Oilers Hall of Fame Ceremony Slated for Feb. 2

The University of Findlay 2019 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Feb. 2, 2019 at Winebrenner Theological Seminary.

The 2019 class will include former track and field star Kirby (Blackley) Overton ('06, M '08), standout volleyball player Bridgett (Hamilton) Bunn ('01), national champion wrestler Antonio Guerra ('08) and award-winning men's basketball player Bill Kotterman ('81). In addition, long-time equestrian coach, Cindy Morehead, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Doors for the event will open at 10:15 a.m. and the induction/luncheon will begin at 11:00 a.m. The registration fee is $25 for adults, $15 for minors (7-17) and free for children ages 6 and younger. To secure your ticket to the event, please register online by clicking HERE or call (419) 434-4516.

The inductees will also be recognized during the Oilers men's basketball game against Tiffin University on Feb. 2 as well. The contest is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. in Croy Gymnasium.

Kirby (Blackley) Overton ('08)

Kirby (Blackley) Overton is one of the most decorated athletes to ever wear the orange and black, competing for the Oilers track and field team from 2005-08, and was voted the NCAA Division II Female Athlete of the Year in 2008.

Overton capped her career with a pair of national titles at the 2008 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championship. Overton won the long jump and 100-meter hurdles at the event and later went on to receive the NCAA Top VIII Award, one of the highest honors an athlete can receive. The award is given to eight student-athletes across all divisions based on athletic ability and achievement, academic achievement and character, leadership and extra-curricular activity involvement. Overton was also a finalist for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Among her many accomplishments on the track, Overton was named the 2008 Indoor and Outdoor Midwest Region Athlete of the Year, the 2008 Indoor and Outdoor Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Athlete of the Year and the 2005 GLIAC Field Athlete of the Year. Overton was also an Academic All-American during the 2007-08 season and won 14 GLIAC championships during her tenure with the Oilers.  She was also named All-American ten times while being voted Academic All-GLIAC three times.

Following her collegiate career she went on to qualify for the USA Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and in the pentathlon in 2009 and 2010. A member of the NCAA Division II Track and Field Hall of Fame, Overton currently serves as an assistant professor of business and coordinator of leadership and development programs at the University of Findlay. 

Bridgett (Hamilton) Bunn ('01)

Bridgett (Hamilton) Bunn was an offensive and defensive standout for the Oilers volleyball team from 1998-01. She is one of only two players in the storied history of the program to have achieved over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career and was the first Oilers player to achieve that mark.

A first team all-region pick in 2001 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), Bunn ranks first all-time at Findlay in career sets played (575) and career blocks (600). Her 1,127 career kills is the ninth best total in school history while her 1,173 career digs is the sixth-best total in program history. She also ranks first all-time in block assists (515), second all-time in service aces (223) and sixth in solo blocks (85).

Bunn was voted all-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in 2000 and again in 2001. She also earned first team all-Midwest Region honors from Daktronics in 2001 as well.

Bunn is currently serving as intervention specialist at Van Buren.

Antonio Guerra ('08)

Antonio Guerra will go down in history as one of the most consistent wrestlers to ever compete for the University of Findlay Roughnecks.

Guerra began his tenure at Findlay in 2005, securing All-American honors after taking fifth in the 149-pound weight bracket. During his sophomore year, the Roughnecks hosted the NCAA Division II National Championship in the Koehler Fitness and Recreation Complex and Guerra did not disappoint the home fans as he claimed gold in the 149-pound weight class and earned All-American accolades as well.

As a junior in 2007, Guerra jumped up a weight class to 157 and when the season ended, he had added another national championship and All-American honor. Guerra was also voted the NCAA Division II Super Region 2 Wrestler of the Year for his outstanding junior season.

A national runner-up finish in the 157-pound weight class put a cap on his incredible career in 2008 as he finished his run by being named All-American four times while capturing a pair of national championships. An Academic All-American in 2005, Guerra wrapped up his career with 123 wins, which is tied for the most in school history. His 316 takedowns rank third while his 35 wins during his senior season is the sixth-highest total in program history.

Guerra is entering his first season as the head wrestling coach at Defiance College.

Bill Kotterman ('81)

Bill Kotterman was a standout men's basketball for the Oilers, earning first team all-Hoosier Buckeye Conference accolades in 1979, 1980 and 1981.

Kotterman ranks 29th all-time at Findlay with 1,303 points in his career and was named all-District 22 by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) three times. He earned the honor in 1979, 1980 and again in 1981.

A member of the Wyandot County and Hancock County Sports Hall of Fame, Kotterman played professionally in Iceland from 1982-83.

Kotterman is currently employed by SumRiko Ohio, Inc. in Bluffton, Ohio.

Cindy Morehead

Cindy Morehead came to Findlay in 1977 and had the opportunity to join the Oilers equestrian program at its onset and cultivate it to the point where it has become nationally renowned. She spent 40 years with the program and served as the head coach of the Oilers Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team from 2005-17.

Overall, Morehead coached the Oilers western equestrian team to four national titles (2005, 2007, 2009, 2010). She also led the Oilers to four reserve (runner-up) national championships, coached four American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) national high point riders, won 13 regional team championships, 12 semifinal titles and coached 13 regional high point riders. She also oversaw 29 of her riders capture national titles during her tenure with the team.

Morehead also served as an instructor within the Oilers equestrian program for 40 years and has and continues to be an outstanding ambassador to the university and equestrian programs.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is a part of the Oilers Athletic Hall of Fame and was established in 2013 to honor outstanding Oilers who have attained an extremely high level of success in their industry, sport or profession.  This success may or may not have a connection to a Varsity "F" letter earned at the University of Findlay. This award serves as humble appreciation for the recipient who has brought positive recognition and distinction to the University of Findlay athletics and the University of Findlay as an institution.