The UCCS Department of Athletics will honor three former athletes and a former coach during its inaugural induction ceremony into the UCCS Athletic Hall of Fame scheduled for 5:30 p.m. April 17 at Berger Hall.
The fundraising event will honor Celia Slater, the first UCCS women’s basketball coach, Greg Meyer, the first UCCS All-American in men’s soccer, Crystal Krebs, an All-American and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year in softball, and Trent Briney, a four-time All American and Olympic track star. The selections were made by the UCCS Athletics administrative staff.
Tickets for the event are $40 and include dinner. To attend, contact Nate Gibson, associate director, Department of Athletics, 255-3601, or [email protected].
A Hall of Fame is in order, organizers say, to recognize the contributions of players and coaches integral to the first 25 years of UCCS athletics and to build momentum for the future.
“This is something we’ve talked about for a couple of years,” Steve Kirkham, director, Athletic Department, said. “After 25 years, it’s time. We know that there are athletes who are now ready to reconnect with their university. Their stories will help inspire today’s student-athletes and help us prepare for the next 25 years of UCCS athletics.”
The first-time event will double as a fundraiser for athletic scholarships and platform for Kirkham to talk about recent changes and future plans. That the event will occur in Berger, the former home to men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, isn’t lost on Kirkham or Gibson.
“You can bet that we’ll be taking tours of Gallogly,” Kirkham said. “For those that played in the smallest gym in NCAA, seeing our new facility will be a real treat.”
Kirkham expects former athletes who attend the event to also appreciate seeing Mountain Lion Stadium, home to men’s and women’s soccer teams, as well as a freshened Four Diamonds, home to women’s softball.
While athletic venues have improved, some issues remain. Financing scholarships remains a challenge for UCCS. Money raised from the event will go to a scholarship fund to support student athletes.
Brief biographies of the first UCCS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees follow.
Crystal Krebs
Crystal Krebs was a first-team All-American while at UCCS. During the 2004 season, she was a First Team All-American, Diamond Sports NCAA Division II Catcher of the Year, and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year. Krebs broke the NCAA Division II record for home runs per game by hitting 25 in 48 games. She hit .490 with 44 home runs and 129 RBIs during her Mountain Lions career. Krebs is the school’s career leader in home runs, second in RBIs and batting average. She holds single-season records for home runs, RBIs, hits, and runs.
After graduating from UCCS in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in geography and environmental studies, Krebs played for the Texas Thunder of National Pro Fast-pitch. She is now a teacher and coach for the Lewis-Palmer School District, Monument.
Trent Briney
Trent Briney was a four-time All-American long-distance runner and member of both UCCS cross country and track teams.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business in 2001, Briney competed for the Hansonâ’s™ Brooks Distance Project, a professional running team in Detroit. He finished fourth at the U.S. Olympic trials in the marathon in 2004 and was a team alternate. He qualified for the 2005 World Championships, ran the 2006 Boston Marathon and qualified for the 2008 Olympic trials. He has qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials.
Briney lives in Boulder where he works for Boulder Running Company and continues to train.
Greg Meyer
Greg Meyer was the first UCCS All-American when he earned the honor in 1997. He was also named to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Time Men’s Soccer Team.
During the 1997 season, he set school records for wins (14), goals against average (0.87) and shutouts (9.5). Those records remain today. He also holds UCCS career records in most games played (75), most wins (43), most saves (482), and most shutouts (21.5). Meyer was a two-time All-RMAC selection in 1996 and 1997 and was an All-Colorado Athletic Conference and All-Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Soccer League selection. In two seasons at UCCS, Meyer recorded 16.5 shutouts, 135 saves and 25 wins.
After leaving UCCS, Meyer played professional soccer for the Colorado Stampede and the Nashville Metros in addition to training with teams in England and with the Colorado Rapids.
Celia Slater
Celia Slater was the first head coach of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women’s basketball team. As coach from 1989 to 1995, she left a lasting legacy as a pioneer for women’s sports at UCCS. Slater was the first coach for the women’s basketball program and its most successful. She accumulated a 68-91 career record in her six seasons as the Mountain Lions’ head coach. In 1992-93, Slater’s team posted an 18-9 record, the most successful team in UCCS women’s basketball history. She coached many of the all-time record holders at UCCS.
After leaving UCCS, Slater coached at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla., and worked for a New York City-based sports management firm where she represented professional women athletes. She is now executive director of the WinStar Foundation, a Florida non-profit educational foundation that is home to the NCAA Women Coaches Academy.
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