The Central Methodist University Department of Athletics has announced the 2023-24 Hairston Hall of Fame Class. Seven individuals and three teams will be inducted on Saturday.  

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Inman Student & Community Center. Tickets cost $35 and will include lunch and admission to the basketball doubleheader vs. Grand View. They may be purchased at www.centralalumnievents.com.

Inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the men’s game.

The Hairston Hall of Fame was established in 1983 through a gift from William L. Hairston, a 1933 graduate of Central College (now Central Methodist University). The Hall of Fame honors the outstanding accomplishments of CMU athletes, coaches, administrators, and teams and recognizes significant contributions to the University’s athletics programs.  

This year’s individual Hall of Fame Class includes George Derrieux (’62 - Men’s Basketball), John Kurtz (’76 - Baseball/Football), Bill Lankford (’76 - Football/Baseball/Basketball), Lucas Manring (’12 - Track & Field), Holly Wade McMahon (’08 - Women’s Basketball), Rael Rotich (’10 - Volleyball), and David Stoll (’75 - Baseball/Football).

The era of men’s basketball from 1942-45 will also be inducted.

George Derrieux ’62 was a four-year starter on the men’s basketball team from 1958-62. A two-time team captain and team MVP for the Eagles, Derrieux averaged 11 points per game during his career. He saved his best season for last, averaging 17.2 points per game while providing stingy defense against centers that towered over him. 

Derrieux led the Eagles in rebounding during two different seasons and recorded numerous  20-plus rebound games. He was named a unanimous MCAU All-Conference player in his final season in 1961-62. 

Derrieux was also a scholar, as evidenced by his standing on the Dean’s List. He graduated from Central with a Bachelor of Science in education. Upon completing his degree, he embarked on a career spanning 30 years in public education.

John Kurtz ’76 was a two-sport Eagle athlete in football and baseball during the mid-70s. A four-year starter under Head Coach Bill Holmes, Kurtz played four seasons as a wide receiver for the CMC football team. He was part of the 1975 Heart Championship team and was named team MVP. That same season, Kurtz was recognized as an All-District, Heart All-Conference, and NAIA Division II All-American. He finished the year with 743 receiving yards and averaged more than 100 yards receiving per game while playing in just seven games due to injury. 

Additionally, John served as the starting catcher for the baseball team all four seasons under Head Coach Steve Phipps. As a baseball player, he was named First Team All-District and Heart All-Conference. He finished his CMC career batting .370, and administratively, he was President of the Letterman Club in 1975 and 1976. John was a member of the program’s first conference championship team in 1975. 

He graduated from CMC in 1976 with a degree in physical education/health and elementary education. In 2023, he was recognized as a member of the 1970s baseball all-decade team.

Bill Lankford ’76 was a three-sport competitor in football, basketball, and baseball during his time as an Eagle athlete in the mid-70s. A native of New London, Mo., Lankford attended Mark Twain High School. He was a letterman on the hardwood under Head Coach Larry Holley and played baseball under Head Coach Steve Phipps. 

His presence was most felt on the football gridiron. While leading the Eagles to a 6-3-1 overall and a 5-2 mark in the Heart of America Conference in 1973, Lankford earned Heart All-Star honors as a running back, kicker, and return specialist. He was named to the NAIA First Team All-District 16 Offense after leading CMC in scoring with a school record of 107 points, which was good for sixth-best nationally. 

His 107 points included 10 touchdowns, 27 extra points, and seven field goals, highlighted by a school-record 47-yard field goal. As a running back, Lankford carried the ball 132 times for 730 yards, good for 5.5 yards per carry. 

He also caught 17 passes for 278 yards. Aggregately, he generated 1,008 yards of total offense in his sophomore campaign. If that wasn’t enough, he also kicked the game-winning field goal against No. 8 Ottawa with 10 seconds left to secure a 17-14 victory. His versatility was cemented when he registered an NAIA District 16 record nine field goals. 

Lankford was a big part of the 1975 CMC Football Heart Championship campaign, where he led the NAIA in punt returns. His 15 returns garnered 495 yards, including four touchdowns. He graduated from CMC in 1976. 

Lucas Manring ’12 competed for Eagle track & field from 2008-12. The native of Stockton, Mo., excelled as a middle-distance runner, winning seven conference championships. Nationally, he was a six-time NAIA All-American. Manring was the national runner-up in the 800- meter run at the indoor national championships in both 2011 and 2012. Altogether, Manring finished in the top 5 at Nationals on five different occasions. 

At the time of this writing, Lucas continues to hold school records in the indoor 600-meter run (1:21.7), indoor 800-meter run (1:50.2), indoor medley distance relay (10:15.1), and the outdoor 800-meter run (1:49.8). 

Manring’s athletic prowess mirrored his classroom achievement when in 2012 he was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Second Team by CoSIDA during his senior year.

Holly Wade McMahon ’08 played four seasons on the women’s basketball team. A 5-foot-10 forward from Springfield, Mo., Holly appeared in 111 games during a career spanning the years 2004-08. During her senior campaign, she scored 20 or more points on eight different occasions. This included a career-high 26 points against Missouri Baptist on Nov. 13, 2007. 

Named team captain in both her junior and senior seasons, Wade finished her CMU time with 1,275 career points, ranking No. 7 all-time in program history. Holly averaged 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds/game and shot more than 70 percent from the free-throw line in her four seasons leading the Eagles. 

The two-time Heart All-Conference selection also earned multiple honors in the classroom. She was named to the Dean’s List three times and was a Heart Scholar-Athlete in 2008.

Rael Rotich ’10 was a two-year starter for CMU volleyball in 2007 and 2008. An outside hitter from Nairobi, Kenya, Rotich made an immediate impact when she stepped onto the floor as a junior transfer in the fall of 2007. She led the team in kills (384) and was second in total blocks (75). Rael saved her best for last. In her senior campaign, she was named both a 2008 AVCA and NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. Additionally, Rotich was selected to the Midwest Region First Team by the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association and earned Heart First Team All-Conference honors. 

During her senior year alone, she tallied 521 kills and 48 solo blocks, both landing in the top 10 of single-season CMU records. She finished her time at Central with 905 kills, 96 solo blocks, 76 service aces, and a .304 hitting percentage. 

At the time of her induction, Rotich’s name can still be found in the top 10 of seven individual and career statistical categories.

David Stoll ’75 was a two-sport athlete for Central Methodist in the mid-70s. On the football gridiron, the St. Louis, Mo. native was a four-year starting linebacker, earning Heart All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-District honors in 1974. He was also named team captain during his senior year. 

On the baseball diamond, Stoll was a two-time Heart First Team All-Conference selection in 1974 and 1975. He led the team in batting average as a junior, hitting .333 with four doubles, a triple, and four home runs. As a senior, David batted .347 and recorded five doubles, five home runs, and a triple while driving in 27 runs. 

He was a member of the first Conference Championship team in 1975, which would later be inducted into the Hairston Hall of Fame in 2009.

In a remarkable moment, three of his siblings were also inducted with their respective teams that same year, including his sister Kim (1979 volleyball) and brothers John (1975 baseball and 1975 football) and Andy (1975 football). 

A career highlight for David was hitting a walk-off grand slam against William Jewell, which clinched the Eagles’ championship, 7-6. In the spring of 2023, he was named to the CMU Baseball All-70’s Decade team. 

David graduated from Central Methodist with a degree in business administration in 1975. David passed away in 2010 from cancer. His daughter, Tricia Stoll Justus, will accept the award on his behalf. 

The 1942-43 Central men’s basketball team won the first of three consecutive MCAU Conference Championships. Led by Hall of Fame Head Coach Bob Vanatta, the Eagles also participated in the Intercollegiate Tournament, finishing the year with an 11-4 overall record. The team featured two players who earned MCAU All-Star recognition, George Walley (First Team) and team captain Warren Pettigrew (Second Team).

Team members include Coach Bob Vanatta, Melvin L. Block, Louis C. Graue, Warren A. Pettigrew, Bob Morrow, George E. Walley, John B. Hyatt, Bob Holmes, Jim Walley, Carlos D. McCullough, Robert W. Leech, John L. Cannon, Jerry W. Rhodes, Charles B. Baskett, George E. Pilcher, Dick Symmonds, Jessie W. Mothershead, Joe F. Scott, and Charles L. Smith 

The 1943-44 Central men’s basketball team won the Eagles’ second consecutive MCAU Conference Championship, clinching the title with a 49-30 win over rival Westminster College in Fulton. Central finished the year with a 10-0 record. 

Team members include Coach Charles Mills, team captains Tom Phelps and Arnie Saul, Bill Allison, Milt Iverson, Rudy Schilder, Jack Carson, Don Corbitt, Dick McBride, Bill Wasson, Harvey Peterson, Rudy Schilder, Larry Stewart, Bill Vines, and Athletic Director/Professor Keith Anderson.

The 1944-45 Central men’s basketball team posted an undefeated regular season with an 11-0 record, winning a third-straight MCAU Conference Championship. A team represented by players from 14 different states, the Eagles were comprised of V-12 Navy members who attended the college. Central secured two big wins over the Sedalia Army Air Force. The Eagles ended their season with a quarterfinal appearance at the national tournament in Kansas City, posting a 1-1 record at the final site. 

Team members include Coach Chief T.H. Moar, Edward J. Hemsworth, Loren M. McCormick, Richard P. Culberson, Donald O. Corbitt, Henry E. Hatch, Harvey A. Peterson, Wilmer J. Harvey, Charles N. Cooley, Charles E. O’Neal, Frank M. Jacobs, Leo D. Nicholson, Richard E. Johnson, and Martin L. Eddlemon.