BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Four great names in the history of WKU Athletics will be inducted as the 29th class into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies set for Homecoming weekend this fall.
The 2019 class includes Megan Argabright Soverns (volleyball), John Bushong (football), Jackie Cooper (tennis) and Anthony Winchester (men's basketball).
The induction of the 2019 class will bring the number of former WKU athletes and coaches to earn berths in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame to 156 since its founding in 1991.
The 2019 class will be inducted in a ceremony highlighting the annual W-Club Homecoming Brunch, set for 10:00 a.m. (CDT), Saturday, Oct. 19, on the main floor (John Oldham Court) in E.A. Diddle Arena on the WKU campus in Bowling Green.
Tickets for the event, which is open to the general public, are $25 each and can be purchased and/or reserved:
• online at alumni.wku.edu/wclubbrunch19 (then click on the "Registration" box and fill out the reservation form)
• by calling the Alumni Office at 270-745-2586;
• or, by contacting either W-Club Treasurer Bill Edwards (270-791-9881; bill.edwards@wku.edu) or W-Club Executive Director Paul Just (270-792-4247; paul.just@wku.edu).
Each active W-Club member who has paid his/her 2019-20 dues (or is a LifeTime member) may purchase up to two seats at $15 each. However, seating is limited and reservations MUST be made — either online, by phone with the Alumni Association, or with Edwards or Just — to ensure seating is available. Non-members and the general public are welcome, but must purchase seats (see above). Letterwinners who have not yet paid their '19-20 dues may do so online with a credit card (at alumni.wku.edu/joinwclub) or at the door with a prior reservation for the event.
The inductees will also be honored in ceremonies on Jimmy Feix Field at halftime of the annual Homecoming football game, set to kickoff at 3:00 p.m. First-year Hilltopper head coach Tyson Helton will pit his Hilltoppers against Conference USA foe Charlotte at Houchens-Smith Stadium. Tickets for the game are available by calling 1-800-5-BIG-RED (or 270-745-5222). W-Club members with a valid 2019-20 membership card may purchase game tickets at a discounted rate at the W-Club Window at Gate-5 prior to the game.
More about the members of the 2019 WKU Athletic Hall of Fame class:
Megan Argabright (Soverns)Â /Â Volleyball, 4 letters (2005-08)
A Volleyball Coaches Association All-American, AVCA All-South Region pick, first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and SBC All-Tournament Team honoree each of her four years on The Hill, she was the SBC Player of the Year in 2006 and was both the league (and the Collegiate Volleyball Update national) Freshman of the Year in '05. Argabright broke school career records for kills (2,001), hitting percentage (.386), blocks assists (362), total blocks (466), matches played (142), and games played (494, tied); and, she owned single season marks for kills (590 in 2006), kills per game (4.68, also in '06) and hitting percentage (.405 in '05). She was the first female athlete in school history to earn All-America honors all four of her varsity seasons. Those four teams were a combined 110-32 overall (77.5%) and 52-11 (82.5%) in SBC play, winning two conference championships; two SBC tournament titles; and making three appearances in the NCAA championships (previously, the Lady Toppers had earned just one NCAA berth -- in 2002). Megan is married to former Topper Track & Field thrower Brian Soverns and they live in Louisville with their four children.
John Bushong / Football, 4 letters (1971-74)
Selected as a member of the WKU All-Century Football Team in 2018, Bushong was an All-America defensive tackle and a four-year starter. He was a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection both his junior and senior seasons, playing on two OVC championship teams ('71 & '73) and two clubs that finished as runner-up in the conference standings. A mainstay in the defensive line, he was credited with 141 main tackles and 66 assisted stops in his career, ranking among the top three tacklers on the club in both his sophomore and senior seasons. He was a key factor on Topper defensive units that surrendered an average of just 9.9 points per game in 43 outings over his four years on The Hill. Those WKU clubs won 34 of 43 games (79.1%) overall and were 23-5 (82.1%) in league play. He was drafted in the 8th round by the NFL Baltimore Colts in 1975 and was a member of five NFL clubs — Baltimore, Dallas, New York Giants, New York Jets and San Diego — along with Saskatchewan in the CFL, over several seasons. Bushong resides in Madisonville with his wife, Cheryl (Robinson), a former Hilltopper cheerleader.
Jackie Cooper / Tennis, 3 letters (1965-67)
At one time, the number-one ranked junior tennis athlete in the world, Cooper ranks as one of the dominate athletes in WKU and Ohio Valley Conference tennis history. The OVC Player-of-the-Year in both 1966 and '67 after winning the league #1 singles title each season, Cooper helped lead Coach Ted Hornback's Hilltoppers to the 1965 OVC championship and to runner-up finishes in both '66 & '67. He teamed with Jim Malone to claim conference titles at #1 doubles in '66 and again in '67. His three Topper teams went a collective 39-10-1 (79%) in dual match action (9-3-1 in '65, '14-4 in '66 and 16-3 in '67). And, as a senior, he posted a 21-1 mark at #1 singles and was (with Malone) a perfect 21-0 at #1 doubles. Before coming to The Hill, Jackie was a member of the Junior Davis Cup Team (Arthur Ashe was among his team mates) and he was both a national high school champion and U.S. National champion. He dedicated his adult life to the game and settled in Southern California, where he developed a reputation as the "tennis instructor to the stars". He also won several national seniors championships. Cooper passed away in 2013.
Anthony Winchester / Basketball, 4 letters (2003-06)
An All-American in 2005, he was the SBC Player-of-the-Year as a senior, the Freshman of the Year as a rookie and a two-time first-team All-SBC pick who accounted for 1,732 career points (14.1 ppg), ranking him among the top 10 scorers in WKU history. Twice named to the NABC All-District Team, he shot 47% from the floor (nearly 42% on 3-pointers — the second best in team history) for his career. He set school records for three's in a game (8, tied), career threes (247), and career (81.03%) and single season (87.8%) free throw accuracy. The 564 points he scored in the '04-05 season was the most for a Topper junior since 1970; and the 576 he tallied as a senior was the most since 1993. He led the club in scoring his last two seasons (18.2 in '05 and 18.6 in '06) and was also effective on the boards, leading the team in reobunding as a junior (7.2 rpg). Three of his teams won 20-or-more games, winning two SBC division titles, one league tourney, and earning three post-season berths. Overall, those clubs were 84-39 (68.3%) and went 41-15 (73.2%) in league play. He played three seasons of pro ball in Spain. Winchester is now a member of the basketball staff at Southern Miss.
