Southeast athletic department announces Hall of Fame class

Four former athletes, a team that went unbeaten in Ohio Valley Conference play and a family known for its longtime support were announced Tuesday as the 2014 Hall of Fame class at Southeast Missouri State University.

The individual athletes are former gymnast Kate Farrington (1994-97), baseball and basketball player Donald Metz (1967-70), football player Angel Rubio (1993-97) and basketball player Derek Winans (2001-05). They will be joined by the 2000 Southeast volleyball squad that went 16-0 in conference play and won the OVC tournament as well as the Rust family, which has been a donator and involved in media coverage for Southeast athletics for decades.

Farrington achieved a first at Southeast when she posted a perfect score in the vault in a meet on March 24, 1995. She turned in three more perfect scores in her career -- one in the vault and two in floor exercise. She still holds the top five vault scores in the Southeast record book and the top three scores in floor exercises.

Metz played baseball and basketball all four years at Southeast, leading the basketball squad in scoring as a freshman. In baseball, he posted a .330 career batting average and was the team MVP his senior year while serving as the team captain.

Rubio made his presence known to opposing offenses, collecting 21.5 sacks and 44 tackles for loss -- both career records at Southeast. A three-time All-OVC selection, Rubio was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

Winans started off a memorable Southeast career by being named the OVC Freshman of the Year. The sharp-shooting guard ranks fifth on the school's all-time scoring list and second in career 3-point field goals made. A well-rounded player, Winans also is tied for second in career steals and ranks ninth in career assists.

The 2000 volleyball team is the only team in Southeast volleyball history to reach the second round in the NCAA tournament, defeating North Carolina in the first round in five sets. The team included standouts Krista Haukap (OVC Player of the Year), Emily Scannell (OVC Rookie of the Year) and Lea Beckmeyer (OVC tournament MVP).

The Rust family has provided financial donations and media coverage of Southeast athletics throughout the region and nationally through the Southeast Missourian, SEMO ESPN Sports Network and websites, all of which have served as avenues for the university to advertise players and events. Members of the family have been involved in the school's booster club for five decades, with several serving as officers on the Redhawks Club booster board.

The school's 13th Hall of Fame class will be inducted Jan. 16 at the Show Me Center.