New Inductees to Enter SC Athletic Hall of Fame
Winfield, Kan., Oct. 12, 2022 — The Southwestern
College Athletic Hall of Fame will induct five new members Saturday, Oct. 15,
in the Roy L. Smith Student Center at 10 a.m. Inductees will also be introduced
at halftime of the Southwestern-Tabor Homecoming football game. The new members
are Grover Jones ’72, Mike McCoy ’74, Matt Welch ’90, Kara (Beal) Westrup ’08
and ’09, and Dave Denly.
Kara (Beal) Westrup had a decorated career in
women’s basketball. She was a three-time All-KCAC First Team selection, twice
unanimously, a 2008-2009 Honorable Mention All-American, and led the nation in
free throw percentage in 2009. She currently ranks second in all-time free
throw made percentage (87%), fifth in most career points (1,327), sixth in most
three-point shots made (162), and 10th in most points in a season
(461, 2007-08). She was an academic All-American and a member of the
Deans Honor Roll in 2007, 2008, and 2009 and also inducted into the Order of
the Mound in 2009. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in sports
management and earned a masters of business administration degree.
Westrup lives in Denver with her husband, Ryan, and their 16-month old son,
Hudson. She is a registered dietician at Kara Westrup Nutrition.
Matt Welch
participated in football from 1981-84 at Southwestern College. Welch played
guard and was a three-time All-Conference selection, twice unanimously, and an
All-District selection in 1984. He was a part of two KCAC Championship
teams, played in two bowl games and one national playoff appearance. He was
an assistant coach at Southwestern from 1985-2001 and was a part of five more
KCAC Championships, three playoff appearances and one more bowl game.
Welch and his wife, Kim, have three children and four grandchildren. They
live in Forney, Texas, on Lake Ray Hubbard, 15 miles east of Dallas.
Mike McCoy
is being inducted into the Southwestern Hall of Fame in the meritorious
category, due to his lifetime of support for Moundbuilder Athletics. McCoy, who
played football during his years at Southwestern, earned a bachelor of science
degree in education at Southwestern and a master of science degree in sports
management from the University of Kansas. McCoy has enjoyed success as a
general manager and administrator for arena football. He was the GM for
the Wichita Stealth, Wichita Aviators, and Nebraska Danger; was a consulting GM
for the Wichita Falls (Texas) team, the director for business development and
expansion for the Indoor Football League. McCoy has earned several awards
including the 2002 General Manager of the Year by Arena Football 2, 2003
Professional Sports Administrator of the Year by Wichita State Univ., Franchise
of the Year while with the Wichita Wild, and Executive of the Year and
Franchise of the Year with the Nebraska Danger. McCoy was the director of
athletics at Southwestern College for four years. McCoy is an instructor in the
sports management department at Wichita State University. He and his
wife, Anne, have five children and 11 grandchildren, and reside in Wichita.
Dave Denly
began coaching Southwestern College women’s basketball in 1998 and after 18
seasons at the helm, he became the all-time winningest coach in Lady Builder
history. He finished his SC career with an overall record of
348-171. He has continued his coaching at Bellevue (Neb.) with a 111-73
record. While at SC, Denly’s teams enjoyed a tremendous amount of team
and individual success. He led SC to seven straight 20-win seasons, seven
NAIA National Tournament appearances including five straight appearances, sweet
16 in 2004, and a final eight appearance in 2014. His teams were
nationally ranked in eight straight seasons, including a #6 final poll ranking
in 2014. Denly was named KCAC Coach of the Year in 2004, 2012, and
2014. He coached 10 NAIA All-Americans, three KCAC Player of the Year
recipients, 24 KCAC First Team All-Conference players, 48 NAIA Academic
All-Americans, and 84 KCAC Academic All-Conference athletes. Denly is
currently ranked as the 12th winningest active coach in the
NAIA. Denly also served as Southwestern’s athletic director from
2009-15. He and his wife, Sara, have two children, Ben (18) and Abbey
(16).
Grover Jones played wide receiver for the Moundbuilder football
team from 1968-71. In a game versus Ottawa in 1971, Jones caught 13 passes, a
record that still stands today. He held the record for most pass
receptions in a season (64) until it was broken in 2021. He was a team
captain for the team in 1971 and 72. Jones was a co-founder of the Black
Student Union and taught Black Culture for a January Term class in 1972.
He has been married to his wife, Wintze “Bunnie” Jones for 42 years. He
is a small business development consultant in St. Paul, Minn. He and his
wife have five sons, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
“The 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame Class is a
resounding example of Moundbuilder excellence," said Jamie Adams, director
of athletics. “We are thrilled to induct Kara, Matt, Mike, Dave, and Grover to
the Southwestern Athletic Hall of Fame. Each of them demonstrates what it means
to be a Builder, not only through their athletic careers, but also in the ways
they connect and engage in the communities where they live. Their athletic
prowess and well-earned accolades are incredibly impressive, but it is the
caliber of their character that makes the Builder family proud. We are grateful
for the opportunity to honor each of them.”
The public is invited to attend the ceremony and
there is no admission charge. For more information about the SC Athletic Hall
of Fame or the induction ceremony, call (620) 229-6218.
