Cincinnati Athletics Announced 2024 Hall of Fame Class
Photo: Cincinnati Athletics
Per release: Led by a trio Olympians who competed at the Paris Games, a pair of first-team All-America football stars, one of the greatest basketball scorers to don the Red and Black and arguably men’s soccer’s best player in school history, Cincinnati Athletics announced on Tuesday the 2024 James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame Class.
The 2024 Class includes:
- Omar Cummings (men’s soccer)
- Annette Echikunwoke (track and field)
- Vanessa Gilles (women’s soccer)
- Mardy Gilyard (football)
- Sean Kilpatrick (men’s basketball)
- Jordan Thompson (volleyball)
- Mike Woods (football)
The 2024 Class will officially be inducted on Friday, Sept. 20 at Fifth Third Arena and recognized on Carson Field during the Houston versus Cincinnati football game on Saturday, Sept. 21.
Doors open at 7 p.m. with the program to follow. For the first time in recent years, the event will feature general admission for $25. VIP seating is $100 and will include a pre-event reception featuring two drink tickets and hors d'oeuvres.
Fans can purchase tickets here.
In an effort to better highlight the achievements of our distinguished athletes, UC Athletics is separating the Hall of Fame induction from the Legion of Excellence honors. This year's Hall of Fame induction will take place in September, while the Legion of Excellence will be celebrated in the spring alongside the endowed scholarship dinner. Additionally, Director of Athletics John Cunningham has launched a comprehensive initiative to reexamine all University of Cincinnati Athletic Department honors. This initiative involves a dedicated group tasked with assessing and clarifying awards across all sports and levels of recognition to ensure they reflect the highest standards of excellence and appropriately celebrate the diverse contributions within our athletics programs.
“I’m excited to announce the 2024 Hall of Fame Class,” Cunningham said. “Many of these honors are long overdue. I’m proud to honor our three 2024 female Olympians – Annette Echikunwoke, Vanessa Gilles and Jordan Thompson, who I have enjoyed cheering on these last couple of weeks. From our football program, Mardy Gilyard was an electrifying playmaker for one of the greatest stretches in football history, and I’m excited to welcome the family of Mike Woods – one of our first football All-Americans, who passed away in 2009. I’m looking forward to having Sean Kilpatrick back to Fifth Third Arena, and Omar Cummings is one of the best soccer players ever to play for the Bearcats. They all had a tremendous impact on our university and athletics programs. It will be an incredible evening.”
The James P. Kelly UC Athletics Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honor and pay tribute to those individuals and teams who have made outstanding contributions in the field of intercollegiate athletics and helped bring recognition, honor, distinction and excellence to the University of Cincinnati and its athletics programs through participation, support, or interest. The Hall of Fame is named in honor of Jim Kelly, Sr., who was associated with UC for over 40 years as an athlete, assistant coach, and administrator.
Bios of each inductee are below:
Omar Cummings (Men’s Soccer)
Cummings played at UC during the 2005 and 2006 seasons following two years at Cincinnati State. He was a unanimous first team all-conference selection both years with the Bearcats while earning first team All-America honors from the NSCAA as a senior in 2006. He scored 13 goals and 16 assists during his time at UC, highlighted by a pair of goals in a 2-0 win over No. 5 UConn during his junior year. On top of a stellar career at UC, Cummings enjoyed a lengthy professional career. He scored 42 career MLS goals while playing for the Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo over eight seasons. On the international stage, Cummings earned 35 caps for the Jamaican National Team, scoring seven goals including the match-winner of a 1-0 decision over El Salvador in the 2009 Gold Cup.
Annette Echikunwoke (Track & Field)
Echikunwoke secured the silver medal in the hammer throw at the 2024 Olympics on Tuesday, throwing a season-best 75.48m on her third toss in Paris. She was the U.S. Trials champion in the event and had qualified for her second Olympics. She became the first American woman to medal in the hammer throw and is the third Bearcat to medal in track and field. Echikunwoke is one of the more decorated Bearcats athletes in school history. She won the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships national title in the weight throw and finished runner-up in 2018. She remains the school record holder in four of the five throwing events she competed in at UC. The Pickerington, Ohio, native was a seven-time AAC Champion and a four-time All-America First Team honoree, including three straight years in the indoor weight throw and in 2016 in the hammer. She won three AAC Championships in the weight throw, two in the hammer and two in the shot put.
Vanessa Gilles (Women’s Soccer)
Gilles won a gold medal at the 2021 Olympic Games and competed in her second Olympics for Team Canada this summer. The center back defender played at UC from 2014 to 2017. She led UC to the 2015 American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, grabbing Most Outstanding Defender honors. She was a two-time All-AAC First Team honoree and won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2017. Gilles finished with 17 career goals as a defender, including five game-winners. She wrapped up her career playing the most minutes by a non-goalkeeper in school history. She had the game-winning goals in Canada’s 2-1 victory over host France and 1-0 win against Columbia in the Paris Olympics.
Mardy Gilyard (Football)
Gilyard was arguably the most electrifying player in college football in 2008 and 2009, leading Cincinnati to back-to-back BIG EAST Championships and BCS Bowl appearances. He was named the BIG EAST’s Special Team Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009 in addition to first-team all-conference. He collected First Team All-America accolades as a receiver and a kick returner both seasons, as well. In 2008, he caught 82 passes for 1,235 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with two kick return scores. In 2009, Gilyard tallied 87 receptions for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with two more kick return touchdowns and a punt return score. He finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2009, leading Cincinnati to a second-consecutive BIG EAST Championship and an undefeated regular season en route to the Sugar Bowl. When he wrapped up his career, the Bunnell, Fla., native ranked first in Cincinnati history in receptions (204), receiving touchdowns (25), receiving yards (3,003), all-purpose yards (5,904), kickoff returns (93) and kickoff return TDs (4). He was named the Offensive Player of the Game in the 2010 Senior Bowl and was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Rams. He played for the Rams, Eagles and Jets in the NFL.
Sean Kilpatrick (Men’s Basketball)
Kilpatrick finished with 2,145 career points from 2009 to 2014 to rank second in school history only to the legendary Oscar Robertson (2,973 points from 1958-60). His 101 wins ranked second in school history behind only Steve Logan (111 from 1999-2002) and included a 2012 Sweet 16 finish among four NCAA Tournament bids. The 6-4 guard collected Associated Press First Team All-America honors in 2013-14. He holds several top spots in the program’s record books, as he tied the school record for career three-pointers made (313 by Deonta Vaughn from 2006-10) and set school marks for career games played (140), consecutive games played (140) and career minutes played (4,315). He also ranked among UC career leaders in field goals made (fourth at 707) and steals (fifth at 166). Kilpatrick was also selected to Sigma Sigma, a UC men’s honorary fraternity founded in 1898 that emphasizes leadership and loyalty to the University of Cincinnati. He played four seasons in the NBA where he averaged 10.3 ppg.
Jordan Thompson (Volleyball)
Thompson is looking to win her second gold medal as a member of Team USA after winning gold in Tokyo in 2021. Thompson played for UC from 2015-2019. She earned the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year accolade in 2015 and followed that up as a three-time unanimous AAC Player of the Year in 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was the first volleyball player in AAC history to earn unanimous honors and receive the award three times. She was a two-time AVCA All-American, collecting first team honors as a redshirt senior in 2019. Thompson led Cincinnati to its best season in school history with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2019, collecting AVCA All-America First team honors. She was also an AVCA All-American in 2018. Thompson led the nation in kills and points in 2019 and wrapped up her career seventh in NCAA history in kills.
Mike Woods (Football)
Woods was Cincinnati football’s first consensus First Team All-American, picking up the honors from the Associated Press and Sporting News following his 114-tackle senior season in 1977. He was also named the Team MVP in 1976. Nicknamed “War Daddy,” Woods was a two-time team captain and Senior Bowl selection before being selected by the Baltimore Colts in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Colts and 48 games, including 32 starts. His promising NFL career was cut short in 1982 when he was paralyzed in a shooting. He spent the next 27 years as a quadriplegic. Woods was a Cleveland, Ohio, native who started his career at the University of Tampa. He died in 2009.