Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton College Athletics Department will induct six new members into the Wheaton Athletics Hall of Honor this weekend as part of the 2025 Homecoming Weekend. Founded in 1976, the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Honor is dedicated to recognizing former players, teams, and coaches who have made a significant contribution to Wheaton athletics. Wheaton recognizes athletics as an integral part of the educational program of the college; its nominees have proven to have learned valuable lessons in discipline, sacrifice, perseverance, cooperation, and commitment. The six inductees into the Hall of Honor this year are:
Julie Davis, Maria (Della Torre) Selvaggio, Brian Kolb, Taryne (Lee) Russo, Charles Ridley, and Matt Swartz.
HALL OF HONOR RECEPTION: The Hall of Honor reception will be held outdoors at Keul Patio from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM. Keul Patio is across College Avenue from McCully Stadium, located between Beamer Center, the Welcome Center and Ruth Leedy Field. Food will be provided for honorees, guests of honorees, family, friends and alumni. The honorees will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's Wheaton-Carroll football game at McCully Stadium
Julie (Schmela) Davis '91
Athletics Director
Julie Davis served as Wheaton's Director of Athletics from 2011-2022, and prior to that she was an Assistant Athletics Director for the Thunder from 2003-2011. Upon her appointment as Athletics Director in September of 2011, she became just the fifth person to serve in that position at Wheaton, and she was the first female Athletics Director for the school.
"Serving as the Athletics Director was one of the most significant blessings and honors of my life," states Davis, "I love Wheaton, love working at the College and desire to continue supporting its mission. My work as the AD was so rich for me personally and professionally."
Wheaton appeared in NCAA Division III Championship events in 17 different sports in Davis' 11 years as Athletics Director. Wheaton produced 46 CCIW Championship teams in that timeframe, across 12 different sports. Thunder athletes earned more than 110 All-America honors, with 49 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections.
During Davis' tenure as Athletics Director, Wheaton finished in the top-50 of the Division III Learfield Directors' Cup standings six times. In 2018-19, Wheaton had its highest placement in the standings since 2003-04, finishing in 22nd in Division III – the largest NCAA Division with more than 430 members.
Davis earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wheaton in 1991. She was a member of the women's basketball team for three seasons and is among Wheaton's all-time leaders in points per game and assists. She and her husband Don reside in Wheaton, and these days she works at Wheaton in the Advancement Division.
Maria (Della Torre) Selvaggio '10
Women's Soccer
Maria Della Torre helped lead the Wheaton women's soccer team to back-to-back Division III National Championships in 2006 and 2007, along with a third National Championship Game appearance in 2008. Maria was a four-time National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) Division III All-Region selection in her career and also earned four All-CCIW awards from 2006-09. In 2007 she helped lead Wheaton to a 27-0-0 record, as the Thunder set a Division III record for wins in a season that still stands today.
A four-year starter, Della Torre anchored the Wheaton midfield during its three Championship Game appearances as a stalwart distributor and force for the Thunder. She played in 102 matches over her four seasons with 23 goals and 23 assists for 69 total points. She is on Wheaton's career top-20 list in total points, goals and assists as a well-rounded performer for the Thunder.
As a freshman in 2006, Maria established career-highs of eight goals and 10 assists in helping lead the Thunder to the first of their back-to-back Division III Championships. She assisted on Wheaton's game-winning goal in the team's 2-0 victory against The College of New Jersey in the 2006 Division III Championship Match. She also had an assist in the 2006 National Semifinal against Virginia Wesleyan. In the team's undefeated 2007 season, she contributed six goals and three assists. In 2008, she scored six goals with seven assists, starting every match for the Thunder as they advanced to the National Championship match for the third-consecutive year. She scored Wheaton's final goal in a 3-1 victory against Williams in the 2008 Division III National Semifinal. She tallied three goals and distributed three assists in her senior campaign in 2009.
Maria says of her four seasons at Wheaton, "Playing at Wheaton were some of the most incredible years of my soccer career, as the program not only had fantastic players, but also amazing teammates and coaches who love Jesus and all desired to pursue excellence as a program. Playing in three National Championships is something I will never forget, ultimately winning two National Titles and one Runner-Up. I think the most meaningful soccer memory was playing in an undefeated season and winning 48 games in a row between 2006-2008 and our 27-0 season in 2007. As a team, we were all very focused, very driven, and it was a lot of fun to win a lot of games! I loved playing in the midfield where you get to play box-to-box, being involved in a ton of action, and I was in a position to help create, distribute, and push our attack forward. I think winning games aside, I am most grateful for the lessons I learned that I carry with me today. The desire to work to the best of my abilities in all that I do, to persevere, to remain disciplined and composed even in chaos or difficulty, to serve others and to not shy away from adversity, are gifts that were instilled in me during my years as a Wheaton soccer player. Being on a team with women who love each other and who love the Lord, and who love to work hard, is something I will cherish forever."
Maria earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Wheaton in 2010. She is still heavily involved in soccer today, serving as the head girls' soccer coach at Wheaton Academy and is Girls Youth Director and a coach for Wheaton United Soccer Club. She and her husband Joseph live in Wayne, Illinois with their children: Isabella and Lina.
Brian Kolb '10
Baseball
Brian Kolb is the most decorated position player in the history of Wheaton baseball. He was named an All-American by both D3baseball.com and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) in 2008, becoming the program's first All-American in 44 years. Fifteen years after his graduation, he still holds six Wheaton career offensive records: batting average (.450); hits (270); doubles (56); slugging percentage (.640); on-base percentage (.517); and total bases (384). His .450 (270-500) career batting average ranks 20
th in the history of NCAA Division III baseball. Kolb has four of Wheaton's top-seven batting averages in a regular season, and he never hit lower than .418 in any of his four seasons with the Thunder.
From March 20, 2008 to March 31, 2009, Kolb compiled a 39-game hit streak that still ranks 10
th in Division III history, seventh in D3 history at the time. He recorded a streak of 50-consecutive games of reaching base (March 20, 2008 to April 9, 2009) that is 12
th in Division III history and was fifth at the time it occurred.
In his record-setting sophomore campaign in 2008, Kolb set a Wheaton single-season record with a .527 (77-for-146) batting average that led Division III that year, as he was honored as the 2008 CCIW Player of the Year and the Central Region Player of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). His 77 hits that season is still a Wheaton single-season record, as he hit a school-record 19 doubles and added six home runs, with 52 RBI and 45 runs scored. He also stole 25 bases in 25 attempts that season, a mark that tied the school single-season record and is still second today. A shortstop throughout his Thunder career, he also excelled in the field that season with a .988 fielding percentage with just two errors in 165 total chances. In the final two weeks of the 2008 regular season, Kolb hit an astonishing .639 (23-for-36), including 10 extra-base hits, scoring 10 runs, with 21 RBI across Wheaton's seven games as he helped propel the Thunder to their first CCIW Baseball Tournament appearance.
Kolb says of the 2008 season, "I am proud of the .527 batting average and First Team All-America accolades. I am also proud of the career batting average of .450 which shows consistency." He adds, "Outside of the individual records, I am proud to be part of the class that at the time of graduation, had the record for most victories."
In 2010 Kolb tied his own single-season doubles record with 19 and had 72 hits, just five shy of his own single-season record from 2008. He established a new single-season record that season with 57 runs scored. Seven of Kolb's single-season records still stand in the Wheaton record books today: 77 hits (2008); .527 batting average (2008); 57 runs scored (2010); 19 doubles (2008 & 2010); .808 slugging percentage (2008); .559 on-base percentage (2008); and 1.000 stolen base percentage (2008).
Brian earned his bachelor's degree in business/economics from Wheaton in 2010. Following graduation, he went on to play professional baseball in northwest Indiana for the Gary Railcats, helping lead them to the 2013 American Association Championship. Brian serves as the Director of US Airfreight Route Development for DHL. Today, he and his wife Michal reside in Wheaton with their four children: Mikaela, Elaine, Levi, and E'lani.
Taryne (Lee) Russo ' 10
Women's Soccer
Taryne Lee was part of many records, accomplishments and milestones in her outstanding four-year tenure on the Wheaton women's soccer team. A three-time First Team All-America selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), she was named the NSCAA's Division III Women's Soccer Player of the Year in 2007, helping lead Wheaton to a 27-0-0 record, as the Thunder set a Division III record for wins in a season that still stands today. In addition to First Team All-America award in 2007, 2008 and 2009, she was named the CCIW's "Most Outstanding Player" in each of those seasons as well.
The four-year starter is still Wheaton's career record-holder in goals (97), assists (51) and total points (245). At the time of her graduation, she was 10th all-time in Division III history in total points and tied for 17th all-time in career assists and was just the fifth player in the history of Division III women's soccer to score at least 90 goals and record at least 50 assists in a career. Her 245 career points total is still 13
th in Division III history as of today.
Lee had 20 goals and 15 assists in her breakout freshman season of 2006. She led all players in the 2006 NCAA Division III Tournament with six goals and four assists for a tournament-best 16 points in helping lead the Thunder to its second National Championship. In 2007, she set school single-season records with 27 goals and 63 points. In 2008, she broke her own school records with 30 goals and 72 points, marks that still stand as program records today. She closed out her career in 2009 with 20 goals and 15 assists. She earned All-Tournament recognition at the Division III Women's Soccer Championships in both the 2006 and 2008 seasons.
Taryne says of her Wheaton experience, "Reflecting on my time at Wheaton, one of the most meaningful memories was being part of the 2007 National Championship team. While it was an incredible accomplishment to win back-to-back National Titles and be undefeated that season, what made those seasons truly special wasn't just the victories—it was the heart behind them, and the individuals, coaches and trainer who made up that team. We were a group of like-minded athletes driven by a shared goal: to compete with excellence and glorify God in the process."
Taryne earned her bachelor's degree in communication from Wheaton in 2010. After college, Taryne worked for J.P. Morgan's Private Bank, and coached soccer at Wheaton College and Wheaton Academy. Taryne and her husband Erik live in Wheaton with their three children: Emery, Jensen, and Brooks.
Charles Ridley '99
Men's Basketball
Charles Ridley played four seasons for the Wheaton men's basketball team from 1995-99 and was a member of two CCIW Championship squads for the Crusaders as he was a freshman in 1995-96 when Wheaton won its first CCIW Championship in men's basketball in 37 years. As a senior on Wheaton's 1998-99 conference championship team, Ridley was the team's leading scorer. He earned All-CCIW recognition in his junior and senior seasons.
A three-year starter at Wheaton, Ridley scored 1,546 career points, a mark that was ninth on Wheaton's all-time scoring list at the time of his graduation and is 15
th today. His 184 career three-pointers ranked third at the time of his graduation and is currently seventh on Wheaton's all-time list.
Ridley showed up immediately for Wheaton playing in 23 games as a freshman for Wheaton's historic 1995-96 squad that posted a 25-2 record, won the CCIW Championship, and competed in the NCAA Division III Tournament for a second year in a row. A guard for the Crusaders, Ridley was the second-leading scorer for the team in 1996-97 with 16.6 points per game, playing in all 25 games in his second season. In his junior campaign, Ridley was the leading scorer for Wheaton in 1997-98 with 20.3 points per game, earning his first all-conference award. He was again the leading scorer for the Thunder in his senior season of 1998-99 as he averaged 19.4 points per game. He made 68 three-pointers as a senior, a mark that was the second-highest single-season total in team history at the time and is 10
th today.
Ridley scored 507 points in his junior season and 523 points as a senior. At the time of his graduation, he was just the eighth player in Wheaton history to have at least two seasons of 500 or more points, and today that list contains 13 players.
Charles recalls, "Coach Harris and Coach Schauer always preached the importance of hard work and discipline. They challenged us not to settle for being average, but to strive for greatness. By doing so, they taught us that we honor the Lord when we use our talents to their fullest potential."
Charles earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education from Wheaton in 1999, and today he is an eighth-grade social studies teacher in Carol Stream. He and his wife Phoxay live in Warrenville, Illinois. The couple has a son, Davon.
Matt Swartz '10
Men's Soccer
Matt Swartz joined the Wheaton men's soccer team in 2007 as a sophomore, after transferring from Creighton University. Swartz was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First Team All-Region selection for the Thunder in his three seasons. He was a three-time First Team All-CCIW selection, and as a senior in 2009, he was named the conference's "Co-Player of the Year." In his three seasons with the Thunder, Swartz recorded 28 career assists, a mark that is still eighth on Wheaton's all-time assists list. In both 2007 and 2008, Swartz was among the Division III leaders in assists per game.
When he debuted for the Thunder in 2007, Swartz had a CCIW-best 10 assists, and he scored seven goals. He helped lead Wheaton to a CCIW Tournament Championship as he scored one goal and assisted on another in Wheaton's 3-0 victory against Elmhurst in the CCIW Tournament Championship Match. In Wheaton's 3-0 victory against Carroll College in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Tournament, Swartz was credited with an assist on each of Wheaton's three goals.
Wheaton won the CCIW's regular season championship and the CCIW Tournament in 2008. Swartz had 12 assists in the 2008 campaign, and seven of those came in conference play, as both totals were CCIW bests that season. Swartz's 15 total points in league play was also a conference high that season.
In 2009, Swartz was named the CCIW's Co-Player of the Year and helped lead Wheaton to its fourth-consecutive CCIW Tournament title and 17
th-consecutive Division III Tournament appearance. He led the conference in assists in league play as a senior and his 13 overall goals for the season that year were the most of any player in the conference, as were his 32 total points. He scored two goals and had an assist in each of Wheaton's two CCIW Tournament matches that season as the Thunder won the conference tournament.
Matt graduated from Wheaton in 2010 with a degree in Business/Economics. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska, where he is a certified financial planner for Merrill Lynch. Matt and his wife Anna have four children: Julia, Joseph, Lucy and Benjamin.
