Drury announces 27th Athletics Hall of Fame class

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— The Drury University Athletics Department announced six former student-athletes that will be part of the 27th Sports Hall of Fame class. Stevie Wilczewski and Micah Whorten from men’s soccer, Tonya Choate-McCall from women’s golf, Jesse Sanderson from women’s soccer, Heather Cozzens from women’s swimming & diving, and Medhi Belbacha from men’s tennis will be formally inducted on Sat., Dec. 10 on the Drury campus.
 
Tonya Choate-McCall was a dominant force for the Drury women’s golf team for three seasons. The Mount Vernon, Missouri, native won three Heartland Conference championships, was a three-time NCAA-II All-American and was the league’s Player of the Year in 2006. She won 12 tournaments with the Panthers and, while attending Drury, was the Missouri Amateur champion in 2005 and 2006. Choate-McCall finished her college career at Nevada-Las Vegas and went on to compete professionally on the Cactus Tour, the Suncoast Series, and the Canadian Women’s Tour.
 
Stevie Wilczewski and Micah Whorten were teammates on the Drury soccer team from 2007-09 and ended their careers with nearly identical numbers. They were also part of the Panthers GLVC championship team in 2009 and a squad that went 21-2. Drury reached the NCAA-II Tournament and hosted the Midwest Regional, advancing to the second round. Both Wilczweski and Whorten finished with 35 career goals, tied for second all-time at Drury. Whorten, who played from 2007-10, is Drury’s all-time leader in assists with 25 and points with 95. Wilczewski, whose career spanned from 2006-09, is second all-time in points with 85 and finished fifth in career assists with 15.
 
Jesse Sanderson was the goalkeeper for the Drury women’s soccer team from 2007-10 and she sits atop the program’s all-time leaderboard in saves with 383 and goals against average with 0.78 in 82 career games. Sanderson was an All-Midwest Region selection in 2009, was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference team all four years of her career and was a First Team selection twice. She was the 2007 GLVC Freshman of the Year and helped that squad to the GLVC title and the third round of the NCAA-II Tournament.
 
Heather Cozzens was an NAIA All-American all four years of her career at Drury from 1991-94. She was a key figure on three National Championship teams and helped the Panthers to their first women’s national title in 1992. Cozzens helped Drury close out their NAIA era with three straight national titles winning the crown again in ’93 and ’94. She was on a first-place Medley Relay team at the national meet and finished second in the 200 Breaststroke and third in the 100 Breast.
 
Medhi Belbacha played for the Drury men’s tennis team from 1999-2002, a team that reached the NCAA-II Tournament all four years of his career, including the 2002 National Championship match. The Panthers reached the quarterfinals three times in Belbacha’s career and the national semifinals in ’01 and ’02. He and doubles partner Jeremy Blandin ended the 2002 season ranked number one in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and fourth nationally in singles.
 
The 2022 Drury Sports Hall of Fame induction is scheduled on the university’s campus for Sat., Dec. 10, with doors opening at 10:30 am, and brunch served at 11 am. The hall of fame class will be formally introduced between basketball games later that afternoon. The women’s game against Quincy starts at 1 pm, with the men’s game at 3 pm.
 
Tickets are $35, and reservations can be made through Dan Cashel, Event Coordinator for Drury Athletics, via email at dcashel@drury.edu or by phone (417) 873-7134.
 
 
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