Muskingum announces newest inductees of Athletic Hall of Fame

NEW CONCORD, OHIO, August 30, 2006 - The Muskingum College Athletic Hall of Fame will admit five new members in its annual induction ceremony on October 21. The event will be held in the Recreation Center on campus as part of Muskingum's Homecoming Weekend. Joining the Hall of Fame will be Terry Kelley '79, Tom Bixler '63, Dee Ann Mell '89, Tracy Franklin Fox '87 and Ron Vessels '63.

The honorees will also be honored during halftime at the Homecoming football game against John Carroll University, which kicks off at McConagha Stadium at 1:30 p.m. They will join 120 other Muskies who have been selected for this prestigious honor in the last 27 years.

Terry Kelley – Football – 1979
All Ohio Athletic Conference in 1977 and 1978 … William F. Lang Award for Outstanding Freshmen Athlete of the Year in 1975-76 … Holds school record for receiving yards in a game (200 vs. Wooster, 1977) and touchdown receptions for a career (20) … Ranks second all-time in receiving yards in a season (727 – 1977) and career receiving yards (1,915 – 1975-78) … Member of the 1975 OAC Football Championship team.

Tom Bixler – Football/Track – 1963
First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference (football) in 1962 … Football co-captain and Most Valuable Player (MVP) on Offense in 1962 … Member of the 1960 undefeated OAC Football Championship team … MVP of the track team in 1963 … Three-year letterwinner in track and football.

Dee Ann Mell – Women’s basketball – 1989
All-Ohio Athletic Conference in 1987-88 and 1988-89 … Sixth all-time leading scorer in Muskingum women’s basketball history with 1,230 points … Led NCAA Division III in three-point field goal shooting percentage (.524) in 1988-89 … Team Most Valuable Player in 1987-88 … Member of the OAC regular season and tournament championship team in 1988-89 that set a school record with 29 wins … Member of the North Atlantic Region Championship team in 1988-89.

Tracy Franklin Fox – Field Hockey/Track – 1987
Three-time Most Valuable Player of field hockey and track teams … Earned All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors in nine indoor track events and 17 outdoor track events …Individual conference titles in 100 hurdles (outdoor, 1985), triple jump (indoor, 1987), long jump (outdoor, 1987) and a member of the OAC championship 4x100 relay team (outdoor, 1987) … Held five school track records at time of graduation … Received Muskingum’s Ann White “Strive for Excellence Award” in 1987.

Ron Vessels – Special Category – 1963
Began assisting Shorty Wymer with the clocks at all home football and men’s basketball games in 1963 … Since 1984 has served as timekeeper for football and men’s basketball games as a volunteer …Has not missed a home Muskingum football game since 1952 … Homecoming game will be his 250th in a row … Has timed more than 500 basketball games for the College … First sports director of College’s radio station WMCO 90.7 FM.