BRISTOL, Tenn. – On Saturday night ,the King University athletic department inducted four individuals and one team into the King University Athletics Hall of Fame as the class of 2023. The inductees were Clarence Massie '84 from men's basketball, Javonte Ashford '09 from men's wrestling, the 2006 women's volleyball team that qualified for the NAIA National tournament, Emily (Martin) Stella '13 of women's wrestling and Pua (Coffman) Parker '10 of women's soccer.
"This class represents not only some of the finest athletes, but some of our most successful alumni, spanning five decades," said vice president for athletics
David Hicks. "These individuals embody the spirit of King University, having excelled in athletics as students, and served as successful leaders in their communities after graduation. I am honored to celebrate their legacies with their families and friends."
Massie, a 1984 graduate of what was then known as King College, transferred to King prior to the 1982-83 season and would spend two years in the scarlet and blue. In his short time, he scored 880 points, averaging 16.9 points per game which is sixth-most in King history. He had four 30-point games, including against Mars Hill during the 1983-84 season, where he scored a career-high 37 points in a performance that the Bristol Herald Courier called "one of the most entertaining performances in the 20-year history of Kline Gym."
Massie was rewarded for his efforts, having been named first team All-VSAC in both seasons, while also being named to the All-NAIA District 24 team in 1983-84 and an NAIA All-America honorable mention. He also won two District 24 players of the week honors.
Ashford was a member of the first men's wrestling team that King fielded, later becoming a four-time NAIA national qualifier. In 2008, he became the program's first-ever NAIA All-American after a fifth-place finish at the NAIA National Championships. He is prominently featured in the program's record book, sitting tied for first for single season wins (30), second in all-time tech falls (14), second in single season tech falls and third in career wins with 75. After graduating, he earned a master's degree in education from McKendree University before earning his doctorate in Global Sports Leadership from East Tennessee State University in 2023.
The 2006 women's volleyball team features two players who have already been inducted into the King Athletics Hall of Fame in Lauren Perrin (2021) and Angela Montreuil (2017). This team finished 30-12 overall, with a perfect 18-0 record in Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action. They won the AAC regular season title, and the tournament title for the 10th consecutive season and were participants in the NAIA national tournament. It was also the final year of coaching for legendary coach Susie Toomey, who herself was inducted into the King Hall of Fame in 2012.
The next inductee is
Coffman, who played four seasons for the Tornado women's soccer team, twice being named All-AAC, All-Region and a third team NAIA All-American. She was part of two Tornado teams that won the AAC title and qualified for the NAIA national tournament, the only two times in program history that the Tornado went to the NAIA tournament. She played in 56 games during her time in Bristol, scoring 10 goals and handing out 14 assists while holding down the defensive midfield position. She also had three game-winning goals two of which came in 2009.
Martin is the final member of the 2023 class. She was a three-time Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) All-American, including 2012 where she won the national championship at 109 pounds. She became just the second national champion in program history, while also being named the 2012 WCWA Wrestler of the Year, following an undefeated season, with 12 wins by pin. Included in those wins was a pin in the national semifinals, a 51 second pin to advance to the national championship match, which she won 3-2, 6-0. She also earned All-American honors in 2011 and 2013.
