Braxton Miller, Greg Oden, Kyle Snyder, Gene Smith and Jeff Logan were among 14 Buckeye greats enshrined in the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night.
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Braxton Miller, Greg Oden, Kyle Snyder, Gene Smith, Jeff Logan and Nine Other Buckeye Greats Officially Become Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famers
A star-studded class of 14 Buckeye greats officially became Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famers on Friday night.
Former Ohio State football stars Braxton Miller, Jeff Logan and Matt Wilhelm, basketball star Greg Oden, athletic director Gene Smith and Olympic gold medalist wrestler Kyle Snyder were among 14 Ohio State sports legends enshrined in the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame as members of its 2024 class on Friday at OSU’s Covelli Center.
Eleven Warriors caught up with each of Miller, Logan, Oden, Smith and Snyder before the event, and you can hear what all five of them had to say in the videos below.
“It means a lot, man. Being able to be here and put this nice red jacket on, being able to showcase it and being able to grow up and watch the guys that was before my time playing outside with my friends and mimicking what they do, and I was like ‘I’m going to be there one day.’”– Braxton Miller on becoming an Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famer
“It is hard to grasp, just the idea of being involved in this event for so many years as the master of ceremonies and now all of a sudden being included in this deal on the other side. I have sat up there on the stage and seen men and women that have achieved so many things that I'm just blown away with athletically or academically be humbled by tonight, being a part of what is a very unique group of people. I don't know that there's a better Hall of Fame in all of college athletics.”– Jeff Logan, who typically emcees the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, on becoming an OSU Athletics Hall of Famer himself
“Another great group of people going into the Hall of Fame, and I'm just happy.”– Greg Oden on being a part of OSU’s 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame Class
“It's such a great, great honor. But having this group of athletes that are being inducted and being a part of this ceremony with them is phenomenal. Particularly, I think there's seven of them that were here as athletes during my tenure. So that's really special.”– Gene Smith on becoming an Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famer
“the Ohio State Athletic Department is so strong and there's so many great athletes and just during my time here, I remember how many teams won national championships and how many individual championships there were. so to be honored as one of the best to ever compete here is something I'm very thankful for.”– Kyle Snyder on becoming an Ohio State Athletics Hall of Famer
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The inductees will be recognized on Saturday at Ohio Stadium when the Buckeye football team hosts Iowa.
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14 Buckeyes enshrined into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame
Christy Blough - Men's Volleyball, 2014-2017
Christy Blough was a setter for the Buckeyes and led Ohio State to the NCAA Championship in 2016 and 2017. Blough was the Big Ten Medal of Honor winner as a senior in 2017 and a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association Second Team All-American (2016-17). Blough is fifth all-time in career assists with 4,280.
Chase Buchanan - Men's Tennis, 2009-2012
Buchanan is one of only two five-time All-Americans in program history and finished his career with 220 combined victories. Buchanan was a three-time NCAA doubles participant and became part of the first NCAA Doubles National Championship team in program history, winning the title with Blaz Rola in 2012. The duo was the first doubles team in collegiate history to win all three collegiate major doubles titles in the same season. Buchanan rose to as high as No. 158 in the ATP singles rankings and No. 151 in the doubles rankings as a professional.
Tiffany Cameron - Women's Soccer, 2009-2012
Cameron ended her career with the most career goals (40) and the most points (96) of any player in program history. Her 21 goals and 47 points as a senior in 2012 are still the most in a single season in program history as well. As a senior, she recorded nine game-winning goals, which were the most in the country that season. Her 19-career game-winners were tied for fourth-most in Big Ten history at the time of her induction. Cameron has gone on to play professionally in the United States and overseas for more than 15 seasons. She has represented both Canada and Jamaica on the international level, appearing on the senior national team for both countries, including appearances in both the 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, representing Jamaica.
Michael Hartfield - Men's Track & Field, 2011-13
Hartfield was a four-time USTFCCCA All-American for the Ohio State track & field program. He claimed five Big Ten Championships, winning the outdoor long jump in 2011, 2012 and 2013, the indoor long jump in 2011 and the outdoor triple jump in 2013. He remains in the Top 5 in program history in the outdoor long jump (second, 26'9"), indoor long jump (fourth, 25'9.25") and the indoor triple jump (fifth, 51'10"). After graduating, he competed in the long jump in the 2016 Olympic Games as a member of Team USA.
Jeff Logan - Football, 1974-77
Logan took over as Ohio State's starting running back following the graduation of two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. He quickly made his mark, playing on two Big Ten championship-winning teams and serving as the team's co-captain in 1977. Logan rushed for 2,026 career yards and scored 11 touchdowns in 35 career games. As a first-year starter in 1976, he totaled 1,248 rushing yards, a figure that ranked fourth in school history at the time and still ranks in the Top 20 on Ohio State's single-season list.
Marisa Main - Women's Volleyball, 2004-06
Main was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team in all three seasons with the Buckeyes (2004, 2005, 2006) and to the ASICS/Volleyball Magazine All-American Second Team twice (2005, 2006). She remains in the Top 10 in three career categories, including third in assists (4,655), despite playing only three seasons. Main holds the record for most assists in a season in program history, totaling 1,785 in 2004, and ranks second in program history in assists/set (14.88) that season. Main ranks second in program history in assists in a single match after totaling 86 assists on Dec. 10, 2004.
Brian Mannino - Baseball, 1992-95
Mannino was a four-year letterwinner for the Buckeyes, playing for Ohio State from 1992 to 1995. He helped the Buckeyes win the Big Ten Tournament titles in 1994 and 1995 and to NCAA Tournament appearances all four of his seasons. Mannino earned Third Team All-America honors following his sophomore season in 1993 and led the Buckeyes in home runs that season with 12. Mannino is sixth in Ohio State program history in career batting average (.362), tied for fourth in hits (250), tied for 10th in doubles (45), tied for fifth in home runs (35), sixth in runs scored (174) and second in RBI (180). He went on to play three seasons of Independent League baseball after graduating before returning to Ohio State as an assistant coach for five years under Hall of Fame head coach Bob Todd.
Braxton Miller - Football, 2011-15
One of the most electrifying players in school history – whether it was as a quarterback or a wide receiver – Braxton Miller was a Big Ten Conference champion, national champion and major award winner throughout his five-year Ohio State career. Miller's 8,609 yards of total offense rank third in Ohio State history, his 3,314 career rushing yards rank seventh and his 5,292 passing yards is 12th. His 88 touchdowns responsible for (36 rushing/receiving TDs and 52 passing TDs) were a school record and still rank second. Miller was a two-time team captain who was a member of teams that compiled a 56-11 record from 2011-15 with an undefeated campaign (2012) and the first College Football Playoff national championship (2014).
Kathy Monard - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, 1986-87
Kathy Monard remains one of the best distance runners in Ohio State's track & field and cross-country history. The 1986 NCAA individual qualifier finished a program-best ninth in the cross-country championships, earning All-America honors. She was also an Outdoor First Team All-America honoree the same year in the 3000m. The two-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree was also the 1987 Big Ten 5000m champion. Monard was a champion on the track and in the classroom as a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. She remains in the Top 3 among the all-time leaders list in three events at Ohio State.
Greg Oden - Men's Basketball, 2006-07
One of the most recognizable figures both on and off the court, Greg Oden was one of the country's most dominant players during the 2006-07 season. He was named the National Defensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship game appearance. A Second Team All-American, Oden averaged 15.7 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game in his lone season. Behind Oden's dominance, the Buckeyes won the 2007 Big Ten regular season and Big Ten Tournament titles as well as a program-record 35 games. After his one year, Oden went on to be the No. 1 overall selection by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2007 NBA Draft. He played parts of six seasons in the NBA before eventually returning to Ohio State in 2016 as a student manager. He also served as a graduate assistant for the program during the 2021-22 season.
Tony Russo - Men's Lacrosse, 2001-04
Tony Russo is one of the greatest players to stand in the net for the Ohio State men's lacrosse program. A captain and four-year starter for the Buckeyes, Russo is the only Buckeye to earn multiple conference player of the year awards. His sophomore season in 2002 saw him post the second-best save percentage in the country and a Top 5 goals-against average. Russo helped the Buckeyes to a GWLL title and the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history that season. In 2004, Russo backstopped Ohio State to back-to-back GWLL regular season titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. He finished his collegiate career as the program's all-time saves leader, a record that still stands today.
Gene Smith - Administration, 2005-24
Gene Smith retired as Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation Athletics Director at The Ohio State University after a storied, 19-year career leading the Department of Athletics, one of the most successful and outstanding athletic programs in the country. Smith's tenure as AD at Ohio State started in April 2005 and is the third-longest among the school's eight athletics directors. Under Smith, Ohio State has finished as the No. 1 athletics program in the Big Ten Conference in the Learfield Director's Cup standing eight times. Ohio State teams have won 117 Big Ten championships and 35 national championships. Smith's philosophy of developing the 'total student-athlete' has resulted in academic achievements concurrent with athletic success.
Kyle Snyder - Wrestling, 2015-18
Kyle Snyder lettered and captained the Buckeyes during the four seasons he competed at Ohio State from 2015-18. The four-time All-American helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2015 NCAA Team Championship before winning three individual NCAA crowns at heavyweight from 2016-18. He was the runner-up at 197 pounds in 2015. Snyder became the youngest world champion and winner of Olympic Gold in U.S. history, claiming the Olympic title for the United States in 2016. He added a silver medal in 2020. The three-time All-Big Ten and league heavyweight champion (2016-18) went undefeated in both 2016 (11-0) and 2017 (17-0) while compiling a collegiate record of 75-5.
Matt Wilhelm - Football, 1999-2002
Matt Wilhelm was a three-year starter at middle linebacker and one of the cornerstones of the Buckeyes' 2002 defense that helped them win a national championship. The team's leading tackler with 121 stops that season, he earned consensus First Team All-America honors and All-Big Ten Conference honors. He still ranks in the Top 10 all-time in career tackles for loss (eighth – 43.5) and single-season tackles-for-loss (ninth – 19.5 in 2002). He had career totals of 266 tackles, 34.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 48 games in the Scarlet and Gray. Wilhelm went on to an eight-year NFL career, spending six of those seasons with the San Diego Chargers. He was also a member of the Super Bowl-winning Green Bay Packers in 2010.
