William Penn to Induct 2014 Hall of Fame Class at Homecoming
William Penn University Athletics
Oskaloosa–William Penn University will induct four new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Homecoming celebration, September 26-27. During halftime of Saturday’s football game against Taylor (Ind.) (1 p.m. start), the four former Statesmen athletes will be recognized for their athletic accomplishments.
Larry Noland – Class of 1973 (Football)
Larry Noland was an offensive lineman that opened holes large enough for a car to fit through. Playing for the Statesmen Football team from 1969–1972, the program was experiencing some of its greatest success in its long history. Primarily known for team defense, the William Penn football teams in the early 1970’s were largely helped by an offense that spent sizable chunks of time on the field, eating up yardage and the clock—one play at a time. The team was 28–7 with Noland on the offensive line and scored 63 points against Baker, which was the third most points all-time when it happened in 1972. The Statesmen also set a record for most wins with 10 which has only been matched twice by other Statesmen football teams. In 1972 the teams’ success led to a share of the Iowa Conference Title. Noland’s contributions to the team’s offensive success were noted with yearly accolades. The Iowa Conference named him to the first-team on three separate occasions in 1970, 1972, and 1972. Legendary William Penn Football coach and Athletic Hall of Fame Member Ron Randleman said, “Larry was a force on the line, he was a big part of the team’s success and deserves recognition as a (Athletic) Hall of Fame winner at Penn.”
Jennifer Pepper – Class of 1998 (Basketball, Tennis, Softball)
Jennifer Pepper is the perfect example of the modern day all-around athlete: a three-sport athlete who earned twelve letters for her performance in women’s basketball, tennis, and softball while also excelling at a high level in the classroom. She began each fall on the tennis court, lettering all four years. She played number one in singles and doubles every season while at Penn and placed in the top-10 in singles and doubles in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). While on the court for the Lady Statesmen Basketball team, Pepper played varsity for her entire four-year collegiate career. She was a proficient scorer and a member of the 1,000 point club with 1,234, which currently ranks as 17th of all time. Being a dangerous duel threat, Pepper could drive through the lane and score, but was also dangerous from downtown as she had 92 career three pointers, which is also 7th all-time. In addition to her ability to score she also amassed 600 career rebounds. Making the transition from the basketball court to the softball diamond was easy for Pepper. Another four letter sport, she began her career in centerfield in 1996 and 1997. She was named to the IIAC All-Conference first team and 3rd team all-region in 1996. She continued to excel and was named All-Conference 2nd team in 1997 and 3rd team all-region in 1997. She had a .290 career batting average and was dangerous when on base collecting 14 stolen bases in 1998 which is tied for 8th all-time.
Trisha Merrill – Class of 2005 (Soccer)
As a defender in soccer there can be no better compliment than being called an impact defender for your team and that is exactly what Trisha Merrill was for the Statesmen women’s soccer teams. Merrill, who came from Sky View High School in Richmond, Utah, was feared by her strikers on opposing teams with her physical play and intelligence on the field. Often times forward and midfielders get all the glory for a team’s success, but Merrill was instrumental in the team’s success. During Merrill’s career the team had a 62–16–6 games and had an outstanding 24-3 record in Midwest Collegiate Conference Play. Even more impressive, during that time the Statesmen amassed 60 shutouts with great play by goalkeepers and shutdown defense from Merrill and her teammates in the backline. Merrill was named to the MCC All-Conference and NAIA Region VII Team all four years, including three first team designations. She was the MCC Player of the Year in 2004 which is a major accomplishment for a defender, as historically many Player of the Year awards go to players whose focus is offensive productivity. Furthermore, Merrill is the only player in program history to receive multiple all-American awards, being honored three times by the NAIA. As the defensive anchor for some of the best soccer teams in William Penn history, the team won two regular season conference titles and three MCC tournament titles. Merrill currently resides in Utah where she teaches and coaches basketball at Sky View High School.
Meghan Oden Decena – Class of 2007 (Softball)
One of the most dominating pitchers in Statesmen softball history, whenever Meghan Decena took the mound the Statesmen felt confident they would win. A two-year starter for Coach Christner’s 2006 and 2007 squads, both of which qualified for regionals, Decena received the win in 47 of the teams 79 victories. The 2007 squad won the MCC regular season and tournament title and went onto dominate at regionals for the Region VII title. While Decena was with the program the Statesmen amassed a conference record of 35–11. Decena holds several pitching records from her successful campaign during her senior year. Her thirty wins in 2007 is an impressive mark that still stands today. She also holds the single season records for starts (37), innings pitched (248), completed games (35), and saves with seven. In her two year career, she accumulated 22 shutouts, 61 complete games in 68 starts, 416 strikeouts and a career ERA of 1.45. To cap off her tremendous career in the navy and gold she was selected as NAIA and NCFA 2nd team All-American in 2007. “When I think about my time at William Penn, it always puts a huge smile on my face. I met some of my favorite people while living in Oskaloosa and always felt like I was right at home,” Decena explained. “To be inducted into the William Penn Hall of Fame confirms that God had this plan for me, this is a dream come true and I can’t thank the coaching staff and my teammates enough because without them, this would not be a reality.” Decena currently resides in Centerville, Iowa where she works as a registered nurse for the Central Iowa Medical Clinic in Corydon, Iowa. She married her husband Juan in 2009 and have two children, a son Abram who is five and a daughter Franchesca who was born in March.
With this year’s inductions, the WPU Athletics Hall of Fame includes 154 members. William Penn University staff, faculty and students would like to congratulate Larry, Jennifer, Trisha, and Meghan for being inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at this year’s Homecoming events.
