Meet the six inductees to the 2017 MTSU Hall of Fame

MURFREESBORO ― MTSU will induct six new members into its Hall of Fame on Saturday. The ceremony will take place at the Kennon Sports Hall of Fame at 3:30 p.m. leading up to the MTSU-Bowling Green game at Floyd Stadium at 6 p.m.

Here’s a look at this year’s Blue Raider Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Rick Insell, women’s basketball

Insell’s list of accomplishments is long, and it’s still growing. The MTSU women’s basketball coach is the Lady Raiders’ all-time winningest coach with 299 wins and has guided the team to 14 combined championships (seven regular season, seven tournament), more than any other coach in program history. During Insell’s 12-year tenure at MTSU, his teams have reached the postseason each year, with nine berths in the NCAA Tournament and three WNIT appearances. Insell, a 1977 MTSU alumnus, was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year.

“This is truly humbling,” Insell said. “MTSU has always been special to me. It's my alma mater and it is where all three of my sons received their degrees. Having an opportunity to coach women's basketball at Middle Tennessee has been a dream come true.”

More: MTSU vs. Bowling Green: TV, radio, streaming, kickoff information

Wes Counts, football

A standout at Oakland High in Murfreesboro, Counts played quarterback for the Blue Raiders from 1998 to 2001 and is their all-time passing leader with 8,007 yards. He served as the team’s quarterback for its first season of Division I football in 1999 before leading the Blue Raiders to their first Division I-A championship as a member of the Sun Belt Conference in 2001.

“Being inducted into the Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame still hasn't really sunk in for me,” Counts said. “I grew up here, literally, watching some of the greats in all of the sports. Some of them are in the Hall of Fame. To be alongside some of them is truly special.”

Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom, men’s tennis

Born and Siljestrom are the first duo to be inducted together into the MTSU Hall of Fame. In 2007, the tandem won the NCAA doubles national championship, marking only the second team national title in MTSU history. They were two-time ITA All-Americans (2006, 2007), three-time All-Sun Belt honorees (2005-07) and the No.4-ranked doubles team in the nation when they finished their careers, good for the highest final ranking of any doubles team in program history.

“Winning a national championship at MTSU is one of the highlights of my life in athletics, and now this,” Born said. “It is just unbelievable. I am deeply moved to be inducted into the Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame.”

Chrissy Givens, women’s basketball

Before she became MTSU’s first WNBA selection, Givens was one of the Blue Raiders’ most prolific players during her career with the program from 2003 to 2007. She ranks fourth all-time in steals, fourth in assists, fifth in field goals, sixth in scoring, seventh in free throws and 11th in rebounding. Givens was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and was a two-time MVP of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

“I have been overwhelmed since receiving the news. To be honored as a member of the Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame can't be expressed in words,” Givens said. “This is the best of the best, and to think people view you in that light is simply remarkable. My time at Middle Tennessee was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

Michael McKenry, baseball

McKenry spent three years as an MTSU catcher before being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He is one of only three first-team All-Americans in program history. His 68 career RBIs rank seventh and his .494 slugging percentage is tied for ninth all-time in MTSU history. A dynamic defensive catcher, McKenry helped lead MTSU to the 2004 Sun Belt Conference Championship and a 40-win season. He is in his 12th season of professional baseball and has appeared in the most Major League Baseball games of any Blue Raider.

“I am humbled,” McKenry said. “You never think about stuff like this when you are playing, but when I received the call informing me that I was going into the Hall of Fame it was a tremendous feeling. Being in the Hall of Fame is one of the greatest achievements for an athlete. I am truly honored, yet humbled by this recognition.”