In the News
September 17, 2025
College announces 2025 class for athletic hall of fame
Hesston College is rolling out the red carpet for its 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame class during Homecoming weekend, September 26 and 27. This year’s inductees represent decades of athletic excellence and Lark tradition, from standout players and coaches to an unforgettable team. Fans will have a chance to meet the honorees at a reception in the Yost Center lobby Friday at 8 p.m. and celebrate their official induction Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. The 2025 class features athletes Larry Beckler ’70, Craig Birky ’83, Christy (Walker) ’91 Cornell, Jill (Troyer) ’91 Miller, Nolan King ’90 and coach and athlete Francis Chupp ’61. Hesston College will also induct the 1966 men’s soccer team as a team of distinction.
Larry Beckler ’70 (Pasadena, Calif.) - Beckler was the definition of a multisport star during his time at Hesston with careers in soccer, basketball and track and field. More than 50 years after graduating, Beckler still holds the record for the broad jump with a mark of 22-feet 8-inches. In 1969, he helped the men’s basketball team to a 9-12 record while finishing third on the team in rebounds (100) and made field goals (69), and fourth in points per game (PPG) with 9.5. He broke out in his sophomore season leading the team with 12.1 PPG, 104 made field goals, 139 rebounds, 6.6 rebounds per game (RPG) and 255 total points while ranking second with 45 assists. He earned second team all-conference honors both years. Beckler played one season for the Lark men’s soccer team and had a massive impact helping the 1969 team to a 13-3 record and cementing himself as one of the best defensive players in program history.
Craig Birky ’83 (Kouts, Ind.) - Birky was one of the best basketball players in Hesston College history. Birky’s name appears in many places in Hesston’s men’s basketball record book as he holds the record for career points (1,511), career field goals made (629) and both the career (253) and season (138) marks for made free throws. He holds two of the top five spots for season PPG with 29.4 (second) as a sophomore and 23.8 (fourth) as a freshman. He also owns the sixth-best career RPG with 8.6. In his freshman season, he led the state in PPG while also leading the team with 287 made field goals, a 56.1% FG percentage, 115 made free throws, 72.3% free throw percentage, 251 rebounds, 8.7 RPG and 689 points while ranking second with 112 assists and 66 steals. Birky’s stellar season was enough to earn him first team all-conference honors. As a sophomore, he was the second leading scorer in the nation among junior college players and helped the team improve to a 14-14 record. He led the team in most statistical categories and was named second team all-region.
Christy (Walker) ’91 Cornell (Florissant, Colo.) - Cornell played a huge part in the rise of Hesston women’s basketball in the ’90s. Cornell holds the record for career PPG (18.2) and season PPG (22.0). During her sophomore year, she led the nation with 22 PPG. Other accolades include ranking sixth all-time for points in a season with 506 and seventh all-time in career free throw percentage with 75.1%. As a freshman, Cornell was the second highest scorer on the team while leading the team in steals and free throw percentage. In her sophomore season, she was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the Hesston Thanksgiving tournament. Cornell scored 37 points in a win over Friends University. She also broke the single season scoring record in her sophomore year which was set the previous year by her teammate and fellow inductee Jill (Troyer) Miller.
Jill (Troyer) ’91 Miller (Goshen, Ind.) - Miller was one of the best all around players in Hesston women’s basketball history. By the time she graduated from Hesston, she owned the all-time career scoring, rebounding and assists records. As a freshman, she led the team in all three categories while breaking the single season scoring record with 453 points. In a game against Haskell, Miller recorded an astonishing 34 points and 21 rebounds. As a sophomore, she led the nation in assists and ranked third in scoring and rebounding. Her name can still be found all over the record books as she ranks second all-time in career assists (258), third in career PPG (18.1) and single season PPG (18.8 in ’90) and fourth in career points (905) and career rebounds (501). She is also in the top 10 in points in a season, rebounds in a season, career rebounding average, season rebounding average and single season assists.
Nolan King ’90 (Cochranville, Pa.) - One of the best two-way players in Hesston baseball history, King had a significant impact for the Larks on their way to a third-place finish at the National Small Colleges Athletic Association national tournament in his sophomore season. As a freshman, he led the team with a .338 batting average and 21 runs scored while finishing second with 27 hits. He also set records for the most home runs hit in a career with eight and the most RBI in a season with 27. On the mound, he accumulated a team-best five wins and the second-lowest earned run average (ERA) with a 4.34. King was voted the team MVP by his teammates in 1989. In 1990, King led the team on the mound with seven wins and a 3.55 ERA in 49 ⅓ innings while tossing four complete games. He also tied for the second-most home runs on the team. His seven wins in 1990 ranks third in the all-time list of wins in a season for a Hesston pitcher and his 12 career wins ranks second all-time.
Francis Chupp ’61 (Denton, Texas) - Chupp was one of the first star athletes at Hesston College as men’s basketball was introduced as the college’s first varsity sport in 1957. Chupp was a dominant force for the Larks leading them to a 13-3 record in his freshman season and a 15-5 record as a sophomore. As a freshman, he led the team with 113 field goals made, 304 points and 21.7 PPG. He would also lead the team in the same categories in his sophomore season with 93 made field goals, 237 points and 19.7 PPG while also making a team-high 51 free throws. On top of all of his success on the court, Chupp served as the student council president during his time at Hesston. A few years after graduation, Chupp returned to his alma mater to coach soccer and basketball. His legacy at Hesston was cemented by being the head coach of the 1966 soccer team, who went on to finish undefeated in conference play and fell just short of a national championship.
1966 Men’s Soccer team - One of the most successful teams in Hesston College history, the ’66 men’s soccer team fell just short of a national title, finishing as the runner-up to Monroe Community College. The team posted an overall record of 9-2 and finished 8-0 in Prairie Christian College Conference (PCCC) play. The Larks dominated their conference schedule scoring 10 or more goals four times including 19 against Central College and 17 against York College. They finished the regular season with 90 goals, which averages out to more than 11 per game. Freshman Jim Sieber ’68 was named to the NJCAA national tournament first-team while also picking up All-American and All-Conference honors along the way. Terry Koppenhaver ’67 led the team with 31 goals while Sieber contributed 24 goals and 13 assists. Goalkeeper Don Lind ’67 finished the season with 33 saves and posted three clean sheets. Team members included: Sieber, Koppenhaver, Lind, Arnie Casas ’67, Mark Egli ’68, Darrell Fisher ’68, Jerry Garber ’69, Gene Hershey ’67, Garry Hochstetler ’68, Nellie Kauffman ’67, Jim Landis ’67, Al Leinbach ’67, Wayne Longenecker ’67, Charles Miller ’67, David Moyer ’68, Joe Nafziger ’68, Roland Nunemaker ’68, Gene Schlabach ’68, Jim Styer ’67, Jay Taylor ’67, Ed Troyer ’67, Chris Yoder ’68, Norm Yoder ’67 and manager Allen Yoder ’67.