Class of 2022 Inducted into Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame

Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame Logo on top of a collage of small photos featuring many of the athletes, coaches, and supporters who have been inducted.
June 11, 2022

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Class of 2022 in the Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame was inducted on Saturday, June 11 at Hudson Hall on the Willamette campus. A total of five Bearcats were inducted, with four entering the Hall of Fame as student-athletes and one selected for meritorious service. The induction ceremony was part of Willamette's Alumni Reunion Weekend.

Student-athletes inducted into the WU Athletic Hall of Fame were Ryan Hepp '03 (men's basketball), Kimber Mattox '11 (women's cross country/women's track and field/women's soccer), Carrie (Morales) Carney '96 MAT '97 (women's cross country/women's track and field), and Hisao "Junior" Sato '62 (men's basketball/baseball). Melvin Henderson-Rubio '74 was inducted for meritorious service.

Willamette University Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Headshot of Ryan Hepp '03 Ryan Hepp '03 - Men's Basketball

Hepp started at point guard for the men's basketball team from 1999 to 2003. He helped lead the Bearcats to the Northwest Conference Tournament title in 2000 and contributed to a runner-up finish in 2003 and a trip to the semifinals in 2002. For his career, he scored 1,129 points and recorded 377 assists, placing sixth all-time in assists per game at the time of his induction. He was named First-Team All-NWC in 2002 and 2003 and was selected Third-Team All-West Region in 2003. He earned a spot on the Verizon Academic All-District VIII Team in 2003 and was chosen as a finalist for the national Jostens Trophy, which honors the top basketball players in NCAA Division III for excellence in the classroom, on the court, and in the community.

Presenter at Induction Ceremony: Kip Ioane '01, MAT '02

 

Headshot of Kimber Mattox '11 Kimber Mattox '11 - Women's Cross Country, Womens Track and Field, Women's Soccer

Willamette's Jean Williams Award Winner in 2011, Mattox won seven Northwest Conference track and field titles and was honored as the NWC Women's Track Athlete of the Meet in 2009 and 2011. She was chosen as the West Region Women's Track Athlete of the Year in 2009 and 2011 and earned All-America honors in track and field with a second-place finish in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Championships in 2011 and a sixth-place finish in the steeplechase in 2009. At the time of her induction, she held school records in the 1,500-meter run and 3,000-meter steeplechase, while holding the fourth-fastest time in the 5,000-meter run. She was the NWC women's cross country champion in 2010 and an NCAA Division III All-America cross country runner in 2010 when she placed 35th at the NCAA Championships. She also played soccer and finished her career with four goals and two assists in 37 games during two seasons.

Presenter at Induction Ceremony: Matt McGuirk

 

Headshot of Carrie (Morales) Carney '96, MAT '97 Carrie (Morales) Carney '96, MAT '97 - Women's Cross Country, Women's Track and Field

Willamette's Jean Williams Award winner in 1997, Morales earned NAIA All-America honors after taking third place at the 1997 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the women's 1,500-meter run. Her time of 4:34.14 set a Willamette record at that time and was sixth on the all-time list at the time of her induction. She placed eighth in the women's 3,000-meter run at the 1996 NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges, Morales placed second in the women's 1,500-meter run twice in track and field (1996, 1997) and was third in the women's 3,000-meter run in 1996. In cross country, Morales placed 34th at the NAIA National Championships in 1995 and was 53rd in 1996. During the NCIC cross country championships, she finished in the top eight in each of her final three years — 8th in 1994, 5th in 1995, and 7th in 1996.

Presenter at Induction Ceremony: Kelly Sullivan '79

 

Headshot of Hisao 'Junior' Sato '62 Hisao "Junior" Sato '62 - Men's Basketball, Baseball

Sato played baseball and basketball at Willamette. He was named First-Team All-Northwest Conference in baseball in 1959, 1960, and 1961, after receiving Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition as a first-year player in 1958. He was an Honorable Mention All-District 2 selection as a sophomore. In basketball, he earned Second-Team All-NWC honors once and Honorable Mention All-NWC status twice and was a member of the 1959-60 Willamette men's basketball team that was inducted into the WU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. He went on to an outstanding career as a high school baseball coach in Oregon, including coaching the North Marion High School team to the 1971 State Championship, winning 368 games, and being inducted into the Oregon High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007.

Presenter at Induction Ceremony: Fidel Gaviola '62

 

Headshot of Melvin Henderson-Rubio '74 Melvin Henderson-Rubio '74 - Meritorious Service

Henderson-Rubio has been a major benefactor to the Bearcats and Willamette since graduating from Willamette in 1974. He received the Distinguished Alumni Citation from Willamette in 2019 and is a lifetime member of the Willamette University Board of Trustees. He has been particularly helpful when it comes to athletic teams traveling to the Los Angeles area, where he attended high school before coming to Willamette. In addition to supporting Willamette Athletics, Henderson-Rubio has been a generous donor to Willamette Integrated Technology Systems (WITS), Willamette academic scholarships, and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art.

Presenter at Induction Ceremony: Isaac Parker '02, MAT '05