Ten Elected to University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame

Ten new members have been elected to the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Association of Lettermen, it was announced today.
 
This year’s class includes John Abraham, Mike Durrah and Connor Shaw from football, Michael Roth from baseball, Scotti Ward from men’s basketball, Brantley Southers and head coach Nancy Wilson from women’s basketball, Ron Willis from track & field, volleyball coach Kim (Hudson) Williams and Athletics Director Dr. Mike McGee.
 
Since the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 1967, 197 members, including these ten, have been selected by the University of South Carolina Association of Lettermen.
 
These individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 14, and recognized at the South Carolina-Vanderbilt football game on Saturday, October 16. 

Tickets can be purchased here.
 
John Abraham – Football (1996-99)
After playing just one year of high school football Abraham came to Carolina and became a disruptive force on defense. He logged 23.5 sacks during his Gamecock career, while leading the team in sacks in all four seasons. He earned second-team all-SEC honors in 1999. A first-round selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, Abraham went on to play 15 seasons in the NFL, earning first-team All-Pro three times and appearing in five Pro Bowls.
 
Mike Durrah -Football (1980-83)
Durrah lettered at linebacker for the Gamecocks from 1980-83, recording 396 tackles, which still ranks third on the school’s all-time list. He was recognized on the All-South Independent team following his senior season after recording a school record 179 tackles.
 
Dr. Mike McGee – Athletics Director (1993-05)
Dr. McGee served as the Gamecocks’ Athletics Director from 1993-2005. During his tenure he hired such coaches as Ray Tanner, Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier. In 2002, he was presented the Order of the Palmetto for his outstanding contributions to the promotion and achievement of sports in South Carolina and in 2016 he was the recipient of the prestigious Homer Rice Award, given to an athletics director who had made a significant and meaningful contribution to intercollegiate athletics.
 
Michael Roth – Baseball ( 2009-12)
A crafty lefthanded pitcher, Roth was instrumental in leading the Gamecocks to back-to-back College World Series titles in 2010 and 2011. He posted a 26-6 record during his Carolina career and was a first-team All-American in 2012. His complete game performance in a 5-1 win over Clemson propelled the Gamecocks to its first baseball National Championship in 2010.
 
Connor Shaw – Football (2010-13)
Shaw led the Gamecocks to three-consecutive 11-win seasons from 2011-13, the greatest run in school history. The Gamecock signal-caller posted a perfect 17-0 record at Williams-Brice Stadium during his career and owns the most wins by a quarterback in school history with 27. Shaw is also the school’s all-time record holder in career completion percentage and is second in passing touchdowns.
 
Brantley Southers – Women’s Basketball (1981-86)
Southers scored 1,982 career points, fourth on the school’s all-time list, and remains third in all-time field goals made and first in career free throw percentage. She is was a three-time first-team All-Metro Conference selection, was the Metro Tournament’s Outstanding Player in 1986,was named to the conference All-Tournament team three times and was a three-time All-American.
 
Scotti Ward – Men’s Basketball (1960-63)
Ward was the point guard on the Carolina men’s basketball team from 1960-63. He averaged 14.3 points per game throughout his career, including a team-high 17.6 points per game as a senior. He also connected on nearly 84 percent of his free throw attempts, third on the all-time list. A 1,000-point scorer, Ward earned second team All-ACC honors in 1963.
 
Kim (Hudson) Williams – Volleyball (1993-2004)
Williams coached volleyball at South Carolina from 1993-2004 and helped put the volleyball program back on the map. She took her team to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions while winning a school-record 236 matches. She posted a .630 winning percentage and recorded eight 20-win seasons. She was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 1997 and mentored 16 All-SEC team members, many of them numerous years.
 
Ron Willis – Track & Field (1990-94)
Willis was a track & field standout in the early 1990s, competing in throwing events, including the shot put, discus, hammer throw and 351b weight toss. He won multiple SEC titles and was the first Gamecock to win an individual NCAA title in a field event. He set the American Collegiate record in the 351b weight toss in 1993. A three-time All-American, Willis served as the team captain in both 1993 and ’94.
 
Nancy Wilson – Women’s Basketball (1985-97)
Wilson was a two-time Metro Conference Coach of the Year and led Carolina to five Metro Conference regular season titles and three Metro Tournament championships as the women’s basketball coach. Five of her teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament and the 1990 squad reached the Sweet 16.