The West Virginia Wesleyan Department of Athletics has selected five individuals and one team into the 2024 West Virginia Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame Class. Rayner Balciunas, Robert Hardin, Narayana Hall Hines, Eric Myers, Dr. Summer Finnigan and the 2003 WVIAC Football Championship Team will be the newest inductees.
Rayner Balciunas ’03 (Softball)
As an outfielder for Bobcat softball, Balciunas was the 2002 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) Player of the Year, a 2001 and 2002 Great Lakes All-Region Second-Team outfielder and a 2003 Great Lakes All-Region First-Team outfielder. She was a part of the 2001, 2002 and 2003 WVIAC Championship teams that appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament all three years. After graduation Balciunas went on to coach but eventually found her way back to WVWC to be an assistant under Steve Warner while pursuing a nursing degree.
Robert Hardin ’01 (Men’s Track & Field)
Hardin, known as “Bull” to his teammates, competed in all three field events from 1997-2001. He won the WVIAC Conference crown in hammer and shot in two of his years but excelled in the discus, winning the conference event in all four years he competed. He was a two-time All-American in the discus, finishing sixth in the 1999 NCAA Division II Championship and third in the 2001 Championship. Hardin was a three-time WVIAC Field Athlete of the Year.
Narayana Hall Hines ’95 (Women’s Track and Field)
Nari helped lead the Bobcats to four consecutive titles from 1992 through 1995, a Golden Age for the program as these years were part of a 10-year run of consecutive championships. As the premier jumper in the WVIAC in the early 90s, Nari captured the triple jump title all four years, setting the school record in the process. She also captured a pair of titles in the long jump. She was a three-time National Qualifier in the triple jump and twice placed tenth in the nation in that event coming just inches of being an All-American.
Eric Myers ’97 (Football)
Myers is the all-time leading scorer as a kicker and thirteenth all-time in scoring in WVIAC history. He was All-WVIAC first team in 1995 and 1996 and was the leading kicker (points-per-game) in NCAA Division II in 1996. Records at Wesleyan include all-time career scoring kicker (262 points) most kicking points in a season (77 in 1994) most field goals in a season (15 in 1995) most PATs in a season (41 in 1996) and highest kicking percentage in a season with 100 percent when he hit 41 for 41 extra points in 1996. Myers was a 1994 NAIA Division 1 All-American and participated in the 1997 Snow Bowl Division II All Star Game.
Dr. Summer Finnigan ’98 (Women’s Cross Country and Track)
Finnigan competed in both cross country and track from 1994-1998. In cross country she was 1994-97 All-WVIAC Conference, the 1994 and 1996 WVIAC Most Valuable Player, the 1997 WVIAC Runner of the Year, a Regional Qualifier from 1995-97 and a National Qualifier in 1994. In track she was 1994-98 All-WVIAC Conference, was the conference champion in both the 5,000 meters in 1995 and 10,000 meters in 1994-95, set the WVIAC 5,000-meter record in 1998 was a National Qualifier in the marathon in 1994 and finished 15th in the nation on the NAIA National Marathon Team.
2003 WVIAC Football Championship Team
The 2003 Wesleyan football team posted a 9-2 season record and finished undefeated at 7-0 in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) to secure its first undefeated conference record since 1935. Bill Struble was named WVIAC Coach of the Year and his son Luke Struble was named WVIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Twenty-two student-athletes were named All-WVIAC.
The 2024 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted on April 26, 2025 on the campus of WVWC. Specific details regarding the induction ceremony are forthcoming.
