COLUMBUS - Capital University will recognize seven with athletics awards including four new members of the Capital University Athletics Hall of Fame at a dinner following the first home football game of the fall on September 19.
The new inductees to the CU Athletics Hall of Fame are Scott Baxter '91 (basketball), Dave Grube (men's basketball coach), Don Forsyth '55 (basketball) and Ken Weixel '80 (golf). In addition, 2008 inductee Kristin Long Clement '97 (basketball) will be honored after missing last year's ceremony following the birth of one of her children.
In addition, Capital University will recognize Merle Dutt '62 as the 2009 recipient of the Hugo Wenzel Award of Merit. Rising Capital University senior Joel Eversole will be 2009 Berea Boots Award winner.
Baxter played in 104 games on the hardwood for Capital making 90 starts. He scored 1,302 career points, which ranked sixth in school history at the end of his playing career in 1991. Baxter was perhaps the most efficient player in Crusader basketball history with school records for field-goal percentage in a single game (1.000, 9-9), season (.726, 164-226) and career (.646, 505-782). His mark of 72.6 percent shooting from the field during his senior season of 1990-1991 led all of NCAA Division III. He was an All-OAC First Team and OAC All-Academic Team pick in 1991. Baxter also won Capital's Gene Mechling Team Most Valuable Player award in 1991 and the Kneel Costello Most Improved Player award in 1989.
Grube spent 10 years on Capital's campus including the final eight as head coach of the Crusader men's basketball program. He led CU to three-straight 20-win seasons that resulted in berths to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 1982, 1983 and 1984. His 1982 squad was the first in school history to advance to the National Quarterfinals while his 1983 and 1984 clubs won the OAC Regular Season Championship with the 1984 team also taking home the OAC Tournament crown. The 1983 and 1984 OAC Coach of the Year guided Capital to a 126-84 career record on the strength of six All-OAC selections during his eight-year tenure.
Forsyth was a three-year starter for the Capital men's basketball team and averaged 18.7 points per game in his final collegiate season of 1954-1955. His athletic ability was key at a time that saw the Crusaders covert their style from a half court offense to an up tempo style. Forsyth was credited by his coach Bill Bernlohr as introducing Capital to the fast break while leading CU to a 47-31 record in his four years wearing the Purple and White.
Weixel was a captain of the 1980 golf team, which won the OAC Championship and finished fourth at the NCAA Championship tournament. The 1980 Honorable Mention All-America selection was a medalist in the 1980 OAC Tourney with a 54-hole score of 221. Weixel was a three-time All-OAC selection (1978, 1979, 1980) and placed sixth and fifth respectively as a sophomore and junior at the OAC Championship.
Clement played in 125 games and started 84 for the Crusader women's basketball team and was part of two NCAA Championship squads (1994, 1995) and another NCAA Final Four team as a senior in 1997. She is eighth all-time in scoring at Capital with 1,252 career points, as well as eighth in career rebounding with 564. Clement was a two-time All-OAC First Team selection (1995, 1997) and a two-time OAC All-Academic team pick (1996, 1997). Her career record on the court was 115-10 including a 30-1 mark as a freshman and an unbeaten 33-0 record as a sophomore.
Dutt has been a registered official with the Ohio High School Athletics Association (OHSAA) for nearly a half century. Last winter was Dutt's 50th as a high school basketball official in Ohio. He also served as a football official for 46 seasons, a baseball umpire for 42 seasons and a softball umpire for 18 seasons. A 2002 inductee to the OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame, Dutt was the 2007 winner of the Lou Berliner Award for service to high school athletics.
Eversole has worn the Purple and White for three different athletics teams. After playing soccer for one season, Eversole has focused on running as a member of Capital's cross country and track & field teams. This past spring, he had the squad's best time in the 1,500 Meter Run (4:33.42). He was also second best on the outdoor track & field team in the 800 Meter Run (1:59.01) and third in the 400 Meter Dash (53.39). Eversole also had the fastest time of any Crusader in the 800 as a sophomore (1:57.24) while placing at both the All-Ohio and OAC Championship meets in each of his first two collegiate outdoor seasons. He was also a qualifier for the OAC Indoor Championship Meet this past winter as he finished 11th in the 800 meter run. Eversole placed 100th out of 141 competitors at the 2008 OAC Cross Country Championships.