FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Nova Southeastern University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee proudly announces the NSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2015, as three former student-athletes and a staff member headline the honorees.

Former Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine, Dr. Larry Starr will be joined by golfer Maria Garcia Austt, softball player Lauren Lopez, and rower Cheyenne Poskey in the ninth NSU Athletics Hall of Fame Class. The Class of 2015 will be inducted into the NSU Athletics Hall of Fame in a gala banquet ceremony on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 in the NSU Arena at the Don Taft University Center.

"We are very excited to announce our ninth Hall of Fame class – the class of 2015," Director of Athletics Michael Mominey said. "This event continues to allow us to recognize the best and brightest alumni and administration from the past and connect their contributions with our current success. We congratulate Maria, Cheyenne, Lauren and Larry and look forward to seeing all of our Hall of Famers return to campus for a great event." 

Tickets for the event go on sale September 14. Tickets cost $60 each and must be purchased by October 31. NSU faculty, staff, and students will receive a discounted ticket price of $40. Please contact Kim Carbo, Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing, Development, & Fundraising at 954-262-8254 for more information.

The following is the Class of 2015:

Maria Garcia Austt (Golf, 2006-2010)
Maria Garcia Austt helped set the foundation for the women's golf program. She was NSU's first ever National Player of the Year in any sport, as named by PING/NGCA following her freshman season, and she led the team to its first two NCAA National Championships, in 2009 and 2010.
 
Her debut campaign also featured a No. 1 ranking in all of Division II, the DII Freshman of the Year award, a selection to the Duramed FUTURES Tour NGCA DII All-American First Team and both SSC Women's Golfer of the Year and Women's Golf Freshman of the Year. She also earned two NCAA Scholar All-American honors (2008 and 2010), while she slots second all-time in tournament wins (8), fifth in season scoring average (74.37), and third in career scoring average (75.43), while ranking third all-time in career birdies (240) and second all-time in career eagles (3).She graduated from NSU with a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing.
 
Lauren Lopez (Softball, 2008-2010)
Lauren Lopez, in just a short time, etched her name prominently in the softball record books. In her two seasons with the team, she earned two All-SSC and All-South Region selections, led the team to two NCAA Tournament appearances, was 2010 SSC Player of the Year, and that same year, was both a unanimous All-American and a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.
 
Lopez holds single-season records in batting average (.478), runs scored (61), hits (97), triples (8) and total bases (154, and is second in at bats (203), homeruns (12), and RBI (63). In career categories, she is in the top 10 in 10 statistical areas, including ranking first in both batting average (.447) and slugging percentage (.761), while holding second in home runs (21) and triples (15). She is fourth in RBI (113), fifth in total bases (303) and stolen bases (46), seventh in doubles (32), eighth in runs scored (120), and ninth in hits (178). She graduated from NSU with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
 
Cheyenne Poskey (Rowing, 2003-2007)
Cheyenne Poskey was a two-time First Team All-American and First Team All-SSC selection, in 2006 and 2007; was the 2006 recipient of the David & Lee Millman Award for Academic Excellence; and competed as the team's top coxswain in four NCAA Championships. She helped capture the 2007 SSC Team Championship, as she was the coxswain for the Varsity 8, also named SSC Boat of the Year. In addition, the team was SSC Varsity 8 Champions in both 2005 and 2007, and SIRA Varsity 8 Champions, as she helped lead the V8 to over 20 first-place finishes.
 
On campus, Poskey was actively involved with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, where she served as team representative (2003-04), Vice President (2004-05), and then President (2005-06). She was elected also Student Senator of the Student Government Association in 2005-06. Additionally, she was the editor of NSU's Digressions Literary Magazine and was Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa. She graduated from NSU with a bachelor's degree is communication studies, and would go on to earn her master's degree in international affairs from Florida State University in 2012.
 
Dr. Larry Starr (Assistant Athletic Director Sports Medicine, 2002-2010)
Dr. Larry Starr was responsible for the vision and creation of the entire sports medicine element of NSU athletics. He came up with the concept for the Sports Medicine Interdisciplinary Team, bringing together sports psychology, sports nutrition and orthopedic surgeons, while also creating the Sharks' strength and conditioning department, which did not exist before his arrival. Starr was also responsible for designing the current sports medicine clinic in the Don Taft University Center, including the entire training room and the implementation of the Hydroworks pool.
 
Prior to working at NSU, he was the head athletic trainer for the Florida Marlins from 1993-2001, head athletic trainer for the Cincinnati Reds from 1972-1992, assistant athletic trainer and instructor for Ohio University from 1969-1971 and assistant to the head athletic trainer from 1967-1968. He is credited by his peers with guiding Major League Baseball to emphasizing sports nutrition and strength and conditioning.
 
Additionally, Starr is a member of the Carrollton (OH) High School Alumni Hall of Fame (2012), the National Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame (2011), the Tennis Fantasy with the Legends Hall of Fame (2006), the Florida Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame (2005), and the Ohio Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame (1994). He also received Ohio University's Alumni Medal of Merit Award (2008) and was named Southeast Athletic Trainers Association Professional Athletic Trainer of the Year (1999).
 
Starr earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's degree in secondary education from Ohio University in 1968 and 1971, respectively, and a doctorate in educational leadership from NSU in 2013.