Rust College Announces 2025 Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

Naylond Hayes - Legendary men's basketball coach who guided Rust College to its first National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA) Championship in 1977. Hayes compiled a coaching record of 338–169, establishing a golden era of Bearcat basketball that continues to inspire generations.

 

Larry Anderson - The all-time winningest head coach at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a member of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. His record includes an NCAA Final Four appearance, nine NCAA Tournament berths, six conference championships, and the development of several All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and professional athletes.

 

Mary LeSueur - Four-year captain and early pioneer of Rust College women's basketball (1976–1980). She played an instrumental role in building the program's competitive foundation, earning multiple honors while demonstrating leadership and perseverance. LeSueur later served the College for more than two decades and remains a visible supporter at athletic events.

 

Tonja Sanders - One of the most accomplished distributors in NCAA Division III women's basketball history. Sanders was the 1990 NCAA statistical champion with 303 assists in 26 games (11.7 per game) and remains Rust College's all-time assist leader with 669 assists (9.8 per game). Her records continue to stand as benchmarks in both Rust College and NCAA history.

 

Arthur "Bo" Sellers - The winningest baseball coach in Rust College history, achieving 200 career victories, two championships, and producing three professional players with the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians organizations. The annual "Bo Sellars Classic" continues to honor his lasting contributions to Rust College baseball.

 

Naomi Taylor - A cornerstone of Rust College Athletics for nearly fifty years, Taylor served as the administrative foundation behind the program. She managed eligibility compliance, academic oversight, reporting, travel, and game-day operations with extraordinary precision. Her decades of dedicated service safeguarded the integrity and continuity of Bearcat athletics

 

1977 Men's Basketball Team - NSCAA National Champions under Coach Naylond Hayes, finishing the season with a 35–5 record and securing the national title against Northeast Technical College. Team members include Lowell Garrett, Issac Lias, John Outlaw, Jeff Moore, Johnny Johnson, Ronald Easley, Melvin Evans, Henry Storey, Clyde Peete, and Harold McGhee. The team also honors the memory of its late members, Earl Morrow and Charles Jackson. RECORD (35-5)

 

1984 Women's Basketball Team - Winners of the 1984 NCAA Division III National Championship after defeating Elizabethtown College 51–49 on a buzzer-beater in Scranton, Pennsylvania, under Coach, Dr. A.J. Stovall. Team members include Nancy Binion-Reliford, Mittie Heildeburg-Williams, Sandra Ivory, Cat Milton, Phyllis Phillips Jones, Berta Robinson Taylor, Angela Agnew, Diane Buchanan, Dianne Ayer, Sarah Young, Barbara Knox, and Brenda Christian-Pree.

 

All inductees will be formally recognized during halftime of the Ishmell Edwards Classic Homecoming Game on Saturday, November 8, in Kinzell Lawson Gymnasium.

 

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