainder of her career, leading the Eagles on and off the field. A 2013 CoSIDA (now College Sports Communicators) Academic All-District selection with a 3.48 GPA in pursuit of her undergraduate degree in Business Administration, she was also a tutor for accounting and finance in Embry-Riddle's College of Business.
Since graduating from Embry-Riddle, Torstensson has worked in the finance department at QR Cargo-Qatar Airways, as a regional controller for H&M Home, and is now the CFO at Björk & Berries in Stockholm.
"I've often credited her class with being the catalyst for the nationally-relevant trajectory of our women's soccer program at Embry-Riddle. And, there's no doubt Tova played an essential role in this growth. She was our bedrock! We built our title-contending program around her. In 24 years of college coaching, she has been the most complete all-around leader I've ever coached. She checked every box! Known for her competitive fire, superhuman consistency, and empowering leadership, Tova affected every facet of our program. She modeled standards of fitness, held the team accountable on/off the field, pushed the coaching staff to bring our best, and executed that same level of performance in the classroom. It is only fitting that we honor her with this induction as I feel confident saying our ERAU women's soccer program would not be where it is today without her."
Samantha Bohon
Embry-Riddle Women's Soccer Head Coach, 2007-21
"It isn't just on the field that Tova impacted the campus at Embry Riddle. Academically, she was known for her success in the classroom and for the way she interacted with professors and classmates. A Dean's List student, Tova helped tutor fellow students within the Business department and gained a reputation for being someone who would always be on hand to help others. She was instrumental in helping maintain team standards in the classroom as she made sure to teach the incoming players the expectations of being a women's soccer player and how to uphold the values of the overall student, person, player package. Off the field, Tova was high energy person. She was very popular amongst the players and staff and just a great person to have around. One of my favorite traits of Tova's is the fact she is a highly positive individual. Even when times were difficult for herself and her teammates, she always did her best to remain positive and create a good atmosphere for everyone. She remains a popular individual within the alumni group and that is testament to the career that she had and the friendships that she made during her time here at Embry Riddle."
Liam McIlhatton
Embry-Riddle Women's Soccer Assistant Coach, 2010-21
Embry-Riddle Women's Soccer Head Coach, 2022-Present
"I had the pleasure of starting my journey at Embry-Riddle in 2010 alongside Tova, as I was a junior transfer, and she was a freshman. Tova demanded immediate attention amongst her teammates and not just for her bright red hair, that gave her the nickname Lava Girl, but rather for her energetic personality, grit on the field and determination on and off the field to give everything she had to the success of the team. She was noticed by other Conference coaches and was elected to the first team All-Conference team as a freshman and kept her seat on that selection team all four years."
Bjorg Olafs
Embry-Riddle Women's Soccer, 2010-11
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Daniel Whelan was a standout midfielder for Embry-Riddle men's soccer from 2003-06. The program endured one of its most successful stretches while Whelan was on the pitch as he helped the to Eagles four-straight Florida Sun Conference championships, three-consecutive regional titles, and four trips to the NAIA National Tournament.
Over four years, Whelan competed in 74 contests, making 72 starts. Whelan produced 102 points, becoming just the fourth member of the program's 100-point club at the time. That total includes 28 goals and 46 assists, which rank second on the program's all-time list.
His outstanding production led to Whelan receiving All-American honors on three occasions. He was also a three-time All-Region selection and earned All-Conference honors in each of his four seasons. Academically, Whelan was named to the Academic All-District team in 2005.
Whelan's most notable season occurred in 2005 when he was named the NAIA Region XIV and Florida Sun Conference Player of the Year. Whelan was the only Eagle to start all 19 matches and led the squad with a team-high 41 points and 17 assists. Then in 2006, Whelan assisted the Eagles in reaching the top spot in the national poll for the first and only time in program history.
Whelan graduated from Embry-Riddle with a degree in Business in 2007 and is in his 11th season as the head coach of the University of Mobile's men's soccer program. While with the Rams, Whelan has amassed an overall record of 145-43-15, has led the program to six regular season conference championships and as many appearances in the NAIA National Tournament. He has been named the Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on four occasions.
"Daniel is very humble and was always there if anyone needed help or advice. The big quality he had was that he was able to read his teammates and decide what type of feedback they needed, whether it was an arm around the shoulder or a sterner conversation. 'Bestie' is a true leader, and this was shown in 2005 when he was voted team captain."
Liam McIlhatton
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer, 2003-06
Embry-Riddle Women's Soccer Head Coach, 2022-Present
"Daniel has all the traits of being successful in all that he does. He is very hard working,
determined, and laser focused. But above all, he is a fantastic person. He fills the room with energy and humor and people gravitate towards his personality."
John Haworth
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer (1997-01)
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer Assistant Coach, 2002-04, 2008-21
"As a coach, I noticed the admiration he had for his teammates and how he adopted traits of others in his own life. Daniel is someone who never lets you down. He is reliable, honest, sees the best in people, and makes himself available when you need him most."
Philip Jones
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer, 1999-02
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer Assistant Coach, 2004-07
"Daniel has always been someone that people want to be around and trust that he is going to be honest, fair and driven. He was that way as a player and has taken that in his career as head coach at the University of Mobile."
Paul Buckley
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer, 2000-03
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer Assistant Coach, 2005-06
"The base of Daniel's personality is intrinsic motivation. He is achievement oriented and driven to succeed. There is that fire in his personality that allows him to be a self-starter. No
one has to tell him the importance of effective performance or admonish him to work. He does not climb the mountain for fortune or fame; he climbs because it is there to be climbed. The rewards are ancillary to the accomplishment itself. Daniel is a man of character and integrity. He holds the highest moral standards and does the right
thing for the right reason. I would trust Daniel in any situation to uphold the highest standards of personal conduct and demeanor."
David Gregson
Embry-Riddle Men's Soccer Head Coach, 1994-Present
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