ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Six individuals and two teams will become the newest members of the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.
The Class of 2025 will take its place in history during the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame Weekend on October 17-18.
The Hall of Fame Weekend begins Friday, October 17 at 4 p.m. with a private reception for the inductees followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Fulkerson Center.
The weekend continues on Saturday, October 18 with Missouri Western football hosting Pittsburg State in the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame Game at 6 pm at Spratt Stadium.
The 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees will receive their commemorative rings during a halftime ceremony.
J.R. Graham
Football (2005-07)
Graham was a first team all-MIAA selection in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and a third team all-region selection in 2006 as well. Graham was part of Missouri Western's first ever NCAA Division II playoff team in 2006, helping that team to a 9-3 record overall. He also helped the Griffons to a 9-3 record and Mineral Water Bowl victory against Wayne State in 2007. He was also on the 2005 team that went 9-3 and beat Concordia-St. Paul in the Mineral Water Bowl. Graham recovered three fumbles in the 2007 season, including a 36-yard scoop-n-score in a 42-24 victory against Baker. His four career fumble recoveries are tied for third most in a Griffon career. Graham ended his career with 185 career tackles, five career interceptions and 19 career pass breakups. He was named to the Missouri Western 2000s All-Decade Team in 2019.
Nathan Martin
Football (2006-09)
Martin played every position on the offensive line in his storied Griffon career, and was a two-time all-MIAA selection, including a first-team choice in 2009. He was a first team all-region and honorable mention All-American pick in 2009 as well. In his first season on campus, Martin helped the Griffons to their first ever NCAA Division II playoff appearance in 2006. Martin started in the Valero Cactus Bowl – a Division II all-star game – in Kingsville, Texas in 2010. Martin was later named to the Missouri Western 2000s All-Decade Team in 2019. He was also MWSU's Male Student Athlete of the Year in 2009-10.
Mary Nichols
Softball, Volleyball, Basketball (athlete 1974-77, coach 1978 – 1998)
Nichols was a true pioneer for women's sports at Missouri Western – as an athlete, coach and administrator. She was a member of Missouri Western's first volleyball, women's basketball and softball teams in the 1974-75 season. She was the first Griffon female athlete to become a three-sport letterwinner. Following her playing career, Nichols started her coaching career as an assistant for both volleyball and softball in 1978 before becoming the head coach of both the volleyball and softball teams in 1987. Nichols led Griffon volleyball through 1992, accumulating a 196-103 record. She remained as head softball coach through 1998, compiling a 279-240 record. While coaching, Nichols also served as Senior Woman Administrator and Coordinator of Compliance from 1991-98.
Shi Qing Ong
Women's Golf (2015-19)
Ong is the most decorated women's golfer in Missouri Western history, as she was a four-time all-MIAA and all-Central region golfer, and was named the MIAA Golfer of the Year in both 2018 and 2019. Ong won a remarkable 14 individual tournaments – a program record – including back-to-back MIAA titles in 2018 and '19. She qualified for the NCAA Women's Golf Regional in all four years of her career, advancing to the National Championship three times – twice as an individual. In her freshman season, she competed as the No. 1 player on the team that advanced out of the regional to the National Championship – one of only six MWSU teams in any sport to ever accomplish that feat. She went on to become Missouri Western's first female golfer to be an at large selection for the Google Cloud Academic All-America team in 2019. She was also an NCAA Woman of the Year nominee that same year.
Ryan Zenn
Baseball (2005-06)
Zenn was a career .396 batter for the Griffons, helping both the 2005 and 2006 teams to 31 wins or more, including an NCAA tournament berth in 2006 – the first in program history. Zenn batted a remarkable .418 in 2006, which is the third highest average in a single season in program history. His 22 doubles in 2005 is still a single season program record, as is the 407 putouts he recorded in 2006. His career .396 batting average is the second highest in the program record books. His career slug percentage of .585 ranks eighth in school history, while his career OBP of .453 ranks seventh all-time. He also boasts 149 career hits (9
th), 38 career doubles (4
th) and 753 career putouts (3
rd). Zenn, a first baseman, was a first team all-MIAA and first-team all-Central Region selection in 2006.
Charles "Buzz" Verduzco
Head Baseball Coach (1999-2023)
Verduzco took over Griffon baseball from Doug Minnis in 1999, and just like his predecessor, had great success over a long period of time. Just the second head coach in Griffon baseball history, Verduzco finished his 23-year career with 629 wins – the most in Missouri Western history and second most all-time in the MIAA. Verduzco led the Griffons to their first ever MIAA regular season title in 2013 and four total NCAA tournament bids. Verduzco was named the MIAA Coach of the Year in 2013, and he led 114 players to all-MIAA recognition, including eight who reached All-American status. Verduzco also had three players be selected in the MLB Amateur Player Draft. Verduzco retired at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Larry Taylor
Men's Basketball (2001-03) *Class of 2023*
Larry Taylor set a bar for Griffon Men's Basketball that still holds up to this day. He earned an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection in 2001-02, helping the Griffons become MIAA Regular Season Co-Champions with a 16-2 conference record. Taylor and the Griffons finished that season with a 33-7 record and an NCAA South Regional berth – their first since 1999. As the Griffons won the MIAA Tournament for the first time in 2003, Taylor earned the team's first-ever MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Award and was also second team all-conference. Taylor's 18.9 points per game and team-high 60 steals sustained an excellent 2002-03 season for the Griffs, with MWSU going 23-8 overall and earning its second-straight South Central Regional appearance. Taylor, a 2002-03 All-Defensive Team and NAPC/Pontiac All-South Central Second Team member, ranks fifth in MWSU history with 320 career assists. His 84 steals in the 2001-02 season is still a program record. He recorded 170 assists in 2002-03 – second most in a single season in program history.
1996-97 Women's Basketball
Led by Missouri Western alum and Hall of Fame coach Dave Slifer (2018 MWSU Hall of Fame Class), the Griffons won both the MIAA regular season and conference tournament championship, going 24-7 overall and 14-4 in league play. In Slifer's second season at the helm, his team topped Central Missouri 53-46 in the MIAA tournament championship game played at the MWSU Fieldhouse in 1997. The Griffons were an automatic qualifier and the No. 1 seed for the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, which was hosted by Missouri Western. The Griffons earned a first-round bye, topping Abilene Christian 75-71 in regional semifinals before falling to West Texas A&M in the Regional Final. Slifer was named MIAA Coach of the Year in 1997. Jenny Marr (2018 MWSU Hall of Fame Class) earned first team all-MIAA honors, was named the MIAA's Co-Most Valuable Player and was a member of the Bulletin Honorable Mention All-America Team. The honors didn't stop there, as Toni Wood earned second-team all-MIAA status, while Sara Elgin, Stephanie Jackson, Brigitte Gittens and Dana Obersteadt were honorable mention all-MIAA selections.
2001-02 Women's Basketball
Griffon Women's Basketball enjoyed a terrific run of dominance after winning the MIAA in 1997, and it all came to a head again in 2001-02. Slifer led the Griffs to a 27-3 overall record and a 16-2 mark in the MIAA. At the time, it was the sixth straight season that Griffon women's basketball won 22 or more games, and it was the sixth straight season finishing inside the top three of the MIAA standings. Once again, the Griffs got to cut down nets at home, defeating Washburn in the MIAA tournament title, 54-51, at the MWSU Fieldhouse. With that, Missouri Western was again the NCAA South Central Regional host, automatically qualifying as the No. 1 seed. The 2001-02 team averaged a program record 17.7 assists per game. The team also averaged 76 points per game – the second most of any team in program history. Slifer was not only MIAA Coach of the Year once again, but he was a Kodak/Russell Athletic Coach of the Year Finalist. Nicole Lindsey-Collier (2015 MWSU Hall of Fame Class) was a Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Finalist, and a second team all-MIAA selection. Krista Small was a Daktronics All-South Central Region Second Team selection, and a second team all-MIAA pick. Carliss Holland was also a second team all-MIAA pick, while JoAnna Stuelke was an honorable mention all-MIAA honoree.
