COLUMBUS STATE HALL OF FAME CLASS ANNOUNCED

Columbus, GA - Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame president Scott Miller today announced the list of inductees for the 2007 class. Brian Dixon, Gary Hall, Chubby Jackson, and Scott Riddle comprise the 2007 class. The four inductees represent golf, men's basketball, and baseball.

"We feel like this is another exceptional group of former Cougars going into the Hall of Fame," said Miller. "Each one of these men made significant contributions to the University during their respective careers and helped to lay the groundwork for the success our program continues to enjoy."

Dixon won the NCAA Division II individual championship while helping the Cougars to the 1989 National Championship in golf. He earned All-America honors that season after his win in Eerie, PA, and was then an Honorable Mention All-American in 1990 after leading his squad to a runners-up finish at the D-II Championship.

Dixon was selected to play as an individual in the 1989 NCAA Division I championship after his individual title, and was also selected to play in the John Hancock All-America Tournament in El Paso, TX. He graduated from Columbus College in 1990 with a degree in criminal justice and serves his community by organizing numerous fund-raising events each year for groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, Stepping Stones, and the Leukemia Society. He serves as the head golf professional at the Griffin Country Club.

Gary Hall, a Hardaway High School graduate, played two seasons of baseball for the Cougars in 1976 and 1977 after playing two years of junior college ball at Calhoun Junior College in Alabama. He batted .375 in his senior season and set single season records at the time for home runs (14), doubles (17), extra-base hits (32), RBI (69), total bases (127), and slugging percentatge (.720). He also set a two-year career record for RBI with 104.

Hall was named to the South Atlantic Conference All-Conference team asw a catcher and to the league's All-SAC Tournament team as a designated hitter. He became the first Columbus College player to be drafted by a Major League team when he was selected in the 14th round of the 1977 draft by the Minnesota Twins.

Chubby Jackson played two seasons of basketball for the Cougars from 1983 to 1985. He helped the Herber Greene - coached squads to a two-year mark of 44-13, averaging 15.2 points per game in 49 career games. He set a school mark that still stands as a senior by shooting just over 64 percent from the floor.

Jackson averaged 14.8 points per game to go with 8.4 rebounds in his junior season. He followed that with 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game as a senior. For his career, he averaged 15.2 points and 8.8 boards while scoring 851 points. He also contributed 125 assists, 110 steals, and 43 blocked shots. Shot just over 62 percent (350-564) for his two-year career.

Scott Riddle played two seasons of baseball for the Cougars during the ultra-successful mid-80's years. He helped the Cougars to a two-year mark of 84-29 and two trips to the NCAA Division II World Series, including a berth in the championship game in 1986. He was a two-time Division II All-American, earning First Team honors in 1986 and Second Team honors in 1987. He still holds the single-season record for RBI at CSU with 83 in the 1986 season.

Riddle was a career .367 hitter with 24 doubles, nine triples, and 27 homers in his two seasons. He fanned just 32 times in 414 at-bats and drove in 146 runs in 113 games played.

The 2007 induction ceremony will be held in the President's Suite at the Lumpkin Center at noon on November 17, 2007.

NOTE: Nominations for the 2008 CSU Hall of Fame class are now open. Those wishing to nominate former Cougars may access the nomination form at http://csucougars.com. The form can be filled out and submitted online, or it may be printed and mailed or delivered to the CSU Athletic Department.

Source: Columbus State University Sports Information