Nine former student-athletes and one head coach were recently selected to the 34th annual class of the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame and will be officially inducted at a 6:30 p.m. banquet on Friday, January 25, 2019 in the Johnson Center on the University's campus.  The inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the Malone vs. Alderson Broaddus University men's basketball game that will be held in Osborne Hall on Saturday, January 26 (3:00 p.m. tipoff).

The newest Hall of Fame inductees include: Rob Dewolf ('86, baseball), Sherman Eberly (men's soccer head coach), Julie Herbst ('07, women's soccer), Bruce Isler ('80, baseball), Nicole (Jackson) Reed ('02, volleyball), Erica (Loutzenhiser) Knowles ('86, women's track & field), Mike Miller ('86, wrestling), Shane Nalepa ('99, football), Leonard Pettiford ('66, men's golf) and Tyler Renner ('08, men's basketball).

Established in 1985, the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in athletics while at the University. To qualify, athlete inductees must be graduates of Malone, must have graduated at least ten years prior to selection, must exemplify the highest ideals of intercollegiate athletics, and must have earned two letters in one or more sports. As a coach, they must have served the University athletics department five or more years (current coaches ten or more years). In 2007, a provision was established to allow athletics administrators or other support personnel to become eligible, with a minimum of 10 years of athletics service to the University.

This year, the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee has created three new award categories: The Pioneer Legacy Award, recognizing student-athletes who have graduated 30 or more years prior to induction, The Pioneer Meritorious Service Award, honoring coaches, administrators and other members of the Malone community who have worked tirelessly to support the University's Athletic Department, and The Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award, given to an individual who embodies the "Pioneer Spirit" and has broken barriers and/or made a significant impact both on and off the field of play.  The new awards have been implemented in an effort to recognize additional members of the Malone athletics community as full members of the Athletics Hall of Fame, just like all other past and present inductees. 

The Pioneer Legacy Award Winners for 2019 are Bruce Isler and Mike Miller.  Sherman Eberly was selected for The Pioneer Meritorious Service Award and Leonard Pettiford is the inaugural recipient of The Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award.

Rob Dewolf, a 1986 Malone graduate (Communications), was a three-year member of the Pioneer baseball team.  A 1981 graduate of Massillon Jackson High School, Dewolf went on to play six seasons of minor league baseball, advancing to the AAA level. 

An outfielder, Dewolf joined the Pioneer line-up as a freshman in the spring of 1982 and made an immediate impact, helping Malone capture three consecutive Mid-Ohio Conference Championships and NAIA District 22 Titles in 1982 and 1983.

In 1984, his final collegiate season, Dewolf collected MOC and NAIA District 22 First Team honors.  In just three years in a Malone uniform, Dewolf piled up 42 extra-base hits, 33 stolen bases and 59 RBI's.  In June of 1984, he was selected in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Dewolf compiled a .277 career batting average with 116 stolen bases, 93 doubles, 22 triples, 31 homers and 234 RBI's throughout his six seasons of professional baseball.  In 1986, he batted .312 with 51 stolen bases in 135 games for the Stockton Ports, a single-A affiliate of the Brewers.  Two years later in 1988, Dewolf put up impressive numbers for the double-A El Paso Diablos, batting .283 with 20 doubles, 52 RBI's and 16 steals. 

Dewolf is currently a freelance writer and editor who retired in October of 2016 after working for 17 years at the Columbus Dispatch.  Rob and his wife, Jami, reside in Westerville, Ohio.  The couple has one daughter, Emily.

Sherman Eberly, who served as Malone men's soccer head coach from 1990-1998, is the 2019 recipient of The Pioneer Meritorious Service Award.  After spending his first two years as a student at Eastern Mennonite University, Eberly earned his undergraduate degree in Education from Goshen College in 1968.  He then went on to earn his Master's degree in Education from the University of Akron.

Malone's all-time leader in men's soccer coaching victories, Eberly compiled an impressive record of 125-77-15 in his nine seasons.

In just the second year of Eberly's tenure as head coach, the Pioneers posted a 20-6-1 record which still stands as the highest single-season win total in program history.  Malone captured the NCCAA Regional Championship that season and made the first of seven consecutive appearances at the NCCAA National Tournament.

In total, the Pioneers captured NCCAA District or Regional Championships in six of Eberly's nine seasons and finished as the NCCAA National Runner-Up in both 1994 and 1995.

Eberly was named NCCAA National Coach of the Year in 1996, NCCAA East Region Coach of the Year in both 1993 and 1996 and also collected NAIA District Coach of the Year recognition following the 1991 and 1993 campaigns.  In nine years, he coached a total of five NSCAA All-Americans and seven NAIA Academic All-Americans.

Eberly is currently retired and resides in Harrisonburg, Virginia with his wife, Ann.  The couple has two sons, Douglas and Scott, and four grandchildren.  Sherman's son Scott is a Malone graduate, who played for the Pioneers from 1991-1994. 

Julie Herbst, a 2007 Malone graduate (Outdoor Leadership), was a four-year member of the Pioneer women's soccer team.  She is also a 2002 graduate of Lake Central High School in Dyer, Indiana.

A four-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American and four-time NCCAA All-American, Herbst is the most accomplished offensive player in the rich history of the Pioneer women's soccer program.  She ranks first all-time at Malone in both career goals and career points and is second all-time in assists. 

Incredibly, Herbst scored 88 goals in her career, 37 more than anyone else in program history.  She also has nearly twice as many points as any other Pioneer with a remarkable total of 213 (88 goals, 37 assists).

Herbst led Malone to an NCCAA National Championship and an American Mideast Conference South Division Title as a freshman in 2002.  That season, she was named the NCCAA National Player of the Year and AMC Freshman of the Year after racking up 30 goals and 15 assists in 23 matches.

Despite missing the 2003 campaign due to injury, Herbst bounced back with three more excellent seasons.  In 2005, she was named the NCCAA East Region Player of the Year after guiding the Pioneers to an NCCAA East Region Title and another appearance at the NCCAA National Tournament.

In each of her four seasons on the team, Herbst was voted to the NAIA Region IX, All-AMC First Team and NCCAA All-East Region Teams.  She was also a three-time OCSA All-Ohio selection and participated in the 2006 OCSA Senior All-Star game.

Herbst was recently engaged and currently works as a Distribution Specialist for McMaster-Carr Supply Company in Aurora, Ohio.

Bruce Isler, a 1980 Malone graduate (Business Administration), was a four-year member of the Pioneer baseball team.  Isler is also a 1975 graduate of Massillon Perry High School.

A mainstay in the Pioneer pitching rotation over his career, Isler was a key component of four consecutive NAIA District 22 Championships for Malone from 1977-1980.  He compiled a winning record and an ERA below 4.50 in each of his seasons on the mound.

As a junior in 1979, he was named to the NAIA District 22 and Mid-Ohio Conference Teams and collected Malone's "Best Pitcher" award after notching a 6-1 record with a 2.67 ERA over 60.2 innings.

Then as a senior, he went 6-2 with seven complete games and was once again voted to the All-MOC Team and tabbed as the team's "Best Pitcher".

For his career, Isler logged an impressive 18-6 record with 16 complete games, four shutouts, two no-hitters and 157 strikeouts in 201.1 innings.

In addition to the four district titles, the Pioneers also won MOC Championships in 1979 and 1980 and notched a stellar 92-41-1 record during his four seasons in a Malone uniform.

Isler currently works as a Logistics Manager for Quasar Energy Group.  He and his wife, Chris, reside in North Canton.  The couple has six children (Cheryl, Lisa, Daniel, Michael, Kyle and Cory) and six grandchildren.

Nicole (Jackson) Reed, a 2002 Malone graduate (Communications), was a four-year member of the Pioneer volleyball team.  She is also a graduate of Willard High School in Willard, Ohio.

Reed still ranks among the NAIA's all-time leaders and is first in Malone history with 6,874 career assists.  She totaled at least 1,400 assists in each of her four seasons, highlighted by a school-record 2,034 during her senior year in 2001.

A four-time American Mideast Conference selection and four-time NCCAA All-East Region honoree, Reed averaged 11.81 assists per set over the span of her career and is tied for fourth all-time at Malone in matches played with 164.

Malone went a combined 131-45 during her four years on the team.  She was a key component of the Pioneers' back-to-back American Mideast Conference Regular-Season Titles in 2000 and 2001 and helped Malone make four consecutive appearances at the NCCAA National Tournament. 

As a senior in 2001, Reed was voted to the NCCAA All-America Second Team and the All-AMC First Team as Malone notched a 41-8 record, which still stands as the highest single-season win total in school history.

In addition to her impressive assist numbers, Reed also ranks ninth at Malone in career service aces with 152 and tenth in career digs at 1,478.

Reed is an Advocare Independent Distributor and currently resides in Milford Center, Ohio with her husband, Cody, and their four children: Kaitlyn (11), Callyn (8), Gavin (7) and Keaton (3).

Erica (Loutzenhiser) Knowles, a 1986 Malone graduate (Physical Education & Health), was a four-year member of the women's track & field team.  A 1982 graduate of Canton South High School, Knowles earned a Master's degree in Education from Kent State University in 1992.

As a junior in 1985, Knowles became the first NAIA Outdoor All-American in the history of the Pioneer women's track & field program when she placed fifth in the high jump at the NAIA National Championship Meet with a leap of 5'7".

In 1986, she qualified for the NAIA Indoor National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri and brought home her second All-American honor after tying for third overall in the high jump with a mark of 5'6".

Then during her senior outdoor season, Knowles twice reached a career-best height of 5'8".  She captured the 1986 NAIA District 22 individual high jump title and went on to secure her third NAIA All-America award with a fourth-place finish at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships.

Knowles still ranks second all-time in the Malone record book in both the indoor (5'6") and outdoor (5'8") high jump.  In addition to her success on the track, Knowles also excelled in the classroom as a two-time NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete.

Knowles currently serves as the Principal of Tuscarawas Valley Middle School.  She and her husband, Richard, reside in Canton.  The couple has two children: Brittany and Ashley.

Mike Miller, a 1986 Malone graduate (Biology), was a four-year member of Malone's wrestling team.  A graduate of Kent Roosevelt High School, Miller went on to earn a Master's degree in Education from Ashland University.

Miller is one of only two student-athletes to earn NAIA All-America recognition in the history of the Malone wrestling program, claiming the award as a senior in 1985. 

As a freshman in 1982, he captured individual Mid-Ohio Conference and NAIA District 22 Titles in the 126-pound weight class and went on to compete at the NAIA National Championship Meet.

Overall, Miller helped the Pioneers win three consecutive NAIA District 22 Championships in 1982, 1983 and 1984.

Then as a senior in 1985, he led Malone to a 19th-place showing in the team standings at the NAIA National Meet which marked the Pioneers' first Top 20 national finish.  Individually, he finished fifth in the 126-pound weight class at Nationals to join 1989 Malone Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Baker as the only All-Americans in program history.

Miller currently works as a science teacher at Fairfield Union High School in Lancaster, Ohio.  He and his wife, Jennifer, have two children: Emily and Ben.

Shane Nalepa, a 1999 Malone graduate (Physical Education), was a four-year member of the Pioneer football team.  He is also a 1993 graduate of Steubenville High School in Steubenville, Ohio.

Nalepa's arrival to Malone in 1993 coincided with the inaugural year of the Pioneer football program.  He won the starting quarterback job in preseason camp and held the signal-caller position throughout his four years in a Pioneer uniform.

From 1993-1996, Nalepa led Malone to a 27-12-2 record and back-to-back Mid-States Football Association Mideast League Titles in 1995 and 1996.

During his junior year, Nalepa guided the Pioneers to a 24-23 win over Geneva College in the opening round of the NAIA Playoffs – the first and only NAIA playoff victory in program history.  During the dramatic comeback win against the Golden Tornadoes, Nalepa accounted for two fourth-quarter touchdowns, scoring on a 32-yard run and a 22-yard pass to fullback Dan DeGeorge.  Following a Geneva kickoff return for a TD, the junior quarterback then engineered a lengthy scoring drive in the final minute, culminating with a game-winning field goal by Scott Bennington as time expired.

Nalepa was a two-time All-MSFA Second Team selection and ranks among the Top 5 in numerous career passing categories in the Pioneer record book.  He is fourth all-time in both career passing yards (5,711) and touchdowns (45), fifth in career completions (351) and passing attempts (712) and third all-time in total offense (6,473 yards).

Nalepa currently works as a Mortgage Banker with American Midwest Mortgage.  He is married to Karla, a first-grade teacher at Lake High School.  The couple resides in Hartville, Ohio with their two sons: Gavin (7) and Beau (5).

Leonard Pettiford, a 1966 Malone graduate (Social Sciences), was a four-year member of the Pioneer men's golf team and is the 2019 recipient of The Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award.  A graduate of McKeesport High School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, Pettiford went on to earn a Master's degree in Social Work from Howard University.

Pettiford joined the Pioneer golf program during the program's second season of existence in 1963 and was a key member of the team throughout his four years at Malone.

As a junior in 1965, Pettiford compiled a scoring average of 80, second-best on the team, and helped lead the Pioneers to a fifth-place finish at the NAIA District Tournament.

Then as a senior in 1966, he earned Malone's Low Average Medal Award after improving his scoring average to 79.3.  Pettiford carded a team-best round of 78 at the NAIA Districts that season and was named to the Mid-Ohio All-Conference Team.

In addition to battling challenging golf courses, Pettiford also helped break racial barriers.  During the 1966 season, the Pioneers were scheduled to compete in a match in Southern Ohio and upon arrival, Pettiford, an African-American, was told by the golf pro that he would not be permitted to play on the "white-only" course.  Fred  Thomas, a Malone history professor and the head coach of the Malone golf team at the time, vowed to forfeit the match unless Pettiford was allowed to participate.  The coaches from the other two teams who were scheduled to compete in the match fully supported the position.  Soon after, the golf pro returned and gave permission for Pettiford to play, allowing the three teams to complete their match.

Following his time at Malone, Pettiford went on to complete a lengthy career in public service.  He retired from the Department of Labor in 2008 where he worked as the Director of Administrative Services.  Pettiford is married to Belva Burney and resides in Silver Springs, Maryland.  Pettiford has a son, Len Pettiford Jr., and two grandchildren.

Tyler Renner, a 2008 Malone graduate (Integrated Social Studies), was a four-year member of the Pioneer men's basketball team.  A 2003 graduate of Garaway High School, Renner earned a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Ashland University.

A three-time NCCAA All-American and four-time American Mideast Conference honoree, Renner averaged an impressive 17.6 points per game during his career and finished 11th on Malone's all-time scoring list with 1,777 career points.

He also ranks sixth on the Pioneers' rebounding list with 848 career boards (8.3 per game) and is tied for fourth all-time at Malone with 79 career blocked shots.  Renner is one of only two players in program history to compile a combination of at least 1,600 points AND 800 career rebounds.

Renner and the Pioneers competed at the NCCAA National Tournament in 2007 and the junior forward was named to the NCCAA All-Tournament Team after helping Malone to a fifth-place finish at the event.

Then as a senior in 2008, Renner was voted to the NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Team as he led the Pioneers to a 21-10 final record and an AMC North Division Regular-Season Title.

Renner currently works as the Assistant Principal at West Holmes High School.  He and his wife, Carol, reside in Sugarcreek, Ohio with their children: Anderson (3) and Emma (1).