Seven new members of the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame were inducted in a special ceremony on Sept. 13 and recognized during the Homecoming Weekend football game against UTEP on Sept. 14. The new class is the largest since the inaugural class in 2009. The Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame honors those who helped shape the face of Liberty Athletics.
Dre Barnes (’04), football
Barnes was one of the most dominant running backs in program history and, despite missing five games in 2004 due to injury, still holds the program’s gold standard for career rushing yards (4,063). The Georgia native recorded 20 100-yard rushing games and surpassed the 200-yard mark four times. He was a three-time Big South All-Conference honoree and the program’s first-ever Big South Offensive Player of the Year in 2003.
Kristal (Tharp) Bechtold (’05), women’s basketball
Bechtold played a key role on the Lady Flames’ 2005 NCAA Sweet 16 team, culminating a career that included four consecutive Big South Conference championships and a 100-26 team record. She earned Big South Freshman of the Year honors in 2002 and was a two-time First-Team All-Big South Conference honoree in 2003 and 2005. She was the Lady Flames’ first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-America® selection as a senior in 2005.
Chuck Burch, Athletics administrator/Director of Athletics
After joining the Liberty Athletics staff in 1982 as an Assistant Sports Information Director, Burch was promoted to Assistant and Associate Athletics Director and eventually served as Director of Athletics (1990-97). He played a vital role in Liberty Athletics’ move to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1988 and secured conference affiliation for the program in the Big South, starting with the 1991-92 season.
Keith Butler, baseball
The Marietta, Ga., native exploded onto the collegiate baseball scene with a .406 batting average, 56 runs scored, 16 doubles, six home runs, 49 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases. His immediate success helped Liberty capture the 2000 Big South Baseball Championship title and the program’s first-ever win at an NCAA Regional. He was named Big South Conference Freshman and Player of the Year. After his junior season, he was chosen by the Chicago Cubs in the 10th round of the 2002 MLB Draft.
Bill Gillespie (’83), men’s track & field/football/strength coach
Gillespie’s impact on Liberty Athletics spans four different decades. He was the 1980 and 1981 NCCAA shot put national champion, helping the track & field program capture the NCCAA team national title in 1981, and was a two-time letterwinner for Flames Football (1978-79). He served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 1983-91, an assistant track & field coach (1983-85 and 1987-91), and the head track & field coach in 1986. He returned to Liberty after an 11-year stint at the University of Washington to serve as head football strength and conditioning coach from 2005-18, helping Liberty move from winning FCS conference titles to the FBS ranks. Gillespie is also a world-renowned weightlifter as a 133-time world record holder, including setting the all-time mark with a 1,129-pound bench press at age 62.
Jennifer (Klugh) Margraff (’13), women’s cross country/track & field
A 10-time Big South Conference individual event champion (three cross country, four indoor track, three outdoor track), Margraff is one of only five runners in program history to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country National Championship as an individual (in 2012). She is one of only two three-time cross country All-Region performers from Liberty and the program’s only three-time Big South women’s cross country individual champion. In indoor track, Margraff won back-to-back Big South Most Outstanding Track Performer awards in 2011 and 2012, helping Liberty capture consecutive conference titles.
Holly Van Noord (’16), women’s soccer
Van Noord’s stellar career resulted in three Big South Conference championships and trips to the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship. She entered the Hall of Fame as the program’s all-time career leader in shutouts (41) and goals-against average (0.80). She also ranks second in career games played (86) and career saves (407). The Michigan native was recognized nationally on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team in 2014 and 2016 and Third Team in 2013 and 2015.
Liberty University held an induction ceremony for its 11th Club Sports Hall of Fame class on Jan. 31 at the Hancock Welcome Center.
Chantal (Lischynski) Kerr (’15, ’18), Division I women’s hockey
Kerr started in goal for the Lady Flames’ first two ACHA Division I national championship wins (2015 and 2018). She was named Tournament Most Valuable Player both times, earned All-ACHA DI All-America honors, and was selected as the Club Sports Female Athlete of the Year in 2015.
Brett Bernardo (’16, ’19), men’s lacrosse
Bernardo was a two-year captain at midfielder, a two-time MCLA Division I All-American, and three-time All-SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference team member. He was named SELC Offensive Player of the Year in 2015. He led the Flames to their first two DI nationals as assistant coach before going on to assistant coaching stints at Grove City (Pa.) College, Messiah (Pa.) University, and Palm Beach Atlantic (Fla.) University, where he now serves as head coach.
Ian Rigney (’19), archery
A three-time U.S. Collegiate Archery 3D outdoor national champion, Rigney was part of Liberty’s first archery trio to capture an outdoor national title in 2012. He also took home the trophy in the men’s bowhunter division at the 45th annual USCA Indoor National Championships in Lancaster, Pa. Rigney served as a graduate assistant for three semesters before taking the reins as head coach from 2017-19. He serves as senior pastor of Hitesburg Baptist Church in Virgilina, Va.
