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The 2015 Oklahoma Christian University Athletics Hall of Fame induction class will boast three All-Americans as well as a host of other elite coaches and athletes.
The class includes Tom Heath, Jason Taylor, Clint Vaughn, Lauren Decker, Ron Stangeland, Steve Wolfe and Mike Baldwin. The hall of fame recognizes the athletes and coaches for his or her character, conduct and what impact they made outside their respective sport.
“This is another outstanding class of Hall of Fame inductees, one that represents a good cross section of our athletic department,” Oklahoma Christian Athletic Director Curtis Janz said. “Each person has, in his or her own way; made a major contribution to the history of Oklahoma Christian athletics, and we are glad that we are able to honor them for their achievements.”
One of the inductees is Head Softball Coach Tom Heath. Coach Heath has served as the Oklahoma Christian softball program’s only head coach since the team’s establishment in 1995.
“I feel very blessed and very honored to be inducted into the OC hall of fame,” Heath said. “I have also been blessed with great assistant coaches that have played a big role in the success of the softball program.”
Heath has a career record of 619 wins, 423 losses and one tie. He led the Lady Eagles to NAIA tournaments in 2002 and 2003 and to a runner-up finish last Spring in the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship.
“Coach Heath has done a great job of leading our softball program,” Janz said. “He has over 600 wins and has always stressed the complete development of the student-athlete. One of our focal points and attractions is the Lawson Softball Complex and Tom Heath field, in which Coach Heath was instrumental and actually a huge part in the development of these facilities.”
Senior outfielder and second baseman Monique Elliott, who has played for Heath her entire career at Oklahoma Christian, backed his nomination.
“There’s no one that has put in as much effort as [Coach Heath] has into the softball program,” Elliott said. “He’s the reason the softball team has a new stadium in which to play. He’s a genuine guy that loves the game of softball and you can tell by how much effort and heart he has put into this softball program.”
According to Elliot, Heath’s greatest quality as a coach is his emphasis on other aspects of his players’ lives.
“He makes sure we know that God, family, and school are more of a priority than softball,” Elliott said. “He incorporates Christ into his coaching and he makes the sport of softball a joy to play.”
Another inductee is Lauren Decker, who played on the Lady Eagles’ basketball team for four years and received numerous awards and honors, including a three-time NAIA All-American selection and a 2005 Kodak All-America selection.
Decker ranks fifth on Oklahoma Christian’s all-time women’s basketball scoring list with 1,755 points. Decker also led the Lady Eagles to the NAIA national tournament all four seasons she was at Oklahoma Christian – to the quarterfinals in 2003 and the second round in 2004 and 2005.
Inductee Jason Taylor will join Hall-of-Famer Jared Merrill as the only two men’s basketball players in Oklahoma Christian history to be an All-America selection three times.
Joining fellow inductees on the list is former Oklahoma Christian baseball player Clint Vaughn. Vaughn was an NAIA All-America second-team selection in 1997, when he also was named as the Sooner Athletic Conference player of the year after hitting .477 with 18 home runs and 72 RBIs in the season.
He was a three-time All-SAC pick, making the second-team list in 1996 and the first-team list in 1997 and 1998. Vaughn was drafted higher than any other Oklahoma Christian baseball player as the 8th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 1998 MLB Draft.
This induction class will join the ranks of numerous hall of famers who made a significant impression during their time on campus, but according to Heath, a plaque with his name on it doesn’t compare to the opportunity to mentor his players and watch them succeed.
“Being inducted into the [Hall of Fame] was not a personal goal of mine, but working with student athletes and making them better each day as a player and a person was a goal of mine,” Heath said.
The Oklahoma Christian Athletic Department will induct the 2015 class at the annual Hall of Fame banquet on Feb. 23, 2015.
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