CANTON -- Eight former Pioneer student-athletes, one former head coach / athletic director, and the 'Voice of the Pioneers' comprise the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

The ten-member class will be honored during an induction ceremony as part of Malone Homecoming & Family Weekend.

The ceremony is being held on Saturday, October 7 in the Johnson Center Dining Room. Doors open and breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Johnson Center Worship Center.

Tickets are now available, and can be purchased HERE.

Below is the complete bio information for the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

2023 Inductees

Tammy Bailey '85 - Women's Basketball
Charlie Grimes - Track & Field Head Coach / Administration
Joanna (Genter) Ferrel '07 - Women's Cross Country / Track & Field
Jocelyn (Iwanusa) Kasler '00 - Women's Tennis 
Justin Martin '95 - Men's Soccer
Bernard Payton '08 - Football
Clint Scroggs '91 - 'Voice of the Pioneers' - The Pioneer Meritorious Service Award
Ben Smith '11 - Men's Golf
Lacey (Watkins) Tomczak '07 -  Women's Cross Country / Track & Field
James Zeuch '11 - Men's Cross Country / Track & Field 


Tammy Bailey '85 | Tammy Bailey's standout, four-year career as a Pioneer women's basketball player included several appearances in the program's record book that still stand to this day.

Her 43 points scored against Wilmington College in 1985 still holds as the Malone University women's basketball record for most points scored in a single game - before the existence of the three-point line.

She is one of just two players in program history to top the 40 point mark. Her 17 made field goals in that game also still stand as the program's top mark.

In addition to these Malone highlights, Tammy was also recognized by the conference and nationally.

She was a two-time NAIA All American 1983-85, the ASWF Great Lakes Regional player of the year 1984-85, NAIA District 22 Player of the Year 1984-85, and the NAIA 4th leading scorer nationally in 1984-85.

She is also proud to be recognized academically by both the university and the conference during her tenure.

Overall, Bailey finished her career with 1,248 points which currently puts her 14th on the program's all-time scoring list.

Tammy graduated from Malone in 1985 with a degree in Education for the teaching of K-12 physical education and 7-12 health education.

After completing her Master's in Adapted Physical Education, she proudly taught and coached in the Canton City School district for over 36 years until retiring in 2022.

She coached basketball in schools and summer camps as well as high school track, volleyball and softball.

A highlight of coaching was when the Lehman Junior High 7th and 8^th grade girls' basketball team came together and won 3 consecutive championships.

The victories were great, but her pride and joy in coaching was teaching the young players fundamentals and the concept of teamwork.

Her most memorable moments in teaching were the smiles, jubilance, and achievements of her Adapted Physical Education students who overcame so many obstacles in life on a daily basis.

She believes it was God's guidance that led her to serve the Canton City Schools and students with special needs. It was her privilege to teach her students and serve the families - many students had Adapted Physical Education from kindergarten through graduation.

Another highlight was helping coordinate Canton City Schools Exceptional Olympics for many years, and being nominated and recognized by her peers as employee of the month.

Bailey now lives in Canton where she enjoys time with her supportive family - she is the youngest of 7 siblings and a large extended family who always supported her endeavors.


 
Charlie Grimes | Charlie Grimes spent eleven years as the head coach of Malone University's standout track & field program. He spent another eleven years as the university's athletic director.

Under Grimes' direction, the Malone track & field program won eleven total American Mideast Conference (AMC) championships and nine National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championships.

Between indoor and outdoor track & field, he teamed up with Hall of Fame Cross Country Coach Jack Hazen to coach over 400 NAIA national championship meet qualifiers and over 100 NAIA All-Americans.

He was named the AMC Coach of the Year 13 times, the NAIA Region Coach of the Year 10 times, and the NCCAA Coach of the Year 9 times.

Grimes transitioned into the role of athletic director in 2008.

There he helped guide Malone through the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II membership, and later a transition from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to Malone's current home – the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).

During Grimes' tenure as athletic director, across all sports, the Pioneers produced over 80 All-Americans – including four individual national champions, two team national championships, and numerous all-conference champions and national championship qualifiers.

Charlie transitioned to pastoral ministry in 2019.  He currently resides in Strasburg, Ohio, and serves as the lead pastor at the Walnut Creek Mennonite Church in the heart of Ohio's Amish country.


 
Joanna (Genter) Ferrel '07 | Joanna Ferrel's running career at Malone saw her earn NAIA All-American honors five different times.

She was a three-time NAIA All-American in cross country (2003, 2004, and 2005).

She was a two-time NAIA All-American in track & field – bringing home honors in the outdoor steeplechase in 2005 and the indoor 5,000 meters in 2006.

Ferrel still owns the program's seventh-fastest indoor 5k time -17:26.95, as well as top-10 marks in the outdoor 3k, outdoor 5k, and the steeplechase.

Joanna graduated from Malone in 2007 with a degree in exercise science. She went on to get her doctorate of physical therapy in 2010 at the University of Dayton.

She now lives in Columbus with her husband and three children and dog where she cares well for their body, souls, minds, and imaginations.

She continues to run and partake in other athletic endeavors. She loves reading, spending time in nature, playing piano, botany, and creating art and crafting.  This includes quilting which she first learned in the dorms and on cross country bus trips from her fellow teammate and inductee, Lacey Watkins.

Joanna's kids are all in school for the first time this fall and she is taking a deep breath and figuring out what her next thing will be between the hours of 8 and 2:30.


Jocelyn (Iwanusa) Kasler '00,becomes the first Malone women's tennis player to be inducted into the Malone University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kasler amassed a career singles record of 70-30 overall and a doubles record of 47-38.

She earned All Mid-Ohio Conference (MOC) recognition in both 1997 and 1998, as well as American Midwest Conference (AMC) all-conference honors in both singles and doubles in 1999 and 2000.

She was a NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete in 2000.

After posting a 24-10 mark in singles and a 20-8 doubles record as a freshman, Kasler qualified and competed at the NAIA national championship tournament in 1997.

That season she also won the MOC doubles title playing alongside Shannon Costello.

Kasler helped lead the Pioneers to a pair of third-place finishes in the MOC Tournament in 1997 and 1998, as well as a third-place finish in the AMC Tournament in 1999.

Jocelyn graduated from Malone in 2000 with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Business Administration. S
She is employed with The Timken Company as an HR Analyst where she has worked since 1999 when she started as an IT intern.

Kasler now lives in Jackson Township with her husband, Michael and two sons, Ethan and Elijah.

In recent years, she has continued playing tennis through the North Canton Racquet Club.  She also spends much of her time supporting her boys who are active in golf, hockey and cross country.


 
Justin Martin '95 | Justin Martin played goalkeeper on the men's soccer team at Malone from 1991-1994.

He still holds several program records including marks for: most shutouts in a single season (7 in 1993), most shutouts in a career (12), and lowest goals against average for a season (0.87 in 1993)

In both 1993 and 1994 Martin's individual accolades including being named a member of the: NAIA Region IX, American Mideast Conference (AMC) all-conference, Great Lakes All-Region, and NAIA District 22 teams.

Also in 1994 he was a member of the NCCAA East Region Team and a NCCAA Second Team All-American.

Off the field he was named a 1994 NCCAA Academic All-American.

Justin graduated from Malone in 1995 with a degree in biology. He went on to graduate with a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Andrews University.

Martin now lives in Lexinton, Ohio where he has worked for OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital since 1997 as a physical therapist, specializing in treating patients in the intensive care unit.  

Justin currently is an assistant boys' soccer coach at Mansfield Christian where he has coached soccer in various capacities for the past 25 years.

Martin met Amy Kruse at Malone and the couple have been married for 25 years. They have two children: Audrey (22) and Everett (16).


 
Bernard Payton '08 | Despite playing just two seasons, Payton is one of the most decorated running backs in Malone University history.

He ranks third all-time on Malone's rushing list with 2,592 career yards, and is second all-time in rushing touchdowns with 27.

His 19 rushing scores in 2007 are tied for the most in school history. That same season he ran for at least 100 yards in eight consecutive games – the program's all-time record.

Overall during his career he topped the century mark in yards 12 times – the third most in school history.

His 277 yards against Walsh in 2006 rank second all-time in Pioneer history for a single-game performance.

He was an All-MSFA Mideast League first team honoree in both 2006 and 2007, and was the winner of the David George Leadership Award in 2007.

Payton helped lead Malone to a pair of Victory Bowl appearances in 2006 and 2007, including Malone's 2007 Victory Bowl win.

Bernard graduated from Malone in 2008.

He currently lives in Hesperia California, where he owns and operates a mitigation and remediation company - Mess Masters Restoration & Cleaning Services.


 
Clint Scroggs '91 | Clint Scroggs, affectionately known around campus and in the community as "The Voice of the Pioneers," is being inducted into the Malone Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 as the winner of The Pioneer Meritorious Service Award.

The Pioneer Meritorious Service Award honors coaches, administrators and other members of the Malone community who have worked tirelessly to support the university's athletic department.

Scroggs began his Malone broadcasting career first with the student radio station during his time as an undergrad.

Scroggs graduated from Malone in 1991 with a degree in Communication Arts.

Beginning with the 1998 football season, Scroggs started broadcasting Malone sporting events on local radio stations as part of the Malone Sports Network.

Prior to the age of internet broadcasts, all Malone football games (both home and away), as well as the majority of basketball games were carried locally on stations such as 95.9 FM and 990 AM. Scroggs served on all of these broadcasts.

In addition to this work as a broadcaster, Scroggs recorded numerous commercial hits for the games, and conducted both halftime interviews and halftime shows.

Scroggs also served as the emcee for several Athletic Hall of Fame banquets, and still provides the voiceovers for the videos used at the banquets today.

Clint lives in Canton with his wife of 31 years, Lori. They have two daughters, Erin and Jill, and son-in-law Drake

When he is not broadcasting Pioneer women's basketball games on the Great Midwest Digital Network, Clint is the news director for WDPN and Q92 radio in Alliance, where he has been for almost 23 years. He also does play-by-play of local high school football.



Ben Smith '11 | Ben Smith was a four-year standout and letterwinner on Malone's men's golf team.

The two-time NAIA All-American posted a career scoring average of 73.8, and a four-year career record of 135-48-10.

Smith was also a two-time NCCAA All-American honoree, and a four-year member of the American Mideast Conference all-conference team.

He was named the All-Turner AMC MVP in both 2007 and 2008, and served as Malone's team captain in 2009 and 2010.

Smith earned medalist honors five times throughout his career, including the AMC/Region IX Medalist in both 2007 and 2008.

He had sixteen top-five tournament finishes throughout his career which placed him on sixteen different all-tournament teams.

Ben graduated from Malone in 2011 with a degree in Middle Childhood Education. Smith now lives in Westfield Center, Ohio with his wife (Krystal) and two children (Ridley 5, Lane 3).

He works as a Commercial Lines Underwriter for Westfield Insurance. He enjoys spending time with his family and sharing his love for golf with his kids.



Lacey (Watkins) Tomczak '07 | Lacey Tomczak earned five different NAIA All-American honors during her time running at Malone.

She was a two-time NAIA All-American in cross country (2003 and 2004).

In track & field she earned All-American recognition in the indoor 3,000 meters in 2004, as well as both the outdoor 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters in the same year.

Watkins still owns top-10 outdoor marks in the 3,000 meter race walk and the 10,000 meters.

Lacey graduated from Malone in 2007 with a Liberal Arts degree in exercise science, Bible theology and history. After Malone, she received her RN degree from the University of Akron in 2009.

She now lives in St Louis, Missouri with her husband and three children.

Prior to becoming a mother, she practiced as a Registered Nurse and obtained her Private Pilot license for a bit of fun.


 
James Zeuch '11 | Zeuch's standout running career as part of Malone's cross country and track & field programs saw him earn nine different NAIA All-American honors over a four-year span.

On the cross country side, Zeuch earned All-American recognition in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

The 2009 track & field season saw Zeuch bring home All-American honors as part of the distance medley relay team, as well as the individual mile and 3,000 meter steeplechase.

He went on to be named an All-American in the steeplechase in both 2010 and 2011 as well. His senior season also saw him take home All-American honors in the 3,000 meter run.

Off the course and track he was a NAIA Academic All-American in both 2010 and 2011.

James graduated from Malone in 2011 with a bachelors in Exercise Science. He went on to graduate from Malone with a masters in Organizational Leadership in 2013.

Zeuch lives in Hilliard, Ohio where he works at Quantum Health as a Health and Wellness Coach.

He is married to Lindsey Zeuch, who also ran for and graduated from Malone in 2011. The couple have a 1 year old daughter, Ava.