Alumni Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Announced

Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Announced

The Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame class of 2020 includes two former three-sport athletes, two former two-sport athletes, and two coaches. This year’s inductees are Elizabeth Adams O’Neal ’00, Kathy Bocock ’84, former Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Hartbarger, current Assistant Football Coach Bobby James ’84, Shelby Irving ’84, and Becky Piloto Fennessey ’92. With the coronavirus pandemic, an in-person induction ceremony will be delayed until a safe and suitable date can be determined. Read more at www.ferrumpanthers.com.

Kathy Bocock ’84

of Greensboro, NC, played three sports at Ferrum from 1981–83: basketball two years, and softball and volleyball one year each. Bocock has won 463 games as a head softball coach in her career at Averett and Elon combined. She coached the only two AllAmericans in Elon softball history and the only Division I female AllAmerican at Elon.

Shelby Irving ’84

of Danville, VA, played women’s basketball and softball two years each at Ferrum from 1980–84, helping the Panthers win the 1982 Virginia AIWA women’s basketball state title, before serving as a volunteer student assistant coach her junior and senior years.

Becky Piloto Fennessey ’92

of Avondale, PA, played softball four years and women’s basketball three years at Ferrum from 1988–92. She was a USA South (Dixie) All-Conference first team selection in 1990 and 1991, earned spots on the Dixie All-Tournament Team in 1989 and 1990, and was the Dixie Conference Tournament MVP in 1989.

Bobby James ’84

of Rocky Mount, VA, has been part of Ferrum’s Black Hats football program since 1979. He served as a team manager as a Ferrum student, then served as assistant football coach and assistant men’s basketball coach from 1984–91. James accepted a full-time position with the Panthers staff in 2006.

Jim Hartbarger

of Silva, NC, served as head men’s basketball coach at Ferrum three seasons from 1964–67, and produced a 71-15 record. His teams won three straight Cavalier Tarheel Conference titles and Hartbarger was named Coach of the Year all three seasons. The Panthers also won three straight NJCAA Region X titles and advanced to the NJCAA National

Tournament all three seasons.

Elizabeth Adams O’Neal ’00

of Wake Forest, NC, played three sports at Ferrum College from 1996–2000. Adams played soccer four years, tennis three years and basketball one year. She was Ferrum’s first-ever Academic All-American, earning third team honors in 2000.