Charleston, W.Va. – The University of Charleston Athletic Department is inducting four honorees into the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. This prestigious class includes football player Brett Benes, women's soccer player Holly Bigg, men's soccer player Conor Branson, and the 2015-16 Softball Team. 

The Hall of Fame Celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, September 25^th, 2026 in the UC Ballroom. 

Brett Benes '16 – Football
Brett Benes, class of 2016, was a highly sought after football recruit from Cardinal Newman High School located in West Palm Beach, Florida. When deciding on colleges, Benes chose to look north and signed his letter of intent with the University of Charleston where he went on to compete for the entirety of his collegiate career as a punter and kicker.
As a freshman with the Golden Eagles, Benes saw limited opportunities but broke onto the scene in his second season in 2014 with fifty-three punt attempts totaling 2065 yards for an average distance of 39.0, with three of those punts going for 50+ yards.

During his junior season campaign, Benes stepped up his performance even further as he began to gain national attention. His punts traveled for an average of 43.7 yards with thirteen of them going for 50+ yards including a 71-yard punt which still stands as the longest punt for the University of Charleston. Benes also averaged 56.3 yards on his kickoffs with eighteen of them being touchbacks. After his stellar performance, Benes was named First Team All-MEC as a punter as well as First Team All-American.

Benes continued his success his senior year, earning once again First Team All-MEC as a punter in addition to a Second Team All-MEC recognition as a kicker. Benes also earned a Second Team All-American honor as well as Hero Sports D2 National Special Teams Player of the Week during the 2016 season.

With multiple MEC Player of the Week recognitions and his numerous post season accolades, Brett Benes has cemented his legacy for the University of Charleston football program.


Holly Bigg '14 – Women's Soccer
Holly Bigg, a native of Limehouse, Ontario, spent all four of her collegiate seasons at the University of Charleston as a member of the Women's Soccer team. In her time at the University of Charleston, Bigg played a crucial role in the team's success, switching roles between a defender and sliding up as a midfielder.

In 2011 during her freshman campaign, Bigg scored six goals and added four assists which earned her Second Team All-Conference honors, as well as Daktronics Atlantic All-Region Second Team as a midfielder.

As a sophomore, Bigg adopted a different role as a defender for the Golden Eagles, still notching three goals and two assists. In her new role, Bigg was named First Team All-Conference, NSCAA All-Region Third Team, and Daktronics Atlantic All-Region Second Team for the 2012 season.

Bigg continued her stellar performance on the defensive end in her junior year, starting in all seventeen games, contributing 1,386 minutes while scoring two goals and adding two assists. Her performance earned another First Team All-Conference award and NSCAA All-Atlantic Region Second Team recognition.

For her final season with the Golden Eagles in 2014, Bigg was moved back to the midfield, and immediately made her offensive prowess known in the conference. She led the Mountain East Conference with ten goals and was twice named MEC Offensive Player of the Week. In her farewell season, Bigg was named First Team All-Conference as a midfielder, as well as First Team Daktronics All-Atlantic Region.

Holly Bigg played a vital role for the Golden Eagles, playing in seventy-two games, starting in seventy of them, along with scoring twenty-two goals and adding twelve assists.

 
Conor Branson '15 – Men's Soccer
Hailing from Pontefract, England, Conor Branson spent three years in the maroon and gold as a defender for the Golden Eagles Men's Soccer team.

In his first year with Charleston, Branson stepped into his role in the back line confidently, tallying 1453 minutes played while notching five goals and one assist.

It was during his second year that Branson started to get conference and national attention both on the field and in the classroom. During the 2014 season, Branson helped lead the Golden Eagles all the way to the National Championship Game, contributing nine goals and seven assists along the way. His success on the pitch that year earned him Mountain East Conference Defender of the Year, Mountain East Scholar Athlete of the Year, NSCAA Atlantic Region Player of the Year, NSCAA All-American Scholar, NSCAA First Team All-American, CCA First Team All-American, and the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Elite 90 award.

For his final season with UC in 2015, the Golden Eagles advanced all the way to the Final Four, with Branson leading the defense and notching four goals and four assists. Branson was once again showered with accolades following his final season with the Golden Eagles, including several back-to-back awards. Branson was once again named Mountain East Conference Defender of the Year, Mountain East Scholar Athlete of the Year, along with CCA National Defensive Player of the Year, NSCAA All-American Scholar, NSCAA First Team All-American, CCA First Team All-American, and the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Elite 90 award for the second year in a row.

Conor Branson is one of the most decorated Men's Soccer student athletes and in total logged 5,312 minutes on the pitch, starting in sixty-three games, scoring eighteen goals and tallying twelve assists.


2015-16 Softball Team
The University of Charleston 2015-2016 softball team will forever go down in Golden Eagle history, dominating their way to the programs first ever Division II College World Series.
The team had a 50-12 overall record, going 29-3 in the MEC, which put them first in the MEC South Division. The Golden Eagles were nearly unstoppable on their home field, winning twenty-one of twenty-two home games. The squad also showcased an impressive twenty-five game win streak spanning from April 2^nd to April 30^th.

The team won the Atlantic Region Championship, advancing to the World Series and eventually were ranked #8 in the Final NFCA Top 25 Poll.

The impressive season was complimented by multiple accolades both for the players and coaching staff. Head Coach Ray Loeser was named Mountain East Conference Coach of the Year and the entire staff was recognized as the NFCA Atlantic Coaching Staff of the Year. Alli Burdette was a dominant force in the circle and was named Mountain East Conference Pitcher of the Year.  Along with that there were four All-Region and All-MEC selections, which included Alli Burdette, Kelly Browning, Laura Ashlock and Rachelle Toppings. Ashlock, Burdette, and Toppings were also named to the MEC All-Tournament Team. Adding to their impressive campaigns, Alli Burdette and Kelly Browning also earned All-American recognition.

Not only did several athletes earn praise on the field, a handful of Golden Eagles were also recognized for their success in the classroom. Charleston earned four CoSIDA Academic All-District Selections which included Browning and Toppings, as well as Jessie Rowe and Katelyn Hamilton. Kelly Browning was additionally named as an Academic All-American.