MOUNT OLIVE (Sept. 26) – Four former Mount Olive standouts and the 2004-05 men's basketball program will headline the 17th annual Hall of Fame Class at the University of Mount Olive with the ceremony set for Homecoming Weekend, announced the athletic department on Thursday.
The 2024 inductees are Racey Bartley, Class of 2011 (women's volleyball), Angel Dache, Class of 2014 (men's volleyball), Gina Dos Santos, Class of 2010 (women's soccer), Stephen Mintz (baseball), and the 2004-05 men's basketball team.
Live coverage of the 2024 Hall of Fame induction ceremony can be watched live on Saturday, Nov. 16, starting at 3 p.m. (CLICK HERE TO WATCH)
Bartley was a standout student-athlete for the Trojans from 2006-09, received multiple AVCA All-Region honors, and was a three-time all-conference selection. She is the all-time program leader with a .358 career-hitting percentage while sitting third with 1,398 career kills. Bartley was also a dynamic player at the net, recording 430 career blocks, which sits fourth in UMO history. She ranks among the top 10 all-time with 198 service aces, 160 solo blocks, and 270 block assists in 129 matches.
She eclipsed over 400 kills in her final two seasons with the program and hit over a .300 hitting percentage every year with the Trojans. In her junior season, Bartley ranked sixth in NCAA Division II and led the Conference Carolinas with a .400 clip, totaling 439 kills, 79 services aces, and 109 blocks. She helped the Trojans reach the 2008 conference tournament championship behind a 17-15 overall mark.
"Being inducted into the 2024 UMO Athletics Hall of Fame is truly an honor and humbling experience. This honor is a reminder that with hard work, determination, and a love for what you do, anything is possible," said Bartley. "To every athlete out there, keep pushing forward, stay committed, and never stop believing in yourself. Your journey matters and your hard work will be rewarded."
Dache becomes the first-ever UMO Men's Volleyball player inducted into the Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the Trojans. The University of Mount Olive officially welcomed the program back in 2005-06 with Dache being named the first AVCA All-American in 2014. Additionally, he was a three-time All-Conference Carolinas First-Team selection and was named the 2014 Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year.
A native of Cuba, Dache is the all-time leader in program history with 1,013 career kills, 3.85 kills per set, and 4.53 points per set while sitting second with 1,192 career points. He also holds single-season records with 418 kills, 4.18 kills per set, and 466.5 points. As a team, the Trojans captured a pair of Conference Carolinas Regular Season Titles while earning the 2011 Tournament Championship.
"From immigrant dreams to Hall of Fame aspirations, my journey at the University of Mount Olive is a testament to resilience and the power of believing in oneself," said Dache. " Thank you & GO TROJANS."
Dos Santos is one of the most prolific goal scorers in UMO women's soccer history, a three-time all-conference selection, and was a member of the 2004 Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) Tournament Championship Team.
She is the all-time program leader with 124 career points and 48 career goals while ranking third in team history with 28 assists. In her freshman season, Dos Santos set the single-season record with 48 points and tied the school mark with 20 goals in 2004. The following year, she delivered a 44-point campaign behind 19 goals and six assists in 23 matches. Dos Santos is one of three players in program history to net four goals in a single match.
"This truly is a dream come true. I've dreamt of this moment as a child looking through the glass cases in gymnasiums, admiring their legendary athletes in hopes to one day be among them," said Dos Santos. "I am honored and beyond grateful for this recognition."
Mintz was a pitcher on the 1989-90 UMO Baseball program under Hall of Fame head coach Carl Lancaster and was drafted in the 17th round of the 1990 MLB amateur draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played his first professional season with the Yakima Bears, the Class A short-season organization for Los Angeles before competing two additional years for their organization.
He played for one season in the farm system for the Boston Red Sox before signing with the San Francisco Giants in 1993. Mintz made his major league debut on May 18, 1995, and appeared in 14 games for the Giants. He played four more seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, and Pittsburgh Pirates before making three appearances with the Anaheim Angels in 1999. Mintz concluded his career in 2001 with Anaheim's Triple-A farm club, the Salt Lake Stingers.
After retiring midway through the 2001 season, he remained with the Angels as a pitching coach for the short-season minor league teams. Mintz joined the Twins' organization from 2002-05 as a coach with the Gulf Coast League Twins before being promoted to pitching coach for the Midwest League Beloit Snappers. He continued with the team for two seasons before featuring stints with Double-A New Britain Rock Cats and the Fort Myers Miracle.
Mintz moved to the Texas Rangers organization in 2013 to serve as a pitching coach for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans for two seasons before being promoted twice within the organization. He landed with Down East Wood Ducks as a pitching coach from 2017 to 2020 before being promoted to manager of the club in 2022.
He also featured stints as a manager overseas in the Australian Baseball League with the Adelaide Bite (2015-16) and the Auckland Tuatara (2018-20).
"It is an honor to be inducted into the UMO Athletics Hall of Fame. My impact on UMO is small compared to the impact UMO had on my career and life," said Mintz "I have always said my 34 years of professional baseball was started by the decision I made to attend UMO. My teammates, who are still friends today made everything there so much more meaningful. The time and energy that Roger May put into my baseball time on and off the field was a huge part of my time there. Finally, a huge thank you to Carl Lancaster. He made the biggest impact on me and my baseball career, something that will never be forgotten! On behalf of myself and my family, thank you for this wonderful honor."
2004-05 Men's Basketball Team made history twenty years ago after rising to the program's first-ever NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship and reaching the Elite Eight under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Clingan. Additionally, the Trojans captured the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (CVAC) Regular Season Title and finished the year with a 29-5 overall record behind an 18-2 mark in league play.
Mount Olive featured a top-10 ranked offense in NCAA Division II scoring 85.4 points per game while shooting 49.8 percent from the field. The Trojans featured five players who averaged double-digit points per game, led by first-team all-conference selection guard Elton Coffield, who averaged 17.6 points while knocking down 91 three-pointers. Center Sharome Holloway garnered second-team all-league honors with 11.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.
After securing three victories in the NCAA Tournament including an 80-73 victory over Salem (WV) to clinch the Southeast Regional Title, the Trojans finished No. 13 in the national rankings.
"I congratulate each member of this outstanding team for their Hall of Fame Induction! A great honor for their Elite Eight accomplishment. It goes down in the UMO tradition as the first for the basketball program," said Clingan. "It was a privilege to have coached them. Their character and determination on the court have been exhibited throughout the past twenty years of life. I am so proud of each one of you!"
