Former Ohio State safety Malcolm Jenkins, and 13 others, will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletic Hall of Fame at the Covelli Center Friday. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Lantern File Photo
Fourteen Buckeyes will be inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame at the Covelli Center Friday, cementing themselves into Ohio State lore.
In September 1977, Ohio State enlisted its inaugural 23 athletic standouts. However, it wasn’t until 1993 that women were able to join the long list of Buckeye greats. To be eligible, athletes must have earned at least one Varsity “O” letter, and athletic staff and coaches must be involved in the athletic department for 15 years or more.
On July 13, the athletic department announced who would be inducted in 2023.
Among those names are previous football players Nick Mangold and Malcolm Jenkins, former women’s basketball four-time All-American Kelsey Mitchell and current wrestling head coach Tom Ryan.
Nick Mangold
From 2002 to 2005, Mangold played center for an Ohio State team that won a national championship and two Big Ten titles. A first-team All-American in 2005, Mangold went on to have an 11-year career with the New York Jets.
Malcolm Jenkins
A Jim Thorpe award winner — given to the nation’s best defensive back — was one of many accolades added to Jenkins’ trophy case during his Ohio State football career. A standout from 2005 to 2008, Jenkins was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft before a 13-year stint split between the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles.
Kelsey Mitchell
An All-American every year of her four-year collegiate career, Mitchell was a two-time collegiate scoring champion and ranks second all time in career points for the NCAA with 3,402. After being a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, Mitchell went second overall to the Indiana Fever in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
Tom Ryan
Boasting a 198-66 record in dual meets at Ohio State, Ryan brought the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2015 as well as five runner-up spots throughout his tenure. Head coach since 2006, Ryan has led 12 Buckeyes to a national championship and was added to the Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame in June.
Maureen Cogan
Representing Ohio State in both cross country and track and field from 1981 to 1985, Cogan was the first woman in Ohio State history to be an All-American in sports and is the 15th member of the program to be inducted. Cogan still holds two program records in the 1500-meter indoor and 3000-meter outdoor races.
Miho Kowase
A member of the women’s tennis team from 2014 to 2017, Kowase ended her career as the all-time Ohio State leader in singles with 112 and combined wins with 213. Winning the doubles national championship in 2017, she also earned an All-American nod that same season.
Yesenia Luces
A workhorse for the women’s field hockey team, Luces led the team in scoring all four years in the program from 2004 to 2007. Earning first-team All-American honors in 2005 and 2007, Luces currently ranks fifth at Ohio State in career points with 123.
Sean Melton
Raking in 10 All-American honors from 2014 to 2018, Melton led the men’s gymnastic team as the three-time captain and won the Nissen-Emery Award in 2018, given to the best senior gymnast in the country. With accolades galore, Melton was also an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2016.
Renee Powell
Apart from being a standout on the golf course, Powell captained Ohio State and was the first Black student-athlete to lead a major collegiate golf program. Powell played in four matches as a Buckeye before turning pro in 1967 and was the second Black woman to play on the LPGA Tour and competed in more than 250 professional events. Powell is also a 2017 inductee of the PGA of America Hall of Fame.
Rick Middleton
Ohio State football’s second-leading receiver in 1971, Middleton eventually migrated to the defensive side of the ball to play linebacker his junior and senior seasons. Leading the team in tackles with 112 as a junior, Middleton was drafted in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft to the New Orleans Saints.
Steven Moneke
Ohio State men’s tennis was propelled into national prominence during Moneke’s career from 2006 to 2009, earning its first No. 1 ranking. Moneke, a four-time All-American, reached the 2009 NCAA singles championship and is third all time at Ohio State with 247 combined career victories.
Joe Roberts
Playing from 1958 to 1960, the Columbus native appeared in 72 career games for legendary men’s basketball head coach Fred Taylor. Roberts was the first Black team captain in program history and was a national champion in 1959 and 1960, alongside names like John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas.
Nicolas Szerszen
Arguably the most distinguished player in Ohio State men’s volleyball history, Szerszen ranks first all time in kills, points and aces. With a career spanning from 2015 to 2018, Szerszen led the Buckeyes to back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2017 and was a four-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete.
Taylor Sandbothe
Sandbothe, a three-time All-American for the women’s volleyball team, was a model of consistency at the net, leading Ohio State for four straight seasons in blocks, blocks-assists, and total blocks, also being first all time in total blocks with 564.
The 14 individuals will additionally be recognized during the Ohio State versus Maryland game Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
