CLEVELAND, Mississippi – Delta State University will honor eight Statesmen and Lady Statesmen for their contributions by inducting them into the Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame. The induction is the highest honor given to former athletes or coaches. The 2016 class includes Jud Thigpen (BB), Todd Mundt (MBB), Mark Easley (MBB), Pier Roy (Golf), Alyse Hasty (SB), Jim Devers (FB), Rico McDonald (FB) and Jennifer Armstrong (SWD).
 
Charlie McGuffee, a former member of the Statesmen baseball team, will be presented with the 2015-2016 Distinguished Statesman Award.
 
The ceremony will be held on Friday, Oct. 14, at the Bologna Performing Arts Center as part of the annual Delta State University Alumni Gala. The event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and tickets will go on sale later this fall.
 
The Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1971 to recognize former student-athletes who made significant contributions to intercollegiate athletics while attending or coaching at Delta State. Each year, the DSU Sports Hall of Fame inducts a minimum of three and a maximum of 10 new members at its ceremony held during Homecoming Week festivities. Selections are made each year from nominations submitted to the Hall of Fame Committee. Anyone may nominate a student-athlete at any time throughout the year. A complete list of criteria is listed below the inductees' bios. 
 
JUD THIGPEN – BASEBALL
Thigpen played for the Statesmen from 2000-2004 under head coach Mike Kinnison. He helped guide the Statesmen to three NCAA Regional Championships (2001, 2002, 2004), three GSC Championships (2000, 2003, 2004), and was a member of the 2004 NCAA DII National Championship team.
 
In 2003, Thigpen was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-America Team, was First Team All-South Region and was the GSC Tournament MVP. He started all 62 games and posted a .379 batting average with 76 RBIs.
 
In 2004, Thigpen helped lead the Statesmen to their first NCAA DII Championship in school history. He was named the NCAA Rawlings/ABCA National Division II Player of the Year after batting .429 with 24 doubles, 14 home runs and 80 RBIs. Thigpen also earned Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's Defensive Player of the Year honors, after not committing an error during the entire season.
 
TODD MUNDT – MEN'S BASEKETBALL
Todd Mundt transferred to Delta State in the summer of 1992 from the University of Memphis to complete his senior season under former head coach Steve Rives.
 
Mundt led the Statesmen to one of their most successful seasons in school history. He set the school record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game (5) on March 12, 1993 when the Statesmen faced Tampa - a record that still stands. He led the Statesmen to their third GSC Championship, was named the GSC Tournament MVP and to selected to the All-GSC Team.
 
After his collegiate career ended, Mundt made his NBA debut with the Atlanta Hawks in 1995. He also played for the Boston Celtics.
 
MARK EASLEY – MEN'S BASKETBALL
Mark Easley was a forward for the men's basketball team from 1982-85 under former head coaches Mel Hankinson and Ed Murphy.
 
His 1,188 points rank 12^th on DSU's career all-time leading scorer's list. Easley also ranks sixth in school history in career rebounds (719), seventh in steals (130), 10^th in field goals made, ninth in field goals attempted (989), and sixth in free throws made (262).
 
Easley is third in free throws attempted in a season (399) and is tied for fifth in games played in a career (114).  
 
For his efforts in the classroom, Easley was named to the GSC-All Academic Team in 1985.
 
PIER ROY – GOLF
Pier Roy was a member of the Statesmen golf team from 2002-05. He helped guide the Statesmen to their first GSC Championship in 2005 by shooting a score of 218 and tying for ninth overall. He was named to the 2005 All-GSC Second Team. Roy helped the Statesmen continue their success in the postseason, guiding the Statesmen to an 11th place finish in the 2005 NCAA DII National Championship.
 
Roy ended his career at Delta State as a Golf Collegiate Coaches Association All-American (2005), Golf Collegiate Coaches Association Academic All-American (2004-05), and GSC All-Academic (2004-05).     
 
ALYSE HASTY – SOFTBALL
Alyse Hasty played centerfield at Delta State under former head coach David Kuhn from 2003-2006 and is one of the most decorated players in Lady Statesmen softball history.
 
Hasty became the first player in Lady Statesmen history to garner National Fastpitch Coaches Association First Team All-American honors in 2006 following a stellar senior season. During her senior season, Hasty became the Delta State and Gulf South Conference career leader in stolen bases with 135. She broke the school single season records for hits (101), RBIs (65), home runs (18), runs scored (77), and stolen bases (59).
 
Hasty finished her career breaking the DSU record for most career RBIs (172), home runs (42) and runs scored (202) at Delta State.  
 
She earned All-GSC Second Team honors in 2003 and First Team laurels in 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2006, she earned the Gulf South Conference Commissioner's Trophy and was named GSC West Division Player of the Year. Hasty was a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region Selection in 2005 and 2006.  
 
JIM DEVERS – FOOTBALL
Jim Devers lettered two years in track and field at Delta State before joining the Statesmen football squad as a junior in 1969. Devers was a flanker back for former head coach Horace McCool.
 
Devers was a driving force behind the Statesmen's offense. In 1969, he led the Statesmen in receiving with a record-breaking 62 catches for 884 yards. He was the Co-Most Valuable Player and won the Best Offensive Player Award.
 
RICO MCDONALD – FOOTBALL
Rico McDonald rushed for a school-record 3,285 yards during his career at Delta State. McDonald helped anchor for the Statesmen's success since his freshman year in 1998, when he led DSU to its fifth GSC Championship in football.
 
Most notably, he led Delta State to the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship his junior year, rushing for 1,637 yards. He tied the single game record for rushing touchdowns with four versus Valdosta State in 2000. He was selected to the All-GSC First Team, named a Don Hansen's HM All-American, and was selected to the Second Team Daktronics All-South Region.  
 
McDonald was a preseason All-American as a senior in 2001, rushing for 1,151 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2001.
 
JENNIFER ARMSTRONG – SWIMMING
Jennifer Armstrong was a member of the Lady Statesmen swimming and diving team from 1998-2002. During her four-year career, Armstrong was a three-time All-NSISC Team (1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01) and two-time NSISC All-Academic Team member (2000-01, 2001-02). 
 
During her freshman year, Armstrong finished in the top 10 overall standings at the NSISC Championships. She was a member of the NSISC record-breaking 800-Freestyle Relay team that earned gold. She also captured four silver medals at the NSISC Championships in the 100, 200, 500-Freestyle and 400-Freestyle relay events.
 
As a sophomore, she finished in the top 10 for the second consecutive season in a row and set a new school record in the 500-Freestyle. She was a member of the 200-Freestlye Relay team that broke the DSU record at the NSISC Championships and earned third place. She was also a member of the NSISC record-breaking 800-Freestyle Relay that earned consecutive gold medals. She swam to another first place finish and another Delta State record on the 400-Freestyle Relay squad at the NSISC Championships.
 
She finished eighth overall during the 2001 NSISC Championships, and led DSU's record-breaking 200-Freestyle Relay team that earned gold with 1:40.54.
 
Throughout her four-year career, she broke the DSU record in the 1650-Freestyle (18:20.26), 500-Freestyle (5:17.07), 200-Freestyle (1:42.11), 400-Freestyle (3:42.14), and also earned a piece of the NSISC record in the 800-Freestyle Relay (8:01.08).
 
CHARLIE MCGUFFEE – DISTINGUISHED STATESMEN AWARD
Charlie McGuffee played baseball for three years under legendary former head coach Dave "Boo" Ferriss. McGuffee graduated with a B.S. degree in business administration from Delta State in 1967. He was a member of M Club and a founding member of Zeta Beta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha. McGuffee took a break from college and worked for the Mississippi Army National Guard from 1963-1965, achieving the rank of SFC E-7 before returning to campus to complete his degree.
 
In 2004, he took over Delta Regional Foundation as president and executive director. Over the past four years, DRF has contributed over $1 million to charities in the Delta and Northwest Mississippi, with the majority going to Delta State University. In 2015, McGuffee received the prestigious Hugh Ellis Walker Service Award given by the Delta State National Alumni Association.
 
HALL OF FAME CRITERIA
The following criteria are used to select inductees each year:
1. Recipient shall have been out of school a minimum of 10 years.
2. Consideration shall be given to the number of sports in which he/she participated and excelled.
3. Accomplishments after graduation may be considered.
4. Support of Delta State University and DSU Athletics after graduation may be a factor.
5. A minimum of three and a max of 10 inductees shall be selected each year, of which one may be deceased.
6. Inductees must be able to attend the induction, unless deceased.  If they cannot attend, they will be honored the following year.
7. If the inductee's contribution to intercollegiate athletics was as a coach, his/her achievements must be significant.
8. Members of the Athletic Alumni Association are eligible to nominate prospective inductees.
9. If a nominee is not selected the year he/she is nominated, their name shall be retained for future consideration.
10. The selection committee shall select one alternate each year who will automatically be inducted the following year.
 
For more on the DSU Sports Hall of Fame, please contact Ronnie Mayers at (662) 846-4300.