Aug. 27, 2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Six outstanding individuals will be inducted into the University of Louisville Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 9 at the Brown and Williamson Club in Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

The list includes Tommy Barnes, a former shortstop who is the career hits leader for the Cardinals; Theresa Borho, a field hockey goalkeeper who is second in career shutouts at U of L; Michael Mather, the Cardinals' first tennis All-American who was undefeated in dual matches during the regular season his senior year; Kristin Mattox Cox, a two-time All-Metro Conference guard who is the fourth highest career scorer at U of L; Roman Oben, an All-America offensive lineman for the Cardinals who went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL; and Ted Washington, a dominating defensive lineman for the Cardinals who went on to play 17 years in the NFL.

The event will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony to follow. Tickets are $40 per person and may be obtained by calling U of L Athletics at (502) 852-8460. The inductees will also be recognized at the Cardinals' Oct. 10 homecoming football game against Southern Mississippi.

"We always look forward to welcoming back and honoring a terrific group of former student-athletes who have left an enduring legacy to the tradition of Cardinal Athletics," said U of L Director of Athletics Tom Jurich.

Tommy Barnes (1991-93) is the career hit leader for the Cardinals' baseball program, amassing 287 hits in three seasons with the Cardinals. He had 101 hits -- including 21 doubles -- during the 1993 season and is one of four U of L players ever to produce as many as 100 hits in a season. He nearly reached that mark in 1992 (99 hits, fifth most in a U of L single season) when the Cardinals won 37 games, matching the second most victories in U of L history at that time. Barnes earned All-Metro Conference honors twice while operating as the Cardinals' shortstop for three seasons.

Theresa Borho (1978-82) was a standout goalkeeper for U of L field hockey. She is currently second on the school's list for career shutouts with 17, a record she held from 1982 until 2000, when All-American Christy Hershey broke the mark. She holds the record for single season shutout with nine, accomplished during the 1978 season. Her efforts in 1980 helped the Cardinals post a 12-6 record, the most victories for a U of L team at that time. She was named to the KWIC All-Tournament team in 1979.

Michael Mather (1996-98) reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament in the spring of 1998, becoming the Cardinals' first tennis All-American. He had entered the tournament with a perfect 22-0 dual match record, the only college player in the nation that year to go undefeated in the regular season at that time. Mather earned first team All-Conference USA honors as a junior and senior. He finished his senior year ranked 13th in the nation in singles, the highest ranking ever for a U of L tennis player. He is one of only six players in U of L history to record at least 30 overall wins. He compiled a 20-8 overall record and went 13-3 in dual matches as a junior after transferring from Notre Dame.

Kristen Mattox Cox (1992-96) scored 1,737 points as a stellar guard for the Cardinals, ranking her fourth among all-time scorers at U of L. She earned Metro Conference All-Rookie team honors as a freshman in 1993 while playing on U of L's first team to advance past the NCAA Tournament first round. An All-Metro Conference selection as a junior and senior, her 92.1 percent free throw percentage (116 of 126) as a senior led the nation and set a U of L season mark. She is the Cards' career leader in free throw percentage (85.2 percent) and three-point field goals (271). Mattox Cox is one of only three Cardinals to average more than 20 points in a single season, averaging 20.6 as a senior in 1995-96.

Roman Oben (1992-95) was a powerful offensive lineman for the Cardinals for four years. He earned first team All-America honors in 1994 when he didn't allow a sack the entire season. Oben is one of a select group of former Cardinals whose jersey has been honored and is displayed at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. He was a third round pick by the New York Giants in the NFL draft and went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL for the Giants (1996-99), Cleveland Browns (2000-01), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-03) and San Diego Chargers (2004-07). He started 130 of 143 games during his pro career, including being the starting left tackle on Tampa Bay's 2002 Super Bowl Championship team. He served as an NFL Players Association team representative for seven years. He established the Roman Oben Foundation in 1993, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life and promoting the positive development of youth through football, literacy and other community outreach projects.

Ted Washington (1987-90) was a dominating defensive lineman for the Cardinals, amassing 298 tackles and 14 sacks in his career. He produced 76 tackles, seven sacks and three blocked field goals as a senior in 1990, earning All-South Independent honors as the Cardinals posted a 10-1-1 record and beat Alabama 34-7 in the Fiesta Bowl. Like Oben, Washington's jersey has been honored and is displayed at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the 25th pick overall and went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL for the 49ers (1992-93), Denver Broncos (1994-95), Buffalo Bills (1996-2000), Chicago Bears (2001-02), New England Patriots (2002-2003), Oakland Raiders (2004-05)l and Cleveland Browns (2006-07). He was a member of the 2004 New England Super Bowl Championship team. He has been very active in community involvement throughout his career, has been a multi-year nominee for NFL Man of the Year, and started the Ted Washington Foundation in 1998 to benefit youth charities.