Five to be inducted in 10th class of UNG Athletics Hall of Fame

January 8, 2020

The University of North Georgia (UNG) will induct five new members into the UNG Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 14.

The 10th anniversary class includes Matt Causey (men's basketball), Larry Dennis (faculty athletics representative, NAIA Eligibility Committee), Felipe Friedrich (men's tennis), Kelly Penston Gilliam (women's soccer) and Ron Hunnicutt (baseball, men's basketball).

"We are extremely excited to announce our 10th anniversary class of inductees that will be enshrined into the North Georgia Athletics Hall of Fame," said Lindsay Reeves, UNG director of athletics. "These five honorees have constructed the foundation on which our current 13 sports continue to build upon and collectively serve as a source of pride for the entire Nighthawk Nation."

As part of a new format, the inductees will be enshrined in a ceremony during a Feb. 14 dinner at the Convocation Center, preceded by a 5:30 p.m. social hour. Inductees will also be honored during halftime of the 1:30 p.m. Feb. 15 women's basketball game, the opener of a conference doubleheader against Lander University. The men's basketball game will close the doubleheader with a 4 p.m. start.

The Athletics Hall of Fame weekend will coincide with UNG's homecoming festivities that same day. Along with an introduction of the 2020 HOF Class to the Nighthawk Nation, the Corps of Cadets Boar's Head Brigade Blue Ridge Rifles squad will honor the military heritage of the institution with a performance.

Tickets for the induction ceremony are available for $50 per person, or $500 for a table of eight. To reserve a seat, call 706-867-3212 or register online at UNGAthletics.com/HOF.

Single-game tickets for the Hall of Fame basketball doubleheader are available the day of the game or through advance purchase at UNGTickets.com. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for youth, and free to UNG faculty, staff and students with a valid UNG ID.

Matt Causey

Causey, a 2007 graduate, set single-season North Georgia records for points scored, made free throws and assists in 2005. He holds the UNG career scoring average record for the NCAA era. Causey was an NAIA First Team All-American in the 2004-05 season and a CoSIDA Academic All-American in the 2005-06 season.

Larry Dennis

Dennis served as the North Georgia faculty athletics representative to the NAIA from 1973-1998. During that time, he was the NAIA eligibility chair from 1975-1994 and was on the National Eligibility Committee from 1979-1988. An NAIA Hall of Famer, Dennis earned the recognition for his meritorious service to the association. He has served with the Nighthawks Athletic Club and continues to tutor students since retiring.

Felipe Friedrich

Friedrich, a 2013 graduate, stands as the highest ranked singles player in UNG history, garnering a career-best singles ranking of No. 17 in the 2013 season. The 2013 ITA All-American holds the third-best winning percentage in singles play for a single season. During his career, he earned the fourth-most wins in program history and tallied the fifth-best winning percentage. In doubles play, Friedrich had the fifth-most wins. He was named First Team All-Peach Belt Conference (PBC) in singles and second team All-PBC in doubles his senior year.

Kelly Penston Gilliam

Penston, a 2014 graduate, holds North Georgia career records with for goals and total points. Penston was named to the 2013 D2CCA All-American first team and All-Region three times by the United Soccer Coaches and twice by D2CCA. She is one of only 14 players in league history to be named First Team All-PBC all four years of her career.

Ron Hunnicutt

Hunnicutt, a 1975 graduate, was a two-sport athlete at North Georgia as the athletic programs just started in the NAIA era. Playing basketball and baseball, Hunnicutt was named the Most Improved Player in the 1971-72 basketball season and was a three-time Best Defensive Player on the court. During his basketball career, he led the Saints to a Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GIAC) regular-season championship in 1974-75 and a GIAC tournament championship and NAIA Regional appearance in the 1973-74 season.