At the end of the first quarter of WVU’s blowout win over Towson, West Virginia University honored the athletes that made the WVU sports Hall of Fame this year.
The class of 2022 features eight special athletes/coaches that left their mark and made a difference for WVU athletics. The class of 2022 featured Donna Abbot (women’s basketball), Marie Louise Asselin (cross country/track), Tavon Austin (football), Stedman Bailey (football), Marsha Beasley (rifle), Marilee Hohmann (rifle), Kevin Jones (men’s basketball), and Geno Smith (football.
The class was highlighted by the football trio that graced Morgantown with a high scoring offense from 2009-2012. Quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey were three athletes that truly put the cameras on West Virginia, as the trio brought a fun to watch, pass-heavy offense to college football.
Smith played for four years at WVU and was the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback for all but his true freshman season. In his four years, Smith accounted for over 11,000 passing yards with 98 touchdown throws. Smith is now the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, so he was not able to attend the ceremony.
Austin was another four-year veteran of the WVU football program that put the nation on notice with his blazing speed and unmatched shiftiness. Austin recorded 3,413 receiving yards with 29 touchdowns in his time at WVU. He also added six touchdowns on the ground and another four on kickoff returns. Austin is with the practice squad for the Buffalo Bills, so he could not attend the ceremony.
Though Bailey received a redshirt in the 2009 season, he only needed three seasons to turn into a Biletnikoff Award finalist and NFL prospect. Bailey racked up 3,218 receiving yards with 41 touchdowns in his three seasons at WVU and spent time with the St. Louis Rams in the NFL. Bailey and his son were on the field on Saturday, and Mountaineer nation gave him a warm welcome back.
Smith, Austin, and Bailey helped bring WVU to a mountain top back in the 2011-2012 season, when the trio led the team to a 10-3 season, capped off with a 70-33 upset victory over No. 15 Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl. Smith threw for over 400 yards with six touchdowns in the game, while Austin scored four touchdowns, and Bailey added one of his own.
On the basketball side, WVU honored Kevin Jones of the men’s team and Donna Abbot of the women’s team.
Jones played from 2009-2012 for Bob Huggins and was one of only two Mountaineers ever to score 1,800 points and get 1,000 rebounds. Jones was one of the best players in the Big East Conference at the time and was known as one of the best offensive rebounders in the nation. Jones was a big part of the 2010 WVU team that reached the Final Four.
Abbot was a true pioneer of women’s basketball for WVU, as the Huntington, WV native helped lead the Mountaineers to two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1989 and 1992. She was on the lone Sweet 16 team in program history in 1992 and was one of three players to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career.
Marie Louise Asselin ran cross country and track for the Mountaineers from 2006-2010. The Ontario, Canada native was an All-American seven different times during her time at WVU.
On the rifle side, WVU honored Marilee Hohmann and Marsha Beasley.
Beasley was the coach for the Mountaineer rifle team from 1990-2006. Beasley took WVU to the top, as the Mountaineers won four straight NCAA Championships two different times (1990-1993) and (1995-1998).
Hohmann broke ground in a tremendous way at WVU, as she was the first female athlete to ever compete for the Mountaineers. Hohmann started competing in 1961, which was 11 years before Title IX was a law.
