‘You Have To Be Great.’

Winter 2024 | By Andrew Bell

In October, former and current Owls were celebrated in a Hall of Fame ceremony that recognized their standout athletic records and their contributions to the Rice athletics community as a whole. 

The Rice Athletics Hall of Fame welcomed alumni Natalie Beazant ’15 (women’s tennis), Christopher Caldwell ’94 (track and field), James Casey ’11 (football), Lauren Hughes ’16 (women’s soccer), Anthony Rendon ’12 (baseball) and Lennie Waite ’08 (cross-country/track and field); Genny Volpe, who is entering her 20th season as head volleyball coach at Rice; and this year’s Distinguished “R” and Honorary “R” Award winners, Adam Peakes ’95 and Richard Stabell, respectively. 

“Rice planted a seed in me that you have to be great,” said Caldwell. “It gives you a sense of being great, so that everything you do has a greatness attached to it. And there’s an expectation from individuals outside of the Rice community that if you go to Rice, you must be great.”

Beazant offered this tribute: “From the moment I stepped on campus, my official visit, I felt like I was wanted, the kind of want where you’re part of the family. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was key for me and my success in college, as it helped bolster my confidence and made me realize that I did belong on the court.” 

In addition to these athletes, letterwinner Adam Peakes received the Distinguished “R” Award for his exemplary life as a Rice student-athlete, alumnus and valued athletics community member. Richard Stabell, former Rice dean of admissions, received the Honorary “R” Award for his tireless support of the Owls over the course of his career and beyond.

“I can assure you that the future of Rice Athletics is exceptionally promising due to the incredible leadership of President DesRoches, the board of trustees, our loyal donors, great coaches and staff, and most importantly, our remarkable student-athletes,” said athletics director Tommy McClelland.