MOUNT OLIVE (Nov. 18) – The University of Mount Olive inducted four former UMO student-athletes and one supporter into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon in the Southern Bank Auditorium in W. Burkette and Rose M. Raper Hall.

The annual event brought together plenty of former teammates, coaches, families, and friends this weekend while UMO hosted the 58th annual Pickle Classic and Homecoming. Each inductee showed gratitude, appreciation, and emotion during their speeches about their time at Mount Olive. This year's class brings the total number of hall of fame inductees up to 75.

The Class of 2023 includes Carter Capps, Class of 2011 (baseball), Dianne Riley-Gray, Class of 1967 (supporter), Jesse Lancaster, Class of 2010 (baseball), Michael Knox, Class of 2011 (baseball), and Tomeka Prichard, Class of 2009 (women's basketball).
 
Capps had an incredible two-year stretch with the program after producing a 24-1 record with a 2.28 ERA with 192 strikeouts in 207.1 innings pitched. He won a remarkable 24-straight games with the Trojans while finishing as the all-time leader with 11 complete games and six shutouts. Carter posted a perfect 10-0 record in 2010 behind a 3.06 ERA with 63 strikeouts to earn ABCA First-Team All-Region status. In 2011, he led all of NCAA Division II with 129 strikeouts and delivered a 14-1 record on the mound with a 1.75 ERA in 118 innings pitched. Carter garnered several national awards, including being named the ABCA, NCBWA, and Daktronic Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, he was selected as the National Player of the Year by the ABCA and was a runner-up for the Tino Martinez Award. Following his final season, he was drafted in the three round, pick 121, by the Seattle Mariners. He played five years in the MLB and tossed nearly 150 innings while recording 184 strikeouts in 129 appearances.

Riley-Gray is known for her presence on campus and in the community while being a longtime supporter of UMO Athletics. She is a graduate of Mount Olive Junior College and has been a devoted fan of the Trojans for over 50 years. Riley-Gray has made many financial contributions to the athletic programs and is also the driving force behind several Pickle Classic festivities over the years. She also initiated Church Night on campus over 40 years ago.

Lancaster was a two-way player of the Trojans and a three-time all-conference honoree while being named the 2010 Conference Carolinas Tournament MVP. During his four-year career with UMO, he finished with a .346 batting average, 231 hits, 50 doubles, 17 home runs, and 127 RBI in nearly 200 games played. Additionally, Lancaster was named Freshman of the Year and was part of four conference championship teams. In 2010, Lancaster earned ABCA Second-Team All-Region status after posting a .358 batting average with 72 hits, 19 doubles, 46 RBI, and 64 runs scored in 52 games. He also captured the 600th win all-time for his father, UMO Hall of Famer Carl Lancaster, in a complete-game performance on the mound in an 11-1 win over Erskine in 2006.

Knox delivered two impactful years for the Trojans as one of the top power hitters in NCAA Division II. He was a two-time ABCA First-Team All-American (2010 & 2011) while also receiving a pair of first-team all-region honors. After transferring to the program as a junior, Knox made an immediate impact with a .377 batting average, 24 home runs, 94 RBI, 19 doubles, and 61 runs scored over 52 games. The following season, he produced a .351 average with 23 home runs, 59 RBI, 15 doubles, and 60 runs scored. Knox finished his career as the all-time home run leader with 47 and recorded the most RBI in a single season with 94. He is also one of five players to hit for the cycle during his career and registered five multi-homer games.

Prichard was a four-year member of the program and had a decorated career on-and-off the court for Mount Olive. She sits third all-time in program history with 1,358 career points while finishing second with 217 career blocks. Prichard was named the league Freshman of the Year in 2006 and closed her career as a first-team all-conference and all-tournament selection for the Trojans. In her senior season, Prichard averaged 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 2.5 steals per game. Off the court, she was named the 2008-09 Conference Women of the Year and UMO's Outstanding Student-Athlete.