The Wilmington College athletic department announced five new members to be inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame. The new members are Curt Clifford (class of 1977), Christian Patterson (2014), Sam Hood Rohrbacher (2007), Terry Rupert, and Dee Vaughn (1990).
The induction ceremony will take place during Homecoming weekend this fall.
Curt Clifford – Football – Class of 1977
Clifford played football for the Quakers on the offensive line under head coach Bill Ramseyer. He was a four-year letter winner from 1973-1976 and was a three-year starter for the program.
Clifford was an NAIA second team All-America selection in 1975 and 1976. During those two seasons, he was first team NAIA District 22 and first team All-Hoosier Buckeye Collegiate Conference. Other accolades for Clifford included being named the team’s Most Valuable Offensive Lineman in 1976, Honorable Mention “Small College All-America” in 1976, and a “Best Football Players in America” All-American in 1975.
After his playing career at Wilmington concluded, Clifford received a pair of tryouts in the Canadian Football League for the Ottawa Roughriders in 1977 and the Montreal Alouettes in 1979.
Once his playing career was over, Clifford transitioned into coaching and was the head coach at Portsmouth High School from 1989-2012. He became the Trojans winningest coach with 139 victories.
Since retirement, Clifford enjoys playing golf and traveling with his family and watching his grandkids play sports. He still stays in touch with some of his teammates from Wilmington to this day.
Christian Patterson – Men’s Track and Field – Class of 2014
Patterson was a four-year member of the Quakers track and field team from 2011-2014. He competed in 39 total meets for Wilmington and was known for the high jump, but also competed in the long jump. Patterson also was a member of the Quakers basketball team.
Patterson was a dominant high jumper for Wilmington, winning 19 competitions during his collegiate career and was a four time All-American. He was a three-time All-American in the outdoor high jump and a one time All-American in the indoor high jump. Patterson capped his career in the best way possible in 2014, clearing a program record bar of 2.12 meters on his second attempt to win the NCAA Division III national championship.
Patterson also earned first team All Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) in the outdoor high jump in 2012 and second team All-OAC in the outdoor high jump in both 2013 and 2014.
Sam Hood Rohrbacher – Women’s Basketball – Class of 2007
Rohrbacher was a four-year starter for the Quakers women’s basketball team from 2003-2007. Her career started out on a high note as the Quakers won the NCAA Division III national championship in 2004 and she was a big part of the team’s success. As a freshman in the tough OAC, Rohrbacher started 33 games as the point guard and ran the offense like a veteran.
She started all 118 games she played in during her career and played for teams that had a combined record of 94-24. Rohrbacher still holds the program record for career assists with 599. She scored 805 points in her career, grabbed 336 rebounds, had 131 steals, and blocked 12 shots.
Rohrbacher was a three-time All-OAC honoree as she earned honorable mention All-OAC in 2004-05 and 2005-06 before being named second team All-OAC in 2006-07. She was an Academic All-OAC honorable mention in 2004-05 before earning Academic All-OAC in both 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Rohrbacher is now an accountant for the Defense Logistics Agency and has been with the United States Department of Defense for 18 years. She also has been coaching and is a volunteer assistant coach at Teays Valley High School with the girls basketball team.
Terry Rupert – Director of Athletics – 1996-2022
Rupert began his tenure as the Director of Athletics at Wilmington College in 1996 and had great success for the Quakers.
Not only did the Quakers teams win national and conference championships during Rupert’s tenure, but Rupert started the college’s Sports Management program in 1998 and still teaches in the department today.
The Quakers were an independent athletic school at the start of Rupert’s tenure before moving into the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) in 1998. Rupert would move the Quakers a few years later in 2000 into their current conference, the OAC.
Rupert made several changes to Townsend Field, including having new turf and lights installed along with a new scoreboard. He added or reinstated the Quakers lacrosse, wrestling, and equestrian programs.
A huge addition for Rupert during his time at Wilmington was the Center for Sport Sciences. The $10.5 million facility opened in 2015 and greatly supported the athletic training program.
Rupert served on several national committees, including the NCAA Division III Management Council and the NCAA Board of Governors. This helped Wilmington land a Department of Defense Concussion Assessment Grant, as the Quakers were one of very few Division III institutions to earn this honor.
Dee Vaughn – Men’s Soccer – Class of 1990
Vaughn was a four-year starter on the back line of the Quakers defense under long time head coach Bud Lewis. Vaughn started all 91 games in his Wilmington career. He took 119 shots in his career, scored 20 goals, dished out seven assists for 47 total points, and had three game-winning goals.
The team’s that Vaughn was a part of finished 65-18-11 and went to three NAIA national tournaments. Vaughn was given NAIA All-America honorable mention in 1989, was All-Mideast and All-Ohio in 1988 and 1989, and earned All-District 22 honors in 1989.
The five inductees will be honored at a brunch at 11 a.m. Sept. 21 during the Wilmington College homecoming. The inductees will then be recognized at halftime of the Quakers home football game against Muskingum. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
