Pfeiffer announces Sports Hall of Fame members

Published 10:08 am Thursday, June 13, 2024

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The Pfeiffer University Athletics Department has announced that five former student-athletes will be inducted into the Pfeiffer Sports Hall of Fame at a reception and ceremony to be held on Oct. 19 in the Grady Board Room in the Stokes Student Center on the Misenheimer campus.

2024 Pfeiffer Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees

Ben Case ’02

Case was a standout golfer for the Pfeiffer men’s team from 1998-2002. During his time in The Village, Case was a three-time All-America selection and earned Academic All-America honors on two occasions.

In 2002 he earned the CVAC Player of the Year honors and was also the CVAC Athlete of the year. That year, he helped Pfeiffer to the CVAC Championship, winning by 31 strokes over second-place Barton College. Case captured the individual CVAC Championship by carding a three-day total of 209, winning by two strokes. In the second round, he shot a 65 at the Crescent Golf Club in Salisbury, which is a course record that stands today.

His career highlights include three individual medalist wins, 14-top-five finishes and 24 Top-10 finishes. In addition, he was an all-conference and all-region selection for three seasons.

Following his Pfeiffer career, he went on to play professionally and was a member of the Tarheel Tour, the Europro Tour and made his way to the PGA Tour, where he participated in the 2003 Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

Nancy Ingram ’80

Nancy MacDade Ingram enters the Pfeiffer Sports Hall of Fame after a stellar career as a Falcon student-athlete and a decorated tenure as a coach.

A two-sport athlete for the Falcons, she was the starting outfielder for the Falcon softball team in 1978. She returned a .381 batting average and scored 30 runs that season, helping the team to a 28-10 overall record, finishing as the runner-up in the state tournament.

As a field hockey student-athlete from 1977-1980, she started all four seasons as a defensive player. Over her career, the Falcons won 52 games and were crowned state champions in 1979. The team captured regional championships in 1979 and 1980 and finished the 1979 season ranked seventh nationally.

The 1980 team finished as the 13th-ranked team in the nation and in both seasons, Pfeiffer advanced to the national tournament.

As a coach, she guided the field hockey team from 1982-1992. Over that span, her Pfeiffer teams won 85 games, which is the most in school history. The 1983 team finished the season ranked fifth nationally, as did the 1992 team.

She coached 23 All-Conference players over her tenure and in 1992 was bestowed the Franny Homer Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Field Hockey.

Jenny Deans Martin ’08

Jenny Deans Martin was a standout women’s lacrosse player at Pfeiffer during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

As a defender, she was named to the CVAC All-Conference first team in both of her seasons in The Village. Additionally, she was the CVAC Player of the Year following the 2007 season.

She also went on to earn all-region and was named a First-Team IWLCA All-American in 2007.

Following the 2008 season, she again was named as a First-Team All-CVAC selection as well as being named All-Region. Additionally, she was a Second-Team IWLCA All-America selection.

As a defender, she played in 37 career games for the Falcons. She scored three career goals and added five assists. More impressively, she had 83 career ground balls and 67 career caused turnovers, which places her ninth in the program record books. She also finished her career with 69 draw controls, which places her tied for 15th in the Pfeiffer record book.

Jonathan Sawyer ’84

Sawyer, a 1984 Pfeiffer graduate, was a force on the tennis courts during his time in The Village, playing at the No. 1 position in both doubles and singles. He has carried that same success from his playing days as a Falcon to playing in various amateur leagues across North Carolina.

During his amateur career, he has captured N.C. Men’s Singles Championships in 1991, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017. Additionally, he was a member of N.C. Men’s Doubles Championship teams in 1993, 1994, 1995, 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2017.

Most recently, Sawyer has won USTA National Championships in doubles play in 2020, 2021 and 2023.
Overall, his competitive tennis career has spanned an impressive 40-plus years.

Sawyer has also served as assistant tennis pro at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville.

Chris Woods ’11

A member of the Pfeiffer men’s basketball program from 2007-2011, Chris Woods earned All-Conference honors following the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons. In 2011, he was tabbed as the 2011 Conference Player of the Year. He also earned All-Region awards in 2010 and 2011 and was the NCAA East Regional Player of the Year. That season, he participated in the NCAA Division II All-Star Game and was named the MVP of the East Team.

Additionally, he was named an NCCSIA All-State player following the 2009-10 season.

Also that season, Woods was the National Player of the Year Runner-Up.

His name is prominently in the Pfeiffer record book, as he is third in all-time career points (2041), fifth in points per game average (18.4), second in field goals made (757), third in free throws made (526) and rebounds (864). He also appears in several single season categories.

Following his Pfeiffer career, Woods played internationally for eight seasons in Europe, where he earned all-star recognition while leading the league in points and rebounds.

Tickets to the 2024 Pfeiffer Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony can be purchased for $20 online by visiting https://community.pfeiffer.edu/HOF2024 or by calling the Advancement Office 704-463-3034.