FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist University Department of Athletics announced the five athletes that will make up its 2017 Hall of Fame class, as well as its two Teams of Distinction on Thursday afternoon.
 
The 20th Hall of Fame class is comprised of former men's basketball player Montrell McNair '99, men's tennis player Keith Criscoe '06, women's lacrosse player Lauren McGonagle '07, women's golfer Katie (Dick) Pius '08 and track & field athlete Ashlynn (Chavis) Campbell '12, while the Teams of Distinction are the 1990 women's soccer team and the 1996-97 men's basketball team.
 
McNair stands as the men's basketball team's all-time leading scorer with 1,739 career points, averaging 17.9 points per game during his career. A three-time first team all-conference selection, and a two-time all-district honoree, McNair helped lead the Monarchs to a 22-8 record in 1996-97 as MU advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight. He still holds MU single-season (71) and career (246) records for three-point field goals made.
 
Criscoe becomes the first MU men's tennis player to be enshrined the Hall of Fame. The USA South Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006, Criscoe still ranks in the top 10 at Methodist in career singles (30) and doubles (34) wins. As a player, he was a three-time first team all-conference pick and helped lead MU to a trio of conference championships. Following his graduation he coached the Monarchs for two seasons, winning both a regular season championship and a conference tournament title. His 2007 team stands as the last men's tennis team to advance to NCAA tournament play.
 
McGonagle stands as one of the MU women's lacrosse team's most decorated players. The USA South Player of the Year in 2004 and 2007, she was a four-time first team all-conference pick and helped lead the Monarchs to a share of the conference championship in 2004. The former midfielder is the program's all-time leader in points (305), goals (204), assists (101), ground balls (231) and caused turnovers (89), while also holding single-season records in points (93), assists (31) and ground balls (69).
 
Pius is another in a long line of outstanding women's golfers and becomes the 11th women's golfer to enter the Hall of Fame. A member of four NCAA Division III National Championship teams, she was a four-time First Team All-American and was named the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Freshman of the Year in 2005. In 2007 she captured the NCAA Individual National Championship and her 12 rounds of par of better stand as the most ever at MU. In 98 career rounds played, her scoring average in relation to par (+5.04) is the second-best mark for a Monarch.
 
The last inductee is one of the most honored athletes in any sport at Methodist. Campbell graduated as a 12-time All-American in track & field and won a total of seven individual NCAA National Championships.  She was the NCAA Indoor National Champion in the long jump (2011) and the 60m dash (2012), and she won NCAA Outdoor National Championships in the 100m (2011, 2012), long jump (2011) and 4x100m relay (2011, 2012). A holder of six Methodist school records, she was the 2011 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Regional Field Athlete of the Year for the 2011 outdoor season and won both the Methodist Senior Athlete of the Year award and the Mason Sykes Cup as the University's top student-athlete in 2012. Her NCAA winning time of 11.55 in the 100m at the 2012 Outdoor Championships is the fastest championship time in NCAA history, and her time of 45.65 as a member of 4x100m relay team that same year also stands as the fastest time in NCAA Championship history.
 
In addition to the five Hall of Famers, the Department is adding two teams to its Teams of Distinction. The aforementioned men's basketball team from 1996-97 becomes the second group of men's basketball players to be recognized. Under the direction of former MU Vice President and Director of Athletics Bob McEvoy, the Monarchs posted a school-record 22 wins that season en route to the NCAA Elite Eight. Jason Childers named the conference Player of the Year, was a First Team All-American as well as an all-district selection. He was joined on the all-conference first team by McNair and Tyrone Bennett, and McEvoy took home Coach of the Year honors.
 
The 1990 women's soccer team posted a record of 18-3-1 and won conference and NCAA regional championships advancing to the NCAA Final Four. The 18 wins are tied for the most in a single season in school history and the team set a single-season record with 16 shutouts, allowing just six goals all year. The squad featured four All-Americans in first team selections Catherine Byrne and Anne Thorpe, while Tricia Criswell and Colette Gilligan were second team picks. Thorpe was also the Conference Player of the Year and was one of six first team all-conference picks, while Joe Pereira was the Coach of the Year. The Monarchs' conference championship marked their fifth in a row and was part of a run of nine-straight titles for the Monarchs.
 
The five Hall of Famers and the two Teams of Distinction will be recognized at a dinner as part of the University's Homecoming celebration on October 27.