Inductees Announced for the University of Louisville Athletics Hall of Fame

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From www.gocards.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Six outstanding individuals will be inducted into the University of Louisville Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 23 in the Brown & Williamson Club of Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

The list includes Deion Branch, a receiver for the Cardinals’ football team who later was named MVP of the Super Bowl; Herbert Crook, a starting forward on UofL’s 1986 NCAA Championship team who is among the Cardinals’ career scoring and rebounding leaders; Sonya Gubaidulina Karmazin, an All-American volleyball player for the Cardinals who is ninth in career kills at UofL; Christy Hershey Allman, a four-year starter at goalkeeper for the Cardinals’ field hockey team and a two-time All-American; Mark Jurich, an All-American outfielder for the Cardinals who is among the Cardinals career power hitting leaders; and Sara Nord, the Cardinals’ all-time assist leader in women’s basketball.

UofL hall of fame

The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and the induction ceremony to follow.  Tickets are $45 per person and may be purchased online through “My Cardinal Account” at GoCards.com.  Additional information may be obtained via email at ronee@gocards.com or by calling 502-852-2015.  The inductees will also be recognized at the Cardinals’ Oct. 24 homecoming football game against Boston College.

“It’s a treat to have the opportunity to honor an exceptional group of individuals who have each contributed so much to the tradition of Cardinal Athletics,” said UofL Vice-President and Director of Athletics Tom Jurich. “It will be a special evening as we pay tribute to some outstanding people who have represented our university with great distinction.”

Deion Branch (2000-01) was a stellar wide receiver for two seasons at Louisville after transferring from Jones County Junior College.  With just two seasons at UofL, he is seventh in career receiving yards with 2,204 yards and his 18 touchdowns are the fourth-most.  A native of Albany, Ga., both of his seasons rank among the top ten in receptions for a single season at UofL, with 72 catches in 2001 (fifth) and 71 in 2000 (sixth).  A two-time All-Conference USA selection, his 11 career 100-yard receiving games is the second-most in school history.  After helping the Cardinals win two C-USA Championships, Branch was selected in the second round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots.  While with the Patriots, he was honored as the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXIX after producing 11 catches for 133 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles.  He totaled 518 receptions for 6,644 yards and 39 touchdowns in 11 seasons with the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.

Herbert Crook (1984-88) was among the most productive forwards in UofL history as one of six players to rank among the career top 15 in both scoring and rebounding.  A starting forward as a sophomore on the Cardinals’ 1986 NCAA Championship team, Crook ranks 10th in career scoring for the Cardinals with 1,723 points and 11th in rebounding with 877 boards.  A Louisville native who played at Eastern High School, he was the 1987 Metro Conference Player of the Year and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1988 Metro Conference Tournament.  A third round draft selection of the Indiana Pacers, Crook played two professional seasons in the Continental Basketball Association, averaging 11.7 points and 6.4 rebounds over 56 games with four different teams.

Sonya Gubaidulina Karmazin (1996-98) was an All-America outside hitter in volleyball who helped UofL advance to their its first NCAA Sweet 16s in 1996 and 1998.  In her first year with the Cardinals in 1995, she was an AVCA All-American and All-Region selection as UofL won the Metro Conference and posted a 29-6 record.  Hailing from Moscow, Russia, the transfer from Barry was a three-time All-Conference USA selection, leading the Cardinals to league titles in all three seasons.  As a senior, Gubaidulina was the 1998 C-USA Player of the Year and was the league tournament MVP.  She ranks ninth in career kills at UofL with 1,253.

Christy Hershey Allman (2000-03) became the Cardinals’ first field hockey All-American in 2001, earning third team honors by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).  A native of Palmyra, Pa., Hershey owns the UofL career record for shutouts with 24.5.  She was the 2003 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and also earned All-America honors that season.  Hershey helped the Cardinals win the 2002 MAC regular season co-championship and the 2003 league tournament title and played on Louisville’s first team to receive an NCAA Tournament bid (2003).

Mark Jurich (2001-04) was an outstanding outfielder who was a powerful force from the left side of the plate.  He was a two-time All-American (NCBWA third team in 2002, 2004), was twice honored as a first-team All-Conference USA selection (2002, 2004) and was named to the C-USA All-Decade Team spanning 1995-2005.  Jurich led the Cardinals in hitting (.365) and home runs (16) in 2002 as UofL won 39 games and advanced to its first NCAA Regional.  Jurich is among the all-time leaders at UofL, ranking 2nd in career doubles (58), 5th in career home runs (47), 9th in career triples (12) and 10th in career RBI (178).  After his collegiate career, Jurich played five seasons of professional baseball (2004-08) with the Atlanta Braves organization.  He is in his sixth year in athletics administration at UofL, currently serving as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development.  His father Tom is the Cardinals’ Vice President and Director of Athletics.

Sara Nord (2000-04) is the Cardinals’ all-time leader in assists with 852, second in career steals with 303, third in career three-pointers with 206, and seventh in career scoring with 1,645 points.  A native of Jeffersonville, Ind., and a former Miss Indiana Basketball, Nord was a four-time first team All-Conference USA was named to the C-USA All-Decade team in 2005.  She earned freshman All-America honors in 2001 when she produced her first of three career triple-doubles.  Her jersey was honored in 2012, a recognition displayed above the court in the KFC Yum! Center.  She played briefly in the WNBA for the Washington Mystics.