By Joel Fuzo / Jambar Contributor
Youngstown State University celebrated the athletic achievements of six alumni Feb. 15, with its Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Kilcawley Center.
Dan Wathen, a 1995 YSU Hall of Fame inductee as an athletic trainer and current chair of the election committee, praised this year’s Hall of Fame class.
“This is a truly special group, every group that comes in the Hall of Fame is that, but today’s bunch is exceptional,” Wathen said.
The first inductee of the event was Casey Crozier, a softball pitcher from 2011-2014. She set the school wins record at 60 and holds the program record in strikeouts with 565. Crozier also holds the second-most shutouts in school history with 16.
Crozier said she was unaware of YSU until she was scouted by Head Coach Brian Campbell.
“I’ve never heard of it until Campbell went to one of my games,” Crozier said. “I just knew as soon as I came on campus that I had this feeling, ‘I’m supposed to be here.’”
Chris Elkins, the second inductee, played center for the YSU football team from 2010-2013. He was a two-time, first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection. Elkins was also named second-team All-American by the Associated Press and third-team honors from The Sports Network in 2013.
Inductee Bobby Grace, an outdoor shot put and discus track athlete from 2010-2014, was a two-time All-American and seven-time Horizon League champion. He finished third in shot put at the 2014 Indoor Track and Field NCAA Championships and 14th at the outdoor championships.
Grace said he was grateful for his time and accomplishments at the university.
“I couldn’t be more proud to be a Penguin. I’m so lucky to have chosen YSU and couldn’t be more grateful,” Grace said.
The induction of track athletes continued with Samantha Hamilton, who competed in distance events for YSU from 2009-2014 and in cross country from 2009-2013. Hamilton is a six-time Horizon League champion and was named the 2014 Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
Ciara Jarrett, a sprinter and long jumper for YSU from 2011-2014, was the 2013-14 YSU Female Student Athlete of the Year. She was also the first YSU athlete to win the same event — the 200-meter dash — four consecutive years in the Horizon League Championships.
The final inductee was Kendrick Perry, a basketball player from 2010-2014. Perry was a three-time first-team All-Horizon League selection and holds the school record for steals with 206. He is the only YSU player to garner All-Horizon League first-team honors three times, and became the 13th player in Horizon League history to earn that achievement.
Perry could not attend the event because he was competing in a semifinal championship game in Spain. His parents accepted the award on his behalf.
For a complete list of YSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductees since 1985 visit ysusports.com.
Editor’s note: All statistical information was obtained from ysusports.com.