Shawnee State University will induct three former athletes into its SSU Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Sept. 23. Making up the induction Class of 2022 is Ali Zieverink (‘16), Sarah Biehl (‘15, ‘18), and Dirk Hollar (‘08). SSU Athletics will also recognize Chris Moore as the Ralph Kavanaugh Home Team Award recipient.
Ali Zieverink was a part of the Women’s Basketball team for four years and was a four-time Mid-South Conference (MSC) champion in her career, as well as a regular season champion in 2012 and 2016 and a conference tournament champion in 2015 and 2016. She made four national tournament appearances in each of those seasons, making it to the Round of 16 in each and was named an NAIA All-American twice – receiving Second-Team honors in 2015 and First-Team honors in 2016 after leading the nation in scoring. During those same two seasons, she received MSC Player of the Year recognition while garnering First-Team All MSC as well. She is ranked second on the all-time list for points per season with 779 scored in the 2015-16 season. The same season she averaged 22.6 points per game, putting her second on the all-time list. In addition to her successes on the court, Zieverink was a two-time MSC Academic All-Conference member.
Sarah Biehl was a well-recognized member of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams during her time with the Bears. In Cross Country, she was named MSC Runner of the Year, not once but twice in her career, and was named to the First-Team All MSC three out of four years. She was also an eight-time MSC Champion and earned NAIA All-American status in the 2014-15 season. In Outdoor Track & Field, Biehl continued her success, earning four more NAIA All-American honors – for a second-place finish in 2016, a 5K finish in 2015, and the 10K event in 2015 and 2016. She is the current school record holder for the cross country and outdoor track 5K with a time of 17:40. Upon graduation, she was the record holder in the 10K, and is now currently third on the list. With all the accolades that she has on the track and course, Biehl was a stand-out in the classroom, being named a MSC Academic All-Conference member twice. More recently, she qualified to compete at the United States 2020 Olympic Trials in the marathon after her finish of 2:44.25 at the 2018 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon.
Dirk Hollar was a member of the Men’s Cross-Country for four years. During his exceptional career on the team, he ran in the NAIA National Championship Meet every year he competed for the Bears – becoming the first runner at the university to manage that feat. He held the highest individual finish at Nationals for the first 10 years of the program, before Hall of Famer Keegan Rathkamp finished 10th in 2008. In Hollar’s first season with the Bears, he made American Mideast (AME) All-Conference honors, being named to the Honorable Mention Team after recording six top-10 finishes. One of those recorded finishes was with a time of 26:21, which at the time was the fastest-ever recorded by a freshman. In his senior season, he was named to Second-Team AME honors, where he had five top-10 finishes.
The 2022 Ralph Kavanaugh Home Team Award winner is Chris Moore. The award, which was created in honor of long-time equipment manager Ralph Kavanaugh, was introduced in 2005 and recognizes an individual who showcases service, spirit, and loyalty to SSU Athletics. Moore came to the university in 2007 as an assistant baseball coach and in the Fall of 2014, became the head coach for the Bears. After 11 years in the SSU baseball program, Moore moved over to the SSU Development Foundation, where he now serves as the Executive Director. He has been instrumental in fundraising for the athletics department and partnering with the coaches and athletics staff. Outside of his duties, Moore is a consistent advocate for SSU Athletics and a willing partner to assist the athletic department in any of their needs. He is a strong supporter of each of the varsity programs, taking time to get to know student-athletes on and off the court, as well as building relationships with many fans in the stands.
The Shawnee State Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 23 in the Eloise Covert Smith Theater of the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts as part of the Homecoming Weekend. The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. with a social following. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by visiting www.ssuhof.com.
