Clevenger heads Hanover's three-point artistry list

Derrick Clevenger

Senior forward Derrick Clevenger (Winchester, IN) will end his collegiate career as the leading three-point field goal shooter in Hanover College history.

Clevenger, who recently became the 28th player in Hanover history to score more than 1,000 career points, has canned a school-record 205 treys in his career. He has made 63 this season, which ranks as the Panthers' second-highest single-season total.

While putting together four of the school's top long-range shooting seasons, Clevenger has also amassed the most attempts in school history (494).

Click here for a look at Hanover's top three-point shooting performers since the three-point shot was added prior to the 1986-87 campaign.

Men's basketball team ranks among Hanover's elite

Matt Moore

Even with 11 straight winning seasons under head coach Mike Beitzel, the Hanover College men's basketball program has taken its success a step further during the 2002-03 campaign. The Panthers, ranked ninth in the nation with a 21-1 record, have earned a place among the best teams in Hanover history.

Beitzel's team, with just one senior, opened the season with a school-record 11 consecutive victories. After a mid-season loss to Franklin College, the team reeled off 10 straight wins to surpass the 1968-69 and 1973-74 Hanover teams for the best start in school history. Both of those squads were coached by hall of famer John Collier.

The 1968-69 Hanover team opened its season with a 20-1 record and finished with a Hoosier College Conference championship and a 22-4 overall record. The Panthers' lineup that season featured four future members of the Hanover Athletic Hall of Fame, including three players who later played stints with professional basketball teams.

Center Mark Gabriel led the charge that season. Gabriel averaged 20.8 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. He ended his career as the leading scorer (2,368) and rebounder (1,463) in school history. Forward Rob St. Pierre and guard Steve Wilson, averaged 17.6 points and 16.5 points per game, respectively. Mike Miller, the team's lone senior, added 17.2 points and 7.3 boards per game.

Hanover's 1973-74 team recorded 17 wins in its first 18 games. The squad went on to post the most wins and best winning percentage of any team in school history. The Panthers finished the campaign with a 29-4 record (87.8%), captured a Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference title and advanced to the final eight in the 48-team NAIA national tournament.

The 1973-74 squad had four players average double figures that season. Three members of that squad are members of the Hanover Athletic Hall of Fame: Dennis Laker, John Muessel and Pat Williams. Laker, a center, tallied a team-best 19.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Muessel, a forward, added 12.7 points and 7.5 boards per outing. Williams, a guard, chipped in with 9.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.

The current Hanover team recently earned the program's third straight Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Panthers will host the HCAC tournament semifinals and finals Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1, in Collier Arena. The winner of the event earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III national tournament.

Naylor inducted into baseball hall of fame

Hanover College baseball coach Richard Naylor was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Friday, Jan. 3, 2003, in San Diego, CA.

Dick Naylor

Naylor has guided Hanover College's baseball team to a 729-517 record since taking over the program in 1970. His 729 victories are the most in school history in any sport. His 2002 squad posted a 25-15-1 mark.

Under his guidance, Hanover has captured four conference championships, including the inaugural Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference title in 1988, and two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District 21 championships. The 1992 squad posted a school-record 41 wins. Five Hanover players have been selected in Major League Baseball's amateur draft since 1986 and one player signed a free-agent contract with an independent league.

In addition to his work at Hanover, he has supported the game internationally. He served as president of the International University Sports Federation's technical commission during the inaugural World University championships, held this past summer in Messina, Italy. Previously, he served on the International Baseball Association technical commission during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta and, in 1990, was an administrative liaison at the Goodwill Games in Seattle, Wash., and coordinator of the United States Baseball Federation Super Series in Coral Springs, Fla. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Festival Baseball Task Force in 1986 and 1987 and an assistant coach for Team USA in the Korean Friendship Series in Seoul, Korea, in 1980.

Naylor has previously been enshrined in two halls of fame. He was inducted into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1996.

The American Baseball Coaches Association assists with the development and promotion of the game at all levels and strives to further its members' knowledge and awareness of the game. The organization has 5,500 members, including coaches from every state and more than 200 international members.