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Varsity K Awards and Hall of Fame Criteria
This award was established in 2012 to recognize a collective team who received distinct honors, awards or accomplishments at Kent State University.
2024: 1998-99 Men's Basketball and 2008 Softball
The 1998-99 Kent State men's basketball team made history as the first in program history to reach the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Led by head coach Gary Waters, the team had a remarkable season, finishing second in the MAC East regular season standings. They showcased their resilience in the MAC Tournament, defeating Marshall in a thrilling 79-76 quarterfinal victory, followed by a strong 68-57 win over Ohio in the semifinals. In the MAC Tournament final, Kent State secured a 49-43 victory over Miami, earning the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Playing as the No. 11 seed in the East region, Kent State concluded their historic season with a 23-7 record, including an 11-5 mark in conference play.
The 2008 Kent State softball team made history, advancing to the NCAA Regional finals and setting a new standard for excellence in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). With 46 victories, the Golden Flashes achieved the most wins by any MAC team since league play began in 1983. They tied school records with 40 regular-season victories and 20 conference wins, and became the first team in Kent State history to record three consecutive 30-win seasons and three straight MAC East Division titles. The 2008 senior class went out in style, accumulating 135 career wins, more than any other class in the program's history.
Under the leadership of head coach Karen Linder, who surpassed 600 career victories and notched her 350th win at Kent State, the team also made history on the mound. Pitchers Kylie Reynolds and Gabe Burns became the first duo in school history to each win 20 games and strike out more than 200 batters in a single season. The team shattered records, including 74 stolen bases, 529 strikeouts, and holding opponents to a .163 batting average. Individually, Jamie Fitzpatrick extended her career-leading home run total to 36 and became Kent State’s all-time leader in RBIs with 120. Kim Hamilton set the school’s career record for runs scored with 140, while Jessica Toocheck tied the school’s single-season RBI record with 48.
2023: 1978 Field Hockey
Led by Varsity K Hall of Fame and National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame member Judy Devine, MA ’70, the 1978 Kent State Field Hockey team won 17 games and earned the first postseason appearance in the program’s history as an at-large selection for the Midwest Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women regional tournament. Team members Sue Jensen, ’78, and Jill Woodruff, ’79, are members of the Varsity K Hall of Fame. The Golden Flashes posted a program record 16 shutouts during the season.
2022: 2012 Baseball
The Golden Flashes’ historic 2012 season on the diamond was highlighted by the program’s first College World Series appearance in Omaha, where they eliminated No. 1 ranked Florida. Managed by Stricklin and led by co-captains Rider and Starn, the team won a school record 47 games.
2020-2021: 2011 Women's Gymnastics
The 2011 squad made the 2011 NCAA Championships and finished a program-best 12th in the Nation. They are still the only MAC team ever to qualify for the NCAA Championships. After finishing second at the MAC Championships at Central Michigan, Kent State went on to finish second in the six-team Ann Arbor Regional, earning a spot in the National Championships. The Flashes nearly swept all of the Conference's specialty awards, capturing the Gymnast of the Year, Senior of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Specialist of the Year.
2019: 1984 Men's Golf
The 1984 men's golf team earned Page his first of 23 Mid-American Conference titles as head coach. The Golden Flashes won four tournament titles that season and advanced to the NCAA Championships.
2018: 1954 Wrestling, 2000 and 2002 Field Hockey
The 1954 wrestling team, coached by Kent State legend Joe Begala, went 9-0 in dual meets with four shutouts. The Golden Flashes went on to win the MAC Tournament in convincing fashion with four individual conference champions. The 2000 and 2002 field hockey teams, both coached by De Vries, took Kent State's program to new heights. The 2000 squad is still the last Mid-American Conference team to go 10-0 in conference play. In 2002, the Golden Flashes earned the program's highest ranking at No. 7 in the final NFHCA Poll. Both teams advanced to the NCAA tournament.
2017: 1995-96 and 1997-98 Women's Basketball
The 1995-96 club, seeded 10th after receiving just the second at-large bid in conference history, upset seventh-seeded Texas A&M University, 72-68, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Flashes then bowed out to host and second-seeded Penn State University, 86-59, in the second round. The 1997-98 team finished a perfect 21-0 against Mid-American Conference foes, claiming its second regular-season championship in three years and first MAC Tournament title in school history with a 64-56 triumph over chief nemesis Toledo.
2016: 2001-02 Men's Basketball
15 years after their legendary Elite Eight run, the 2001-02 men's basketball team was honored as the 2016 Team of Distinction. Winning Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament championships, the Golden Flashes finished with a program record 30 victories. Under head coach Stan Heath, Kent State put together a MAC-record 21-game winning streak, including NCAA Tournament victories over Oklahoma State, Alabama and Pitt.
2015: 1954 Football and 1954 Men's Golf
Coached by Trevor Rees, the 1954 Golden Flashes went 8-1 during the regular season and played in the program's first bowl game (Refrigerator Bowl). The 1954 men's golf team will also be getting the Team of Distinction award after becoming the Flashes' first team to advance to the NCAA Championships.
2014: 1972 Football
The 6–5–1 (4–1 MAC) Golden Flashes offense scored 191 points while the defense allowed 196 points in the 1972 season and are one of the most fondly remembered teams in school history capturing the school's only Mid-American Conference title in the final game of the regular season against the Toledo Rockets. Their reward for the championship was an invitation to play in the Tangerine Bowl, a precursor to the modern-day Citrus Bowl, against the Tampa Spartans. Names like Saban, Lambert, James and Bruce graced the sidelines in what has to be one of the most random collections of star power talent the sport has ever seen.
2013: 1990 Softball
Led by fifth-year head coach Sue Lilley, the Cinderella squad was youth-laden with just two seniors and 10 players of only sophomore or freshman status. The Flashes certainly got the 90s off on the right foot, opening the season with nine victories in 10 games and six days at the Houston Games at Sam Houston State. Kent State began conference action by losing its first two MAC meetings at Western Michigan, then proceeded to rattle off 19 straight conference victories and finish the regular season with a 40-7 overall record (20-4 MAC). With Lilley's coaching and the combination of talents peaking at the perfect time, KSU captured its first MAC softball crown and punched its ticket to its first NCAA postseason appearance. Despite being ranked 17th in the country going into the NCAA Mideast Regional in Columbus, Ohio, the Flashes certainly did not receive the noteriety that Ohio State and Oregon did but he Golden Flashes responded to the doubters in emphatic fashion, posting back-to-back shutouts of the Buckeyes and Ducks and then sealing the regional championship with a 5-3 victory over OSU on its home turf. The regional title set Kent State up with a date against two-time defending national champion UCLA in the opening game of the College World Series. Kent State's stay in Oklahoma City was short, as the Flashes fell to UCLA and UNLV in the double-elimination tournament.
2012: 1972-73 Men's Track and Field
The 1972-73 men's track & field team finished second in the nation at the NCAA Championship Indoor meet for the highest national finish by any team in Kent State athletics history. Led by three Olympians, the team also took sixth at the NCAA Championship Outdoor meet.
