DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University Athletics announced Thursday the nine members of the OWU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 as well as the two Teams of Distinction and the recipient of the Dr. Robert M. Strimer Honor Award, set to be honored during ceremonies on Homecoming & Family Weekend on Saturday, October 3.

The Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes Sarah Bechtel '14 (women's track & field), Kale Booher '12 (men's track & field, men's cross country), Claude Gray III '16 (men's basketball), Beredine Krill 1925 (women's track & field), Evan Lee '16 (men's soccer), Terry Mee '92 (football), David Spring '99 (men's track & field, men's cross country), Luke Tennis '76 (men's lacrosse), and Emily Thornton '03 (softball).

The two Teams of Distinction set to be honored are the 1971 football team and the 1999 women's soccer team. The Team of Distinction was created to recognize individual teams that have distinguished themselves and made extraordinary contributions to Ohio Wesleyan Athletics.

The Dr. Robert Strimer Honor Award will be bestowed upon Tim Corbin '84. The Strimer Award honors graduates of Ohio Wesleyan University who have made outstanding, widely recognized, and sustained contributions to the field of athletics. Strimer first came to Ohio Wesleyan in 1941 as freshman coach in football, basketball, and track & field. After serving 3 years in the U.S. Navy, he returned to Ohio Wesleyan and was named head men's basketball coach in 1946. When George Gauthier retired as athletics director in 1955, Strimer was selected as his replacement. Strimer retired in 1977 but remained active in athletic, alumni, and development affairs for over 2 decades.

SARAH BECHTEL '14
Sarah Bechtel was an All-American pole vaulter for Ohio Wesleyan, becoming a seven-time NCAC champion, an eight-time All-NCAC performer, a six-time All-Ohio champion, and a seven-time All-Ohio honoree. She was also a Top Eight Award winner in 2014 and a three-time Top 50 Award winner (2012, 2013, 2014).

As a freshman, Bechtel won the North Coast Athletic Conference indoor pole vault championship with an OWU- and NCAC-record mark of 11'1½", bolstering the Bishops to the team title. She went on to qualify for the NCAA Division III outdoor championship where she finished 16th.

Bechtel won both the All-Ohio and NCAC indoor pole vault titles as a sophomore, leading OWU to another indoor team conference championship with a mark of 11'10½". She won another All-Ohio title in the outdoor season and finished second in the NCAC meet, before qualifying for the NCAA outdoor championship and finishing 17th.

As a junior, Bechtel continued her indoor winning streak at the All-Ohio and NCAC championship meets with two more victories in the pole vault, leading to another indoor team conference title for the Red and Black. During the outdoor season, she won the pole vault again at the All-Ohio meet with a school record of 12'1½", adding another win at the NCAC championship meet as well as a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles, leading to an outdoor conference championship for the Battling Bishops. She qualified once again for the NCAA outdoor championship and finished with All-America honors after tying for seventh place with a mark of 12'1½".

Bechtel again swept both titles at the All-Ohio and NCAC indoor meets as a senior, becoming the first woman to win four straight NCAC indoor pole vault titles along with leading the Bishops to another team title. In the outdoor season she again won the pole vault at both the All-Ohio and NCAC meets, setting an OWU record of 12'4½" at All-Ohio and tying the NCAC record of 11'9¾" at NCACs. Bechtel went on to qualify for her fourth straight NCAA outdoor championship.

KALE BOOHER '12
Kale Booher was a three-time Academic All-America selection and a three-time all-region honoree in cross country for Ohio Wesleyan, also securing three All-NCAC honors in cross country and six in track & field along with seven All-Ohio honors. He was a Top 10 Award winner in 2011 and 2012, receiving the Richard Gordin Award in 2012, and winning the Top 50 Award in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

As a freshman, Booher helped the indoor distance medley relay team win All-Ohio honors with a third-place finish and All-NCAC honors with a second-place finish as the Battling Bishops won the NCAC title. In the outdoor season, he placed in the 1500-meter run as the Red and Black took both the All-Ohio and NCAC titles.

Booher moved into the cross country team's top seven as a sophomore, winning an All-NCAC honorable mention with an 18th-place finish at the NCAC championship before receiving all-region recognition with a 31st-place finish at the NCAA regional championship. In the indoor season, he helped the distance medley relay team to claim the All-Ohio crown and finish second at the NCAC championship as the Bishops took the team title in both meets. The outdoor season saw Booher earn All-Ohio honors with a third-place finish in the 3000-meter steeplechase as well as an All-NCAC citation with a second-place finish, helping OWU win both meets. He closed out the year with a second-team Academic All-America selection.

In his junior year, Booher won first-team All-NCAC laurels in cross country with a sixth-place finish – the second-best ever at the NCAC championship – and helped the Red and Black to take third as a team. He went on to win all-region honors with a 19th-place finish at the NCAA regional meet, helping the Battling Bishops to match their best-ever showing with a fourth-place finish as a team, before placing 128th at the NCAA Division III championship meet. In the indoor season, Booher and the distance medley relay won the NCAC title and finish third at All-Ohio, with the Bishops taking the team title at All-Ohio and finishing second at the NCAC championship. He went on to win the All-Ohio crown in the 3000-meter steeplechase before being named a first-team Academic All-American.

As a senior, Booher was an All-NCAC honorable mention in cross country with a 17th-place finish at the NCAC championship and took all-region honors with a 19th-place finish at the NCAA regional meet, helping OWU to a second-consecutive fourth-place finish as a team. Indoors, he won the All-Ohio crown with the distance medley relay team as Ohio Wesleyan repeated as team champion, then won All-NCAC honors with a third-place finish at the NCAC championship. Outdoors, Booher retained All-Ohio and All-NCAC honors with third-place finishes in the 3000-meter steeplechase, helping the Red and Black take second in both meets. He wrapped up the season repeating as a first-team Academic All-American.

CLAUDE GRAY III '16
Claude Gray III was an All-American post player for the Battling Bishops, scoring 1456 career points, becoming the 29th Ohio Wesleyan men's basketball player to surpass 1000 career points, and rising to 10th on the all-time scoring list. He led OWU to a 90-25 overall record and a 56-14 NCAC record during his career, winning two NCAC titles, one NCAC Tournament title, and making four trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament, including an appearance in the round of 16.

As a freshman, Gray lettered with 27 games played and one start, averaging 5.7 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game. The Bishops ended the season at 23-6 overall and 12-4 in conference play, winning the NCAC championship and the NCAC Tournament title and making an appearance in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Gray earned his first all-conference recognition as a sophomore, being named All-NCAC honorable mention. He started 26 games and led the Red and Black with 13.2 points per game, which ranked 11th in the conference, while also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game, ranking third on the team. Gray also ranked fifth in the NCAC in three-point field goals per game (1.9) and seventh in field goal percentage (.500). OWU finished the year 20-8, 13-5 in the NCAC, and lost in the NCAC Tournament semifinals while also making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

As a junior, Gray started all 28 games, notably leading the Battling Bishops to a 92-89 win against No. 10 Wooster with a career-high 33 points. He earned two NCAC Player of the Week honors and finished the season ranked first in the NCAC in points per game (19.4), second in three-point field goals per game (2.8), tied for eighth in steals per game (1.4), and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.387) and free throw percentage (.778), while also averaging the second-most rebounds per game (5.7) on the Bishops. Gray finished with a season total of 544 points – which ranks 10th all-time at Ohio Wesleyan – and was named the NCAC Player of the Year, first-team All-NCAC, first-team all-region by D3hoops.com, first-team all-district, and first-team All-America. The Red and Black concluded the year 22-6 overall, won the NCAC title at 16-2, lost in the NCAC Tournament semifinals, and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Gray started 29 games as a senior and earned two NCAC Player of the Week nods. He averaged 14.3 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game on the way to being named second-team All-NCAC. OWU would finish 25-5 and share the NCAC title with a 15-3 record, losing in the second round of the NCAC Tournament but advancing all the way to round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

BEREDINE KRILL 1925
Beredine Krill was a pioneer of women's athletics at Ohio Wesleyan, competing in track & field, field hockey, basketball, and baseball, with her most notable accomplishments coming on the track.

As a sophomore, Krill won a Varsity W in track & field and earned numerals in baseball. She clocked a 29.9 on the track in the 220-yard dash, scoring 11 points and helping the sophomores to a victory in the class meet while setting what was believed to be a national record at the time.

Krill lowered her 220-yard dash time to 29.7 as a junior, setting a new OWU record and improving what was believed to be her own national record. She also earned a spot in the "Army-Navy" all-star game for field hockey along with a Twin W. She also played on the class basketball and baseball teams.

In her senior year, Krill broke the OWU 75-yard dash record with a time of 9.5. Along with serving as the captain of the track & field team, she won another Twin W in field hockey, earned a spot on the "Army-Navy" all-star team, and played on the class basketball team.

EVAN LEE '16
Evan Lee was a two-time all-region selection as a back for the Battling Bishops, scoring 13 goals and adding 15 assists for 41 points. He helped Ohio Wesleyan to a 65-14-14 record over four seasons, going 29-2-5 in conference play, winning three NCAC championships and an NCAC Tournament title, and making four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, including a trip to the national semifinals.

Lee lettered as a freshman, seeing action in nine games as a reserve forward as the Bishops went 13-3-5 and won the NCAC championship with a 7-1-1 record. OWU would lose the NCAC Tournament title game on penalty kicks before making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

As a sophomore, Lee played in all 23 games, starting one, as a forward. He scored both goals for the Red and Black in the NCAC Tournament semifinal against DePauw and finished the season with six goals and five assists for 17 points, tying for third on the team in all three categories. Ohio Wesleyan was 19-1-3 overall and won the NCAC championship with a 7-0-2 record as well as the NCAC Tournament title, ultimately making an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Lee moved to the backfield in his junior season, starting all 26 games and finishing with four goals and three assists for 11 points, tying for third on the team in goals and ranking fourth in points. He scored what proved to be the deciding goal in the NCAC Tournament semifinal against DePauw and converted the deciding penalty kicks in the NCAA Tournament against Calvin and Christopher Newport. Lee earned first-team All-NCAC honors, first-team All-Ohio honors, and a second-team all-region selection while the Battling Bishops went 17-5-4 overall and won the NCAC championship with an 8-0-1 record, losing in the NCAC Tournament title game but advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinal.

As a senior, Lee started all 22 games at back and received the Dick Gauthier Award as Most Valuable Player of the Fred Myers Invitational. He scored the game-winning goal in the NCAC Tournament semifinals against DePauw and finished the season with three goals and a team-runner-up seven assists for 13 points. Lee was named NCAC Defensive Player of the Year along with first-team All-NCAC, first-team All-Ohio, and second-team all-region. Ohio Wesleyan went 16-5-2 overall, 7-1-1 in the NCAC and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after falling in the NCAC Tournament championship game.

TERRY MEE '92
Terry Mee was an All-American defensive back and defensive end for Ohio Wesleyan, leading the Battling Bishops to a 31-8-1 record throughout his four seasons, including a mark of 22-6 in the NCAC with one conference co-championship.

Mee lettered as a freshman with a total of 17 tackles, including a season-high seven at Case Western Reserve. The Bishops went 6-4 overall and tied for second in the NCAC with a 4-2 conference record. In his sophomore season, Mee won the starting free safety spot and had a season-best eight tackles in consecutive games at Wabash and Oberlin. He finished the season with 23 solos and 22 assists for a total of 45 tackles, ranking second among OWU defensive backs. The Red and Black concluded the season 8-1-1 overall and shared the NCAC title with a 5-1 conference record, earning a ranking in the top 20 in NCAA Division III for the first time.

As a junior, Mee finished with 22 solos and 13 assists for 35 total tackles, ranking 10th on the team and third among defensive backs, while also having the second-most interceptions with three. He made a season-high seven tackles at Wittenberg as Ohio Wesleyan was en route to a 9-1 record overall and a second-place NCAC finish at 7-1. Mee and the Battling Bishops led Division III in rush defense, ranking third in total defense and fifth in scoring defense while earning a spot in the top 20 for the second straight season.

Mee experienced a breakout season as a senior, starting with NCAC Player of the Week honors following a 13-tackle performance in the season-opener that included a sack and two tackles for loss. He followed that with another NCAC Player of the Week performance at Wooster with an OWU-record five sacks and a career-high 15 tackles before completing three more games with double-digit tackles. Mee shared the team lead with 58 solos, adding 41 assists for 99 total tackles, ranking third on the team on the way to a first-team All-NCAC selection, a third-team Champion Division III All-America selection, and a Football Gazette All-America honorable mention. He also earned Academic All-District honors as the Bishops finished 8-2 overall and third in the NCAC with a 6-2 conference record, ranking third nationally in rushing defense and ninth in total defense.

DAVID SPRING '99
David Spring was an All-American hurdler for the Battling Bishops, winning seven NCAC titles and earning 11 All-NCAC accolades. He set OWU records in the 55-meter hurdles (7.80) and the 110-meter hurdles (14.58).

As a freshman, Spring won the 55-meter hurdles with a time of 8.03 to help Ohio Wesleyan finish second at the NCAC indoor championship. He won the 110-meter at the All-Ohio outdoor meet and took the top spot in both the 110- and 400-meter hurdles at the NCAC outdoor championship, setting an NCAC record of 14.83 in the 110-meter hurdles and qualifying for the NCAA Division III outdoor championship where he finished 15th.

Spring repeated as NCAC champion in the indoor 55-meter hurdles as a sophomore, with the Bishops finishing third in the team standings. He successfully defended his 110-meter hurdles title at the NCAC outdoor championship but finished fifth in the 400-meter hurdles as OWU took fourth as a team.

In his junior year, Spring placed second in the 55-meter hurdles at the NCAC indoor championship as the Red and Black came in fourth as a team. He reclaimed the outdoor All-Ohio crown in the 110-meter hurdles and won his third straight NCAC title as well, also finishing second in the 400-meter hurdles. Spring helped the 4x100-meter relay team to a second-place finish as the Battling Bishops also finished second in the team standings. He went on to take seventh at the NCAA outdoor championship in the 110-meter dash, earning All-America honors with a time of 14.68.

As a senior, Spring finished second in the 55-meter hurdles at the NCAC indoor meet, helping the Bishops to win the team championship. He won his fourth straight outdoor NCAC title in the 110-meter hurdles as OWU swept the team championships for the year.

LUKE TENNIS '76
Luke Tennis was a three-time All-MLA attacker for the Battling Bishops, holding Ohio Wesleyan records for assists in a game (8), season (51, tied), and career (128), and for career points (199). Over his four seasons, the Bishops had a 41-14 record and went 29-6 in the MLA.

As a freshman, Tennis compiled 17 goals and eight assists for 25 points, ranking fifth on the team in scoring as the Red and Black went 11-4 overall and 5-4 in the MLA. He scored 14 goals and led OWU with 28 assists, totalling 42 points on the way to an All-MLA honorable mention. Ohio Wesleyan would finish the season 9-2 overall and second in the MLA at 8-1.

Tennis tied the program's single-season assists record with 51 in his junior season, leading the MLA, and scored 13 goals for 64 points. He was named second-team All-MLA as the Battling Bishops went 9-5 overall and finished second in the MLA at 8-1. Tennis and the Bishops made their first NCAA Tournament appearance, with Tennis compiling two goals and three assists in a loss to Hobart.

As a senior, Tennis helped the Red and Black to their first MLA title, leading the team in scoring with 27 goals and 41 assists for 68 points and being named first-team All-MLA. OWU was 12-3 overall, 8-0 in the MLA, and earned another NCAA Tournament appearance, posting wins over Kutztown and Cortland before falling to Hobart in the semifinals.

EMILY THORNTON '03
Emily Thornton was a two-time all-region honoree as a pitcher for Ohio Wesleyan, compiling a 40-27 record in 76 games, including 64 starts and 58 complete games. She recorded 12 shutouts, 342 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 1.50 in 461.1 innings pitched, and was named to the NCAC's 20th Anniversary All-Decade Team.

As a freshman, Thornton pitched in 16 games, starting and completing 12, and went 8-5 with a 1.93 ERA, ranking fourth in the NCAC for ERA and fifth for wins. She tallied one shutout and 78 strikeouts with 21 walks on her way to second-team All-NCAC honors, with the Battling Bishops going 8-10 overall and 4-10 in the NCAC in the program's first season after returning to varsity status.

Thornton pitched in 17 games as a sophomore, starting 16 and completing 15, and compiled a 10-6 record with four shutouts and a 1.58 ERA, ranking fifth in the NCAC in wins and third in ERA while also setting the OWU single-season record. She also set the program record for consecutive wins with six and ranked third in the conference with 90 strikeouts, ultimately repeating as a second-team All-NCAC pick. The Bishops went 13-15 overall, finishing third in the conference at 8-4 and qualifying for the conference tournament.

As a junior, Thornton made 17 appearances on the mound, starting 14 games and completing 13 with three shutouts on the way to a 9-6 record with a 1.89 ERA and 91 strikeouts, the latter two ranking third in the NCAC. She led the NCAC in opponent batting average (.189) and most notably recorded a no-hitter against Hiram. The Red and Black concluded the season at 12-17-1 overall and 6-8 in the conference.

In her senior year, Thornton pitched in 26 games – third in the NCAC – and made 22 starts, recording 18 complete games and four shutouts. She compiled a 13-10 record and a 0.89 ERA in 149.1 innings, leading the conference in wins and ERA and ranking second in innings pitched, third in strikeouts (83) and opponent batting average (.191). Thornton was named the NCAC Pitcher of the Year along with a second-team all-region selection. OWU went 20-22 overall and 8-6 in the NCAC.

Thornton was also a four-year letter winner in volleyball, going 52-84 overall and 17-15 in the NCAC during her career on the court. As a senior she collected 214 kills (third on team), 23 blocks (fourth on
team), and 389 digs (second on team) as the Bishops went 4-29 (3-5 NCAC). As a junior, she led the team with 393 digs and ranked third in the NCAC in digs per game at 3.82, also adding 214 kills (third on team) and 26 blocks (tied for fourth on team) with the Red and Black going 11-21 (4-4 NCAC). As a sophomore, Thornton ranked fourth on the team with 213 kills and 12 blocks, and was second with 465 digs as Ohio Wesleyan went 13-20 and advanced to the NCAC Tournament semifinals.

1971 FOOTBALL
The 1971 Ohio Wesleyan football team held a 9-1 overall record and won the Ohio Athletic Conference, going 6-0 in conference and posting four shutouts, including three consecutive against Wooster, Muskingum, and Wabash – the first time since 1929. The Battling Bishops' only regular season loss came via a 7-6 decision at Clarion State. The Red and Black allowed just 39 points during the nine-game regular season, winning games by an average of 23-4.

The Bishops received a bid to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl – which at the time was the NCAA College Division West Regional Championship – losing 20-10 to Samford. However, Samford forfeited the win after playing ineligible players in the game, giving Ohio Wesleyan the win which set the program record for victories in a season.

OWU's 1971 team featured one Kodak All-American in Steve Dutton (first team) and 11 All-OAC players, including five first-teamers, with Steve Chase winning OAC Back of the Year.

1999 WOMEN'S SOCCER
The 1999 Ohio Wesleyan women's soccer team tied the OWU and NCAC records for wins with a 19-1 record and won the NCAC championship with a perfect 8-0 conference record. The Battling Bishops ran the table during the regular season, winning 19 straight games before a loss to DePauw in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. In the national polls, the Bishops rose to No. 2 by the end of the regular season and finished No. 13.

OWU's 1999 team featured two All-Americans in Katy Sturtz (first team) and Abby Jenkins (third team) as well as seven All-NCAC honorees, including three first-teamers, with Sturtz and Jenkins taking the NCAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

TIM CORBIN '84
Tim Corbin is one of the most decorated coaches in college baseball, if not all of college athletics. Since graduating from Ohio Wesleyan in 1984, Corbin has spent the better part of the past four decades garnering the reputation of a winner at the highest level and one of the game's foremost mentors and talent developers. With coaching stints at Presbyterian, Clemson, and most notably Vanderbilt, he has collected 1103 wins and counting, holding a career record of 1103-624-1 through 30 seasons as a head coach.

Corbin got his head coaching start in 1988 at Presbyterian, where he spent six seasons restarting a dormant program and overseeing a move from NAIA to NCAA Division II. He led the Blue Hose to three consecutive South Atlantic playoff appearances and earned South Atlantic Coach of the Year honors in 1990.

In 1994, Corbin made the move to Division I, becoming an assistant coach at Clemson. He spent eight seasons with the Tigers, finishing as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator. In that span, Clemson won upwards of 70 percent of their games along with two Atlantic Coast Conference titles and made nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the College World Series four times.

Corbin rejoined the head coaching ranks in 2002 with a move to Vanderbilt, where he has been for the last 24 seasons. Prior to his arrival, Vanderbilt had not reached the Southeastern Conference Tournament in a decade or the NCAA Tournament in more than three decades. Under Corbin's watch, the postseason has become a regular part of the Commodores' schedule, currently holding the longest active streak for NCAA Tournament berths at 19.

Vanderbilt has built a winning tradition with Corbin at the helm, winning national championships in 2014 and 2019 and making five trips to the College World Series since 2011. Four of those five trips have come since 2014, with the Commodores reaching the championship series on all four occasions. Corbin has also overseen four of the five SEC Tournament championships in program history, sweeping the regular season and tournament titles in 2007 and 2013 and winning the tournament in 2023 and 2025.

For his work, Corbin is a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, winning the honor in 2007, 2013, and 2019, as well as a two-time National Coach of the Year with wins in 2014 and 2019.

Corbin has mentored upwards of 55 All-Americans, with 21 first-team selections, and more than 31 freshman All-Americans. He has tutored more than 30 players who have gone on to play Major League Baseball, with upwards of 150 players being selected in the MLB Draft since 2003.

Corbin was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2020. He earned his 1000th career win in 2024 and stands as the winningest coach in Vanderbilt history with a record of 997-486-1 following the 2026 season.