ASU student-athletes were recognized with honor from the athletic department
The 2023 Sun Devil Athletic Hall of Fame class was announced Wednesday, and it featured some of Arizona State’s finest student-athletes to sport the maroon and gold.
The 2023 class welcomes:
- Greg Kraft (Hall of Distinction) Track and Field Coach from 1996-2019
- Addison McGrath- Water Polo from 2006-09
- Jordan Clarke- Men’s Track and Field from 2008-13
- Jason Kipnis- Baseball from 2008-09
- Shaun McDonald- Football from 2000-02
- Regina (Stahl) Manix- Volleyball 1984-87
- 2007 Women’s Track and Field team
Greg Kraft 1996-2019- Directing both the mens and women’s track and and field teams for 23 years, Kraft spent a majority of his coaching career at ASU, turning the Sun Devils into a force in the track and field world. His personal accomplishments include winning the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country College Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Coach of the Year Award four times in his career as well as the Pac-10/Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year Award three times.
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Under Kraft, the track and field program have claimed four national titles and have finished in the top-four in 12 national championships. Student-athletes under Kraft have earned 38 individual national titles and over 300 NCAA All-American honors. 21 Sun Devils have qualified for the olympics in his time as director of both programs.
While teams have dominated in the track and field sphere, the academic success of both the men’s and women’s teams is to not be overshadowed in any way. The Sun Devils have earned six titles as the top academic team recognized by the USTFCCCA as well as nine Pac-10/Pac-12 conference Scholar Athlete of the Year awards.
The Hall of Distinction was established in 1982 for coaches and administrators who have played roles in the tremendous efforts by the athletic programs at Arizona State.
Addison McGrath 2006-09- McGrath’s rise to fame came in the pool at Arizona State, leading the water polo program in career goals and second in total career assists. In McGrath’s junior year, she poured in 81 goals, only the second Sun Devil to score more than 80 goals in a single season. Her 237 career goals and 111 career assists gave McGrath sole possession for most total points in program history as well as the most points in a single season with 123 in the 2008 season. McGrath’s contributions to the team led the Sun Devils to its second ever 20-win season in 2008.
McGrath was a three time NCAA All-American in her career in Tempe. McGrath also ran track and field for ASU and competed as a javelin thrower during her career.
Jordan Clarke 2008-13- One of the most prominent track and field athletes in Sun Devil history, Clarke competed in shot put, hammer throw and weight throw during his five years at Arizona State. Clarke won four NCAA individual titles and five Pac-10/ Pac-12 conference titles and led ASU to back-to-back Mountain Pacific Sport Federation titles in 2012 and 2013 where Clarke won three gold medals and a bronze over a two year span.
Clarke’s personal best throws still remain in the top five at ASU’s program marks in all three sports in which he competed.
Clarke would go on to win 11 gold medals across various competitions upon his graduation from Arizona State before retiring in 2016.
Jason Kipnis 2008-09- Kipnis’ name is one of the many synonymous with the lore of Sun Devil baseball. As a transfer from Kentucky, Kipnis spent two seasons at ASU and batted a career .378 average with 30 home runs and slugged a career .688, giving him the fourth highest career slugging percentage at Arizona State to this day.
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Kipnis was a two time American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-American, earning second team honors in 2008 and an unanimous first team honor in 2009. Kipnis was also named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009.
Kipnis was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the second round of the MLB draft in 2009 where the second basemen became a staple in professional baseball for nine years which included two all-star appearances in 2013 and 2015.
Shaun McDonald 2000-02- McDonald’s time as a wide receiver at Arizona State was nothing less than electric as he racked up awards and achieved legendary status as a Sun Devil. The local Shadow Mountain High School grad came to ASU and left with a spectacular career on the gridiron.
McDonald had 156 catches for 2,867 yards and 25 touchdowns in his three years at ASU. McDonald was a 2002 Biletnikoff Award finalist after a school record setting season which featured 87 catches for 1,405 yards, both school records. His 13 touchdowns that year is good for second most in a single season by a wide receiver.
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In 2001 and 2002, McDonald was named a first team All-Pac-10 player before going in the NFL draft. In 2003, the St. Louis Rams selected McDonald in the fourth round which began his seven season career as a professional.
McDonald joins five other local high school football players inducted into the Sun Devil Athletic Hall of Fame.
Regina (Stahl) Manix 1984-87- While at ASU, Stahl led the Sun Devil volleyball program to NCAA Tournament appearances in three straight years from 1984-87. Her 5,180 career assists and 178 career aces are both still program records and holds the record for most assists in a single match with 90 which was set in a game during the 1987 season. Her nine aces during a game in the 1984 season is the school record as well.
Stahl’s career highlights included being named a second-team all-american by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA.) Stahl was named onto two all-Pac-10 teams during her career as a Sun Devil.
2007 Women’s Track and Field team- In 2007, the Women’s Track and Field team was only the third NCAA program to capture both the NCAA Women’s Indoor and Outdoor team championships.
The Sun Devils won the programs first NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships team title, beating LSU by seven points.
During the competitions, the Sun Devils had 10 All-American winners and five individual national champions in their respective sport.
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In that single 2007 season, the Sun Devils won all five competitions: 2007 MPSF Indoor Championship, the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championship, the 2007 Pac-10 Championship, the 2007 NCAA West Region Championship and the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championship.
The annual Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame luncheon will be on Oct. 6 with the inductees being honored during halftime of the Arizona State football game on Oct. 7.