The induction ceremony for the 2015 Athletics Hall of Fame class was held in October with a reception and induction ceremony, and the annual Hall of Fame game and ring ceremony.
The 2015 Athletics Hall of Fame Class: Eric “Ebo” Walker, Nicole Collier and Amy Beverly.
Amy Beverly ’06, softball, 2003-06, was named first-team All-MIAA in 2004 and 2005, second-team All-American in 2004 and 2005, and first-team All-Region in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Beverly holds University career records for hits (263), total bases (436), doubles (58), putouts (1,639) and double plays turned (42), and she sits in the top five of several other career statistics. She also holds single-season marks for games played and started (68 in 2005), hits (93 in 2005), RBIs (67 in 2005) and doubles (24 in 2005).
Twice named to the MIAA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Beverly was the Missouri Western Female Athlete of the Year in 2006. She helped the program to its first-ever NCAA Regional berth in 2005 and led the team to its second regional appearance in 2006.
Playing basketball just two seasons for the Griffons, Nicole (Lindsey) Collier ’03 led the 2001-02 team in field goal percentage (.592). Averaging 18.7 points per game, she was named second-team All-MIAA and a finalist for the KODAK/WBCA All-America Team. In 2002-03, Collier led the team in points, rebounds, field goal percentage and blocks. Her 272 rebounds that season were the second most in school history, as well as her 8.8 per game average.
She set a single-game record with 19 rebounds in a game and was named first-team All-MIAA, second-team Daktronics/All South Central Region and again a finalist for the KODAK/WBCA All-America Team.
The 2001-02 team won both the MIAA regular season and postseason championships and climbed to No. 1 in the country before falling in the NCAA South Central Regional. The 2002-03 team also spent part of the season ranked No. 1 and advanced to the South Central Regional.
Collier is currently head women’s basketball coach at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
A standout football linebacker, no Griffon since 1989 has amassed more total tackles (416) than Eric “Ebo” Walker ’03 who played 1999-2002. His 204 solo tackles are also a post-1988 record.
Walker was twice named first-team All-MIAA (2001 and 2002). In 2002, He was named first-team AP Little All-American. He led the Griffons in tackles in 2000, 2001 and 2002, totaling no less than 108 tackles in any of those three seasons.
Walker was instrumental in building the Griffon football program into one of the most successful in the nation. He was a part of four winning squads that totaled 29 wins, including two eight-win seasons (2000 and 2001). The 2000 team went 8-1 in the MIAA and qualified Missouri Western for its first postseason game since 1979. That team is one of only two (the other was the 2012 team) to have just one loss in MIAA play.