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Alumni & Community Engagement
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ssuhalloffame.com

January 30, 2020

Shawnee State University (SSU) will be inducting four alumni into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Feb. 7. This year’s induction class includes Mandy (Goin) Davis, Brad Liston, Alannah Sheets, and Jami Turrill. SSU Athletics will also be presenting the Ralph Kavanaugh Home Team Award to Dr. Steven Rader during the ceremony.

Hall of Fame Logo

Mandy (Goin) Davis excelled for the SSU Bears in not just one sport, but two – Women’s Basketball and Volleyball. At SSU, Davis achieved accolades as a NAIA First-Team All-American as a freshman while also receiving NAIA Honorable Mention in her sophomore and senior years. She saw three trips to the NAIA National Tournament for Women’s Basketball while also leading the Volleyball team to tie the school record for most wins in a season her senior year. Davis is a Belpre, OH native, who graduated from SSU in 2004.

Brad Liston ran for four years as part of the SSU Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams, collecting a significant number of accolades along the way. Achieving at the conference and national level, Liston was a four-time All-Mid-South Conference (MSC) honoree who qualified for a NAIA National Championship event seven times between the two sports. He finished sixth at the NAIA National Championships in 2013, after earning MSC Runner of the Year recognition for the second year in a row. During his time with the Bears, the Men’s Cross Country program finished in the top ten at the NAIA National Championships all four years. In Track & Field, Liston finished as the third-fastest runner in program history as a two-time NAIA National Qualifier and won three MSC Championship events in his senior year. Liston is a Circleville, OH native, who graduated from SSU in 2015.

Alannah Sheets is recognized as one of the best Women’s Basketball players at SSU of all time. Sheets became the first basketball player in 15 years to lead a conference in scoring when she averaged 21.1 points in her senior year, also becoming the fifth player in program history to average 20 points or more in a season. During her freshmen year, she was part of the 2010-11 team that made it to the NAIA Fab Four at the National Tournament. Sheets was named the MSC Player of the Year in her senior year, and earned a First-Team All-MSC accolade. Upon graduation, Sheets was ranked first or second in nine career categories and currently ranks third in career points in program history with 1,967. Sheets is a Leon, WV native, who graduated from SSU in 2014.

Jami Turrill played three seasons for the SSU Volleyball team, setting a standard of excellence for herself and her teammates. In three years, she earned recognitions as Third-Team All-AMC (2008), Second-Team All-AMC (2009), and First-Team All-MSC (2010). In 2010, she also received NAIA All-American recognition right after being recognized as MSC Player of the Year. As a member of the three best seasons in program history, Turrill currently sits second in career hitting percentage (.353), third in total kills (1,325), and third in total kill attempts (3,016), while also ranking in the top twelve for career statistics in twelve additional categories. Turrill is an Albany, OH native and graduated from SSU in 2011.

SSU Athletics will also recognize Dr. Steven Rader with the Ralph Kavanaugh Home Team Award during the Hall of Fame Banquet. Established in 2005 to honor long-time equipment manager, Ralph Kavanaugh, the award is presented during Hall of Fame Weekend as a recognition of an individual who showcases outstanding service, spirit, and loyalty to SSU Athletics.

Since coming to SSU in 1996, Dr. Steven Rader has served as the Program Director for the Sport Studies program. He has been able to shape the program into what it is today, incorporating hands-on practicum and internship experience into his every day classroom. Rader is known throughout SSU and the surrounding communities as a strong supporter of SSU Athletics, its coaches, and its student-athletes. In almost 25 years at the university, he is being recognized for his strong commitment to the ongoing growth and development of not just SSU Athletics, but the Sport Studies program that supports the varsity programs throughout their seasons.

The Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Friday, Feb. 7, beginning with cocktail hour at 5 p.m., followed by the Induction Ceremony and dinner. Tickets to the banquet are $40 per attendee and may be purchased online at ssuhalloffame.com.

For more information about the upcoming Hall of Fame Banquet and Hall of Fame Weekend, visit ssuhalloffame.com, or contact Kara Stump in the Office of Alumni & Community Engagement at (740) 351-3081.