10/30/2026 12:15:00 PM | Baseball, Field Hockey, Football, Men's Golf, Softball, Gymnastics, Men's Track & Field, The Golden Flashes Club, Varsity "K" Hall of Fame
KENT, Ohio — Kent State has announced the eight-member 2026 Varsity K Athletics Hall of Fame class, which will be honored as part of the 47th induction ceremony on Jan. 30, 2027. The class includes five All-Americans and seven Golden Flashes who competed professionally in their sport.
Joining the Hall of Fame are Chris Carpenter (baseball, 2005-08), Jose Davis (football, 1997-99), Ines Delpech (field hockey, 2014-17), Wayne Gordon (men's track and field, 2013-16), Ian Holt (men's golf, 2015-18), Holly Speers (softball, 2015-18), Rachel Stypinski (women's gymnastics, 2015-18) and Henry Waszczuk (football, 1972-74).
Carpenter was the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year during his final season in 2008, as he led the league with 88 strikeouts and ranked in the top three in opponent batting average (.204) and earned run average (3.81). He totaled 13 victories over three seasons and helped Kent State capture a MAC Tournament title in 2007 and regular season crown in 2008. Carpenter was selected in the third round of the 2008 MLB Draft and pitched in the majors for the Cubs and Red Sox.
Davis was a three-year starter at quarterback and left his mark all over the Flashes record book. He remains the all-time leader in touchdown passes (57) and ranks fourth in career passing yards (6,722). His 32 touchdown passes in 1997 are 12 more season than any other player in program history. Davis also had two of the greatest single-game passing performances in MAC history, as his seven touchdown throws against Central Michigan in 1997 are tied for the conference record and his 551 yards against UCF that same year ranks third all-time.
Delpech capped her decorated career with NFHCA All-America Third Team honors as a senior. She was a three-time NFHCA All-West Region selection and earned All-MAC and All-MAC Tournament Team honors in all four seasons as a Flash. Delpech led Kent State to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and scored the game-winner against Delaware in 2014, which remains the only postseason victory in program history. She was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, earning first-team honors as a senior and second-team honors as a junior.
Gordon earned All-America second-team honors in 2016 with a 10th-place finish in the 200-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. A three-time MAC Championships Most Outstanding Track Performer, he won 10 individual conference titles and is one of only two sprinters ever to win the 100-meter dash in four consecutive years. Gordon owns the fastest indoor 200m time (20.74) in Flashes history and also owns top 10 times in the indoor 60m, outdoor 100m and outdoor 200m.
Holt was a two-time All-American, including second team honors as a senior. A three-time PING All-Region selection and two-time MAC Golfer of the Year, he led the Flashes to a pair of top 25 NCAA Championships finishes. Holt's 71.23 career scoring average is the third lowest in program history. He recently earned his PGA Tour card for the 2027 season.
Speers is the only NFCA All-America First Team selection in program history and put together one of the greatest offensive seasons in MAC history as a senior in 2018. In addition to setting conference records for batting average (.483) and walks (60), she was the national leader in batting average, slugging percentage (1.033), on-base percentage (.656) and walks per game (1.20). As a sophomore, Speers set a NCAA record by hitting a home run in five consecutive official at-bats. A long-time member of the Canadian National Team, she played for the Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois during the franchise's National Pro Fastpitch expansion season in 2019.
Stypinski earned four regular season All-America honors across three different events. After leading Kent State to a MAC Championships title and being named MAC Specialist of the Year and MAC Freshman of the Year in 2015, she earned MAC Gymnast of the Year honors and helped the Flashes qualify for NCAA Regionals in each of her final three seasons. Stypinski earned a 9.950 on uneven bars twice, which is tied for the school record, and is the only gymnast in program history to post an all-around score of 39.500 or higher five times.
Waszczuk played on the offensive line for the 1972 MAC championship team and was a unanimous All-MAC First Team selection at center in 1974. He played 10 seasons for the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats and was a seven-time all-star.
The 2008 Men's Golf team has been selected as the Team of Distinction and will be recognized during this year's ceremony. Led by All-American David Markle and Varsity K Hall of Fame member John Hahn, the Golden Flashes recorded the best stroke play finish at the NCAA Championships in program history by placing sixth.
Additional honorees for the 2026 class include McKenzie Lyng (Distinguished Athletic Alumnus), Dr. Mark Lyberger (Honorary Varsity K), Jim Sebastian (Varsity K Person of the Year) and Valoree Vargo (Rudy Bachna Memorial Award).
This year's ceremony will take place in the Kent State Student Center Ballroom and is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the event are $75 for adults and $45 for children 12 and under. Children 3 and under are free.
For reservations, visit https://kentstatesports.com/2026HOF. Contact The Golden Flashes Club with questions at 330-672-2078 or thegoldenflashesclub@kent.edu.
2026 Varsity K Hall of Fame Inductees
Chris Carpenter, Baseball
Jose Davis, Football
Ines Delpech, Field Hockey
Wayne Gordon, Men's Track & Field
Ian Holt, Men's Golf
Holly Speers, Softball
Rachel Stypinski, Women's Gymnastics
Henry Wasczcuk, Football
Honorees
Teams of Distinction: 2008 Men's Golf
Distinguished Athletic Alumnus: McKenzie Lyng
Honorary Varsity K: Dr. Mark Lyberger
Varsity K Person of Year: Jim Sebastian
Rudy Bachna Memorial Award: Valoree Vargo
