Championship team of '68 to be enshrined in Chapman Hall of Fame
ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University and the Donald P. Kennedy Department of Intercollegiate Athletics host its annual Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony and banquet on Oct. 18, 2008. For the first time ever, Chapman will induct a team into the Hall of Fame: the 1968 National College Division championship baseball team. The banquet will begin with a reception at 4 p.m. and precede Chapman’s home football game against Occidental College at 7 p.m. at Wilson Field. In addition, Chapman will induct Hall of Fame Chair Vaughan Kelley ’62, Gregg Murphy ’86 (soccer) and Deborah Denio ’98 (tennis).
1968 Baseball Team: This year, Chapman commemorates the 40-year anniversary of the university’s first NCAA championship. In 1968, the Panther baseball team went 26-17 and defeated Delta State 11-0 in the College Division championship game. The Panthers were led by the pitching duo of All-America selection Don Richards and Rick McHale, who combined for 23 victories on the mound. Richard also set a school record with 134 strikeouts that season. Tony Spano was named the championships’ MVP and head coach Paul Deese was named NCAA Pacific Coast Coach of the Year. The national title came in the middle of a six-year run that saw Chapman reach the NCAA West Regionals each year from 1965-70 and the reach the National Championships in ’66 and ’68.
Vaughan Kelley ’62: Kelley has been the man most responsible for the success of the Chapman Athletics Hall of Fame, helping to get the Hall started in 1980 and serving as the chair of the Hall of Fame Committee for 29 years. During his tenure, Chapman has inducted 76 former athletes (2008 included), six coaches, three administrators and now one team. He was also instrumental in creation of the Athletics Hall of Fame Endowment in 2003. As a student, Kelley worked as a student administrator for the various athletics programs at Chapman, including serving alongside legendary basketball coach Don Perkins on the 1959-60 Panthers’ team that placed second in the nation.
Gregg Murphy ’86: Murphy still ranks ninth in Chapman history with 24 career goals and 11th with 60 total points for the Panthers from 1981-84. He was an All-Conference selection three times and earned All-America honors twice. In 1990 he became the head coach of both the men’s and women’s soccer programs at Chapman, leading the men’s team to the Division III Final Four in 1995 with a 17-4-1 record and was named West Region Coach of the Year. His women’s team also peaked in ’95, with a 13-5 mark. Murphy went on to become head women’s coach at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles for 11 seasons and led the Lions to two NCAA tournament appearances. In 2007, Murphy became the associate head women’s coach at Santa Clara University, where he still coaches.
Deborah Denio ’98: Chapman’s first-ever female All-America tennis player, Denio accomplished the feat twice in 1996 and ’97, qualifying for the NCAA Division III singles championships in both seasons. In two seasons she compiled a record of 36-14 in singles play, including top-five regional rankings both seasons. After Chapman, Denio went on to get her doctorate in physical therapy from the University of St. Augustine and currently serves as a therapist at the Center for Physical Health in West Los Angeles. She began competing in (and winning) fitness contests in 2000 and became a pro body builder in 2003. She also launched her own women’s fitness wear line in 2005 and currently runs an online clothing and fitness store.
The newest members and all current Hall of Fame members in attendance will be recognized on the field during halftime of the football game. Their names will also be displayed on Chapman’s new Hall of Fame wall on campus as part of the new Lastinger Athletics Complex which celebrated its grand opening this month. Tickets for the banquet are available for $60 per person or $600 per table. For more information, contact Hilda Douvas: 714-744-2191 or douvas@chapman.edu.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director