Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU ANNOUNCES 2007 HALL OF FAME CLASS
June 19, 2007 | General
June 19, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University Athletics Hall of Fame will welcome seven new members on Sept. 21, 2007. The 2007 class will be inducted during a formal dinner on the BGSU campus.
The class of 2007 will include Antonio Daniels `97 (men's basketball), Wade Diefenthaler `59 (baseball), Talita Scott `94 (women's basketball), Charles Simpson (gymnastics), Tom Stubbs `49 (swimming and diving), Paul Talkington `69 (men's cross country and track) and Bernard White `85 (football).
The official induction ceremony will take place Friday, Sept. 21, in the grand ballroom of BGSU's Bowen-Thompson Student Union. The social hour begins at 6:00 p.m., with dinner served at 7:00 p.m. and the program starting shortly thereafter.
In addition, the class will be introduced at halftime of the Sept. 22 BGSU-Temple football game at Doyt Perry Stadium. The game is designated as Hall of Fame Day.
Tickets for the Sept. 21 dinner are $35 ($30 for Varsity BG members), and advanced reservations are required. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Falcon Club office at (419) 372-7100. Football game tickets can be purchased through the ticket office by phone, at 1-877-BGSUTICKET, or on the web at www.BGSUFalcons.com.
The public is invited to attend the induction dinner.
Brief biographical sketches on each of the seven inductees follow:
Antonio Daniels (Men's Basketball, 1994-97)
Daniels, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was the MAC Player of the Year in 1996-97, helping the Falcons to the MAC regular-season championship. He was also a second-team ALL-MAC performer as a junior, leading the MAC in assists that year. In 1994 he was named the MAC Freshman of the Year. He was also a first round draft pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies, going fourth overall, finishing his career second on the BGSU career scoring chart with 1,789 points, ranking 10th in MAC history at the time. He averaged 24.0 points and 6.8 assists per game as a senior in 1996-97.
Wade Diefenthaler (Baseball, 1957-59)
Diefenthaler earned three letters from 1957-59. He was a first team All-MAC selection as a junior and a third team district IV pick the same season. He tossed a no-hitter against MAC champ Ohio University as a junior to hand the Bobcats their only league loss, becoming the first BG pitcher to toss a no-hitter in a MAC game. Posted a 2.90 ERA as a junior, with a 3-5 record. Had a 6-2 mark as a senior with a 3.08 ERA to earn second team All-MAC accolades. Had several offers from professional teams but turned them down to begin his career in education. Taught at Old Orchard School (a junior high) in Toledo for seven years while also coaching. He then spent 10 years as a principal at Oakdale School in Toledo and one year as principal at Spring School, also in Toledo.
Talita Scott (Women's Basketball, 1991-94)
Scott, a native of Akron, Ohio, was a two-time All-MAC First-Team selection. Was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in April of 1994, becoming the 11th BGSU student-athlete (and the fourth women's basketball player) to earn one. Was also a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America First-Team selection as a senior after earning third-team honors as a junior. Concluded her career second on the BGSU career scoring list with 1,432 points, and set the school record with a .563 career field-goal percentage. Also finished her career ranked in the BGSU top-six in six other categories. Helped the Falcons to a 51-9 record and a pair of MAC regular-season and MAC Tournament titles over her last two years. BGSU was 89-29 during her four seasons.
Charles Simpson (Gymnastics Coach, 1974-1997)
Coached the Falcons for 22 seasons, with an overall record of 154-117-2. His squads claimed three of the first five MAC championships, in 1982, 1983 and 1985. BGSU was MAC runner-up in 1981, 1984 and 1987. The Falcons had a string of 11 consecutive winning campaigns from 1974-84. In 1979-80, the Brown and Orange reached the pinnacle, putting together a nearly perfect season with an 11-0-1 record. His teams made a total of six NCAA regional appearances, including four in a row from 1984-87. He led the Falcons to an average of seven dual wins per season during he tenure, and his teams won 10 or more meets five times.
Tom Stubbs (Men's Swimming, 1943-1949, and Swimming Coach 1963-1981)
Stubbs earned four varsity letters, while his collegiate career was interrupted by World War II (was a member of the 11th Airborne Division). Was a freestyler as an athlete helping BG to a 28-8 record his last three seasons. In 18 seasons as the swimming coach, he produced seven MAC Championships while helping the women's program to the league title in his last season. He also served two terms on the NCAA Swimming Rules Committee and was the head referee at four NCAA Championships.
Paul David Talkington Jr. (Men's Cross Country and Track, 1966-1969)
Talkington is a native of Bergholz, Ohio. He earned three letters in track (67, 68, 69) and cross country (66, 67, 68) during his career. He was the MAC Champion and record holder in the six mile run, while also earning All-Ohio honors and was the record holder in the three mile run. During his career he set 14 BGSU track records. As a sophomore in 1966-67, was the Most Improved Runner on both the cross-country and track teams and was named Most Valuable on the 1968 track team. He also earned national AAU All-American honors six times. He ran in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in both 1972 and 1976.
Bernard White (Football, 1984-85)
White, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., came to BG after two years at Ventura (Calif.) JC. He was an All-MAC First-Team selection in both years with the Falcons. As a junior, he became just the third player in NCAA history to rush for over 1,000 yards while catching more than 50 passes. He joined NFL players Darren Nelsen and Gerald Willhite in that group. As a senior in 1985, he led the nation in scoring with 19 TDs, while rushing for 949 yards as the Falcons went 11-0 in the regular season, won the MAC title and played in the California Bowl. In just two years, scored 34 touchdowns, falling five shy of the school record. Had a career game rushing for 143 yards and a school-record four TDs in his first Division I game vs. Richmond. He had a total of nine 100-yard rushing games in his two years at BG. He also duplicated his four-TD effort as a senior, turning the trick against Eastern Michigan. Lastly, he caught 56 passes as a junior and 33 as a senior.
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The 2007 class of inductees, the 44th class in history, brings membership in the Athletic Hall of Fame to 206. The 1983-84 national championship hockey team is also in the Hall of Fame.
