Eight outstanding individuals are set to join the Emory University Athletics Hall of Fame in the Class of 2023. The members of the latest induction class include: Austin Claunch (men's basketball), Michael Goodwin (men's tennis), Chris Halstead (men's swimming & diving), Dr. Michael Huey (Director of Medical Services), Danielle LeSure (women's track & field), Amelia McCall (volleyball), Andrew Pinckney (baseball) and Samantha White (women's swimming & diving).
With the eight new inductions, the Emory Athletics Hall of Fame now stands at 178 members. The Emory Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1989 by the Association of Emory Alumni and the Department of Athletics and Recreation. A display honoring each member is maintained in the George Woodruff Physical Education Center on the Emory campus.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 21 as part of Homecoming Weekend.
Austin Claunch (Men's Basketball, 2008-12)
A program-defining point guard across his four seasons, Austin Claunch helped lay the groundwork for future generations at the position and was a facilitator in crafting the foundation that has led to the team's ascent into one of the premier men's basketball programs in the country. Over his time with the Eagles, Austin was a three-time All-University Athletic Association First Team selection and became just the third player in program history to be recognized by the NABC organization, earning two All-South Region honors. He added two All-Region selections from D3hoops.com and was one of three Eagles to be honored on the UAA Men's Basketball 25th Anniversary Team. At the time of graduation Austin was the program's all-time assists leader and still ranks among the top 10 in team history in eight different statistical categories. He led the Eagles to a 54-21 record over his final three seasons, posting only the second 20-win season at the time by an Emory team and first since 1989-90, and helped the team achieve its highest-ever ranking to that point at No. 4 by D3hoops.com during the 2011-12 season.
Michael Goodwin (Men's Tennis, 2005-09)
Michael Goodwin made history by becoming the first-ever NCAA singles national champion in Emory men's tennis history and led the team to three consecutive appearances in the national championship match, winning the program's second-ever national title in 2006. A relentless and determined player, Michael played at No. 1 singles and doubles across his storied career. He racked up four All-America honors in both singles and doubles, was named the ITA National Player of the Year as a senior and became the fifth Eagle to capture UAA MVP honors in 2008. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, finishing the year as the No. 5 ranked singles player and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA doubles championships, and saw his debut year culminate by being tabbed as both the ITA National and UAA Rookie of the Year. At the time of graduation, he ranked sixth in program history with 80 career singles wins and was second all-time with 92 doubles victories.
Chris Halstead (Men's Swimming & Diving, 2001-05)
Chris Halstead rewrote what was possible as a member of the men's swimming & diving program, making waves by becoming the first men's swimmer in program history to win a national championship and led the Eagles to their highest NCAA finishes at the time with national runner-up performances in 2004 and 2005. He dominated the 200 Backstroke at the national level his final two seasons, winning the NCAA championship in the event in 2004 and 2005. Chris also served as a key member on the men's first-ever relay national championship, winning gold in the 200 Medley at the 2005 NCAA Championships. He ended his career as a 14-time All-American and at one time held the 10 fastest times in school history in the 200 Backstroke.
Dr. Michael Huey (Director of Medical Services, 2002-18)
Dr. Michael Huey's impact with the department was unquestioned as the Director of Medical Services for 16 years, establishing himself not only as a leader on campus but in the athletic department. He helped develop return to play guidelines for general medical issues based on objective findings and navigate some extremely difficult cases and always had a pulse on current trends and looked for ways to create long-term solutions. Dr. Huey assisted in the creation of the E-Care (Emory Comprehensive Concussion Approach for Return to Excellence), a collaborative effort to help improve the on campus quality of care and also improved campus wide concussion education and installed measures to help prevent concussions on campus through collaboration with the Office of Health Promotion. Through collaboration with Sports Medicine, E-Care assures that all Emory students with concussions are receiving the same level of comprehensive, collaborative care provided to our Emory intercollegiate athletes. Across his Emory career, he mentored over 21 graduate students, 11 full time staff members, countless others and supported 23 national championships, 113 UAA Championships, 83 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, and more than 7,000 student-athletes.
Danielle LeSure (Women's Track & Field, 1998-2002)
Considered among the greatest athletes to come through the Emory track & field program, Danielle LeSure became the first-ever national champion in program history by winning back-to-back outdoor hammer throw titles in 2001 and 2002, the only two field national championships in team history, and was a five-time UAA champion. Her hammer throw mark of 52.50m has held as the school record since 2002 with no athlete since coming within 2.5m of her record. Since graduating, Danielle still owns eight of the top 10 marks in school history in the hammer throw and is fourth all-time in the weight throw, holding the record from 2002 through 2019.
Amelia McCall (Volleyball, 2007-12)
A dynamic all-around player and labeled as one of the all-time greats in Emory volleyball history, Amelia McCall lifted the Eagles to new heights by helping claim the program's first-ever national championship in 2008 and led the team to a return visit in the national championship match two years later. Amelia remains one of only two players in team history to be honored as the AVCA National Player of the Year, earning the distinction in 2010, and closed out her stellar career as a two-time AVCA All-American, three-time selection to the All-UAA First Team and was the UAA Player of the Year in 2010. At the end of her five seasons Amelia was firmly entrenched in several statistical categories, still standing fourth all-time in career kills, first in attack attempts, third in sets played and 15th in career digs.
Andrew Pinckney (Baseball, 2003-04)
Andrew Pinckney played just two seasons as a member of the Emory baseball team but is still considered one of the most accomplished position players to ever play at Chappell Park with his impact still being felt within the program today. Andrew forgave his senior season to pursue his dream of playing professionally as he became the third Emory player, and first position player, to be chosen in the MLB Draft, being selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 34th round of the 2004 Amateur Draft. Prior to playing six seasons in the minor leagues within the Boston and Toronto organizations, Andrew led the Eagles to a pair of UAA championships and two NCAA tournament berths, including the program's second-ever trip to the College World Series in 2003. Years later, Andrew still holds program career records in batting average, slugging percentage, intentional walks, stands second in on-base percentage and is among the top 10 all-time in doubles, triples and home runs. In 2004, he became the third Eagle to be chosen as a First Team All-American and garnered UAA Co-MVP honors.
Samantha White (Women's Swimming & Diving, 2002-06)
Samantha White pushed the envelope during her time as a member of the women's swimming & diving program and acted as a catalyst for shaping the women's program into the national powerhouse it is today. As a team captain, Samantha led the Eagles to back-to-back national championships in 2005 and 2006 – the first two team titles in program history. She finished her career as a four-time national champion, winning back-to-back 500 Freestyles in 2005 and 2006, the 1,650 Freestyle in 2006, and was a crucial piece on the women's first-ever national championship relay team with the 800 Freestyle Relay in 2005. All told, Samantha graduated with 14 All-America honors, tabbed the UAA Swimmer of the Year in 2006, named twice to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team, and was awarded the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.