HARRISONBURG, Va. – Eight new members joined the James Madison Athletics Hall of Fame in a ceremony held Friday night at the Festival Events and Conference Center. The class was unveiled in the spring of 2020, but the induction ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 class features longtime administrator and coach Casey Carter (1978-2017), wrestler Dan Corbin (1979-83), wide receiver David McLeod (1990-93) and defensive end Arthur Moats (2006-09) of football, Randy Parker (1984-88) of swimming and diving, midfielder Teresa (Rynier) Rook (2007-10) of women's soccer, forward C.J. Sapong (2007-10) of men's soccer and midfielder Baillie Versfeld (2003-06) of field hockey.
Â
Gallery: (9-10-2021) Hall Of Fame_091021
Â
2020 JMU Athletics Hall of Fame Class
Â
Casey Carter ('70, '73M, '80M) - Administrator & Coach (1978-2017)
A foundational figure in JMU Athletics, Casey Carter served a variety of roles across nearly four decades with the Dukes. Carter began her career at JMU in a position split between athletics and university relations before moving completely into athletics in multiple areas, including serving as the cheerleading coach and director of the Dukettes and mascots. Her most lasting impact came when she established and served as the director of the student-athlete services office. Her work pioneered student-athlete academic advising across the country, as she often acted as a peer reviewer for the NCAA as other schools established their own programs. She retired in 2017, having spent her final years tasked with the early formation of the student-athlete leadership development program.
Â
Dan Corbin ('83) - Wrestling (1979-83)
Dan Corbin etched his name all over the JMU record book, capping his standout wrestling career with 112 total victories, the most in program history at the time. That mark still stands as the second-most career wins, trailing only 2000 JMU Hall of Fame inductee Jeff "Peanut" Bowyer's 125. Corbin competed at the NCAA Championships as both a junior (81-82) and senior (82-83), winning his weight class title at the Virginia Intercollegiate Championship in each of his four collegiate seasons. An incredibly versatile competitor, Corbin either won state collegiate titles or notched top-two NCAA regional finishes in all three of the 167-pound, 177-pound and 190-pound weight classes in his career. In all, he was named JMU's Most Outstanding Wrestler in three of his four seasons, finishing second only as a sophomore to 2012 Hall of Fame Inductee Paul Morina, and added NCAA Eastern Regional titles as both a junior and senior.
Â
David McLeod ('94) - Football (1990-93)
One of the greatest big-play threats in JMU football history, wide receiver David McLeod closed out his decorated four-year career at JMU as the program's all-time leader in career receptions (158), receiving touchdowns (21) and receiving yards (2,899). Nearly three decades after his final game, his numbers still dot the record books, as he ranks third in receptions, second in touchdowns and remains JMU's record-holder for career receiving yards, single-season receiving yards (1,207 as a senior in 1993) and single-game receiving yards (192) as of his 2020 induction into the JMU Hall of Fame. McLeod was named First Team All-America and consensus First Team All-State for that standout senior season, capping a career that saw him also usher in a new era of JMU football, having helped lead the Dukes to their first-ever postseason appearance in 1991 as a sophomore.
Â
Arthur Moats ('12) - Football (2006-09)
Arthur Moats concluded his standout career as one of the most feared defensive players ever to don a JMU football uniform. After earning plaudits and leading the defense through his first three seasons, Moats capped his JMU career in sterling fashion, winning the 2009 Buck Buchanan award as the best defensive player in the country as a senior, just the second JMU player in history to earn the award. In all, Moats' 29 career sacks still rank second all-time for the Dukes, while his 11.5 as a junior and 11 as a senior are still third- and fifth-most in JMU's single-season lists. After concluding his JMU career, he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, embarking on a successful nine-year career in the NFL where he was recognized multiple times for his community outreach and charitable works.
Â
Randy Parker ('88) - Swimming & Diving (1984-88)
Randy Parker cemented his legacy as the most dominant swimmer of his era in his four-year career at JMU, capturing the first three Colonial Athletic Association Men's Swimming Athlete of the Year awards in league history as a sophomore, junior and senior. After the league formed prior to his sophomore season, he was a three-time CAA champion in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly, adding a pair of CAA titles in the 50-yard freestyle and helping lead the Dukes to a trio of top-three finishes as a team. His 1987-88 CAA championship time of 20.33 seconds in the 50 free remained a conference meet record for 13 years. In his time as a Duke, he also set JMU records in the 50 free (20.33), 100 free (44.63), 200 free (1:43.27) and 100 fly (50.12), while swimming a leg on the 400 free relay, 800 free relay and 400 medley relay teams that all set JMU records.
Â
Teresa (Rynier) Rook ('11) - Women's Soccer (2007-10)
One of the most dominant midfielders to ever play for JMU women's soccer, Teresa Rynier will enter the JMU Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility and still in possession of the program's career assist record with 53 across her four seasons, a staggering 17 ahead of second place in the record book. In addition to being named an NSCAA All-American as a senior, Rynier was a three-time NSCAA All-Region pick, three-time First Team All-CAA selection and a 2011 NSCAA Academic All-American. Her 53 career assists also stand as the all-time record for both the CAA and the state of Virginia, as Rynier set JMU's single-season record with 14 assists as a sophomore before immediately breaking it with 15 as a junior. Combined with her 20 career goals, Rynier still ranks tied for fifth in career points at JMU.
Â
C.J. Sapong - Men's Soccer (2007-10)
C.J. Sapong was the first men's soccer player in JMU history to earn First Team All-CAA honors four times. The forward capped his storied JMU career as the CAA Player of the Year and garnering All-America honors from College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer after racking up 33 points as a senior, the most in 14 years and second-most in program history to that point. In all, Sapong tallied 37 goals and 21 assists as a Duke, putting him fifth all-time at JMU in career points at the conclusion of his four seasons and cementing his place in the record books. After his senior season, Sapong was selected 10th overall by Sporting Kansas City in the 2011 MLS Superdraft and was named MLS Rookie of the Year later that season after tallying five goals and five assists in his inaugural professional campaign. He remains active in Major League Soccer and has competed internationally with the United States Men's National Team.
Â
Baillie Versfeld ('07) – Field Hockey (2003-2006)
Baillie Versfeld also racked up four First Team All-CAA nods in her stellar career with JMU field hockey. A two-time All-American and four-time All-South honoree in the midfield for the Dukes, Versfeld finished her career with 27 goals and 18 assists. As a junior, she tallied 26 points - 10 goals and six assists - on her way to Second Team All-America honors and the Co-Female Athlete of the Year award at JMU. She led the Dukes to the first of three straight CAA titles as a senior, notching five more goals and six assists, before returning to JMU in 2009 as an assistant coach.
Â