Central State Hall of Fame Luncheon will be held this Friday; Joetta Clark will serve as Keynote Speaker

7/16/2019 12:22:00 PM

Central State announces 2019 Hall of Fame class

"We are proud of our inductees and appreciate the hard work and dedication when representing Central State University in competition," Director of Athletics Tara A. Owens said. "The induction ceremony is an opportunity for the CSU community to come together to recognize the accomplishments of Marauder athletics. The event is a true celebration of Central State University, its rich history, and those who have contributed to our athletic success over the years."

Joetta Clark will serve as this year's keynote speaker. A four-time Olympian, Clark represented the United State in the 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games competing in the 800 meter and 1500 meter run. Read more about Joetta Clark's career on https://www.joettasportsandbeyond.com/about/team/.

The 2019 Hall of Fame Luncheon will be held at the Country Club of the North on Friday, October 11 at 1 p.m. All those planning to attend must RSVP prior to the event and purchase their ticket(s) on or before Friday, October 4.

Ticket Information

Admission to this year's event is $60 which includes a full course meal.

Tickets may be purchased online at http://centralstate.universitytickets.com.

For questions regarding orders, please call 937-376-6345.

Venue Information
Country Club of the North
Address:1 Club N Dr, Xenia, OH 45385
Phone:(937) 374-5000
Map

Each week, the Marauder Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will pay tribute and provide biographical information of each inductee on the department's social media pages leading up to the Hall of Fame Luncheon.

2019 Inductees:

Jeff Franklin | Football | Defensive Back | Class of 2009

A graduate of Hubbard High School in Chicago, Illinois, Jeff Franklin was originally arrived at Central State University as a quarterback before transitioning to the defensive side of the ball to become one of the top defensive backs at the NCAA Div. II level.

Under the tutelage of coaches Al West, Darrell Suber and John Lipkins, the 5'9 freshman quickly emerged as impact player for CSU on the defensive side of the ball. By his senior season, Franklin had earned NCAA Div. II 1st Team All-American honors after leading all of Division II with eight interceptions along with 45 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for losses.

Franklin graduated from Central State in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

He went on to play two years in Continental Indoor Football League with the Cincinnati Commandos, helping the squad capture a pair of league titles with a combined two-year record of 23-1. Franklin won another title in 2011 while playing for the U.S. Men's National Team in the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship in Austria.

Franklin has also established a career as a coach. Franklin worked at Wright State University from 2009 to 2011, staring as defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator before taking the defensive coordinator position in 2010. In 2011, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Minas Locomotivas, Belo Horizonte in Brazil. Franklin joined the coaching staff at Bridgton Academy in Maine in 2012 serving as special teams coordinator, secondary coach, and defensive coordinator before being elevated to interim head coach and recruiting coordinator in 2014. He moved on to the College of Holy Cross to coach defensive backs during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Franklin has spent the last three seasons serving as defensive backs coach at Wabash College.

Franklin currently resides in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Charles Hope | Football | Offensive Lineman | Class of 1992

Charles Hope was part of a dominant Central State Marauder line that powered the CSU offense from 1988 through the 1991 season.

While playing at William Penn High School in New Castle, Delaware, Hope led his team to a Div. I state title in 1987 while being selected to the Delaware All-State First Team as an offensive tackle and nose guard. In addition, he also earned All-State honors and was a state champion in wrestling.

Standing at 6'4 and weighing 275 pounds, Hope caught the eye of CSU Hall of Fame coach Billy Joe, who offered Hope a full scholarship to come to Wilberforce, Ohio to suit up for the Marauders.

Hope lived up to Joe's expectations, earning consistent playing time on both sides of the ball as a freshman. He eventually settled in at the guard position, consistently grading out by coaches and scouts in the mid-90s. With Hope as a part of the offensive line, CSU set a new NAIA scoring record of 594 points. In 1990, the offense was the best in the NAIA with an average of 492 yards per game while scoring 54.75 points per contest. On their way to the 1990 NAIA national title, CSU was the only team ranked among the top ten in rushing (No. 6 – 230 yds/game) and passing (No. 6 – 262 yds/game). Behind the powerful play of the offensive line, CSU dominated in the 1990 NAIA playoffs. In three games, CSU's offense totaled 426 rushing yards, 925 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.

For his outstanding play on the line, Hope was named A Sheridan Black College All-American in 1990 and 1991.

Hope went on to play on the professional level with a stint on the Miami Dolphins in 1992 and 1993 followed by two and a half seasons with the Green Bay Packers. His last season was spent playing for NFL Europe's Frankfurt Galaxy.

After his playing days concluded, Hope returned to Delaware where he has enjoyed a 20+ career as a youth counselor, coach and high school administrator. Hope his degree in industrial technology and currently works at his William Penn – his high school alma mater.

Arthur Hunter | Football | Defensive Back | Class of 1993

Arthur Hunter solidified himself as a key member of a dominant Central State Marauder defense from 1986 through the 1989 season.

A graduate of Withrow High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hunter arrived to the CSU campus in January of 1986. After being coerced by his friends and members of the football team, Hunter walked on to the team in the spring and immediately impressed the coaching staff, including Hall of Fame head coach Billy Joe.

A 6'0 safety, Hunter went on to become a four-year starter for the Marauders. As a freshman, Hunter was part of a CSU defense that recorded two shutouts (Truman State, Towson) and surrendered just 12.8 points per game propelling the Marauders to an impressive 10-1-1 record. In Hunter's sophomore year, CSU finished 10-1-1 again as the defense recorded one shutout (Kentucky State) and held opponents to 15.5 points per game.

Hunter's best individual seasons came in 1988 and 1989.

Hunter recorded 77 tackles and four interceptions as CSU marched to an 11-2 record with the defense recording one shutout (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) and surrendering 11.6 points per game. For his stellar play as a junior, Hunter was named an NAIA and Black College All-American in 1988.

In 1989, Hunter recorded 53 tackles with five sacks and eight tackles for a loss. CSU finished the season with a 10-3 ledger with the defense setting a school record with seven shutouts (Urbana, West Virginia State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Truman, Kentucky State, Lane, Northern Michigan) while allowing a meager 7.4 points per game.

Hunter spent the 1990 preseason with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and had successful stint with the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football.

Earning his degree in business administration from CSU, Hunter returned to his hometown of Cincinnati to open group homes in the area for troubled youth before opening and managing his own gym located in Cincinnati named The Art of Fitness.

Josh Ruga | Cross Country | Class of 1961

A standout cross country runner while competing for Central State University throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Josh Ruga is widely acknowledged as one of the top distance runners to ever compete in the maroon and gold.

A product of Vineland High School in New Jersey, Ruga established himself as a top scholastic runner by winning two New Jersey individual cross country state titles. After graduation, Ruga was recruited by CSU Hall of Fame administrator and coach Gaston "Country" Lewis.

At CSU, Ruga helped the Marauder cross country program quickly become a perennial national powerhouse. Ruga earned NCAA Small College All-American honors in 1959 and 1960. He was part of CSU's 1960 run to its first national title in school history as the Marauders placed five runners in the top ten of the national championship race. The presence of a high profile runner like Ruga at CSU assisted the coaching staff to recruit top talent leading to another NCAA cross country national title in 1962.

Following graduation from Central State University, Ruga went on to teach in the New Jersey public school system for 40+ years.

Ruga currently resides in Dororthy, New Jersey.

Audrea Sterling | Track & Field | Class of 1994

Audrea Sterling helped lead the Central State University track and field team to an unprecedented run of success throughout the early 1990s.

Sterling was part of five NAIA National Championship teams while at Central State from 1991 through the 1994 seasons.

During her time competing at CSU, Sterling earned NAIA Outdoor All-American honors three times and NAIA Indoor All-American honors four times.

Competing primarily in the 400 meter run, Sterling won the NAIA outdoor individual title in the event in 1991, 1992 and 1993 with times of 52.87, 53.37 and 52.33.

On the indoor stage, Sterling is one of only six women to be a four-time individual champion in a single event as she claimed the 600 yard title in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 with her best pace being 1:21.88 during the '92 championships.

A key member of the dominant CSU relay teams, Sterling and her teammates still hold the NAIA record in the 4 x 100-meter race with a pace of 44.52 set in 1992. Sterling was part of a 4 x 100m team that won four straight national titles, a 4 x 400 team that claimed three titles as well as national championships in the 1600-meter relay (1991) and sprint medley (1992).

1994 Women's Track & Field Team | NAIA Outdoor National Champions

Coming off a second place finish at the NAIA Indoor Championships. the CSU women's track & field team recaptured the top spot in the NAIA track and field world by winning their fourth straight NAIA outdoor title.

During the run to the defend the title, CSU's 4 x 100 meter relay team set a NAIA record that still holds today as Bridgette Edwards, Beverly Grant, Audrea Sterling and Catharine Pomales combined to cross the finish line in 44.32.

In addition to her success in the relays, Pomales won the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.79. She also took first place in the 400 meter hurdles with a pace of 56.57. With her performance throughout the meet, Pomales was named the NAIA Outdoor Most Outstanding Performer, becoming the fifth Marauder woman to do so (she went on to earn the same recognition in 1996).

CSU also earned crucial points in the sprinting events as seven runners scored in the 200, 400 and 800-meter dashes. Grant and Sterling each placed in the women's 200 and 400 meters Saturday. Grant was second in the 200m and third in the 400m, while Sterling finished fourth in the 200m and second in the 400m. Additional point earners for CSU included Barbara Stewart and Althea Edwards.

CSU claimed the 1994 outdoor crown with a total of 96 points, 25 better than second place finisher Doane University.

1994 Men's Track & Field Team | NAIA Indoor National Champions

CSU Hall of Fame coach Joshua Culbreath took a team primarily comprised of student-athletes from Jamaica to the top of the NAIA as the 1994 Marauders repeated as indoor champions.

CSU earned points in 10 events.

A dominant mile relay team of Howard Rhoden, Anthony Pryce, Hugh Powell and Floyd Howell repeated as champions in the event with a time of 3:19.61.

Individual performances were highlighted by first place finishes by Powell and James Rollins. Powell won the 440-yard dash with a pace of 49.58. Rollins, who currently serves as CSU's head track coach, won the 60-yard high hurdles with a time of 7.44.

In addition to Powell's first place in the 440-yard dash, CSU also took second place (Howard Rhoden), third place (Anthony Pryce) and sixth place (Floyd Howell) in the event.

Sayon Cooper finished third in the 60 meter dash followed by Rhoden's fourth place run. In the 600 yard run, Powell finished in second while Neil DeSilva came in fifth. Wayne Lawrence earned points for the Marauders finishing in third in the 100 yard run and fourth in the 880 yard run. Jumper Dean Richards came in second in the high jump and sixth in the triple jump. Lucian Scott added to the Marauder point total with a seventh place mark in the shot put.

CSU went on to win 1994 indoor title with a total of 84 points to finish ahead of second-place finish Azusa Pacific's 76 points. Culbreath was named NAIA Coach of the Year, earning the recognition in back-to-back seasons.

Get the latest updates on Marauder athletics by visiting our official social media pages: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

View members of the Central State University Athletic Hall of Fame on - https://maraudersports.com/hof.aspx?path=general

The CSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee is accepting inductee nominations for future consideration and voting. To nominate, visit - https://maraudersports.com/sb_output.aspx?form=10

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