TicketsCINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Department of Athletics welcomed a special group of inductees into the James P. Kelly Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its 50th anniversary class Friday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Hosted by “Voice of the Bearcats” Dan Hoard, the event honored eight standout members of the Cincinnati Athletics community. Longtime athletic trainer Bob Mangine was named the Bearcats’ Bob Goin Service Award winner and joined Hall of Famers Connor Barwin (football and men’s basketball, 2005-08), Loretta Blaut (track and field, 2015-19), Christy Hoffman (women’s soccer, 1997-2001), Jason Kelce (football, 2006-10), Mike Kinnett (baseball, 1984-87), Wayne Mason (track and field, 1977-80) and Bob Huggins (men’s basketball, 1989-2005) in Clifton on the University of Cincinnati’s 100th Homecoming weekend.
“From championship coaches and record-setting athletes to national champions, NFL stars and individuals whose impact extends far beyond competition, this class represents the very best of what it means to be a Bearcat,” Hoard said. “Their names now take their rightful place alongside the legends who have built the proud history of Cincinnati Athletics.”
The class also will be recognized during Cincinnati’s football game against Texas Tech at noon Saturday at Historic Nippert Stadium.
A 2022 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Huggins, who guided Cincinnati from 1989-2005, led the Bearcats to 14 NCAA Tournaments, beginning with the 1992 Final Four, three Elite Eights and four Sweet Sixteens, plus NIT bids in each of his first two years. The Bearcats' all-time leader with 399 wins, Huggins led Cincinnati to eight league tournament titles and 10 regular-season conference championships during his tenure. The 1999-00 team was ranked No. 1 nationally for 12 weeks and featured the first and sixth overall NBA Draft picks in Kenyon Martin and DerMarr Johnson. Nine players earned Associated Press All-America honors under Huggins.
A former walk-on linebacker for the Bearcats, Kelce played for Cincinnati from 2006 to 2010, earning All-BIG EAST honors as an offensive lineman twice. He played for head coaches Mark Dantonio, Brian Kelly and Butch Jones, helping lead UC to the 2008 Orange Bowl and 2009 Sugar Bowl. He was the Scout Team Defensive MVP in 2006 before moving to offensive line and starting three seasons from 2008 to 2010.
“So many of us including me, my brother, Connor and all of our teammates were shaped in a lot of ways by through this university,” Kelce said. “It holds a special place in our hearts. To be going into the Hall of Fame is incredible. I still feel undeserving but it’s awesome to be back to receive this honor.”
A native of Detroit, Mich., Barwin led the BIG EAST in 2008 with 11.0 sacks to go along with 53 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, eight pass breakups, seven quarterback hurries and three blocked kicks on his way to First Team All-BIG EAST honors and honorable mention All-America laurels by Sports Illustrated to cap his career during his senior season. The three blocked kicks are the most in a single season in program history and his 11.0 sacks rank third. Initially a three-year letterwinner as a tight end, Barwin caught 53 passes for 692 yards and six touchdowns in his career before making the move to defensive end as a senior. Also a two-year letterwinner on the Bearcats’ basketball team, Barwin played in 34 games and made 11 starts in his time on the hardwood.
“I’m super honored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Barwin said. “Cincinnati meant so much to me. I have so many great friends that I met in college and so many great coaches who had a tremendous impact on me. It’s really special to be back here with my wife, my young kids and my parents. It’s a special night for all of us.”
Blaut, who competed for the Bearcats from 2015-2019, will enter the Hall of Fame as the most decorated female high jumper in Bearcat track and field history. A six-time All-American — five on the first team — she holds the program record for most All-America honors by a UC female athlete. A five-time AAC Champion, Blaut was a two-time national runner-up in the high jump, earning runner-up finishes at both the 2018 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Her indoor bid was especially dramatic, as she tied for the national title before falling in a seven-round jump-off.
Hoffman is one of the greatest goalkeepers in Cincinnati women's soccer history, playing for the Bearcats from 1997 to 2001. She guided Cincinnati to two NCAA Tournament spots, including the program’s first Sweet Sixteen appearance, the 2001 Conference USA Regular Season Championship and two Conference USA Tournament Championships in 1997 and 2001.
Mason, a hurdler who competed for the Bearcats from 1977–80, is among the most decorated athletes in Bearcat track and field history. A First Team All-American in the outdoor 110-meter hurdles in 1980, he was a four-time NCAA Championship participant, competing in the indoor 60-yard and 60-meter hurdles in 1977, 1978 and 1979 before closing his career at the 1980 Outdoor Championships.
A two-time all-conference performer and four-year starter at first base, Kinnett holds the program record for highest career batting average (.372) and ranks in the Top 10 in several other categories. He hit .407 as a sophomore in 1985, one of five Bearcats to ever hit at least .400 in a season. Kinnett played in 193 career games and still ranks among the all-time UC leaders in hits (236, 8th), doubles (52, T-6th), total bases (362, 8th), slugging percentage (.570, 9th), and on-base percentage (.438, T-9th).
Cincinnati recognized Mangine, who has dedicated his career to caring for others, building one of the nation's premier sports medicine programs and making an extraordinary impact on generations of Bearcats. Mangine, the recipient of the Bob Goin Service Award, which was named in honor of the Cincinnati Athletics Director from 1997 to 2005, first joined Cincinnati in 1977 before moving into private practice and eventually returning to Cincinnati, spending nearly a quarter-century serving student-athletes, coaches and staff.
About Cincinnati Athletics
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 400 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 118 conference titles, and entered a new era as a member of the Big 12 in 2023. UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our university and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com.