Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Announces Its 2002 Athletic Hall of Fame Class
06.18.02 | General
The Hall of Fame Dinner will take place on Friday, November 15 in the banquet facilities of the Cintas Center. Call 745-2970 for details or reservations.
Pete Gillen, a four-time Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach-of-the-Year, piled up a long list of successes at Xavier during his nine seasons. Most notably, leading the Musketeers to postseason play in eight of those years, including seven NCAA berths (six straight from 1986-91) and a trip to the NIT Quarterfinals in 1994. XU also boasted seven 20-win seasons under Gillen. He compiled an impressive career winning percentage of .729 (202-75).
In 1992-93, Xavier finished 23rd in the final USA TODAY/CNN poll and 15th in the final Basketball Times rankings. Gillen put together XU's first three "Top 25" teams since the fifties. Xavier captured six MCC Regular Season Championships and five MCC Tournament Championships. Three of Xavier?s five winningest seasons were under Gillen: 28-5 (1989-90), 26-4 (1987-88) and 25-5 (1985-86). He helped Xavier make the most of its 1990 NCAA Tournament berth by making the program's first appearance in the "Sweet 16." A year later he led the Musketeers into the 1991 Second Round and in the 1993 NCAA Tourney, Xavier defeated 17th-ranked New Orleans (73-55) before nearly upsetting top-ranked Indiana (70-73) in the second round at the Indianapolis (Hoosier) RCA Dome.
There were a number of highlights during Gillen's tenure at Xavier: the winningest rookie Division I coach in the 1985-86 season at 25-5, the first round upset of Missouri in the 1987 NCAA Tournament (XU's first-ever win in the "Big Dance"), the school record of 28 victories in 1990, and XU's return to the national polls in 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1994. Gillen was the 1986, 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1994 MCC Coach-of-the-Year, the 1988 Basketball Times Mideast Coach-of-the-Year, and the 1989-90 Ohio Coach-of-the-Year.
Karen Ohe Jagers (?83) lettered four years in basketball and two years in volleyball. Ohe set herself apart early as one of the top players in Musketeer history. Ohe pulled down 873 rebounds during her four-year career for an average of 7.9 per game. She held the XU record for 12 years until All-MCC standout Lynn Bihn broke it in 1995, but still stands second all-time. Ohe ranks second on the all-time women?s basketball charts for most rebounds in a career (873) and third for a season (260 in 1981-82).
Ohe's rebounding numbers are made even more remarkable by the fact that she was a 5-9 forward. This Cincinnati St. Ursula product had a knack for getting to the ball. Ohe became a starter early in her career. She played in 23 games, starting 18, as a freshman while averaging 6.3 points and 8.7 rebounds a game as XU went 9-15. She posted 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in 28 games (26 starts) as a sophomore as XU improved its record to 15-13.
Rebounding and defense are two big keys to winning. Ohe provided head coach Laurie Massa with a consistent dose of both. As a junior, Ohe began to take charge on both ends of the court. She started all 34 games in XU's 20-14 season of 1981-82. She averaged 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds while helping XU capture the AIAW State Championship.
As a senior, Ohe started all 26 games while averaging 6.9 points and 7.8 rebounds. XU finished 13-13 in 1982-83, its first season of Division I competition.
While basketball was her primary sport, Ohe also played two years of volleyball for the Musketeers. She played hitter as a freshman for head coach Laurie Massa, helping the team finish 20-15. As a sophomore, she played hitter for first year head coach Carolyn Condit, helping the team finish with a school record 29-9 mark.
Jason Parker (?96) was a member of Xavier?s Rifle team from 1992-1996. Parker earned seven All-American citations as a member of the Xavier rifle team, the most for any shooter in school history. Parker, who is now a member of the U.S. Army Marksmenship Unit, was an All-American in smallbore as a freshman in 1993, then earned honors for both smallbore and air rifle in his final three seasons.
Parker was a member of the team that placed first in air rifle in the 1996 NCAA Championship. In individual NCAA competition, Parker placed second in smallbore in 1993, and in air rifle he placed third in 1994, fourth in 1995 and fifth in 1996.
On the international level Parker was a member of the 1998 Munich World Cup Air Rifle Championship Team. While there he won a Gold Medal and set two new world records. Parker scored a world-record 700.6 points to defeat Slovenia's Rajmond Debevec and win his event. Also, Parker's qualifying score of 598 out of 600 points set a new world mark.
Following his performance in Munich, Parker was named 1998 USA Shooting Male Rifle Shooter of the Year and was also featured in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd". Parker followed the honor up by winning a gold medal at the 1999 Masters European Air Rifle Championship. The U.S. Olympic Committee named Parker Shooter of the Year in 1999.
Parker also participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He posted the third best qualifying score in Men?s 10 meter air rifle before placing fifth in the finals, falling .7 points short of the bronze medal.
