Five new members will be named to Elon's Sports Hall of Fame at ceremonies Sept. 24. They include: basketball and softball player Laura Case Beatty, softball pitcher Donna Leigh Holder, tennis coach Tom Parham, baseball and basketball player Scott Quakenbush and basketball player Drew Van Horn.
Beatty lettered in basketball and softball four times each during her career at Elon from 1989-1993. She earned all-conference recognition on six occasions – four times in softball and twice in basketball. As a freshman, the Elon second baseman batted .305 (29-for-95) with 22 runs scored, 15 runs batted in and nine stolen bases in 36 softball games on her way to second team all-conference accolades in 1990. As a sophomore, Beatty forged a .358 batting average (29-for-81) with 21 runs scored, 21 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases in 27 contests en route to second team all-league and first team all-district distinction in 1991. As a junior, she hit .387 (55-for-142) with 43 runs scored, 31 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases in 45 games on her way to first team all-conference, first team all-district and district all-tournament status in 1992. During her senior campaign, Beatty fashioned a .412 batting average (42-for-102) with 23 runs scored and 29 runs batted in for 33 contests en route to first team all-conference, conference all-tournament, first team all-district and district all-tournament honors in 1993. For her career, she batted .369 (155-for-420) with 109 runs scored, 96 runs batted in, 35 stolen bases, 23 doubles, 21 triples and six home runs in 141 games.
To this day, Beatty holds the Elon softball program record for the most runs scored in a single season with 55 in 1992. She still paces all-time program leaders with 21 career triples. Beatty ranks among Elon’s all-time leaders in single-season batting average (third at .412 in 1993), in career batting average (second at .369) and in career slugging percentage (third at .557). At the time of the conclusion of her career, she ranked first in single-season batting average and career batting average while rating second in career slugging percentage.
On the basketball court, Beatty fired 50.0 percent from the field and 72.9 percent from the free throw line while averaging 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds for 24 games as a freshman. As a sophomore, the forward shot 47.2 percent from the floor and 72.2 percent from the charity stripe while averaging 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22 contests. As a junior, she hit 57.1 percent of her attempts from the field and 75.9 percent from the line while averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in 23 games on her way to second team all-conference honors. As a senior, Beatty sank a league-leading 56.1 percent of her shots from the floor and 80.2 percent of her attempts from the line while averaging 17.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 24 contests en route to second team all-league recognition, first team all-district distinction and team MVP status. For her career, she fired 53.9 percent from the field and 76.3 percent from the stripe while averaging 12.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 93 games.
Beatty still paces Elon’s all-time leaders in career field goal percentage (53.9 percent/418-of-775) while ranking third in career free throw percentage (76.3 percent/280-of-367), third in career free throws made (280), eighth in career free throws attempted (367), 10th in career points per game (12.0 points in 93 contests), 13th in total career points (1,116), fifth in single-season field goal percentage (57.1 percent/141-of-247 in 1991-92), seventh in single-season field goal percentage (56.1 percent/151-of-269 in 1992-93), seventh in single-season free throws made (105 in 1992-93) and eighth in single-season free throw percentage (80.2 percent/105-of-131 in 1992-93). At the time of the conclusion of her career, the 1993 Stein H. Basnight Outstanding Elon Athlete of the Year ranked first in career free throw percentage, second in career free throws made and third in career free throws attempted.
Before coming to Elon, the Arden, N.C. native and current resident was a prep star at T.C. Roberson High School in Asheville, N.C. While at Elon, she participated in the Leadership Fellows Program and earned Dean’s List distinction. After graduating with a B.S. degree in physical education in 1994, Beatty spent five years (1994-99) as the head girls’ basketball coach, the head softball coach and a physical education/health teacher at Southeast Randolph Middle School in Ramseur, N.C. She then served two years (1999-2001) as the head varsity volleyball coach, head varsity softball coach, assistant varsity girls’ basketball coach, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter sponsor and physical education/health teacher at Erwin High School in Asheville, N.C. Beatty has worked the past four years (2001-present) as the head varsity softball coach, assistant varsity basketball coach, director of intramurals and physical education/health teacher and department chair at T.C. Roberson. She and her husband, James, have a son, Jimmy, and a daughter, Meaghan.
Holder was a four-year starting pitcher and four-year letterwinner for the Elon softball team from 1990-93. As a freshman, she fashioned a 16-14 record and a 4.61 ERA with 154 strikeouts in 205 innings and 32 appearances – 30 complete games – on her way to second team all-conference accolades, SAC Freshman of the Year honors, first team all-district distinction and district all-tournament status in 1990. At the plate, Holder batted .241 (13-for-54) with 11 runs scored and 10 runs batted in while helping her squad to a district championship. As a sophomore, she forged a 13-9 ledger and a 3.42 ERA with 126 strikeouts in 144 and 2/3 innings and 24 appearances en route to first team all-district recognition in 1991. She hit .286 (10-for-35) that season with eight runs scored and five runs batted in. As a junior, Holder built an 18-6 mark and a 1.94 ERA with 191 strikeouts in 158 and 2/3 innings and 24 appearances on her way to first team all-league, conference all-tournament, first team all-district and district all-tournament recognition in 1992. She batted .421 (32-for-76) with 11 runs scored and 15 runs batted in while helping Elon to a regular season conference crown. As a senior, Holder turned in a 14-4 slate and a 0.68 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 123 and 1/3 innings and 20 appearances en route to first team all-conference, league all-tournament, conference tournament MVP and first team all-district honors in 1993. She hit .286 (22-for-77) with 22 runs scored and nine runs batted in while helping her team to conference tournament title.
For her career, Holder appeared in the circle 100 games, pitching 631 and 2/3 innings, striking out 592 batters and walking 280 others while amassing a 61-33 record (.649) with a save and a 2.39 ERA. She batted .318 (77-for-242) with 52 runs scored and 39 runs batted in. The 1990 season – Holder’s freshman year – marked the first fast-pitch softball campaign for both Elon and the South Atlantic Conference. During her junior season, she finished fourth in the country at the NCAA-II level with 8.43 strikeouts hurled per contest.
Holder continues to hold program records in career innings pitched (631 and 2/3), career total strikeouts (592), career starts (90), career complete games (89), single-season total strikeouts (191 in 1992), single-season strikeouts per game (8.43 in 1992), single-season complete games (30 in 1990), single-season ERA (0.68 in 1993) and single-season assists (215 in 1992). The 1993 Elon graduate earned her B.S. degree in biology and went on to play softball professionally in Italy. Holder was the Biology Lab Coordinator at Salem College and conducted research for children’s kidney diseases at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C. Before coming to Elon, she was a star for Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. Holder is deceased. She is survived by her husband of four years, Benjamin, and their children, Graham and Cameron.
Parham coached the Elon’s men’s tennis team for 19 seasons (1986-2004) and the women’s squad for four campaigns (2001-04). His men’s teams compiled a 279-115 record (.708), including a 97-19 ledger (.836) versus league competition. He retired last year with a 597-183 career slate (.765) for his 38 seasons as a head college men’s tennis coach. Parham spent his first 19 seasons as the head coach at Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, N.C., where he guided the program to NAIA Division I national titles in 1979 and 1984. He won a third NAIA Division I title with Elon in 1990.
Parham’s Elon teams captured 11 consecutive conference titles, including eight-straight South Atlantic Conference crowns, from 1987-1997. Elon teams advanced to the National Tournament in each of those 11 seasons, capturing five district titles during that span. He also led Elon to five NAIA District 26 championships. From 1987-1991, Parham’s teams did not drop a conference match, posting a 34-0 record during that span. In his time as a head coach, the 1963 Atlantic Christian graduate and Burlington, N.C., resident was named National Coach of the Year four times. He was named NAIA District 26 Coach of the Year four times and conference coach of the year six times while at Elon. Under his tutelage, 17 Elon players were named All-Americans, nine earned Academic All-American status, seven were named conference MVP and two earned NAIA District 26 MVP. Altogether, Parham’s teams claimed 30 consecutive winning seasons at one point in time, appeared in 28 national tournaments and captured 22 conference crowns while he amassed 45 Coach of the Year awards.
The Elon Sports Hall of Fame marks his sixth such induction. Parham has also been inducted into the NAIA, North Carolina, Atlantic Christian College/Barton College, South Atlantic Conference and Wilson County Sports Halls of Fame. While at Elon, Parham held the titles of associate professor in health and physical education (1985-2004), assistant director of athletics (1986-1991), associate director of athletics (1991-99) and director of tennis operations (1999-2004). He also received the Elon Medallion and three National Community Service Awards. He and his wife, Margaret, have a pair of sons, Tee and Dan.
A two-year starter and two-year letterman at third base, Quakenbush helped the Elon baseball team to conference championships in both 1950 and 1951. After the 1951 campaign, he played baseball professionally for a combined seven-year period – between the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox organizations – interrupted by two years spent in the service. Quakenbush He batted .321 (64-for-199) with 48 runs scored, 10 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, seven stolen bases and 60 runs batted in during that period, earning all-conference accolades both seasons. He hit .314 (33-for-105) with 32 runs scored and 42 runs batted in during the 1950 campaign before batting .329 (31-for-94) with 16 runs scored and 18 runs batted in during the 1951 season. He also earned a pair of varsity letters in basketball.
A Swepsonville, N.C., native and current Burlington, N.C., resident, Quakenbush is now a retired executive vice president and sales manager of the Carolina Paper Box Company. He graduated from Elon in 1953. He and his wife, Jenny, have three children – Scotty, Randall and Kerry.
Van Horn was a four-year starter and four-year letterman for the Elon men’s basketball team from 1978-1982. During the 1978-79 campaign, the freshman guard averaged 8.9 points per game for 28 contests. As a sophomore, Van Horn averaged 11.1 points for 28 games during the 1979-1980 season. He averaged 10.4 points for 30 contests as a junior and 10.5 points for 28 games as a senior. For his career, Van Horn averaged 10.2 points for 114 contests. He still ranks as Elon’s 19th all-time leading scorer with 1,168 career points.
A two-time first team all-conference selection, Van Horn served Elon as its team captain his senior year. He was also honored as his team’s most valuable player one season. Also a standout in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, the two-time Academic All-American was named the A.L. Hook Scholar-Athlete at the annual Elon Athletics Awards Banquet in both 1981 and 1982. He was a member of the Alpha Chi and Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Societies.
A Valdese, N.C., native and a Brevard, N.C., resident, Van Horn has served Brevard College as its president since 2002. He earned a B.A. degree in human services from Elon in 1982, a M.Ed. degree in counseling from Campbell University in 1983 and a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from the University of South Carolina in 2002. Van Horn and his wife, Camille, have a daughter, Julia, and a son, Jack.