The hall of fame selection committee revised the eligibility requirements to honor Toppin. In previous years, athletes must have graduated from college to earn induction. Toppin entered the NBA draft in 2020 after three years at Dayton.
The addendum to the rules reads:
“The committee reserves the right to waive the degree requirement if an individual earns recognized multiple national honors at the highest levels of performance. The student-athlete must have withdrawn from the University of Dayton in good standing (both academically and athletically), and the reason for withdrawing must be deemed by the selection committee to be valid enough to warrant consideration and election to the Athletic Hall of Fame.”
Joining Toppin in the 2025 class are: Kelley Austria (women’s basketball); Chris Lemon (cross country); and Doug Hauschild (administration). There will be 205 members of the hall of fame after this induction.
Here’s a quick glance at each athlete:
Obi Toppin: He led the Flyers to a 29-2 record and No. 3 national ranking as a redshirt sophomore in 2019-20. He averaged 20.0 points in his final season at UD and finished his career with 1,096 points. He finished his career with a school-record 190 dunks.
Toppin is now in his sixth season in the NBA and third with the Indiana Pacers. He is currently sidelined with a foot injury that will keep him out of action until at least February.
Kelley Austria: A 2017 UD grad, she ranks 21st in school history with 1,197 points and second in career steals (226). In the four full seasons she played, Dayton was 101-28. She was the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and an all-conference second-team selection as a redshirt senior in 2017.
Austria is working toward a graduate degree in physical therapy at Bowling Green.
Credit: David Jablonski
Credit: David Jablonski
Doug Hauschild: A 1981 graduate, Hauschild worked in the sports information/athletics communication office from 1978 until his retirement earlier this year. He was the primary media contact for Dayton football and men’s basketball for 43 years.
Hauschild has worked 120 NCAA tournament games at UD Arena. He was inducted into the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame in 2020.
Chris Lemon: A 2011 graduate, Lemon is the only UD runner to twice qualify for the NCAA championship cross country meet. He won the A-10 championship in 2009. He owns the top three 10-kilometer times in school history, including the school record of 30 minutes, 31.5 seconds.
Lemon now teaches Spanish at Northmont High School.
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