Six new members make up the 38th class of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame. The six inductees were recognized during a halftime ceremony of the Phoenix vs. Presbyterian College football game Sept. 13.
The six new members include football player Quinton Ballard, baseball player Paul Braxton, head football and wrestling coach Macky Carden, president emeritus Dr. Earl Danieley, football player Randy Oxendine and women’s soccer and softball star Tracy Shuford.
After helping the Elon football team to a fourth-place league finish in 1979, Ballard helped his squad capture conference, district and national championships in 1980 and 1981 during the program’s NAIA days. A team captain his senior season, he led his squad to a district title and a conference runner-up finish in 1982. The four-year letterman amassed 208 tackles and 20 sacks from his defensive tackle position during his career at Elon while earning second team all-district distinction as a junior.
Braxton lettered as an outfielder on Elon’s 1923, 1925, 1926 and 1927 baseball teams, earning captain distinction as a junior and all-state status as a senior. His senior year squad fashioned a 14-4 overall record in 1927, establishing itself as the program’s winningest team in the first 28 seasons of the program’s history. In 1928, he was honored to an All-Time Elon Alumni Baseball Team. Braxton also lettered for the 1923-1924 Elon men’s basketball squad.
A two-year letterman as an offensive tackle for the 1965 and 1966 Elon football teams, Carden returned to his alma mater as an assistant football coach and the head wrestling coach in 1977. The 1966 team captain and 1967 graduate helped the Elon football team to a sizzling 63-16 record (.797) with four conference championships, four district titles, three national playoff appearances and two national crowns over his seven seasons as an assistant coach. His four wrestling squads grappled their way to a pair of conference runner-up finishes and one district runner-up finish.
Carden was promoted to head football coach for the 1984 season, going on to lead Elon to an impressive 34-17 ledger (.667) to go along with two district championships, three conference runner-up finishes and two district runner-up finishes over five campaigns. He was honored as the Conference Coach of the Year and the District Coach of the Year in 1986. Carden still has the distinction of being the only Elon head football coach to log a winning record every season of a career lasting at least five years.
Danieley graduated from Elon in 1946, but never left the school. A faculty member since 1946, the chemistry professor went on to serve as the institution’s dean for three years (1953-1956), president for 16 years (1957-1973) and director of planned giving for five years (1987-1992). Named Elon’s president emeritus in 1992, Danieley has also been a member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors (1983-1995) and a special assistant to the president of the University of North Carolina (1995-96).
During his tenure as president, Elon began its intercollegiate women’s basketball and volleyball programs and restarted its varsity wrestling program. Also during this time, Elon hired “Red” Wilson as its football coach, Bill Miller as its men’s basketball coach and Kay Yow as its women’s basketball and volleyball coach. Wilson, who went on to become the Director of Athletics at Elon and head football coach at Duke University, remains Elon’s all-time winningest football coach while Miller remains the school’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach. Yow, who continues to serve North Carolina State University as its women’s basketball coach, still owns the best winning percentage among Elon’s all-time coaches in both volleyball and women’s basketball.
Oxendine lettered as a defensive tackle for the 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 football teams, helping Elon to capture three conference championships to go with the program’s first three district titles and first three playoff appearances. He recovered an Elon-record six fumbles in 1974, including a program-best three in a victory over Guilford College. Oxendine earned all-conference accolades twice, all-district distinction twice, all-state status once and Conference Lineman of the Year honors once.
The Henderson, N.C. resident received a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Elon in 1977. He has served Vance County Schools as a teacher and coach the past 16 years, teaching physical education at Carver Elementary School and coaching volleyball and softball at Southern Vance High School.
Shuford amassed eight varsity letters – four in softball, two in soccer and two in basketball – during her career at Elon. She spent time as the starter at the goalkeeper position for the 1991 and 1992 soccer teams, collecting all-conference, all-conference tournament, all-district, all-regional and all-regional tournament accolades as a senior. Shuford also served the 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993 softball squads at third base and in left field en route to receiving all-conference tournament and second team all-conference recognition.