TicketsCINCINNATI – An annual celebration of its best current and former student-athletes is on tap for the 22nd-annual Legion of Excellence Gala with its new date, Friday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. ET, inside the Great Hall at the Tangeman University Center.
A reception is slated for 6 p.m. ET with dinner and the awards program starting at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets to the event, visit https://foundation.uc.edu/loe2023. Contact Kris Kalin in the UCATS office with any questions (kalinkj@foundation.uc.edu / 513-556-2653).
The Legion of Excellence annually recognizes the academic achievements of current UC scholar-athletes from each sport, new inductees to the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame and UCATS Order of the Black Blazer along with a winner of the Strubbe Distinguished Service Award and the Bob Goin Service Award for contributions to Bearcats Athletics.
One new award will also be presented: the Kelly Salchow Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sport. It is for a UC alum who achieved national and/or international success, but did not have the opportunity to participate in intercollegiate athletics due to the sport's non-varsity and/or non-NCAA sponsored status at the time of their enrollment at UC. This award is named in honor of two-time Olympic rower Kelly Salchow MacArthur.
Cincinnati's 2023 Hall of Fame Class
Antwan Peek (football, 1998-02)
Peek was a three-year starter at defensive end, leading UC to three-straight bowl games and its first conference title in nearly 40 years. He was a two-time First Team All-Conference USA defensive end (2001-02) and three-time John Pease Award winner for most outstanding defensive lineman. He was team Co-MVP on the 2002 Conference USA Championship team – UC's first league title since 1964. He is UC's all-time leader in sacks (27.0), tackles for loss (56.0), forced fumbles (17) and blocked kicks (7). He was a third round pick (No. 67 overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2003 in the NFL Draft and played five seasons in the NFL, including four with the Texans and one with the Browns, finishing with 28 starts over 65 games played.
Corie Blount (men's basketball, 1991-93)
Blount was a member of 1992 Final Four team and 1993 Elite Eight Team. He started 50 games in two seasons and averaged 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for his career. He blocked 84 shots, and in 1992 was UC's first with 50-plus since 1978. He was a first round pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and played 11 NBA seasons, including four each with the Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
Ann Thomas (women's soccer, 1997-01)
Thomas was an All-American forward for the Bearcats from 1997 to 2001. She was twice named to the Conference USA All-Conference Team, including first team honors in 2001 and was an All-Freshman Team choice in 1998. She helped lead Cincinnati to a 10-0 conference mark and third regular season Conference USA Championship in 2001, collected All-America accolades along the way. The Bearcats advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2001 NCAA Women's College Cup, its fifth NCAA Tournament Appearance and best finish, and earned wins over Oakland and No. 7 Notre Dame in the tournament.
Chris Wineberg (men's track and field, 2001-04)
Wineberg was a two-time C-USA decathlon champion in 2002 and 2004 and was named a USTFCCCA All-American in the event in 2004. He held the school record in the decathlon for 17 years before it was broken in 2021. He led the Bearcats to an undefeated record of 40-0 which included a 100-point victory over second-place Miami in the All-Ohio and a 39-point victory as well as a 42-point margin over nationally-ranked Houston and TCU, respectively, in the Conference USA Track & Field Championships. He has served as an assistant coach for the UC track and field program for 17 years, producing 21 NCAA All-Americans, 25 National qualifiers and 26 Conference Athletes of the Meet.
A reception is slated for 6 p.m. ET with dinner and the awards program starting at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets to the event, visit https://foundation.uc.edu/loe2023. Contact Kris Kalin in the UCATS office with any questions (kalinkj@foundation.uc.edu / 513-556-2653).
The Legion of Excellence annually recognizes the academic achievements of current UC scholar-athletes from each sport, new inductees to the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame and UCATS Order of the Black Blazer along with a winner of the Strubbe Distinguished Service Award and the Bob Goin Service Award for contributions to Bearcats Athletics.
One new award will also be presented: the Kelly Salchow Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sport. It is for a UC alum who achieved national and/or international success, but did not have the opportunity to participate in intercollegiate athletics due to the sport's non-varsity and/or non-NCAA sponsored status at the time of their enrollment at UC. This award is named in honor of two-time Olympic rower Kelly Salchow MacArthur.
Cincinnati's 2023 Hall of Fame Class
Antwan Peek (football, 1998-02)
Peek was a three-year starter at defensive end, leading UC to three-straight bowl games and its first conference title in nearly 40 years. He was a two-time First Team All-Conference USA defensive end (2001-02) and three-time John Pease Award winner for most outstanding defensive lineman. He was team Co-MVP on the 2002 Conference USA Championship team – UC's first league title since 1964. He is UC's all-time leader in sacks (27.0), tackles for loss (56.0), forced fumbles (17) and blocked kicks (7). He was a third round pick (No. 67 overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2003 in the NFL Draft and played five seasons in the NFL, including four with the Texans and one with the Browns, finishing with 28 starts over 65 games played.
Corie Blount (men's basketball, 1991-93)
Blount was a member of 1992 Final Four team and 1993 Elite Eight Team. He started 50 games in two seasons and averaged 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for his career. He blocked 84 shots, and in 1992 was UC's first with 50-plus since 1978. He was a first round pick of the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and played 11 NBA seasons, including four each with the Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.
Ann Thomas (women's soccer, 1997-01)
Thomas was an All-American forward for the Bearcats from 1997 to 2001. She was twice named to the Conference USA All-Conference Team, including first team honors in 2001 and was an All-Freshman Team choice in 1998. She helped lead Cincinnati to a 10-0 conference mark and third regular season Conference USA Championship in 2001, collected All-America accolades along the way. The Bearcats advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2001 NCAA Women's College Cup, its fifth NCAA Tournament Appearance and best finish, and earned wins over Oakland and No. 7 Notre Dame in the tournament.
Chris Wineberg (men's track and field, 2001-04)
Wineberg was a two-time C-USA decathlon champion in 2002 and 2004 and was named a USTFCCCA All-American in the event in 2004. He held the school record in the decathlon for 17 years before it was broken in 2021. He led the Bearcats to an undefeated record of 40-0 which included a 100-point victory over second-place Miami in the All-Ohio and a 39-point victory as well as a 42-point margin over nationally-ranked Houston and TCU, respectively, in the Conference USA Track & Field Championships. He has served as an assistant coach for the UC track and field program for 17 years, producing 21 NCAA All-Americans, 25 National qualifiers and 26 Conference Athletes of the Meet.