­­CLEVELAND, Miss. – Ten standout Statesmen and Lady Statesmen and one former head coach highlight the 2017 Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame induction class, released Wednesday, April 11, by the Department of Athletics on behalf of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee. This year's class includes Karl Balls (FB), Rory Bell (FB), Meredith Coleman (SB), Shorlone Crockam (WBKB), Petya Petrova (WSWD), Brian Rea (BSB), Clark Richardson (Golf), Sean Spiegel (MSWD), Chris Sykes (MBKB), Joe Wun (MTN) and long-time Delta State men's and women's tennis coach Asa Atkinson.
 
"Induction into the DSU Sports Hall of Fame is the highest honor a student-athlete or coach can receive and we are honored to welcome 11 deserving members to this year's class," Ronnie Mayers, director of athletics, said. "We will honor this year's group as part of Pig Pickin'/Hall of Fame Weekend on October 5-6, 2017 in Cleveland. We will provide more information on this later in the summer."
 
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 annual 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.
 
Karl Balls (Football)
Karl Balls lettered for the Statesmen from 1983-1986 for coach Jimmy "Red" Parker, while earning All-American honors on the defensive line in 1986. A two-time All-Gulf South Conference selection at defensive tackles, Balls helped lead the Statesmen to 22 wins during his tenure and an undefeated stretch against in-state rival Mississippi College. In 1984, Balls finished with 9.5 sacks to rank second in single-season history, while his 19.5 career sacks still rank fifth in program history.
 
Rory Bell (Football)
Rory Bell helped lead one of the greatest turnarounds in Mississippi football history and propel the Statesmen to the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship. The New Orleans, La., native lettered for coaches Todd Knight and Steve Campbell from 1996-2000. During that time, the Statesmen captured their first Gulf South Conference title in 1998 before going on to win the national crown two seasons later. A unanimous All-America selection as a senior in 2000 and a three-time All-GSC pick, Bell finished his career with 282 tackles, including the second most in a single season (138, 2000). He ranks fifth on the career tackles chart today. After graduation, Bell spent one season as a graduate assistant coach on the staff at DSU.
 
Meredith Coleman (Softball)
Meredith Coleman, a four-time All-Gulf South Conference First Team and two-time NFCA All-South Region selection, has etched her name in the Delta State softball record book as one of the best hitters in program history. A former first baseman, designated player, and pitcher for former head coach David Kuhn from 2003-06, Coleman finished in the top 10 in school history in multiple categories, including games played (T1^st/241), career hits (7^th/220), walks (5^th/68), home runs (2^nd/31), RBIs (2^rd/146), doubles (T5^th/41), runs scored (5^th/128) and stolen bases (6^th/51).
 
In single-season history, Coleman ranks eighth in batting average (.400), 10^th in RBIs (48), 11^th in home runs (11), and tied for sixth in triples (3).
 
Coleman finished her career as the GSC single-season record holder for most putouts (528) and second in career putouts (1,377).
 
Shorlone Crockam (Women's Basketball)
Shorlone Crockam, a Cleveland, Miss., native, was a standout guard that was part of the NCAA Championships for the Lady Statesmen in 1989-90 and the 1991-92 season, helping lead Delta State to 32-1 and 30-4 records in those seasons, respectively.
 
Crockam was an All-Gulf South Conference performer in 1991-92 and 1992-93, and was also an NCAA All-South Region performer in 1992. Crockam holds the single-game record for steals, registering 11 for the Lady Statesmen against Valdosta State on Jan. 9, 1993.
 
Crockam ranks 15^th in Delta State history in scoring, tallying 1,418 points in her career. She is also fourth in school history in assists with 541, and ranks sixth in the GSC all-time in that category. Crockam ranks fifth in school history in steals with 272 and is eighth in the GSC all-time. She ranks sixth all-time in made three-pointers (139) and fifth in three's attempted (387) for the Lady Statesmen.
 
Petya Petrova Whelan (Swimming & Diving)
Petya Petrova was a member of the Lady Statesmen swim team from 2004-2006.
 
During her junior season, Petrova claimed the 400-IM at the NSISC Championships with a school/NSISC record breaking performance. Following the NSISC Championships, Petrova finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in the 400-IM, 10th in the 200-Backstroke and 15th in the 200-IM.
 
She also helped the Lady Statesmen finish in the top-15 in the 400-Freestyle relay (14th), 800-Freestyle relay (13th), 200-Medley relay (15th) and 400-Medley relay (9th).
 
For her efforts, she was also named the Most Valuable Swimmer for the Lady Statesmen.
 
As a senior, after being named All-NSISC and an NSISC Scholar Athlete, Petrova helped the Lady Statesmen finish 11th in the 200-Medley relay, 13th in the 400-Medley relay, 13th in the 800-Freestyle relay and 15th in the 400-Freestyle relay at the NCAA Championships.
 
She finished her career as the school record holder in the 100 and 200-Backstroke, the 200 and 400-IM and all five record holding relay teams. Petrova also ended her career as the winner of the prestigious Lady Statesmen award.
 
Brian Rea (Baseball)
Brian Rea played third base for the Statesmen under the late Head Coach Bill Marchant and current Head Coach Mike Kinnison from 1997-2000.  He earned All-Gulf South Conference and All GSC West Division honors in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and ABCA All-South Central Region laurels in 1999. Rea was awarded Makamson Freshman of the Year Award in 1999 and the Sandifer Statesmen Award in 1999 and 2000.
 
The Nettleton, Miss., native finished his career ranked in the top 10 in seven career and is currently ranked in four season and one game statistical categories. Rea ranks first in career hits (302), third in runs (227), fourth in games played (212), seventh in batting average (.387), seventh in total bases (397), eighth in walks (103) and ninth in career RBIs (165).
 
Rea hit .439 in 1998 and .429 in 1999, ranking second and third, respectively, in a single season batting average list. His 87 runs scored in 2000 and his 91 hits in 1999 are tied for sixth in a single season. Rea owns the single-game record with six runs scored against LeMoyne Owen in 1999. Additionally, Rea remains ranked ranks second in the GSC in career hits (307) and third in career runs scored (227) while his 792 career at bats are fifth. 
 
The Statesmen captured the 2000 GSC Tournament titles, four GSC West Division crowns and earned berths in the NCAA South Central Region Tournament in 1999 and 2000.
 
Clark Richardson (Men's Golf)
Clark Richardson was a two-time All-American for former head coach Sam Dunning from 2002-2005. During his time with the Statesmen, Richardson helped lead DSU to the 2004-05 Gulf South Conference championship and the program's only No. 1 national ranking in the country.
 
Richardson and the Statesmen won 17 tournaments from 2003-2005, while making a deep run in the NCAA Division II National Tournament in 2005 with the lowest round of the event (279/4-Under).
 
His 2004-05 scoring average of 73.32 ranks sixth all-time in school history while his 73.87 in 2003-04 ranks eighth. He also owns four of DSU's top 20 lowest round scores of all-time, including a second round 64 in the 2004 Foreman Classic at the Cleveland Country Club. 
 
Off the course, the Hot Springs, Ark., native, a two-time All-GSC selection, worked just as hard in the classroom, garnering Collegiate Golf Coaches Association Academic All-American honors in 2004 and 2005. He was also a three-time Gulf South Conference Academic Team honoree and a four-time Honor Roll recipient.
 
Sean Spiegel (Swimming & Diving)
Sean Spiegel swam for the Statesmen from 2002-2005. During that time, the versatile Spiegel set numerous Delta State records as a swimmer and as a diver.
 
During his sophomore season, Spiegel earned All-NSISC honors, while finishing in 12th place on the 3-meter board at the NCAA Championships.
 
In 2004, Spiegel was again an All-NSISC performer, while finishing in eighth place on the 1-meter board at the NCAA Championships and in 13th on the 3-meter board. He also helped the Statesmen to a 13th place finish in the 200-Freestyle relay. Following the season, Spiegel was named Most Valuable Diver for the Statesmen.
 
As a senior, Spiegel turned in some of his best performances, as helped the Statesmen finish 13th at the NCAA Championships. Spiegel was on the 200-Medley relay team that finished fifth and the 200-Freestyle relay team that was 13th.
 
That year, Spiegel was also an All-NSISC performer, an NSISC Scholar Athlete, an Academic All-American and was also named Most Valuable Diver. Spiegel exhausted his eligibility as the school record holder in the 50-Freestyle and on the 3-meter board. He was also a member of the record setting 200-Freestyle and 200-Medley relay teams.
 
In 2008, Spiegel became the first Statesman to qualify for the USA Olympic Trials, as he competed in the 50-Freestyle.
 
Chris Sykes (Men's Basketball)
No men's basketball turned in a more dominant career than Chris Sykes during former head coach Steve Rives' tenure at Delta State University.  The 6-foot-7 power forward lettered for the Statesmen from 1996-1999, leading the Green & White to two Gulf South Conference titles, three appearances in the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament and an Elite Eight finish in 1997-98.
 
Inside the numbers, Sykes scored 1,539 points and grabbed 925 rebounds to finish his career ranked in top five in both categories. His 57.5 career field goal percentage still ranks second in school history while owning the DSU record for free throws made (436) and free throws attempted (712). He also ranks second in blocks with 118.    
 
The Aberdeen, Miss., native was twice named a first team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1998 and 1999 while earning Gulf South Conference Player of the Year honors in both of those seasons. He was a three-time All-GSC selection, including being named the GSC Freshman of the Year in 1996-97.
 
Joe Wun (Men's Tennis)
Joe Wun broke opponents serves and barriers on the court during his career with the Delta State University men's tennis team from 1951-1952. The Merigold, Miss., native is believed to be the first minority student-athlete in DSU's history. Wun went on to play a role in the development of the United States' space exploration program after leaving Delta State.  
 
Asa Atkinson (Men's & Women's Tennis)
A native of Shaw, Miss., Asa Atkinson spent 27 seasons as head coach of Lady Statesman Tennis and in 2004 took over the Statesman program. Over the years, Atkinson's programs competed at the highest levels of NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference.

By 2001, Atkinson was elected the USPTA Southern Division Coach of the Year and in 2009, he was named Gulf South Conference Women's Tennis Coach of the Year. During his tenure, 25 Statesmen were named All-Gulf South Conference while Alejandro Alvez (2004) and David Voravongsa (2005) captured GSC West Player of the Year honors. Voravongsa was also a two-time ITA All-American in 2005 and 2007.
 
On the women's side, 63 Lady Statesmen were named All-Gulf South Conference under Atkinson, including four-time First Team selections Adri Van Dert Wath (1998-2001) and Paula Uchida (2004-2007). Van Der Wath (1998), Cecile Benzaki (2008/2010), and Laura Mongin (2011) captured GSC Player of the Year accolades. Jeane Van der Merwe and Shani Van der Wath were both named ITA All-Americans under Atkinson's tutelage.
 
In 2013, he was inducted into the Cleveland Country Club Hall of Fame and in 2016 the Mississippi Tennis Association inducted Atkinson into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame.
 
Atkinson has been a driving force in the growth of tennis in the Mississippi Delta for almost 50 years as a player, teacher, and coach.