Athletes to Join Hall of Fame

The second 10-member class of the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame will be enshrined on Friday at a gala induction event at Reynolds Coliseum.

The newest members include the late Norm Sloan, who was both a Wolfpack student-athlete and head men’s basketball coach, and 7-foot-2 center Tommy Burleson, both of whom were key components to the Wolfpack’s 1974 ACC and NCAA championship team. They join All-American David Thompson, two-time national player of the year during that same era who was in the inaugural class.

The late Ronnie Shavlik, who helped Hall of Fame coach Everett Case win the first three ACC men’s basketball titles (1954-56), and the late Earle Edwards, the coach who saved the Wolfpack’s football program by winning five ACC titles and oversaw the construction of Carter-Finley Stadium, are the other deceased members inducted in this year’s class.

Two women’s athletes, former NCAA cross country champion Betty Springs Geiger and basketball All-America Andrea Stinson, will be inducted for their career contributions. Geiger was the first woman to ever win an NCAA title, after the organization became the ruling body over women’s sports in 1981 from the AIAW. She repeated her national championship in 1983 and became one of the most decorated distance runners of her generation.

Stinson played for three years under Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow, from 1989-91 and is the program’s only two-time Kodak All-America selection.

Former Major League pitcher Mike Caldwell is the first baseball player to earn induction into the hall, while former national champion wrestler Sylvester Terkay and four-time All-America swimmer Steve Gregg are the first athletes from their sports as well.

At Friday’s ceremony, new plans for the year-long renovation of Reynolds Coliseum, where the Athletic Hall of Fame will eventually be housed, will be unveiled. Plans call for the playing court to be moved to the south end of the 64-year-old building, with the seating capacity being reduced to about 6,000 for women’s basketball.

The renovation is slated to begin in April 2015 and be completed by August 2016. Women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling will be relocated to other venues in the area while construction is ongoing.

“The Reynolds renovation is designed to retain the character of the building, while upgrading the amenities for the fans and student-athletes,” said athletics director Debbie Yow. “A unique feature will be the massive Walk of Fame and History, where our storied history will be proudly displayed in one place for the first time.”