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IU Athletics announces its Hall of Fame class of 2022

September 6, 2022 TDH Staff IUBB 0

Six IU greats will enter the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame this fall, including legendary football and basketball radio voice Don Fischer and men’s basketball star D.J. White.

The group also includes Ashley Benson, the daughter of basketball star and now fellow IU Hall-of-Famer Kent Benson.

A full release from IU with more details on each of the new inductees follows.

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Dolson announced today that IU Athletics will welcome six new members to its Athletics Hall of Fame. The six individuals comprise the 39th class, bringing the roster of inductees to 243.

Ashley Benson (Volleyball, 2007-10), Jenn Cristy (Women’s Swimming, 1998-01), Don Fischer (Play-by-Play Announcer, 1973-present), Lin Loring (Women’s Tennis Coach, 1977-2017), Tina Parrott (Women’s Track and Field, 1983-86), and D.J. White (Men’s Basketball, 2005-08) will be officially inducted at the annual Hall of Fame dinner on Friday, Oct. 14, and will be recognized at halftime of the Indiana-Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium the following day.

“It’s been three years since we’ve been able to welcome a new class to the IU Athletics Hall of Fame due to the pandemic, so we are especially excited to announce this star-studded group that includes iconic student-athletes, coaches, and contributors to our department,” Dolson said. “Indiana University has one of the most storied traditions of success in intercollegiate athletics of any program in the nation, and that’s due to the remarkable achievements and efforts and individuals like these six. I look forward to welcoming them to the Hall of Fame in October, and to thanking them for all they have done to add to our rich history.”

The IU Athletics Hall of Fame, established in 1982 by the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in conjunction with the Varsity Club and the I-Association, recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the prestige of IU both on and off the field of competition.

Ashley Benson (Volleyball, 2007-10)

Benson was a two-time All-American with the Hoosier volleyball program, including first-team All-America accolades during her senior season in 2010. During that 2010 season, she also earned her third straight first-team All-Big Ten accolades after leading the program to its first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, and she was later honored as IU’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2010-11 season. She is the program’s all-time leader in total blocks, block assists, and hitting efficiency, and she ranks sixth in career kills. Following her collegiate career, she continued to play professionally overseas in Puerto Rico, Germany, and Peru before retiring in 2018. She teams with her father, Kent Benson (Men’s Basketball, 1974-77), to form the only Parent-Child tandem to be included in the IU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Jenn Cristy (Women’s Swimming, 1998-01)

Cristy starred for the Indiana Swimming and Diving program from 1998-01 and was one of the conference’s dominant freestyle swimmers throughout her career. She captured five Big Ten event championships overall, including three in the 50 freestyle (1998, 1999, 2001) and one in the 100 freestyle (2001). She was especially dominant during her senior season, a year that culminated with her earning IU Female Athlete of the Year honors. During that 2000-01 campaign, she was tabbed as the Big Ten Swimmer of the Championships after winning two individual titles along with the 200 freestyle relay at the conference meet in Bloomington. During the meet, she set a new Big Ten record in the 50 freestyle in the prelims, and then broke her own mark while winning the final. From there she advanced to the NCAA Championships where she earned All-America honors in two individual events and five relays.

Don Fischer (Voice of the Hoosiers for Men’s Basketball and Football, 1973-present)

The “Voice of the Hoosiers”, Don Fischer has been the play-by-play voice of Indiana Men’s Basketball and Football since 1973. During that time, he’s called more than 2,000 games, four NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship games and 12 bowl contests, serving as the voice that IU fans trust for nearly 50 years. Longevity, though, isn’t the only thing that Fischer has on an IU resume that started when he was just 26 years old. He’s also one of the ­­most respected and highly-decorated play-by-play announcers in all of college sports. He’s been honored as the National Sports Media Association’s Indiana Sportscaster of the Year 26 times, and earlier this summer was awarded the prestigious National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s Chris Schenkel Award. He was also awarded with the Indiana University Bicentennial Award in 2019 in recognition for his enormous contributions to Indiana University and IU Athletics.

Lin Loring (Women’s Tennis Coach, 1977-2017)

The winningest coach in the history of women’s intercollegiate tennis and a two-time National Coach of the Year, Loring won 804 of his record 846 matches during a 40-year career in Bloomington. His teams captured 16 Big Ten Championships and earned 28 invitations to the national tournament. His 1982 squad won the AIAW national team championship, which remains the lone national team title won by an IU women’s sports program to date. Among his teams’ most remarkable achievements was a 104-match unbeaten streak against Big Ten foes from 1979-85, and a run of eight straight Big Ten titles from 1987-94. He coached 25 All-Americans, including 1982 AIAW national singles champion Heather (Crowe) Conner.  Conner is one of four former players who preceded Loring into the IU Athletics Hall of Fame, along with Kelly Mulvhill, Stephanie Reece, and Deb Edelman.

Tina Parrott (Women’s Track and Field, 1983-86)

Parrott was a dominant middle-distance runner for Coach Sam Bell’s track and field program in the mid-1980s. As a junior in 1985 she became the first female IU student-athlete in any sport to win an individual NCAA title when she captured the 800-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Later that same day, she teamed with Vicky Davis, Adriane Diamond, and Gretchen Baker to capture a second crown, this time in the 4×400-meter relay. As good as her junior season was, her senior season of 1986 might have been even better. At the Big Ten Outdoor Championships she won individual crowns in both the 800 and 1,500-meters while also running on IU’s winning 4×400-meter relay team. From there she advanced to the NCAA Outdoor meet, where she established a new Big Ten record while finishing as the runner-up in the 800-meters. She concluded her career with four individual Big Ten titles, five Big Ten relay championships, and three All-America honors.

D.J. White (Men’s Basketball, 2005-08)

One of the Big Ten’s most dominant big men during his era, D.J. White averaged 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds during his four years in Bloomington. He made a huge impact on the program from day one, averaging 13.3 points and 2.2 blocks as a freshman to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Year accolades while playing for Coach Mike Davis. As good as that first season was, though, his best collegiate season was his last, when he was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Year and second-team All-America after averaging 17.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in 2008. In doing so, he became the first Hoosier to average a double-double in 14 years (Alan Henderson, 1994). White still ranks 18th in program history in points (1,447 points), 12th in rebounds (748) and third in blocks (198). White was the 29th pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft and spent six years in the NBA and another eight playing overseas before announcing his retirement Aug. 15.

For information about the Hall of Fame Dinner or to buy tickets to the Friday night event, contact the IU Varsity Club at varsity@indiana.edu or 812.855.0866.

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