Chuck Shelton to join Pittsburg State University Athletics Hall of Fame

Pittsburg State University has announced the 2013 induction class into the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. The seven-person Class of 2013 -- which is comprised of five men and two women -- will be formally inducted during ceremonies on campus, on Nov. 2.

The Class of 2013 is headlined by a trio of decorated athletes: four-time All-America defensive lineman Aaron McConnell, who competed in football for the Gorillas from 2000-03; standout distance runner Jeanette (Mott) Owens, who earned All-America honors on six occasions in the sports of women's cross country and track and field between 1998-2002; and record-breaking outside hitter Dina (Wathan) Blevins, an All-America and three-time All-Region volleyball player between 2000-03.

Former football athletes Frank Crespino and Chuck Shelton also have been tabbed for the Hall of Fame as meritorious achievement inductees. Crespino coached football, basketball and baseball at St. Mary's-Colgan High School, leading the school to five state titles in a tenure that spanned from 1961-79, while Shelton served as a head coach in the NCAA ranks for 19 seasons -- at Drake University (1977-85), Utah State University (1986-91) and Pacific University (1992-95).

Additionally, Charles Morgan, who served as head football coach at Pitt State from 1931-48, and Vern Akins, a sprinter who excelled on the track and field cinders for the Gorillas from 1939-41, both will be inducted in the Hall of Fame's "Legacy" category as meritorious achievement honorees. The Legacy category, created in 2005, focuses solely on individuals from the school's first 50 years of existence, in an attempt to bolster the school's rich heritage from its first half-century.

"Every year, we are blessed with the opportunity to pay tribute to a handful of elite individuals representing the proud history of PSU Athletics, and there's no exception with the Class of 2013," said Dan Wilkes, associate athletic director and chair of the PSU Athletics Hall of Fame selection committee. "This group features three dynamic modern era athletes, including the first inductee in the history of the Gorilla women's volleyball program.

"The group also honors three coaches who made their marks not only as athletes at PSU, but in the professional ranks, following college. Most importantly, all seven of these individuals are Gorillas who deserve to proudly represent their alma mater in this elite way."