2024 Athletic Hall-of-Fame Induction & Alumni Awards Ceremonies to Take Place November 1
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – Bethel University will honor three former athletic greats and two contributors with inductions into the prestigious Bethel Athletic Hall-of-Fame Friday November 1. Bethel will also present Bethel's University's Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall-of-Fame Inductions will be held in the board room of the Vera Low Center for Student Enrichment, Crisp Wing. The awards dinner will begin at 5 p.m. with reservations required.
It will mark the 44th class to be honored. Six teams and 115 individuals have been enshrined since 1980.
Here is a look at the 2024 Athletic Hall-of Fame Class:
Dr. Sidney Leonard Swindle- Men's Basketball (1957)
Dr. Sidney Leonard Swindle came to Bethel from Trimble, Tennessee, the youngest of nine children. He attended Bethel from 1953-57. He played center for the basketball team and was the team's captain for two years. Sidney graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science. After graduating from Bethel, he married Lita Arleen Claytor who graduated from Bethel in 1955.
In 1958-60, Sidney attended and graduated from the University of Tennessee Dental School in Memphis, Tennessee. They moved to Tampa, Florida where he served in the Florida Dental Association for a year before going into service. He served in the United States Army as a captain from 1962-64.
After his service, they moved back to Tampa and he established a dental partnership with Dr. Milton T. Wood, which lasted from 1964-1994 when Dr. Wood retired. Sidney retired in 1998.
Sidney and Lita are the parents of four children: Mark Swindle (Bethel '84, spouse Melody Lewis), Elinor Swindle Brown (Bethel '84, spouse Mark Brown, '84), Tom Swindle (Bethel '88, spouse Melinda Phelps, '89), and Mary Beth Swindle, who died at 18 months. They have three grandchildren: Sydney Brown Freibaum (spouse Brian Freibaum), Erin Swindle Nelson (Bethel '15, spouse Scott Nelson), and Callie Swindle (fiancée Jesse Bressler). They also have two great grandchildren: Morgan Marie Nelson, and Evelyn Brown Freibaum.
Lita and Sidney are both celebrating their 90th birthdays at Thanksgiving with family and friends (halfway between their birthdays in October and January).
Danny Cronin-Men's Basketball & Baseball (1993)
Dan Cronin is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the son of Hep and the late Peggy Cronin who passed away in 2005. Hep lives in Cincinnati and is a retired high school basketball coach with over 400 plus wins. He was also an MLB scout with the Atlanta Braves organization.
Dan's sister, Kelly Cronin, is a retired Principal of Summit Country Day High School in Cincinnati.
Dan's partner of 22 years Krystina has been a big part of his life and career.
His son Christian is a University of Cincinnati graduate and Christ Hospital School of Nursing grad.
Dan' s brother Mick Cronin is the Head Men's Basketball Coach at UCLA.
Dan graduated from LaSalle High School in Cincinnati. He was an All-State and All-City performer in baseball and basketball during his prep career.
Dan played summer ball and was the center field for the Midland Redskins in 1988. An early claim to fame was that he replaced Ken Griffey Jr. after Griffey was the number one draft choice of the Seattle Mariners.
During his prep career Cronin was a member of state title teams and national runner-up squads.
Dan attended Wright State University and played baseball before transferring to Bethel College in 1989 where he earned an Accounting & Business Administration degree in 1993. As a Wildcat Dan was a standout in both baseball and basketball.
His collegiate accolades include:
All-Time Assist Leader in school history (851) in just three years! Most Assists in a season (328), 1992-93 led NAIA in assist to turnover ratio 1992-1993, 2nd in NAIA in assists 1992-93 (9.9 per game), 2nd most Assists in a game (15), 1992-93 Academic All TCAC in both basketball and baseball (3x for each), Estimated Career batting average of .375 as leadoff hitter (No official stats kept).
Cronin graduated with two degrees in Business Administration and Accounting. He was the president of the Hamms Fraternity in 1993.
Dan is the owner of Cronin Financial Services.
Cronin is also the owner of FatBaldguyracing LLC.
Jana Roney Kahler- Women's Basketball (2011)
Jana (Roney) Kahler is the daughter of Rufus and the late Regina Roney. A graduate of Obion Co. Central High School, Jana played for Bethel from 2009-2012, after transferring from Murray State. Jana helped lead the Lady Wildcats to back-to-back NAIA Elite 8 appearances in 2010 and 2011. Jana was twice selected as a member of the TransSouth All-Conference team, including being named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. In 2012, Jana was selected as an NAIA All-American after finishing in top ten of the nation in both scoring average and rebounds.
Jana finished her career with 1, 204 points and 670 rebounds in only three seasons. She averaged 12.2 points per game and had an impressive career mark of shooting 47 percent from the floor.
Jana now resides in Jackson, Tennessee where she teaches English and coaches' basketball at Trinity Christian Academy. She is married to Scott Kahler, and they have two beautiful daughters, Caroline and Claire.
Jean Killibrew McKinnie & Joe McKinnie -Contributors (1961)
Jean Killebrew McKinnie was born and raised in Paris, Tennessee. Her parents were Sylvester and Jessie "GaGa" Killebrew.
Jean graduated from Grove High School in 1957 and graduated from Bethel in 1961. She worked from 1961 until 1964 for President Roy Baker and was very involved in men's basketball.
Jean moved to Memphis in 1964 and met Joe, who was a long-time Cumberland Presbyterian.
Joe Vernon McKinnie Jr. grew up in Memphis. His parents were Joe V. Sr. and Mary Elizabeth McKinnie. Joe was a member of Park Avenue Cumberland Church and had known about Bethel all his life and had friends who attended Bethel. He graduated from Messick High School in 1956. He also served in the Marine Corps from 1956-1959
Joe and Jean met in Memphis while working for a national plywood company, Evans Products Company. They married in 1971 and moved to West Memphis, Arkansas.
Daughter Kim was born in 1975. The family moved to McKenzie in 1979 after Jean's dad had passed away and they needed to take care of GaGa. They both worked for Bethel in the 80's - Jean in Dean's office and Joe in maintenance. "We met our boys there," stated Jean.
Jean said, "Bethel was having budget problems, especially within the athletic department. The boys were getting a thin ham and cheese sandwich after the games, and we decided we could help Bethel, the athletic department, and the team."
Jean added, "Since we lived close to the gym, we started feeding our boys at our home. Thanksgiving dinner, evening cookouts, and any other time they needed help. I'm not sure how many years. It all started the last year when Steve Dodd was the coach and ended when Matt English graduated."
Jean said, "The main thing we tried to do was give them a home away from home. Many of the parents who attended the games were invited to join us at our house and they became very close friends. They appreciated their boys having McKenzie Parents".
Mrs. McKinnie added, "GaGa and Kim need to be a part of this award. We could not have done this without them. We would choose the menu and get groceries or pick the food up...But they always got everything together for the night whether it be cooking or just getting the kitchen set up. 'GaGa' had a rule for the boys: Hug her when they came into the house and hug her when they left. Since she was 4'11, she usually stood in a chair to get her hug. Kim, being an only child, has brothers everywhere. They have given us a lot of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and we are so proud of them. We lost 'GaGa' in 2016, at nearly 101, and her Bethel Boys had a large part of her funeral service."
Jean went to work for the State of Tennessee District Attorney's Office in 1986 and retired in 2009. After retirement, she did some volunteer work at the Vera Low Center
Joe went to work for the Barger Company and retired in 2000.
After retirement, they stayed involved with the teams and attended games regularly. Jean said, "The seats in the new gym are a lot more comfortable than Baker Fieldhouse. Health problems and old age keep us from attending games, but we try to keep up with Bethel Athletics and listen and watch the games. Bethel is still in our hearts. We were so blessed to have the boys in our life. They did more for our family than we ever did for them."
Order tickets at:
https://bethelu.hometownticketing.com/embed/event/512