Five Added to Hall of Fame Class for 2021
9/4/2021 6:47:22 PM | Football, Men's Golf, Track and Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Volleyball
Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame
Five new members were inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame during a special ceremony on Friday night.
The Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021 included representatives from football, men’s golf, track & field, volleyball, women’s basketball and wrestling.
The five-member class, the 13th to be inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame, were honored during special ceremonies surrounding Liberty’s Hall of Fame Weekend football game against Campbell on Sept. 4 at Williams Stadium.
The five-member class included Kyrie [Dorn] Adams (volleyball), Pat Bussey (wrestling), Robert Karlsson (men’s golf), Megan [Frazee] Leuzinger (women’s basketball) and James McKnight (football/men’s track & field).
The Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held Friday at the Alumni Ballroom on the third floor of the Montview Student Union.
Additionally, the five-member class received special recognition during the Campbell contest the evening following the ceremony.
The Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame celebrates the best of the best, honoring those who helped shape the face of Liberty Athletics. The Hall of Fame’s now 68 members have each played a key role in helping Liberty grow from an NCCAA program in 1972 to its current status as a thriving NCAA Division I program.
Kyrie (Dorn) Adams
Volleyball: 1996-99
Kyrie (Dorn) Adams was one of the driving forces behind the Liberty volleyball program’s success in the late 1990’s, helping Liberty post 20 or more wins during each of her four seasons on the court.
The Lady Flames won a combined 93 matches during Adams’ stellar four-year career, resulting in two Big South regular season titles, two Big South Tournament victories and the program’s first two trips to the NCAA Volleyball Championship (1997 and 1999).
Adams was a three-time All-Big South selection and was named the Big South Player of the Year and Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1998. During her standout junior season, she led the Big South in kills per set (4.12), while sending down a career-best 424 kills.
When she graduated from Liberty, the native of East Northport, N.Y., ranked third in program history with 1,476 career kills and fifth with 1,235 career digs. Adams was the fifth player in program history to join the 1,000/1,000 club (career kills/digs), helping her earn a spot on the 1990-99 Big South Volleyball All-Decade team. Following her time with the Lady Flames, Adams played with D.C. Women’s Pro Team and oversees with Athletes in Action.
Pat Bussey
Wrestling: 1981-86
Pat Bussey was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American, following a pair of top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division II national championships in 1985 and 1986.
Bussey’s early individual success on the mat helped the Flames achieve new levels of team success. Liberty finished in 15th place at the 1983 NAIA National Championship, the Flames’ highest finish at the NAIA level before transitioning to the NCAA Division II level.
The 177-pound wrestler finished in fifth place at the 1985 NCAA Division II national champion and in sixth place at the 1986 NCAA Division II national champion. During his senior campaign, Liberty finished in fifth place at the 1986 national championship event, the highest national finish by a Liberty athletics program any level of NCAA competition.
The native of South River, N.J., is a member of Liberty’s Eagle Medal Gold Club (100 career victories), finishing his career with a 110-40-0 record (73.3 win percentage). Bussey was a four-time team captain, sharing the honors with Pate Sole (1982-83), Rick Sielhamer (1983-84) and Perry Aincough (1984-85 and 1985-86.
Robert Karlsson
Men’s Golf: 2009-12
Robert Karlsson helped establish Liberty’s men’s golf as a perennial top-40 team with a stellar four-year career during which he rewrote the Flames’ record books.
Karlsson burst onto the scene in 2009, joining the program in the spring and claiming Big South Freshman of the Year honors. The conference accolade was the first of many that would including being a four-time All-Big South selection a two-time Big South Men’s Golfer of the Year (2010 and 2011).
Karlsson led the Flames to Big South titles in 2011 and 2012, the first two in program history. Liberty would claim the NCAA Greensboro Regional title in 2012 and make their first-ever appearance at the 2012 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. The Flames finished the event in 10th place, the highest finish by any team at an NCAA Division I national championship event in Liberty Athletics history.
The native of Kalmar, Sweden, finished his career with the lowest career scoring average in program history (72.02). The program’s first-ever Division I All-American (GCAA/PING and Golfweek third team selection) has represented the Flames on the PGA Canada Tour and the European Tours since his graduation.
Megan (Frazee) Leuzinger
Women’s Basketball: 2006-09
Megan (Frazee) Leuzinger is one of the most accomplished women’s basketball players in program history, helping continue the unparalleled success of the program on the court.
Leuzinger was a two-time Big South Player of the Year (2008 and 2009) and finished her career with 1,883 career points scored (third best in program history). She was also a two-time Big South Female Student-Athlete of the Year (2008 and 2009), a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree (2008 and 2009) and was named to the Associated Press All-America honorable mention team in 2009.
Leuzinger’s dominance on the court helped Liberty win 96 games during her career, including Big South Conference titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Liberty finished the 2007-08 season with a 28-4 record and earned a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the program’s best-ever seed in the tournament.
The native of Xenia, Ohio, was selected by the San Antonio Silver Stars with the 14th pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. She played two seasons in the WNBA and seven more overseas in Europe. Leuzinger continues to be a part of the game she loves as an assistant coach at Wright State and previously was the head coach at Evangel University in Springfield, Mo.
James McKnight
Football/Men’s Track & Field: 1990-94
James McKnight was a two-sport standout student-athlete for the Flames, setting new standards of excellence on the gridiron and in track & field during his time on Liberty Mountain.
Despite only playing for three seasons for the Flames’ football program, McKnight finished his career with 1,948 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. At the time of his graduation, his touchdown mark ranked second only to fellow Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame member Kelvin Edwards in program history.
McKnight joined the Flames’ track & field squad during his junior and senior seasons and helped the program capture its first-ever conference title as a senior at the Big South Outdoor Track Championship in 1994. One of six 100-point club members on the 1994 team, he finished his career with three school records, including the school record for the indoor long jump that has stood for nearly 30 years (25-0.5/7.63 m).
Following his collegiate career, the native of Apopka, Fla., became the 10th player in football program history to sign with an NFL franchise. He played for 11 years in the NFL with four teams (Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and the N.Y. Giants), finishing his career with 3,595 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.
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