Eastern Michigan, Jamie Nieto
Jamie Nieto was a three-time All-American, placed third at the NCAA Indoor Championships and won the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004 with an Olympic Trials record of 7'7.75" to qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Nieto jumped 7'8" in the Olympics to finish fourth. Nieto was a two-time MAC indoor champion and placed fifth in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. He was inducted into the Eastern Michigan E-Club Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Northern Illinois, Walt Owens
Walt Owens was the head coach of the NIU Huskie baseball program from 1976-82, winning 133 games during his seven seasons to rank third in career victories and fourth in winning percentage. Owens' best season at NIU came in 1977 when the Huskies went 26-13-2 (.659) and finished fourth in the Mid-American Conference with an 8-5-1 (.667) mark.
Owens, who played in the Negro Leagues with the Detroit Stars from 1953-55, was a teacher in the Detroit Public Schools system from 1956-73 and won numerous city championships as a baseball, basketball and track coach. He came to NIU as a member of the faculty in 1973 and also served as an assistant coach for Emory Luck with the NIU men's basketball team. Upon his retirement in 2011, Owens was named an emeritus professor.
Owens has served as a mentor to numerous Huskie student-athletes during his tenure at NIU while also serving as chair of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Minorities and as a member of the Task Force on Racial Discrimination and Sexual Harassment. He was also a board member of the National Congress of Black Faculty as well as a member of the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education. In 2011, Owens was honored with the E.B. Henderson Award during the annual convention of the National Association for Health & Fitness, which acknowledges those who have made outstanding contributions to the improvement and development of their community.
Tamera Thomas, Central Michigan
Central Michigan's Tamera Thomas was a five-time Mid-American Conference champion and still owns six CMU women's track and field records (60-meter hurdles, 8.29 seconds; 55-meter hurdles, 7.77; 100 hurdles, 13.26; indoor long jump, 19 feet, 11 ¾ inches; pentathlon, 4,069 points and the 100-meter dash, 11.74 seconds). Thomas earned All-America honors in 2006 in the pentathlon at the NCAA Indoor Championships and was the Most Outstanding Performer at the 2005 and 2006 MAC Indoor Championships, winning the 60-meter hurdles and pentathlon titles both years. She set MAC Outdoor Championships record in 2006 with time of 13.37 seconds in 100-meter hurdles and was a national qualifier in 100-meter hurdles in 2005 and won the same event at the 2006 MAC Outdoor Championships. Thomas was awarded the Bill Boyden Award in 2005, given to a senior who best combines participation in a varsity sport with leadership in campus affairs and community involvement. She was inducted into the CMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.
Dwayne Dixon, Ohio
Dwayne Dixon completed his 13
th season as wide receivers coach on Frank Solich's Ohio Football coaching staff in 2019. He joined the Bobcats in June of 2007 and has since helped Ohio win 100 games and three MAC East Division titles and capture the first five bowl victories in program history. Ohio's wide receivers have rewritten the program's record book under Dixon's tutelage as he has coached the program's top-five receivers in terms of career receptions, six of the program's top-10 receivers in receiving yards and seven of the program's top-eight receivers in receiving touchdowns. Taylor Price, LaVon Brazill, Terrence McCrae, Donte Foster, Sebastian Smith and Papi White all earned All-MAC honors under Dixon's watch, with Brazill departing as the program's leader in career receptions (189), White departing as the program's leader in career receiving yards (2,620) and Foster departing as the program's leader in career receiving touchdowns (21).
Prior to arriving in Athens, Dixon served as the wide receivers coach at North Carolina State for two years after spending 15 seasons at Florida, his alma mater. Dixon's coaching career began after he completed a standout collegiate and professional playing career as a receiver. A four-year letter winner for the Gators from 1980-83, Dixon finished his career with 124 catches. He was a first-team All-SEC and honorable mention All-America performer as a senior. Dixon helped the Gators to four bowl appearances during his career and was named the MVP of the 1982 Bluebonnet Bowl. He was inducted into the Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
Dixon began his pro career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he played from 1984-85 and again in 1987. He played for the Arena Football League's Washington Commandos in 1987 and the Detroit Drive from '88-91. He led the AFL in scoring and receiving in both the 1987 and '88 seasons. Dixon, a receiver and linebacker, was the AFL's Ironman of the Year in 1988 and was named the 1988 Arena Bowl's Ironman of the Game. The Sports Network named him one of the Arena Football League's top 10 players of all time and he was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame's inaugural class in 1998. In the spring of 2012, Dixon was selected as one of the AFL's top 25 all-time players.
Lamar R. Hylton, Kent State
Lamar R. Hylton, Ph.D. serves as Interim Vice President for Student Affairs at Kent State University. He provides vision, executive leadership, oversight, and direction for Student Affairs and student services. Utilizing experiences drawn from his dissertation research, and as a first-generation college graduate three times over, Dr. Hylton is personally invested in giving back to the students that he serves and works towards impacting academic achievement, college satisfaction, and student success.
Prior to this role, Dr. Hylton served as the Dean of Students at Kent State. He has served in a variety of different roles in fraternity & sorority life, residence life, student conduct, student activities, commuter student programs, leadership development, and multicultural affairs at various institutions around the country. Dr. Hylton received his bachelor’s degree in Vocal Music-Performance from Morgan State University, master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Ohio University and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State.
Ericka Lavender, Toledo
Ericka Lavender is the associate athletic director for academic services at the University of Toledo. Lavender is responsible for the daily operations of the Student Athletic Academic Services (SAAS) office at Toledo and coordinates academic support for the student-athletes.
Lavender came to Toledo from Louisiana State University where she was the assistant director of academic affairs from 2009-2013 and later served as the associate director for academic affairs from 2013-15. Prior to her stint at LSU, she served as the assistant director of academic services at North Carolina State University from 2008-09 and as an athletic academic counselor at The Ohio State University from 2003-08.
Lavender has been an active member of the National Association for Athletic Advisors since 2003. She is also a current member of the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators and is involved in the NCAA/NACWAA Institute for Administrative Advancement development program.
Lavender, a native of Steubenville, Ohio, graduated from Ashland University in 2000 with a degree in recreation administration. She received a master’s degree in sports administration from Xavier University in 2003.
Dr. Lewis Walker, Western Michigan
Dr. Lewis Walker was the first African American PhD faculty member at Western Michigan University and has both publicly and privately contributed unselfishly to the lives of countless individuals, groups, and organizations.
Dr. Walker was born in a rural area a few miles from Selma, Alabama. He attended Fairfield Industrial High School in a suburb of Birmingham, where he was the starting point guard on the basketball team and a halfback on the football squad. He was the valedictorian of his class with a perfect attendance record and was later inducted into his high school’s hall of fame.
Growing up in a Jim Crow southern environment intensified his desire to become an educated man and participate in the struggle against racial injustice. He received a four-year scholarship from Wilberforce University in Ohio, and a William Green Memorial Fellowship from The Ohio State University, along with a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, which financed the completion of his doctorate degree in sociology.
In 1964, Walker joined the sociology faculty at Western Michigan University where he found an environment that allowed him to expand his activism in civil rights; supported his march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on King’s last march through Mississippi; applauded his scholarship as he author and co-author seven books and numerous scholarly papers and articles; recognized his teaching excellence; and acknowledged his numerous workshops for teachers in Grand Rapids, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo and other cities.
Dr. Walker has taught over 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students; as chair, guided his sociology department to be one of the strongest academic units on campus; served as a conflict mediator-investigator on sensitive race issues on campus; served on two WMU Presidential Search Committees that resulted in the hiring of the first African American, Dr. Elson Floyd, and the first female president, Dr. Judy Bailey; founded a black youth development program on the North Side; conducted the first police-community training program for police officers in Kalamazoo; chaired a task force whose work resulted in the city’s first civilian review board; and served as a consultant on numerous boards dealing with issues of poverty and social justice.
Matthew. A. Cherry, Akron
Former Akron football standout Matthew Cherry was the writer, producer and co-director of ‘Hair Love’, which won an Oscar Award for animated short at the 92nd Academy Awards on Feb. 9, 2020. Cherry’s animated short film “Hair Love” tells the heartfelt story of an African-American father learning to do his daughter’s hair for the first time.
Cherry played football at Akron from 2000-03 and was named All-MAC Second Team selection at wide receiver in 2003. Cherry still holds two punt return records at Akron – 305 punt return yards in a single-season (2003) and two punt returns for touchdowns in a single-season (2003). Cherry was the Zips team captain his senior season and was a two-time recipient of the team’s Harry ‘Doc’ Smith Award, given to player who gave himself to the University and program. Cherry entered the NFL undrafted and played three seasons in the NFL – Jacksonville Jaguars (2004), Cincinnati Bengals (2005) and Carolina Panthers (2006) and Baltimore Ravens (2007). Cherry retired from the NFL in 2007 following an injury and pursued his film career. Cherry studied mass media, radio and television at Akron.
Bernie Tolbert, Buffalo
Buffalo alum Bernie Tolbert earned his bachelor’s degree in social work in 1971 and master’s degree in social work in 1973. Tolbert was a standout track and field athlete from 1968-71 who, upon graduation, was the school record holder in the long jump, triple jump and high jump. Tolbert was twice named most valuable trackman and was team tri-captain in both 1970 and 1971. Tolbert holds Buffalo records in the long jump (23-2 ½), triple jump (46-6 ½) and high jump (6-4).
Tolbert is a member of the UB Athletics Hall of Fame, as part of the 1988 Induction Class. Tolbert worked for the U.S. Department of Justice with the FBI as a special agent for 21 years and was Senior Vice President for Security for the NBA for nine years.
Damon Frierson, Miami
Damon Frierson enters his third year as Miami men’s basketball Assistant to the Head Coach and is a member of the Miami Hall of Fame. Frierson is responsible for budget, team academics and the admission process for all of the newcomers. He serves as mentor to each of current players drawing upon his own experiences at Miami. Frierson is the point person for an increased effort in both alumni and Miami Basketball alumni engagement.
A two-time All-MAC selection and the fifth all-time leading scorer for Miami men’s basketball, Frierson propelled the RedHawks to MAC regular-season titles in 1997 and 1999 and a MAC Tournament crown in 1997. Leading Miami to three postseason appearances during his career from 1996-99, he was a key component on one of the greatest NCAA Tournament runs in program history as the 1999 RedHawks reached the Sweet 16. He owns the single-season record for minutes played (1,201) and ranks among Miami statistical leaders in seven single-season categories and 12 career lists. Frierson is part of Miami’s top scoring duo with Wally Szczerbiak, finishing his career with 1,644 points.
Frierson was inducted into the Miami Hall of Fame as part of the 2015-16 class. Frierson and his wife Kitsy have 3 sons, Elijah, Isaac, and Luke
Cathy Copeland-Mock, Bowling Green
Bowling Green women’s basketball standout Cathy Copeland-Mock came to Bowling Green having zero high school basketball experience. She participated in volleyball, softball and basketball at recreation centers, however, the schools in her hometown of Columbus did not offer such opportunities in high school.
Copeland persevered and after spending the first half of her freshman year on the ‘B’ team, she went on to become a starter on the first unit for the second half of her freshman year. A scoring and rebounding force, Copeland helped the Falcon women's team to a very successful run during her time on campus, with the Falcons posting a 38-13 record in her final three years. Copeland graduated in 1976 with a degree in physical education and a minor in business education.
Following graduation, Copeland taught and coached on the high school level in Cincinnati before moving to Boston to attend graduate school, where she earned a Master’s degree in public administration. She then returned to her native Columbus, worked as a substitute teacher for a while, took a job as an administrator with the state of Ohio for about 10 years, owned a printing company for 12 years, sold real estate for two decades, and now works as the director of supplier diversity at Cardinal Health in Columbus.
In her current role, she seeks out and identifies opportunities for a diverse group of suppliers – women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses – to connect them with Cardinal. Copeland-Mock was recruited by Cardinal Health while she was serving as president of the South Central Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council (now the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council).
