Courtesy: Old Dominion Athletics
NORFOLK, Va. – The largest Old Dominion Sports Hall of Fame class ever will be inducted on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Priority Automotive Club at Kornblau Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium.
The seven honorees include Arni Arnason (men’s swimming), Kent Bazemore (men’s basketball) and Thomas DeMarco (football), who earned the honor their first year on the ballot, while Jim McGovern (men’s golf), Stephanie Roble (sailing), and Mark Zagol (sailing) will be honored, and former sports information director, Carol Hudson, will also be inducted on Saturday, Oct. 16.
The largest ODU Sports Hall of Fame class ever includes a pair of Olympians in Arnason and Roble. Arnason is a two-time Olympian for his native Iceland, while Roble competed in this year’s Olympics in Tokyo.
Arnason was a three-time CAA Swimmer of the Year and four-time All-CAA honoree. He became the first ODU swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2009.
Roble was a three-time ICSA All-American and helped both the women’s and co-ed sailing teams to third place finishes at the 2010 National Championships.
DeMarco, ODU’s first quarterback is also the first modern ODU football player to be inducted into the hall of fame. He started the first game against Chowan on Sept. 5, 2009, and 26-straight thereafter. He still holds school records for rushing touchdowns in a season (17), rushing yards in a game (224) and is tied for the single-game touchdown record with four.
Bazemore is entering his 10th NBA season this year and is back with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2021-22 NBA season. A two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Bazemore helped the Monarchs to back-to-back CAA Championships. He holds the ODU record for most career games played with 140. He had his jersey retired in 2016.
A two-time All-Sun Belt honoree, McGovern finished third in the Sun Belt Conference Champion both years he was at ODU. He held a PGA Tour card from 1991-98, winning the Shell Houston Open in 1993, and placing fifth in the 1994 Masters.
Zagol was a two-time ICYRA All-American and helped ODU win the national championship in both the team race and co-ed disciplines in 1998. In 2014, Zagol won the North American SOS Sailing Championships.
Hudson was ODU’s sports information director for 31 years and graduated from the university in 1976. He was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2010 and earned lifetime achievement awards from CoSIDA (2015) and the Norfolk Sports Club (2016) and was inducted into the Hampton Roads Sports Media Hall of Fame in 2018.
The ceremony will begin at 8 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 16. A limited amount of tickets will go on sale at a later date.
Kent Bazemore, Men’s Basketball, 2009-12
Two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year (2011 & 12)
2011 College Insider National Defensive Player of the Year
Three-Time College Insider National All-Defensive Team (2010, 11 & 12)
Two-time All-NABC All-District 10 First Team
ODU’s second all-time steals leader 250/ ODU all-time games played leader 140
1,416 career points /Two-Time All-CAA (2012 1st team/ 2011 2nd team)
His class won 101 games at ODU/ jersey retired in 2016
Currently playing for Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA (9 NBA Seasons)
Major: Graduated with two degrees from ODU (Criminal Justice & Human Services)
Thomas DeMarco, Football, 2009-11
ODU’s first Quarterback/ Started 27 consecutive games
Passed for 5,732 career yards/51 career TD’s/471-816 completions
41.6 career rushing yards avg.(5th all-time at ODU)
Rushed for 224 yards vs. NC Central in 2009 (ODU School Record)
Has four of ODU’s top 100 yard rushing games
Threw for 407 yards in 2010 vs. Monmouth
30 Rushing TD’s (2nd all-time at ODU)/ 1.456 career rush yards (4th all-time at ODU)
Ranked 7th nationally (FCS) in total yards per game (289.0)/ completed 58 pct. of his passes 2010
Nation’s (FCS) second leading QB rusher in 2009 (81.1 yards per game)/ 17 rushing TD’s
Major: Graduated in Business Management
Arni Arnason, Men’s Swimming, 2008-12
Two-time Olympic Swimmer (2008 & 2012) & Two-Time NCAA Qualifier (2009 & 2012)-50 Free
Two-Time CAA Championships Most Outstanding Swimmer 2011 & 2012
Three-Time CAA Male Swimmer of the Year (2009,11 & 12); 4-time All-CAA Selection
Won 2012 CAA titles in 100 & 200 breast & 200 IM (All-CAA record times) & 400 Medley relay
His 2012 CAA Championship 100 Breaststroke time (CAA & ODU Record) 53.02 -Ranked 11th nationally
Won 2011 CAA titles in 100, 200 breast & 200 IM (4-time ODU team MVP)
Won CAA titles in 200 breaststroke four-straight years/100 breaststroke three times/200 IM twice)
Won 2009 CAA titles in 50 free, 100 & 200 breaststroke/ 2010 CAA champion in 200 breaststroke
As a freshman, first ODU swimmer to qualify to NCAA Div. I Championships in 2008-09
Placed 25th in the 100 breaststroke at 2008-009 NCAA Championships as freshman
Also qualified in the 50 free and 200 breaststroke in 2008-09 NCAA Championships
1st ODU swimmer named CAA Swimmer of the Year & Rookie of the Year in same year (2008-09)
2008 Olympic Swimmer for Iceland in Beijing in 50 free (Icelandic Record holder)
2012 Olympic Swimmer for Iceland in England in 50 free
Major: graduated Civil engineering
Stephanie Roble, Sailing 2007-11
Three-Time ICSA Collegiate All-American Skipper (2009, 10 & 11)
Two-time First Team ICSA Collegiate All-American Skipper (2010 & 11)
Qualified for 2020 Olympics in the 49erFX category for Team USA
Led ODU to 3rd at both ICSA Women’s National Championships & Coed Nationals(2010)
Led ODU to 6th at Women’s National Championships as a senior (2011)
Led ODU to 15th at ICSA Coed National Championships as a senior (2011)
Placed second at ICSA MAISA Women’s District Championships (2010)
Placed 7th at ICSA Singlehanded National Championships (2009)
Placed 4th at ICSA Singlehanded National Championships in 2008
2009 ICSA Honorable Mention Women’s All-American
3-time ODU Team MVP
Placed 2nd at 2019 49erFX Pan American games in Peru for Team USA
Two-time bronze medalist at Women’s Match Race World Championships(2014&15)
Finished 3rd in the 2020 49erFX World Championships for Team USA
Graduated with a degree in Finance
Jim McGovern, Men’s Golf, 1986-88
Two-Time All-Sun Belt selection
Finished third in 1987 and 1988 in Sun Belt Conference Championships
1987 Virginia Intercollegiate State Champion
1988 Metropolitan amateur Champion
1st place Medalist at Campbell & Kings Mill Tournaments
Four top-10 finishes in 1987 & team MVP
74.4 stroke average as a junior/ 73.0 stroke average as a senior
PGA tour member 1991-98
As a PGA pro won 1993 Houston Open in Sudden Death
T5 in 1994 Master’s/ T13 in 1994 US Open/ 14 career top 10 PGA Finishes
Carol Hudson, Sports Information Director, 1984-2015
Sports Information Dir. At ODU (1984-2011)
Asst. AD-Athletic Communications at ODU (2011-15)
Sports Information Intern at ODU (1979-81)
Sports Information Dir. Hampton University (1981-84)
Public Information Officer/Work Release Counselor – Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office (1979-81)
Inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame 2010
Distinguished Service award from Va. Sports Information Dir’s Assoc. 2013
Lifetime Achievement award from CoSIDA (2015) & Norfolk Sports Club (2016)
Hampton Roads Sports Media Hall of Fame 2018
Served on CoSIDA Board of Dir. 2006-12/Chairman of Scholarship Comm. 2009-15
Two-time President of both Va. SID Assoc. & Black College SIDA
Graduated from ODU in 1976 (Political Science)
Mark Zagol, Sailing, 1996-99
Two-time ICYRA Collegiate All-American in 1998 and 1999
One of four finalists for ICYRA Collegiate Sailor of the Year in 1999
Placed second at ICYRA Singlehanded National Championships in 1998-99
Placed Third at the MAISA Singlehanded Regional in 1998
Helped lead ODU to fifth at ICYRA Co-Ed Dinghy National Championships
Skippered A boat to second at Co-Ed Dinghy National Championships in 1999
Helped lead ODU to ICYRA Team Race & ICYRA Co-ed Dinghy National titles in 1998
Won 2014 North American SOS Sailing Title in Ontario
Graduated with a degree in business administration