Huntingdon Inducts 10 into Athletic Hall of Fame
Montgomery, Ala.-Huntingdon College inducted 10 members into the Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 16th. 5 members from 2020 and 5 from 2021 span from 1962 to 2016.
2020 Inductees
Trevor Manuel '14
Joseph Odom '14
Patricia "Pat" Pickens '15
Brooke Meadows Watson '16
Timothy Walters '74
2021 Inductees
Han Saem Hur '14
Charles Lee '62
Buzz Phillips, Coach and
Athletic Director Emeritus
Stephanie Clayton Upton '00
Ben Whitlock '98
2020 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Trevor Manuel '14—Football
Trevor Manuel '14 is one of the career offensive leaders in Huntingdon football history. He was a two-time All-Region selection and the first Huntingdon running back to earn All-Region honors. He holds Huntingdon football records with 14 100-yard rushing games, 3,021 rushing yards, 44 rushing TDs on 634 attempts, and 4,870 all-purpose yards. He is also the program's career scoring leader with 53 total touchdowns scored. He is second in Huntingdon history with 42 kick returns for 933 yards and ranks 10th in program history with 67 career receptions.
Trevor ranks 7th (973 yards in 2011) and 8th (946 in 2012) in Huntingdon history for rushing yards in a season. He ranks 1st (17 in 2012) and 4th (15 in 2011) in Huntingdon history for rushing touchdowns in a season. Trevor ranks 2nd (1538 yards in 2011) and 3rd (1469 in 2012) in all-purpose yards in a season.
In 2009, Trevor helped lead Huntingdon to its first NCAA playoff appearance, and in 2012 his leadership and service as team captain contributed to the Hawks' first regular-season national ranking. During his four seasons the Hawks earned a 26-12 record. He holds several single-game Huntingdon records, including most rushing attempts in a game (36 against Birmingham-Southern in 2012) and most punt returns in a game (6 at Maryville in 2011).
Today, Trevor is an active member in the Army Reserve, and he is a Correctional Sergeant with the Alabama Department of Corrections. Trevor is a native of Monroeville, Alabama, and the son of Anthony Stallworth and Lisa Johnson. He spent the latter part of high school in Monroeville, Alabama, where he attended Monroe County High School, lettering in football, basketball, and track and field. Although Trevor enjoyed competing in all 3 sports, he quickly became passionate about the game of football.
Joseph Odom '14—Baseball
Joseph Odom '14 was a three-year standout catcher for Hawks baseball in the 2011–2013 seasons, leading NCAA Division III and setting Huntingdon's NCAA-era record with 14 home runs in 2013. In his three seasons at Huntingdon, he finished with 28 home runs, 145 RBIs, 110 runs and 160 hits. Joseph's high level of play was instrumental in Huntingdon's 85-40 record those three seasons, as well as the program's first NCAA Regional appearance and first two Regional wins (2013), two appearances in the Great South Athletic Conference championship game (2011 and 2012) and one GSAC championship (2012). The team's 32-11 record in 2013 represented the second-most wins in a season for the Hawks during the NCAA era and was one short of the record of 33 wins. Joseph was named a second-team All-American and first-team All-South Region player as a junior in 2013. He was the GSAC Freshman of the Year in 2011 and earned All-Conference recognition in 2012. Joseph was the Huntingdon College Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2013. During his junior year, in addition to leading the NCAA with home runs in the year, he was also among the national leaders with 60 RBIs and a .706 slugging percentage. He finished the season with a .369 batting average, 45 runs and 10 doubles.
Joseph was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He was Huntingdon's first draft pick since pitcher James Moody was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1989. As the 403rd overall pick, Joseph is the highest draft pick in Huntingdon history. He advanced his professional career through minor league baseball culminating with a roster position and starting line-up spot for the Seattle Mariners in the summer of 2020. During the 2021 season, he has played for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Patricia "Pat" Pickens '15—Basketball
Patricia "Pat" Pickens '15, a native of Anniston, Alabama, graduated from Anniston High School in 2011, where she lettered in basketball and track. At Huntingdon, she rewrote the Lady Hawks' record book during her four seasons, setting 17 career, season, and single-game marks. As a senior, she scored a program-record 497 points and became the Lady Hawks' career scoring leader with 1,473 points. She also set program records for points per game (19.9), field goals made (185), and free throws made (126) as a senior and finished the season with 252 rebounds, 60 steals and 54 assists. Pat is the all-time leading scorer in Huntingdon women's basketball history and led Huntingdon women's basketball to its first NCAA Tournament berth and first NCAA Tournament win (84-67 over Ferrum) as a sophomore in 2012–13. She was the first Huntingdon women's basketball player to earn D3hoops.com All-Region honors and was a four-time All-Conference selection. A Huntingdon women's basketball player has scored 30 or more points in a game eight times during the NCAA era and Pat is responsible for six of those performances.
Pat was a member of Phi Eta Sigma and Sigma Sigma Sigma honor societies and earned recognition on the Dean's List of High Honors. She also was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team as a senior and was a three-time Academic All-Conference selection in the USA South Athletic Conference and the Great South Athletic Conference while also serving as a Huntingdon Ambassador.
After Huntingdon, Pat went on to graduate school at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, earning her master's degree in sport management. She works as the center director at Carver Community Center for the City of Anniston's Parks & Recreation Department.
Brooke Meadows Watson '16—Softball
Brooke Meadows Watson '16 grew up in Tallassee, Alabama, where her parents still reside. She attended Tallassee High School, excelling both academically and athletically in multiple sports. Brooke received several awards during her high school career in softball. She gives all the credit to her parents, Allen and Paulette, for keeping her focused on not only her academics and athletics, but also her relationship with God.
After graduating high school in 2010, she attended Central Alabama Community College in Alexander City, Alabama, where she played softball for two years on a full-ride athletic scholarship. At CACC she was ranked in the top 20 for strikeout leaders in NJCAA for Division 1 and was an All-Conference selection her sophomore year. Brooke transferred to Huntingdon with a career ERA of 2.55. While at Huntingdon, she led the Lady Hawks to the USA South Tournament finals in 2014, Huntingdon's first season in the conference. As a senior, she was an All-Conference selection and was in the top 30 for strikeout leaders in NCAA Division III. In 2014 she was named Huntingdon's Female Athlete of the Year and received the award for Single Game Performance of the Year. She posted 275 strikeouts in 224 career innings and had a career ERA of 1.56.
Brooke had many coaching opportunities at different high schools around the area, but she is most proud of building the softball program at Pike Road High School and leading them to their first Area Championship in their first year with a varsity program. Now, she has found herself at her high school alma mater coaching both softball and basketball. Brooke continues to utilize her softball experience and knowledge both from the player perspective and coaching perspective to help younger athletes grow in the sports they love.
Brooke lives with her husband, Dustin Watson '17, and their 2 fur-babies, Remi and Waylon, in Montgomery, Alabama. They support Huntingdon athletics when they are able. Brooke says she tells her athletes about her wonderful experiences at Huntingdon College hoping that they too will experience what she did.
Timothy Walters '74—Basketball
Though his records were set nearly 50 years ago, Timothy Walters '74 remains Huntingdon basketball's career all-time scoring leader with 1,643 points over 102 games, and Huntingdon's second all-time leading rebounder with 771 boards.
Timothy Walters was born in Montgomery, Alabama, January 21, 1952, the youngest of six siblings. He always held an affinity for sports—specifically, basketball. Few people know that his first love was baseball, but he excelled on the court.
In 1975, he met Anita Lynn Boykin and fell in love. They married May 25, 1980, in a backyard wedding among close family and friends. They were married for 40 years. Between them they were the parents of six children and nearly 20 grandchildren.
Timothy and Anita moved to Pasadena, California, where he became a social worker, fueled by his passion for social justice. His personal interests included spending time with loved ones and being socially informed. He devoted much of his time and energy to his churches, becoming an ordained elder at Hillside Tabernacle COGIC in Los Angeles, California. When the family moved back to Montgomery in 2010 to care for Timothy's father, he focused his ministry at Macedonia Miracle Kingdom and Worship Center. He was well-loved by his church members and known for his gentle spirit and teaching ability. Timothy was also an avid reader and writer. One of his last wishes was to write an autobiography to capture the beautiful complexity of his life. He died following a brief illness, March 22, 2020.
2021 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
Han Saem Hur '14—Golf
Han Saem Hur '14 was born in Ulsan, South Korea, and moved to Montgomery, Alabama, with her family in 2004, when she was 12 years old. She graduated from Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, where she focused on her study in music and played the flute for the school concert band and Montgomery Youth Orchestra. As a youth and teenager, Saem participated in many junior golf tournaments and received multiple golf awards from Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Trail and Southeast Junior Golf Tour (SJGT) tournaments. She was recruited by Coach Gwen Checho, who started the women's golf program at Huntingdon.
During her four years of playing for Huntingdon's golf team, Han Saem was ranked the number one player on the team. She received the Top Freshman Athlete Award from Huntingdon after receiving the first tournament award in Huntingdon women's golf history and being named to the Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) women's golf All-Freshman Team. During her sophomore year she was named to the GSAC women's golf All-Conference and All-Academic Teams and was honored as Huntingdon's Most Valuable Player. She continued earning individual golf awards during her junior and senior years, including the BSC Southern Shootout All-Tournament in 2012, GSAC Women's Golf All-Conference runner-up in 2012, third place in the Piedmont Springs Invitational Golf tournament in 2013, and runner-up in the 2013 MCC Women's Intercollegiate Tournament.
Han Saem was selected to serve as a Huntingdon Ambassador and served as a student government senator for the Sport Science and Physical Education (SSPE) department. She earned Dean's List of High Honors recognition all eight semesters at Huntingdon, posting a cumulative GPA of 3.9. She was recognized for outstanding academic achievement by the National Golf Coaches Association for four consecutive years. She majored in sport management and minored in business administration. For her academic work, she was named to Alpha Beta honor society in 2012, was named Huntingdon's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2014, and was named to Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities in 2014.
While at Huntingdon she worked part-time at the ASU Center for Leadership and Public Policy as a payroll/accountant intern. She interned with Huntingdon's Ability Sport Network (ASN), is a nonprofit that serves youth athletes with disabilities, founded by Huntingdon professor Dr. Lisa Olenik Dorman in 2014. Han Saem also served as an English-Korean interpreter at Frazer United Methodist Church for seven years.
Following graduation, Han Saem moved to New York City to study in Columbia University's master's program in sports management. Han Saem received her certification as a golf instructor and taught lessons at the Golf Club at Chelsea Piers, a prestigious golf training facility in New York City. She studied for her master's degree as a part-time student for three years while she was also working full-time. She graduated from Columbia University in May 2017.
Since February 2015 Han Saem has been working for KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) in New York City. During the first two years at KOTRA she was recognized as a project manager for marketing and leading new initiatives, including the National Korean Overseas Placement Initiative that provided overseas job placement for U.S. and Korean citizens. She was also in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects where she developed CSR marketing strategies for many corporations and built relationships with local partners and organizations to coordinate CSR activities and events to contribute a positive impact on local communities. In 2018, she transferred her role as an Investment Consultant promoting high yield investment opportunities between the United States and South Korea to over 100 investors in various industries including finance, energy, bio/healthcare, semiconductor, and energy. She also coordinated the National Investor Relation (IR) roundtable events to facilitate global business discussions and synergies between C-level U.S. business executives and high Korean government officials. She was promoted to corporate manager for the North America head office in August 2021. She now manages nine regional offices in the United States and Canada by building business development strategies, financing budget with ERP system, overseeing corporate communication and internal reports for the President of North America and the Korean government department of Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.
Charles Lee '62—Football
Charles Lee '62 was born in Greenville, Alabama, and graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery. He earned his bachelor's degree from Huntingdon and his master's degree from Troy University. While at Huntingdon, Charles served on the Town Court and was the junior adviser to the freshman class. He also served as vice president of his senior class.
Following graduation, Charles began teaching and coaching at Bellingrath Junior High School, where his teams won the city championship in every sport offered by the Montgomery Parks and Recreation Department. He was instrumental in starting high school and junior high school wrestling in the City of Montgomery. At Jefferson Davis High School, Charles taught American history and physical education and served as assistant principal and athletic director.
While coaching football at Jeff Davis, his teams played some of the top teams in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. In 30 years of coaching, Charles lost only 81 games. At the time of his retirement, J.D. led the state in the most play-off appearances. Charles was part of seven football seasons that went undefeated in regular season play, in addition to six more seasons where the team lost only one game. He twice coached in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game, once as head coach and once as an assistant. He twice coached in the Alabama High School North-South All-Star Game, once as head coach and once as an assistant. He was named Montgomery Metro Coach of the Year numerous times and honored as State Coach of the Year four times.
Charles served as third district representative to the Alabama High School Athletic Association. He served as president of the Alabama Football Coaches Association, from which he was honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award. He was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame. He serves as a member of the Central Alabama Sports Commission, the board of directors of the Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Committee, and the Jimmy Hitchcock Award board of directors. He has previously chaired the Butler County Achievement Award Committee and served on the Huntingdon College National Alumni Association board of directors. Charles was instrumental in establishing the football program at Huntingdon College and the Hawks are proud to play on Charles Lee Field.
Buzz Phillips
Coach and Athletic Director Emeritus
Coach Buzz Phillips joined the Huntingdon College athletic department in 1991, beginning 25 years as a coach and administrator for the Hawks, though he had one brief span of time away serving athletic administration at Troy University. He spent most of the 1990s with Huntingdon College in various capacities. His first five seasons (1991–96), he served as an assistant baseball coach. In 1997 he helped revive the men's basketball program and became the Hawks' first head men's basketball coach since 1979. He also served as assistant athletic director from 1996 to 2001. In 2000–01, Buzz guided the Huntingdon men's basketball team to the National Small College Athletic Association national title and was named Coach of the Year by the NSCAA.
Buzz joined the Troy Trojan staff in the spring of 2001 as director of marketing, also serving as director of football operations for two seasons, director of basketball and baseball operations, and as the athletic department's director of special events. During his tenure with the Trojans, Phillips received numerous awards from Troy University, including the prestigious Trojan Award. In 2002, he was selected as the Women's Sports Foundation Joyce Sorrell Achievement Award recipient. He was named Troy Alumni of the Year in 2003. In addition to his recognition from Troy, Phillips earned the 2004 All-America Football Foundation Bill Wade Unsung Hero Award.
Buzz returned to Huntingdon to serve as director of athletics in 2004, a position he held until 2013. In 2005 he began a tenure of 10 full seasons and two partial seasons as the head coach of the women's basketball team. In his 12 seasons as head coach for the Lady Hawks, he compiled a record of 164-129. Since the women's program was established in 1998 the Lady Hawks have won at least 15 games nine times. Buzz coached seven of those teams. During the 2007–08 season, Phillips' team almost doubled its win total from the previous season and finished 15-12. The 2008-09 team was 16-12 and reached the GSAC championship game.
Phillips was named the GSAC Coach of the Year in 2009. The 2011–12 team was 16-11 and reached the Great South Athletic Conference semifinals. Before joining the USA South, the 2012–13 team set a new standard for the women's program as the Lady Hawks reached the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time and defeated 24th-ranked Ferrum 84-67 in the first round. The Lady Hawks set what was then the program record for wins in a season with a 19-10 record. During their first three seasons in the USA South, the Lady Hawks were 15-10 during the 2013–14 season, 13-12 in 2014–15, and 10-12 in 2015–16.
His final two Huntingdon teams reached the USA South Athletic Conference Tournament both seasons. The 2016–17 team set the program's NCAA-era record for wins (20-7 overall, 10-4 USA South), reached the USA South Tournament for the first time and advanced to the conference quarterfinals. The 2017–18 team lost in the first round of the conference tournament and finished with a 16-10 overall record and an 8-6 conference record.
With Buzz at the helm, Huntingdon produced 14 All-Conference performers and 84 student-athletes were named Academic All-Conference. Following the 2014-15 season, Pat Pickens '15 became the first Lady Hawk to earn All-Region honors as she was named second-team All-South Region. Juliette Harp '18 duplicated the accomplishment, earning second-team All-Region honors following the 2017-18 season. As a member of the Great South Athletic Conference, Buzz coached one GSAC Player of the Year (Tiffany Jordan '09) and one GSAC Freshman of the Year (Lori Bonds Rider '10).
Before entering the college coaching ranks, Buzz coached for 20 years at the prep level and handled the athletic directorship of the Sylacauga Recreation Department. He attended Troy University, earning his bachelor's degree in 1970. During his time at Troy, he was a student assistant for the football team and was a member of the 1968 NAIA national championship team. He was also a member of the baseball team in 1968 and 1969. After leaving Troy as a student, Buzz attended Auburn University and the University of Montevallo, working on his master's degree.
During a coaching career that began in 1973, Buzz put together an overall record of 590-328 at the college and high school levels and a record of 360-218 as a women's head coach at the college and high school levels.
In recognition of his long service, he was given the title of Director of Athletics Emeritus at Huntingdon. Some of his other accolades include two time Teacher of the Year Award, Troy University Trojan Award, Troy University Alumni of the Year, Troy University Women's Sports Achievement Award, Troy University Joyce Sorrell Achievement Award, All-American Football Foundation Unsung Hero Award, Troy University Hall of Fame Advisory Committee, Troy University Athletic Advisory Committee, six high school state championships, five coach of the year selections, coached in six high school all-star games. A native of Montgomery, Ala., Buzz is married to the former Nancy Hart. The couple have a son, Scott, and three grandchildren, Kameron, John David, and Mary Katherine.
Stephanie Clayton Upton '00—Soccer
Stephanie Clayton Upton '00 was recruited as a goalkeeper from Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Arizona, by Huntingdon College Head Women's Soccer Coach Matthew Clark for the 1995 fall season. Stephanie was a four-year starter for the Lady Hawks soccer team, playing alongside a phenomenal group of talented women, including Hall of Fame inductee Jenni Reynolds Wingard
'99. In the fall of the 1999–2000 season Stephanie served as an assistant goalkeeping coach, helping to train Hall of Fame inductee Lauren Mason Podina '03, who was in her freshman year. During her time as the Lady Hawks' goalkeeper, Stephanie was selected Second Team All-American Southeast Region as a freshman (1995); and selected as First Team All-American Southeast Region her sophomore (1996), junior (1997), and senior (1998) years. Additionally, in her senior year Stephanie was awarded the position team captain and ended her career with a record-setting 16 shut-outs, four of which were achieved in the 1998 season, and 1.1 goals against career average.
Shortly after graduating with a degree in language arts, Stephanie began her 20-year career in law enforcement. In early 2001, she became a police officer with the Montgomery Police Department, where she served as a patrol officer and corporal until 2006. In 2006, Stephanie moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and worked for the Atlanta Police Department, initially as a patrol officer; however, Stephanie worked hard and trained harder to earn positions as an operator on the elite tactical teams of RED DOG and SWAT. In 2010, Stephanie entered into federal law enforcement as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). After graduating the Academy in Quantico, Virginia, she has served tours in Atlanta, Georgia; Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; and will be returning to the United States in late 2021 to continue her career.
Ben Whitlock '98—Golf
Entering Huntingdon in the fall of 1993, Ben Whitlock '98 quickly rose up the ranks inside Huntingdon's prestigious golf program, becoming the #1 player on the team before the fall semester ended. He was a member of the 1994 National Championship team and represented the United States of America a month later in the World Games in Madrid, Spain. Ben completed his college career in 1997, winning numerous tournaments and becoming only the 2nd 4-time All American at Huntingdon.
After college, Ben moved back to Mobile to pursue his dream of becoming a professional golfer. He learned that his passion for the game didn't translate into a professional career, and later said that playing professional golf "ruined the game for me."
Ben married Stacie Snider in March 2000 and began working for Mobile Fixture & Equipment Co., a restaurant equipment supplier in South Alabama. He worked his way up the ranks in the company and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006 to open a new branch there. Again, Ben made a name for himself in the industry, eventually becoming president of the company and buying into it in 2017. In 2020, Mobile Fixture won the industry's top award of "Dealer of the Year." Currently, Ben and Stacie live in Murfreesboro and have two children: Abby, 18, and Hogan, 10. They spend their free time at the lake, on the boat, and even playing a little golf together.