Thomas More to induct 10-member class in Athletic Hall of Fame; ceremony scheduled for Oct. 30

NKyTribune staff

Thomas More University has announced its 10-member 2020 Athletic Hall of Fame class. Thomas More will also have a special recognition as the 2000 baseball squad will be honored as the Team of Distinction.

The following inductees are scheduled to be recognized on Oct. 30 with a ceremony on the Thomas More campus:

Nicole (Dickman) Rice (’11)
 – Rice was a four-time All-Great Lakes Region selection in women’s basketball and four-time All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honoree. She ranks second in career rebounds at Thomas More (887) and is fourth in career scoring (1,535 points). She is also fifth in Thomas More history with 586 career field goals.

Domonique Hayden (’14) – 
Hayden was a two-time All-American, four-time All-Region selection, four-time All-PAC selection and three-time PAC Player of the Year. He was a 2014 Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist and led all of NCAA Division III in rushing yards (2,017) his junior year. As a senior, he led Division III in rushing touchdowns (25) and scoring (16.7 ppg.). Hayden holds the Thomas More career record in rushing yards (5,461), rushing average (6.6 ypc), rushing touchdowns (80), 100-yard rushing games (24) points (534), rushing touchdowns (89) and all-purpose yards (6,293).

Larry Israel (’65) – 
Israel was a four-year standout in both basketball and baseball. On the basketball court, he scored 493 career points and led the team in scoring his junior season (12.2 ppg) and was a member of the WCPO’s first-ever College Tri-State All-Star Team as a junior. Israel played shortstop on the baseball team and was a member of the 1965 team that won the school’s first-ever outright conference championship. He batted .347 as a senior and was part of five double plays in the school’s first-ever no-hitter.

Allison (Long) Butler (’13) – 
Butler earned All-American, PAC Woman of the Year, CoSIDA Academic All-American, Jostens Trophy Finalist and PAC Player of the Year honors in 2013.  She was a four-time All-PAC selection, including two-time first team selection) and two-time All-Great Lakes Region selection. Butler finished her career second and is currently fifth in career assists (363), was third and is now fourth in 3-point field goals made (212), is fourth in 3-point field goals attempted (510) and is sixth in career scoring (1,505).

Lucas Nare (’15) – 
Nare was Thomas More’s first-ever track & field athlete to qualify for the national championship as he qualified for the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the 2014 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship. He was the PAC Indoor Track Most Valuable Player and was a nine-time PAC Champion. He holds the Thomas More indoor record in the 600-meter dash (6.98-seconds), 200-meter dash (21.96-seconds) and 400-meter dash (50.31-seconds) and the outdoor record in the 100-meter dash (10.59-seconds and 200-meter dash (21.17-seconds).

Aaron Osborne (’13)
 – Osborne was a NSCAA All-American and PAC Most Valuable Player in 2009.  He was a four-time first team All-PAC selection.  Osborne holds the Thomas More single-season record for goals (22), which he set in 2009.  He also holds the Thomas More career record for goals (59) and points (132). Osborne is second in goals in an individual game (three), which he did twice.

Brad Steinmetz (’10)
 – Steinmetz was named an All-American and PAC Player of the Year in 2009. He was a three-time first team All-PAC selection and a two-time All-Region selection. Steinmetz finished he career with 326 career tackles (180 solo/146 assisted), 56 career tackles for a loss, 22 career sacks, three career interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Katie Sullivan (’13) – 
Sullivan was a four-time All-PAC selection, including first team on three occasions, and was an AVCA All-Region selection in 2011. She holds the Thomas More career record for hitting percentage at .326. Sullivan ranks third in season hitting percentage (.356) and fifth in career block assists (234). After her playing career, Sullivan spent seven seasons on the Thomas More coaching staff. She also served as the co-interim head coach during the 2019 season.

Paul Uhl (’13) – 
Uhl was an ABCA All-American, Mideast Region Co-Pitcher of the Year and the PAC Pitcher of the Year in 2010 as well as being a three-time All-PAC selection. He pitched a no-hitter against Penn State-Behrend during the 2010 season. He is No. 1 in wins during a season (10), innings pitched in a season (81.1) and second in season starts (13).
 
Brittany (Wegman) Armstrong (’12)
 – Armstrong was a three-time All-Central Region selection, four-time first team All-PAC selection and the 2010 PAC Player of the Year. She is tied for most career home runs (40) at Thomas More and currently holds the career record for runs scored (142). Armstrong finished her career No. 1 in career runs batted in (144) and is currently third.

Team of Distinction
2000 Baseball Team
 – The 2000 Thomas More baseball team, coached by Todd Asalon, posted a 32-13 record. The Saints also made the program’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Thomas More started the 2000 season 27-4. The Saints were ranked No. 25 in the nation at one point after winning 19 of 20 games. Asalon, who is now the head coach at Northern Kentucky University, was named Association of Mideast Colleges Conference Coach of the Year in 1995 while at Thomas More. Asalon also served as Thomas More’s athletic director for two years.

NKU HONORED FOR ACADEMICS: NKU placed 105 student-athletes on the 2020 Horizon League Spring Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible for the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll, student-athletes must have participated in the most recent season of their sport, complete three semesters as a full-time student at the same institution, and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20.

(Information compiled from Thomas More, NKU and staff reports)