ALBANY, N.Y. — The Russell Sage College Athletics Hall of Fame has welcomed four new members, including three individuals and one team. The induction ceremony took place at Bush Memorial on the Troy campus, celebrating the remarkable achievements of Kristen Beikirch (softball), Megan Bowman (women’s basketball), Ann King (athletic communications), and the 2013-2014 women’s basketball team.
A standout athlete, Beikirch made significant contributions to the softball program between 2012 and 2015. Nominated by the Skyline Conference for the 2014-2015 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, she holds multiple records, including career marks for games played, at-bats, hits, runs, and stolen bases. Beikirch remains the only Gator to surpass 200 career hits and currently ranks fifth all-time with a remarkable .414 career batting average. She also set single-season program records for hits, runs scored, and stolen bases.
Bowman, another key figure in the college’s sports history, established a program record with 458 assists from 2011 to 2015. She concluded her career with 1,080 career points, ranking third at the time of her graduation and now sixth. Additionally, she secured second place for career steals with 258. As a two-time first-team All-Skyline Conference selection, Bowman was instrumental in leading her team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time, earning the 2014 Skyline Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player title.
The 2013-2014 women’s basketball team made history by winning the Skyline Conference Championship on their home court. With a single-season record of 17 wins, the Gators advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Bowman was named first-team All-Conference while her teammate Frankie Pearson earned the Conference’s Rookie of the Year title. Bowman led the team in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game, while forward Amie Jefferson recorded a team-high 195 rebounds.
Ann King, who spent 37 years as a sports information director, was also honored during the ceremony. For the last 15 years of her career, she served at Russell Sage College, where she became a prominent figure in athletic communications. Recognized as a legend in the field, she was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2006 and received the 2018 CoSIDA Mary Jo Haverbeck Award for her pioneering work in promoting diversity within the profession.
King’s legacy includes significant contributions to the Empire 8 Conference, where she was celebrated as part of its 25th Anniversary in 2023-2024. Before her tenure at Russell Sage College, she served as the sports information director at The College of New Jersey for 17 and a half years and spent six years at her alma mater, Drew University. She was posthumously honored with the Division III Commissioner’s Association Daniel T. Dutcher Meritorious Service Award at the 2024 NCAA Convention.
Since its inception in 1993, the Russell Sage College Athletics Hall of Fame has recognized 56 individuals and three teams for their outstanding contributions to the college’s athletic legacy, and this latest induction ceremony continues to celebrate the achievements of those who have made a lasting impact.