By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – An incredibly successful group of five individuals has been selected as members of the 50th class for induction into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame, joining an elite collection of the very best to don the purple and gold and represent Tennessee Tech Athletics at the highest level over the years.
The Class of 2024 honors five former student-athletes who dazzled and impressed throughout their careers in Cookeville. Selected for induction as the 50th class of the TTU Sports Hall of Fame are Jud Dillard (men's basketball), Angela Freund Bobo (women's soccer), Daniel Miles (baseball), Michael Penix (football), and Zach Stephens (baseball).
"Our Hall of Fame Committee has such a difficult task in front of them every year in selecting our next class for induction into the TTU Sports Hall of Fame," Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson said. "This year was no different and each committee member should be commended for the time and effort they put in to select another elite group of individuals that have represented Tennessee Tech Athletics at the highest levels. We can't wait to celebrate with each of our new inductees during this year's Hall of Fame Weekend."
The Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 50th induction during Homecoming weekend, Nov. 1-2. The Hall of Fame Dinner will be held on Friday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. CT in the Multipurpose Room of the University Center. Tickets are available through the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office by calling 931-372-3940. The group will also be recognized at the Homecoming football game on Saturday afternoon against Lindenwood, which features a 1:30 p.m. CT kickoff.
The Class of 2024 includes:
Jud Dillard | Men's Basketball | 2009-13
Across four seasons donning the purple and gold, Dillard established himself as arguably the best rebounding guard in Tennessee Tech history and one of the best scorers to ever suit up for the Golden Eagles. He remains the only Golden Eagle guard to rank in the top-10 in program history in career rebounds, finishing seventh with 816 thanks to an unmatched ferocity on the glass. The Atlanta, Ga. native also concluded his career sixth all-time in scoring for the program, piling up 1,732 points for the second-best mark by a guard. During his career, the combo guard led the team in rebounding three times, including a junior campaign that saw him haul in 282 boards to tie for the eighth-most in a single season in school history (ninth now). He also led the team in scoring as a senior, posting 19.3 points per game and 572 overall, the eighth-highest total in program history. Throughout his time in the purple and gold, Dillard averaged 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and 76.1 percent from the charity stripe. His 470 converted free throws rank third in program history, while his 123 games played is tied for fourth and his 606 made field goals rank sixth. During his sophomore campaign, he earned OVC All-Tournament honors as a sophomore, NABC All-District Team and All-OVC First Team accolades as a junior and All-OVC Second Team honors as a senior 2012-13. He was also a two-time OVC Player of the Week and three-time OVC Freshman of the Week.
Angela Freund Bobo | Soccer | 1998-01
In the inaugural season of the Ohio Valley Conference soccer competition, Freund was Tech's top offensive player as a rookie, embarking on a career that would essentially establish the program's offensive record book. The young force helped lead the team to an undefeated 4-0 record in conference action, capturing the inaugural OVC regular-season championship in 1998. For her efforts, Freund was named the very first OVC Freshman of the Year. Her accomplishments continued for the following three years while she played at Tech, living up to the expectations of being one of the best offensive players the program has ever had. In addition to claiming a pair of All-OVC First Team honors and two All-OVC Second Team accolades, Freund helped guide the Golden Eagles to their first OVC Tournament title in 2000. A two-time OVC Player of the Week, the offensive stalwart established program records for career points, goals, assists, shots, shots on goal, and game-winning goals. She still ranks second in points, goals, assists, and shots to this day. Throughout her Golden Eagle tenure Freund also set school marks for points, goals, assists, shots, and game-winning goals for a single season. She never missed an opportunity to represent the purple and gold, suiting up and starting all 77 matches played during her career. The program was 40-35-2 with her on the pitch, including a stunning 14-5-0 mark in OVC play. A team captain as a senior, Freund was just as impressive in the classroom as on the pitch, claiming Athletic Director's Honor Roll all eight semesters.
Daniel Miles | Baseball | 2013-14
Few student-athletes provided a larger two-year impact for Tennessee Tech athletics than Miles. A junior college transfer, the third baseman became just the second Golden Eagle ever to earn All-American honors in multiple seasons, piling up six total honors. An instant success for the Golden Eagles upon his arrival in 2013, the slugger hit .337 with 67 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 53 RBI, a .603 slugging percentage and more walks than strikeouts. His .944 fielding percentage at the hot corner helped Tech to a program-record .979 fielding percentage as a team as well. Behind his bat and glove, the purple and gold set a program record with 40 wins and an OVC record with a mark of 24-6 in league play (both broken by the 2018 Tech squad), capturing the 2013 OVC regular season title. Miles was even more special in 2014, leading Tech to another 40-win campaign while topping team with a .380 batting average, 90 hits, 67 runs scored, 39 walks, and a .481 on-base percentage. He also contributed 17 doubles, 11 long balls, and 54 RBI while posting a .945 fielding percentage, once again leading to a program-record .979 mark for the team. On top of earning six All-American nods, Miles was a two-time All-OVC First Team honoree at the hot corner, a three-time National Player of the Week, an All-South Region Team member, OVC All-Tournament Team honoree, and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Michael Penix | Football | 1992-95
A three-time All-OVC selection during his career, Penix still stands as one of the top rushers in Tennessee Tech history. He ended his four-year tenure in Cookeville with three games of over 200 all-purpose yards and 13 games with more than 100 rushing yards, including a school-record 261 yards against Southeast Missouri in 1993. Penix still holds the Tech record for longest run from scrimmage with a 92-yard touchdown run against Murray State in 1994. At the time his career ended, he was tied with Murray Cunningham for most points scored (198), second in rushing yards (3,463), second in all-purpose yards (4,055), and fourth in total offense (3,463). Penix currently stands third in scoring behind Hall of Famer David Collett (252 points) and Josh Foster (200), remains second in rushing yards (trailing Schreiber with 4,421), fourth in all-purpose yards (behind Schreiber with 5,925, Ladarius Vanlier with 5,392 and Hall of Famer Larry Shipp with 4,938). He also has two of the top 10 rushing seasons in program history with 1,208 yards in 1995 (5th) and 1,037 yards in 1993 (8th). The bruiser had three games where he had four touchdowns (Campbellsville and Morehead State in 1995, Morehead State in 1994)and had 14 touchdowns as a senior, as well as 10 more as a junior. He ended his career with 30 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns. Penix was the recipient of the 1995 Robert Hill Johnson Award, Tech Football's highest honor. He was also named Tech Athletics' Male Athlete of the Year in 1996.
Zach Stephens | Baseball | 2011-14
Stephens developed into one of the most consistent and feared sluggers to ever come through the OVC Valley Conference. When it was all said and done, the Soddy Daisy, Tenn. native established seven program career records, as well as two OVC marks. A .320 career hitter, he became the league's all-time leader with 62 home runs and 229 RBI following his senior campaign, both of which still represent the second-best marks in OVC history. Following his rookie campaign, the Stephens earned both OVC All-Freshman Team honors and a Freshman All-American nod from Collegiate Baseball. He upped the ante as a sophomore, establishing himself in the record books while picking up All-OVC Second Team accolades just the second Golden Eagle ever named a semifinalist for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Dick Howser Trophy, given annually to the national college baseball player of the year. During his junior season, Tech set a program record with 40 wins and an OVC record with a mark of 24-6 in league play (both broken by the 2018 Tech squad), capturing the 2013 OVC regular season title. The first baseman was rewarded with All-American Honorable Mention honors from College Baseball Insider and his second straight All-OVC Second Team nod. For good measure, the Tech slugger earned his third straight All-OVC Second Team honor following the 2014 campaign. Following the 2014 season, Stephens signed a free-agent contract following the 2014 MLB Draft with the Texas Rangers.
