By Doug Zaleski—
MUNCIE, IN— The Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame has elected 13 new members who will be honored in July in its 2024 class.
Ty’Ronda Benning, Ben Botts, Zachary Ervin, Rob Fisher, Hayley (Hall) Garard, Jeremy Hazelbaker, Kasin (Spay) Hoke, Kimberly Kuzma, Taylor Morey, Christopher Overholt, George Taylor, Logan Young and Megan (Allen) Zelasko will be inducted July 20 at the Ball State Alumni Center. Tom Childs will be honored at the banquet as this year’s James Lightbody Award of Excellence recipient.
A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m., the banquet is at 6 p.m. and induction will be at 7 p.m. on July 20. Tickets can be purchased for $30 for adults and $15 for children 5-12 (4 and under are free) through the Hall’s web site at delcohof.org.
The 26th annual Hall of Fame golf tournament, sponsored by Pizza King, will be at 1 p.m. July 19 at Crestview Golf Club in Muncie. Four-player scramble team entries are $240 (individuals can be placed on a team for $60). To enter, contact Joey O’Connor (765-760-2830), Mike Bush (765-748-1042) or Jim Mansfield (765-284-9662).
The Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame awarded four major academic scholarships this year. Jake Bilby received the Francis Lafferty Hall of Fame Scholarship for $2,500, Stella Childs received the Hill Family Scholarship for $2,000, John Hochstetler received the Roberta “Tootie” Falls Memorial Scholarship for $1,000, and Ben Edwards received the James Cartwright Scholarship for $750.
This year’s Hall of Fame honorees are:
TY’RONDA BENNING
Ty’Ronda Benning earned accolades in girls basketball while playing at Southside High School, from which she graduated in 2007.
She scored 1,409 points during her prep career for the Rebels, earning second-team All-State honors as the third-leading scorer in the state as a senior. Benning was picked to the All-Hoosier Heritage Conference team four years.
She was named Indiana Mini Miss Basketball in 2007 and was selected to the Indiana North-South All Star team.
Benning went on to success in college. She was a national junior college All-American at Lincoln Trail Community College, where she also was selected the region’s player of the year and finished third in school history in scoring. She finished her career at Ball State, where she was a team captain, a second-team All-Mid-American Conference selection and winner of the team’s mental attitude award.
BEN BOTTS
Ben Botts achieved success in basketball as a high school and college athlete, and as a coach in the sport.
He was an integral part of the Muncie Central team in the early 2000s, helping the Bearcats win four sectional championships, two regional titles and two semistate crowns.
Botts was a starting guard on the Central team that appeared in back-to-back IHSAA Class 4A state championship games in 2005 and 2006. The Bearcats posted a 47-8 record in those two seasons. He scored 22 points in the 2006 state championship contest.
After his senior season with the Bearcats, Botts was an Indiana All-Star team member. He also helped Central win two sectional titles in football, earning All-State mention.
Botts went on to play collegiate basketball at IPFW, where he was the school’s freshman athlete of the year and later the Mastodons’ athlete of the year. He ended his career as the school leader in 3-point field goal percentage and finished fourth in career scoring.
Botts has been an assistant basketball coach at Ball State since 2018. Before that he was an assistant at IPFW, when the team earned post-season berths four straight seasons. Botts started his career as director of operations at Princeton and then was a graduate assistant for two years at Xavier.
ZACHARY ERVIN
Zachary Ervin was among the top players in Delta High School’s storied history in boys tennis.
He was a four-time All-State selection, earning three first-team nods and one second-team placement. Ervin played No. 1 singles for all four of his high school seasons with the Eagles, helping them to a third-place finish in the state tournament one year and a spot in the final eight twice. He finished fourth in the state singles competition in 2006.
Ervin graduated as the school’s record-holder in wins with 101 against just nine career losses. His victory total, which includes 100 wins at No. 1 singles, still stands as the Delta record. He went on to play at Butler University, where he compiled 106 career victories and lettered four years.
He also was a part-time starter for the Delta boys basketball team in 2008, averaging 5 points a game for the squad that reached a regional title contest.
Ervin was boys and girls tennis coach at Henry Ford High School in Detroit for five seasons and was a volunteer assistant for the school’s boys basketball team that won a state championship in 2016 and finished runner-up in 2015. He currently is an administrator at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis.
ROB FISHER
Rob Fisher was born in Muncie and has lived in Delaware County his entire life. The 1974 Yorktown graduate played basketball and baseball in high school before getting into coaching.
His coaching career began in 1993 when he assisted with a 12-under baseball travel team. Fisher coached in the Muncie Babe Ruth program and led the 14-year-old All Stars to a spot in the state tournament.
Fisher became the Central High School junior varsity coach in 1997 and served as the program’s hitting coach. As a varsity assistant coach for the Bearcats he helped the team win two sectional titles and two of the five North Central Conference championships in school history.
He was named Central’s head baseball coach in 2009 and remained in that position until he retired in 2013. His long history coaching in Muncie and teaching and talking baseball to youth and their parents, led to his fellow coaches bestowing him the nickname “The Mayor.” He was named to the coaching staff of the Indiana North-South All-Star Series in 2013.
Fisher was the public address announcer for Bearcat basketball games for 20 seasons. He currently provides color analysis for high school football and basketball games on WMUN Radio in Muncie.
HAYLEY (HALL) GARARD
Hayley (Hall) Garard excelled as a record-breaking girls tennis player at Delta High school before going on to play collegiately at Ball State.
She was a four-time ITA scholar-athlete, and finished as state runner-up in tennis at the IHSAA championships.
Garard was the East Central Indiana girls tennis athlete of the year all four years while in high school. She earned all-conference and All-State recognition four times with the Eagles.
She holds the Delta record with former teammate Kristin Crider for most career wins in school history at 86.
Garard played tennis at Ball State, where she held the team’s No. 1 singles spot. She was an NCAA All-American and won the Mid-American Conference sportsmanship award.
JEREMY HAZELBAKER
Jeremy Hazelbaker generated success as a baseball standout at Wapahani High School and Ball State before going on to a notable career as a professional player who reached the sport’s highest level.
His career at Wapahani included four years as a starter, a first-team nod on the All-State team as a senior and honorable mention as a junior, and the 2006 East Central Indiana baseball athlete of the year and a spot on the Indiana North-South All-Star team.
Hazelbaker broke the school record with a 1.069 slugging percentage as a senior. His career totals for the Raiders included a .420 batting average, 21 home runs, 139 RBIs and 79 stolen bases. He helped the 2004 team reach the state championship game for the first time in school history.
He went on to play three seasons as Ball State, finding his niche as an outfielder after previously playing second base. He batted .429 with 77 runs scored for the Cardinals as a junior in 2009. He broke single-season school records that year for runs, triples and on-base percentage.
Hazelbaker was selected in the fourth round of the 2009 draft by the Boston Red Sox. He earned several accolades in the minor leagues, including the most stolen bases in a season (63) for the Greenville Drive. He moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization before being picked up by the St. Louis Cardinals. It was there that he earned his first promotion to the major leagues.
He earned a spot on the 2016 opening day roster with the Cardinals. He played in 155 games in 2016 and 2017 with the Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks. Hazelbaker was the first player in Cardinals’ history to hit a home run and triple in a game he didn’t start, and he set a Diamondbacks record by reaching base safely in eight consecutive plate appearances. As a professional he played in seven different countries (United States, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and Australia).
KASIN (SPAY) HOKE
Kasin (Spay) Hoke was a three-sport athlete at Delta High School, and played four seasons each in soccer, basketball and softball.
Much of her success came on the hardwood where she earned numerous accolades. She was All-Delaware County four times and all-conference twice. As a senior, she led the Eagles in scoring and steals and was voted the county player of the year.
Hoke continued with her basketball career at Earlham College, starting 98 games and playing four years. She finished fourth on the school’s career scoring list with 1,402 points. She was second in 3-pointers made (135) in her career. She was the team’s offensive player of the year as a freshman, team MVP as a junior and senior, and a team captain three years. She also earned several academic awards at Earlham before graduating in 2016.
Hoke joined the Eagles’ soccer team as a freshman as a way to stay in shape for basketball, and found success on the pitch as a goalkeeper. She was all-conference three times and team MVP in 2011. In softball, she was all-conference and all-county twice. Hoke was the team’s offensive player of the year in 2012 and received the Terry Sacksteder Memorial Scholarship for academic excellence.
KIMBERLY KUZMA
Kimberly Kuzma gained vast experience with a United States national team and continued on a successful volleyball path during high school at Muncie Central.
She played twice with the U.S. Youth National Team, helping her squad win a championship in Puerto Rico and finish fourth in China. She was honored as the top serve-receiver and led in digs/sets in both competitions.
Kuzma helped lead Central to the final 4 of the state volleyball tournament all four years in high school. During her career, the Bearcats won one state championship and finished runner-up twice. She still holds the first or second spots on the school list for games played, kills, aces and digs.
Kuzma earned a scholarship to play volleyball at the University of Wisconsin. She finished in the top five for digs/sets, double-digit digs and total digs in Badgers history. She also ranks in the top 10 for consecutive sets played.
She was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s 30 under 30 list which recognizes the top up-and-coming coaches under age 30, and served as a volleyball analyst for the Big Ten Network from 2016-2021.
TAYLOR MOREY
Taylor Morey was a highly decorated high school volleyball player who enjoyed much success at the collegiate level.
The Burris High School graduate was the 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year for Indiana, and a first-team All-American in 2011. She was named one of the top 25 players in the nation in the 2012 class by ESPN.
She led the Owls to two state titles, both of which featured undefeated seasons, and was named All-State three times. Morey was a five-time AAU All-American while playing for Munciana Volleyball Club. Morey helped her club team win the 2011 AAU national title and it was runner-up in 2012. She also won three NSA World Series championships in softball with the Indiana Shockwaves.
Morey began her collegiate career at Notre Dame in 2012. She led the Fighting Irish in digs per set, and had 29 digs in the season-opening match against No. 1 UCLA. She transferred to Wisconsin the next season and played three years for the Badgers.
At Wisconsin, she ranked fourth in school history with 3.97 digs per set and fifth in career digs with 1,506. Morey had double-figure digs in 28 of 33 matches as a senior, including a career-best 29 against Kansas State. In 2014, she was a second-team All-American and the Big Ten defensive player of the year.
CHRISTOPHER OVERHOLT
Christopher Overholt has a long history with Delta High School. He was a four-year letterwinner in both football and track as a high school athlete, and then forged a path as a prep football coach that led him back to his alma mater.
He has enjoyed notable success during his eight seasons as the Eagles’ head coach. He joined the program in 2015 as an assistant coach and ascended to the leader of the program the next season. He has built a record of 51-38 as the head coach at Delta.
Among his successes in that position are two sectional championships. Overholt also has coached eight All-State players, four junior All-State players, two North-South All-Stars, and 36 IFCA Academic All-State players.
Overholt also served as an assistant coach in programs at Shenandoah and Jay County.
In the classroom, Overholt was selected Delta Middle School teacher of the year in 2016, has helped raise $220,000 in fundraising money the past eight years, and provided 1,200 books given away to local elementary schools.
As a high school athlete with the Eagles, Overholt was an all-conference pick, Region 5 all-star, sectional champion and regional champion in 2000. In track, he won sectional titles as an individual and as part of the Delta team. His discus distance of 162 feet, 10 inches is still the school record.
GEORGE TAYLOR
George Taylor will be inducted into the hall as a coach/contributor after a long career of officiating in numerous IHSAA tournaments in multiple sports.
Taylor, a Fort Wayne native and Ball State graduate, began his career in Delaware County as a teacher and coach at Wilson Junior High. He coached basketball, track, and cross country there for more than 20 years. Several of his players in basketball went on to win state championships at Central and Southside high schools.
He worked with the starting crew for many years at track meets and girls and boys cross country meets. Taylor officiated basketball games for 29 years, including 293 IHSAA tournament games. He received the Meredith Payne Award as the most outstanding official of the year in 2013.
Taylor worked at the state finals of the track and cross country meets as an official in some capacity for 41 years. He participated in nine state tournaments in three sports as a high school athlete at Fort Wayne Northside. He played in the state finals in basketball once, when his team lost in the state semifinals to an Oscar Robertson-led Crispus Attucks team.
LOGAN YOUNG
Logan Young achieved great success in football at Delta High School and won numerous honors before being awarded a scholarship at Indiana University.
He compiled 3,110 career receiving yards to rank fifth all-time in Indiana when he left high school. He was selected the 2009 Indiana Mr. Football at the receiver position, was the East Central Indiana football player of the year and a first team All-State player the same season. Young caught passes for 1,529 yards as a senior for the Eagles, the seventh-best mark in state history.
While at Delta, Young’s teams won two sectional championships and two conference titles. He played two seasons at Indiana before transferring to the University of Indianapolis. His teams at Indianapolis won three conference championships and appeared in the Division 2 players twice.
Young also competed in basketball and track and field at Delta. He helped the Eagles win two sectional titles, one regional championship and two Delaware County crowns in basketball. In track, he was a four-year letterman and won individual titles in county, conference and sectional tournaments.
MEGAN (ALLEN) ZELASKO
Megan (Allen) Zelasko was a three-sport standout at Wes-Del High School who made a strong mark in basketball.
Among her highlights were breaking three school records as a freshman during the 1997-98 season for most assists (129), best assist average (5.9) and most 3-point field goals in a game (5). As a junior in 1999-2000, she was an all-conference player who broke the school career record by averaging 3.5 steals per game. Her senior season resulted in surpassing 1,000 career points and finishing with 13 school records
Zelasko also found success in two other sports: volleyball and track.
In volleyball, she started every game in high school to earn four letters. Zelasko led the team in kills, aces and digs each season while helping the Warriors earn a ranking in state polls each season. She was selected to the Indiana Junior all-star team in 2000.
Zelasko competed in every 400 dash, 1,600 relay and long jump while earning four varsity letters. She was undefeated in the 400 during the regular season in all four years. She also ran the 200 dash and 400 relay in some events.
She also excelled in the classroom, earning a 3.9 grade-point average.
TOM CHILDS
Tom Childs is being honored with the prestigious James Lightbody Award of Excellence. It is the highest honor given by the Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame to a person who has excelled in participation, support or promotion of athletics in Muncie and Delaware County.
Childs has been associated with Delaware County high school athletics since becoming principal at Delta in 1968. He also was principal at Wapahani and Selma Elementary School, retiring in 2006 after 44 years in the education field.
He coached girls basketball at Wapahani, and his team won the 1988 Delaware County Tournament title. He coached softball for eight years at Royerton and several travel teams. He was a co-coach in 1981 of a girls 13-under team that won the Amateur Softball Association state championship.
Childs was inducted into the Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000, and has been a member of several conference and county athletic associations. The Tom Childs Award is given annually to an outstanding student at Selma Elementary.
