The achievements of outstanding alumni and former elite student-athletes at UNC Pembroke were on full display at the 55th Annual Alumni Awards and Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony on October 27.
The event was part of the university’s Homecoming Week festivities, which featured a parade, concert and throwback party. The celebrations continue Saturday as the Braves match up with Glenville State at Grace P. Johnson Stadium.
“We are here tonight to highlight the amazing accomplishments of our alumni and present those to our community to encourage and uplift current and future students,” said Dr. Rebekah Lowry, director of Alumni Affairs.
This year’s alumni award recipients are the Honorable Trey Allen, Kelvin Oxendine, Dr. Shelli Brewington and Madison Wilcox. The 44th Athletics Hall of Fame inductees are Brad Allen, Pardon Ndhlovu, Mike Williams, Meghan Moore Mitchell, Linwood Hedgpeth, Dan Kenney, Jordan Walor and Johnny Williams, who was honored posthumously.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Trey Allen, ‘97
A Robeson County native, Allen is a North Carolina Supreme Court justice associate. After law school, Allen served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps and was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Following an honorable discharge, he clerked for current North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby before joining a Raleigh law firm. Before joining the Supreme Court, Allen served on the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government faculty.
Outstanding Alumna Award
Dr. Shelli Brewington ‘99
A podiatric surgeon, Brewington completed her residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Her local practice focuses on traumatic foot and ankle injuries, deformity correction and diabetic foot care. She is a fellow in the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons and is board-certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. Brewington advocates for UNCP, frequently participating in career panels and opportunities to engage with students.
Outstanding Alumnus Award
Kelvin Oxendine ‘90
Oxendine, a former baseball player at UNCP, began his human resources career with Abbott Laboratories and Hospira, Inc., serving 12 years in various progressively responsible roles with the company. He later joined Campbell Soup Company in Maxton as a human resources manager. His career path took him to Florida, where he led human resources activities for Cardinal Health, Chromalloy and Siemens Energy. He most recently served as vice president of human resources for Scotland Health Care System.
Young Alumna Award
Madison Wilcox ‘16
Wilcox was heavily involved on campus as a student ambassador. In her freshman year, she developed the idea for a program to foster the inclusion of children with disabilities. She co-created and coordinated the Sports Empowerment Program, which brought students from the local community together with students, faculty and staff to participate on an inclusive softball team. She went on to earn a master’s degree in occupational therapy from East Carolina University and joined the Therapy Playground as an occupational therapist.
Hall of Fame
In his 11th season as athletics director, Dick Christy remarked that the Hall of Fame induction is one of the most prestigious and important events of Homecoming Week.
“One of the most special nights of the year is getting the opportunity to see our inductees cross that threshold of induction,” Christy said. “I feel like I’ve been doing this long enough now to say without bias that this arguably is the most decorated and the most excellent class in the history of the Hall of Fame. You all will truly elevate the exclusivity and achievement of this group.”
Ndhlovu, who competed in the 2016 Olympics, ran cross country and track from 2009-2013. A four-time all-conference standout, he won the 2011 and 2012 Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Men's Cross-Country Championship and was named the PBC Runner of the Year both seasons. He also competed in PBC track and field in his senior season in 2013 and was named the PBC Men's Track Athlete of the Year, winning the 1,500- 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs.
Williams, an NCAA national champion, four-time all-American and three-time regional champion, logged 112 victories for the Braves from 2009-13 and captured the program's first individual national champion in 2011. A two-time NCAA Super Region I Wrestler of the Year honoree, he tallied 34 wins as a junior. Then he added 38 more victories as a senior on the way to a third-place showing at the NCAA Championships.
Mitchell is the only all-American in the history of women's golf and brought home that honor twice during her career. She compiled a 75.8 career stroke average in 34 tournaments and 73 rounds of golf, tallied 30 top-20 finishes for the Braves and wrapped up her collegiate career with nine individual event titles, including the 2013 PBC Championship.
An NFL referee, Allen joins his father, Greg, in the UNCP Athletics fraternity. He has officiated multiple sports across all levels over the last three decades, including assignments on Atlantic Coast Conference football crews from 2005-14. He has officiated games in the NFL over the previous nine seasons.
Kenney led the men's basketball program to a 124-78 record from 1985-92. The Braves posted a pair of 20-plus win seasons, including a then-school record 27-5 clip during the 1990-91 season. He took over the reins as athletics director for the Braves in 1998––a role he would serve for 14 seasons. UNCP's athletic teams qualified for the NCAA postseason on 21 occasions during Kenney's tenure while being represented 50 times by individual qualifiers.
Walor was a three-time all-American for the men's golf program from 2009-12 while raking in a trio of all-Peach Belt Conference accolades throughout his career. He compiled a 72.4 career stroke average across 44 tournaments and 109 rounds of golf and logged 31 top-20 finishes while tallying eight individual tournament titles, including the 2010 Peach Belt Conference championship.
A middle infielder for the Braves from 1961-65, Hedgpeth was an all-region selection for the Braves from 1961-65 before putting together a phenomenal prep coaching career. He compiled a 439-217 career coaching record at three high schools, including 226 victories at Whiteville High School. He led his teams to five state championships and 16 conference crowns and coached the American Legion Post 137, where he won two state championships.
Williams played baseball for coaches Ray Pennington and Harold Ellen from 1966-69 and helped pace the program to a 107-23 clip and the 1969 NAIA District 26 championship. He tied a national record with four grand slams and led the nation with 39 runs scored as a freshman and hit .300 at the plate in two of his last three seasons. The Washington Senators selected him in the seventh round of the 1969 major league draft.
