WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College department of athletics is pleased to recognize five individuals who will be enshrined into the College's Athletics Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming Weekend on September 23.
The 2023 class includes Julie Creech-Organ (women's swimming & Class of 2013), Ken Keller (wrestling & Class of 1998), Kevin Lucas (men's track & field & Class of 2001), Tim Wilson (men's basketball & Class of 1978) and Marque Jones, Jr. (men's track & field/football & Class of 2008).
Creech-Organ, a 2013 WC alumna, was a four-year member of the swimming program and earned the team's Female Swimmer of the Year honor four consecutive seasons. The College's 2013 Clyde Lamb Award winner, Creech-Organ earned seven All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honors in freestyle and butterfly events during her career including claiming OAC titles in the 100-yard and 200-yard butterfly events at the 2010 OAC Championships. At the time of Creech-Organ's graduation, which was summa cum laude, she held six program records.
Keller, a 1998 WC alumnus, wrestled for Head Coach Jim Marsh for two seasons after transferring. He had an immediate impact as a lightweight, accumulating a 67-9 record and finishing 10th at the NCAA Division III Championships in 1996 and 1997. His .882 winning percentage was third-most in program history at the time of graduation. In total, Keller was 6-4 dual duals in NCAA Tournament matches and scoring 122 points for the Quakers as a senior.
Lucas, a 2001 WC alumnus, was a 15-time All-Conference honoree and All-American sprinter for the men's track & field program in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a member of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), he was a two-time champion in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes as well as the 4-x-400-meter relay. When WC made its move to the OAC, Lucas continued to excel, setting a then-OAC record in the 400-meter dash indoors (49.31 seconds). Together with Doug Wolf, Greg Morrow and Greg Starks, Lucas earned All-American honors by crossing the finish line in fifth in the 4-x-400-meter relay at the 2001 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Since his days as a student-athlete, Lucas has built an impressive coaching career with stops at Heidelberg University, Salisbury University and the University of Mount Union, his current role. A three-time National Coach of the Year, Lucas has led the Purple Raiders to 45 combined OAC titles and three men's national championships including sweeping the indoor and outdoor titles in 2018.
Wilson, a 1978 WC alumnus, was a two-time First Team NAIA District 22 selection and First Team All-Hoosier-Buckeye Conference as a junior and a senior. In his final year wearing the Green & White, Wilson, or "Timbo" as he was called by those who knew him well, averaged 20.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game on a team that finished 15-11. Upon graduation, Wilson played professional in France and served as an instruction - both in the classroom and on the court - at a select academy in Lyon, France. Wilson unfortunately passed away this spring and will be inducted posthumously.
Jones, a 2009 WC alumnus, was a two-sport standout in both track & field and football. As a member of the track & field team, Jones was a nine-time qualfier for the NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships including twice indoors and five times outdoors. Both a sprinter and a jumper, Jones partipated at nationals in the 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, long jump and 4-x-400-meter relay events including the first three at a single event - the 2006 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships. Jones garnered All-American honors twice with seventh-place finishes in the 4-x-400-meter relay (2005 indoors) and long jump (2008 outdoors). He currently holds program records in the indoor long jump (23' 8.25") and the outdoor 400-meter dash (47.30 seconds).
On the gridiron, Jones was a four-year letterwinner and one of the best wide receivers and kick returners in program history. A two-time All-OAC honoree including First Team distinction in 2007, he is fourth in program history in touchdown receptions (21), fifth in receptions (178) and receiving yards (2,133). As a kickoff returner, Jones is in the top 10 in program history in career returns (39), yardage (833) and average (21.4).
