The 2024 Missouri Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held Saturday, in conjunction with Homecoming, recognizing five individuals and one team. The ceremony recognized Parker Towery, Jervon Walton, Jeremy Biddle, Lacey (Moore) Sturdy. Ramone Powell, and the 1989 football team.
Towery (’95) was an All-American tight end with the Viking football program in the early 1990’s. He played in all 41 games during his career, starting in 39 games. Towery earned All-American and all-conference honors in 1994, helping the team to a Heart championship and appearance in the 1994 NAIA Football Championship Series.
Walton (’01) was an All-American running back for the Viking football program in the late 1990’s. He led an offense in 1999, gaining 1,507 rushing yards and scoring 19 touchdowns. He also ranks third in single-game rushing yards with 309. He was the Heart Offensive Player of the Year and All-American on the 1999 team that won a Heart title and made an appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series.
Biddle (’01) was an individual National champion, and three-time All-American for the men’s wrestling program. He won a National title at 141 pounds in 2000, and was National runner-up at 149 pounds in 2001. Biddle was a member of the 1997 National championship team, and was part of three National runner-up teams during his time with the program.
Sturdy (’04) was an All-American for the women’s rodeo team. Sturdy becomes the first rodeo cowgirl in program-history to earn induction into the Hall of Fame. She was a four-time College National Finals Rodeo qualifier, and finished sixth in goat tying at the CNFR to earn All-American honors in 2004. Sturdy was also a two-time Ozark Region champion in goat tying.
Powell (’07) was an All-American for the men’s basketball program, and has been a player and coach in the program for more than 20 years. Powell scored 608 points as a senior in the 2004-05 season and earned a third team All-American selection. He has been on the coaching staff since 2007, and helped the team to the 2015 Heart Postseason Tournament title, the first in program-history, and a round of 16 appearance at the 2015 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Tournament.
The 1989 football team and coaching staff put together one of the best seasons in program-history. Led by legendary Head Coach Ken Gibler, the team went undefeated in the conference, capturing Gibler’s final Heart title, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA Football Championship Series. The team finished 10-2 on the season, and to-date, seven members of the team have been inducted individually into the Hall of Fame.
Also recognized at the ceremony were scholarship award winners. Alexis Fenstermacher was the women’s basketball recipient and James Porter III was the men’s basketball recipient of the Grover C. Redford Scholarship, which is awarded to an incoming freshman on the basketball teams that played high school basketball in the state of Missouri.
The Hall of Fame Scholarship award winners were from the men’s and women’s soccer teams. Ashley Arribas of the women’s soccer team, and Sam Green of the men’s soccer team. Both are All-Americans and record-setting soccer players for their respective programs.
To read the full bio’s for each inductee, visit the Missouri Valley College Athletic Hall of Fame page.