Jan. 12, 2010

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Three former basketball standouts, a current major league pitcher, a member of the famed 1968 Tangerine Bowl football team and the school's first NCAA Division I National Championship team comprise the University of Richmond's Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2010, announced today by Director of Athletics Jim Miller.

The five-person class, to be inducted Saturday, February 6 in an 11 a.m. ceremony at the Jepson Alumni Center on campus, includes Ken Atkinson (men's basketball), Kate Flavin (women's basketball), Tim Stauffer (baseball), Aron Stewart (men's basketball) and Winston Whitehead (football). The 2008 NCAA Division I National Champion Football Team is the 2010 Team of Distinction. The Class of 2010 will be recognized during the Spider men's basketball contest against Temple at 2 p.m. in the Robins Center, which will be televised nationally by ESPNU.

Ken Atkinson (1986-1990)
A four-year starter who led the Spiders to three postseason berths, including the school's only NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 1988, Ken Atkinson is seventh on UR's all-time scoring list with 1,549 points.

Atkinson began his Richmond career by earning CAA Rookie of the Year honors in 1987 and capped his time in a Spider uniform by being named CAA Tournament MVP in 1990, when he captained the team to another NCAA appearance.

He was named First Team All-CAA, First Team All-State and CAA All Tournament Team in 1989 and 1990. In the Spiders' 1988 NCAA tournament victory over defending national champion Indiana, Atkinson scored 14 points, including the final basket of the game. He scored 15 - on five three-pointers - in the Sweet 16 loss to top-ranked Temple at the Meadowlands, in the shadow of his native Long Island.

Atkinson played in 125 games, tied for the most in school history, averaging 34.5 minutes per game, fifth on the all-time list. His 604 points in 1989-90 is eighth all-time. He is third in single-season free throw percentage (.866), seventh in career free throw percentage (.793), and is third in both single-season (165) and career (464) assists. The Spiders were 84-41 (.672) during his four-year career.

He enjoyed a successful professional career overseas as a player and coach, and then returned to the United States as Director of Player Development with the NBA's Houston Rockets before joining the New York Knicks where he is currently an assistant coach.

Kate Flavin (2001-2005)
One of the most decorated student-athletes in school history, Kate Flavin led Spider women's basketball to unprecedented success, with three postseason appearances, including two WNITs and an NCAA Tournament berth during a 23-8 senior season. She completed her career with 1,770 points, currently second on UR's all-time list.

An Atlantic 10 First Team selection in 2004 and 2005, Flavin was also named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team in 2002 and the All-Defensive Team in 2005. She was second in the A-10 in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (8.8) in 2004-05, which earned her State Player of the Year honors from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Flavin's name appears in Richmond's career Top 5 in eight categories, including No. 1 in field goal percentage (57.7) and number two in steals (255). Her 36-point performance against Florida in 2004 is the fifth-highest single-game scoring mark in program history.

Flavin led the Spiders to a four-year record of 81-45 (.643).

Tim Stauffer (2001-2003)
An All-American in 2002 and the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year in 2002 and 2003, right-hander Tim Stauffer became one of the highest drafted Spider student-athletes in school history when the San Diego Padres selected him in the first round with the fourth-overall pick in 2003.

Stauffer pitched the Spiders to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003, including the program's only Super Regional berth - a memorable three-game series at Nebraska in 2002. During those two years, the Spiders enjoyed their highest win totals in school history - a combined 101-28, with Stauffer earning 24 of those victories.

He won 31 games in three years, third on the all-time list. He is No. 1 in school history in career strikeouts (362) and complete games (24), fourth in innings pitched (346.1) and are second in ERA (2.32).

Stauffer is about to begin his eighth season in the San Diego organization, including parts of four seasons with the Padres. He won his major league debut against UR Hall of Famer Sean Casey and the Cincinnati Reds in 2005.

Aron Stewart (1972-1974)
In just two seasons, Aron Stewart etched his name in the men's basketball record book by averaging 28.1 points per game, tops in school history. His 30.2 ppg in 1972-73 is second- best in school history, and his 26.5 ppg in 1973-74 is the third-best mark. He totaled 1,237 points in only 44 career games, 19th on UR's all-time list.

Stewart was named to the Citizen Helms Foundation All-America Team and the All- Southern Conference First Team in 1973 and 1974. He was Southern Conference Player of the Year in 1973 and earned Southern Conference All-Tournament Team honors in 1974.

His greatest single-game scoring performance came against Appalachian State in 1973 when he poured in 42 points, the fifth-most by a Spider in a single game. Stewart owns four of the top 10 single-game field goals made records and his 663 points in 1973-74 is the fourth-highest single-season total at Richmond. He grabbed 12 rebounds per game in 1973-74, the Spiders' fifth-highest season average.

Winston Whitehead (1967-1969)
An integral member of the 1968 Tangerine Bowl championship team, Winston Whitehead was a three-year starter at defensive back for the Spiders. He was part of a Spider defense that recorded three consecutive shutouts against VMI from 1967-69 and back-to-back shutouts against Furman in 1968 and 1969. He recorded three interceptions during the 1968 campaign.

Whitehead, who played for Hall of Fame coach Frank Jones, earned All Southern Conference honors in 1968 and 1969 and All-State accolades in 1969.

2008 NCAA Division I National Champion Football Team
On December 19, 2008 in Chattanooga, Tenn. and in front of a national television audience, the University of Richmond football team secured the school's first-ever NCAA Division I National Championship, defeating Montana, 24-7.

Standing at 4-3 after a gut-wrenching, last-second loss to arch-rival James Madison, the Spiders reeled off nine consecutive wins, including a playoff-clinching 23-20 overtime thriller against their oldest rival - William & Mary - in the last game of the regular season.

Richmond defeated four conference champions and the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds en route to the title. After defeating Eastern Kentucky at home in the opening round, the Spiders ended Appalachian State's run of three straight championships with a convincing 33-13 victory. In the semifinals at Northern Iowa, the Spiders rallied from a 20-7 fourth quarter deficit, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 18 seconds remaining on an Eric Ward to Joe Stewart pass.

Captain and future NFL draft pick defensive end Lawrence Sidbury turned in a dominating, MVP performance in the championship game with four sacks. The Spiders held Montana to 39 yards rushing while racking up 208 yards of their own on the ground, led by senior Josh Vaughan's 162 yards and a score.

First-year head coach Mike London (UR '83) led the 13-3 Spiders to a school record for victories. Seniors Will Healy, Sherman Logan and John Crone joined Sidbury as team captains.