The Catawba College Sports Hall of Fame will induct five new members in its Class of 2019 during a dinner ceremony on November 15, marking the Hall of Fame's 42nd anniversary. New inductees include Maher Atta, Paige Haverty Stalcup, Radell Lockhart, Melissa Schiffel and David Thomas.
The Catawba College Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1977 and this year's inductees will bring the total number of members to 184.
Maher Atta
Atta played men's soccer at Catawba from 1989-92 and was a key member who helped his squad win three conference championships and two NAIA District 26 titles. He was a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference performer and was named an All-American during his senior season.
As a defender, Atta anchored a back line that posted consecutive 20-win seasons in 1990 and 1991, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. At the 1991 tournament, he was named to the NAIA All-National Tournament Team.
Atta's team posted 41 shutouts during his career, while he chipped in with 18 goals and added 26 assists.
After graduation, Atta played professional soccer until 2002, most notably with the Carolina Dynamo. During his time there, he helped win two USISL outdoor titles in 1993 and 1994. He was inducted into the Carolina Dynamo Hall of Fame in 2006.
Paige Haverty Stalcup
Stalcup was a stellar women's golfer from 2002-06. In all four of her seasons, she was named the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year. In 2006, Stalcup was named the SAC Female Athlete of the Year.
Twice named an All-American, Stalcup won 13 of her 44 career tournaments and added nine more runner-up finishes. She played in four NCAA II Regional tournaments and helped Catawba to SAC Championships in 2005 and 2006. She also was named the Lomax Award recipient in 2006 for the most outstanding women's athlete at Catawba College.
Stalcup still owns the majority of the school's women's golf records, including season (75.4) and career (77.9) stroke averages. Her round of 69 at the 2004 Patsy Rendleman stood as the best round until 2017 when Kaley Barts shot a 68 in the same tournament. All four of her season stroke averages rank in the career top 10.
Radell Lockhart
Lockhart was a defensive end on the football team from 1997-00. In 2000, he was named an All-American and the SAC Defensive Player of the Year. Lockhart was twice named All-Conference and All-Region.
Catawba won the SAC title in 2000, and Lockhart helped the team to playoff berths in 1999 and 2000. Lockhart still holds the school record with 103 career tackles for loss, and stands third with 27 sacks. In 2000, the Catawba football team made it to the NCAA II quarterfinals. Lockhart also led the team to back to back 11 game win season.
Lockhart spent time with several NFL teams after graduation and made a mark in NFL Europe. He played two seasons with the Scottish Claymores then helped the Frankfurt Galaxy to the 2004 World Bowl Championship.
Melissa Schiffel Price
Price swam for Catawba from 1997-02. She was twice named an All-American and was a NCAA II National qualifier in 2002.
A distance swimmer, Price set the standard in the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle, and the 200 and 400 individual medleys during her career. All of her records stood for a decade, and two for nearly 20 years. Her 1650 mark of 17:29.35 held until just this past season and her 4:35.88 mark in the 400 IM stood until 2018.
Price also received the Lomax Award in 2002 for the most outstanding female athlete at Catawba and qualified for nationals in 2000.
David Thomas
Thomas was a standout baseball player for Catawba from 2005-08. He helped Catawba to three SAC Championships and a tournament title. Catawba qualified for the NCAA Regional in 2006 and 2008, while the 2006 team set the school record with 47 wins.
A two-time All-American, Thomas was the SAC and Region Player of the Year in 2008. He was a three-time All-Region selection and the 2006 SAC Tournament MVP. An outstanding centerfielder, Thomas earned the ABCA Gold Glove for his position in 2007 and 2008.
Thomas still owns school records for career hits (344), runs scored (281), total bases (583), and fielding percentage (.996). In addition to his records, Thomas completed four years with a .386 batting average (5th), 188 RBI (6th), 67 doubles (4th), 14 triples (2nd), 48 home runs (3rd), and 91 stolen bases (2nd).
In NCAA II history, Thomas' 281 runs scored stands second all-time and his 344 hits are fifth best. His 583 total bases rank third.
Thomas was drafted in 2008 by the Oakland A's and spent three years in their minor league system. He was the 1st Catawba baseball player to have his jersey retired.
