Two individuals and one team to be inducted into The University of Olivet Athletic Hall of Fame

OLIVET, Mich. – Kristy (Latimer) Barber and Tom Sexton along with the 1983-84 wrestling team have been chosen for induction into The University of Olivet Athletic Hall of Fame, Class of 2023. The induction ceremony will take place at the Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, October 20 at the Battle Creek Country Club, and then be recognized prior to the Homecoming football game the next day.

Barber, a 2007 Olivet graduate, earned four varsity letters on the women’s golf team. She was a three-time All-MIAA honoree, earning second team honors in 2003 and first team honors in 2005 and 2006. Barber was the league’s Most Valuable Golfer in 2006 after posting an 85.3 stroke average over the four MIAA jamborees. Her best round was a 78 which earned her medalist honors at Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend, Indiana.

Barber’s performance in 2006 also helped the Comets win the MIAA Championship and earn Olivet’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championship. At the national championships, she totaled 334 strokes to tie for 30th in the player standings and Olivet finished ninth in the team standings.

After graduating from Olivet, Barber earned a master’s degree from Cornerstone University in 2010. She currently lives in Battle Creek, with her husband, Jesse, and two kids, Amelia, and Andrew. Barber works at Michigan CAT, serving as a service administration supervisor in the product support department.

Sexton, a 1980 Olivet graduate, was a four-year starter and four-time All-MIAA selection on the football team. He earned All-MIAA First Team honors in 1979, and All-MIAA Second Team honors in 1976, 1977 and 1978. The team’s most valuable defensive player in 1979, Sexton recorded 115 tackles, including 21 quarterback sacks. Twice, he was named the MIAA Defensive Player of the Week, the first time after tallying 15 tackles during a 13-7 win over Monmouth (Ill.) College and the second time after registering eight solo tackles, including five sacks, during a 42-21 loss to MIAA champion Hope College. In addition to football, Sexton was a letterwinner on the wrestling team, while serving as a team manager for the 1979-80 season.

After graduating from Olivet, Sexton relocated to Buffalo, Wyoming, to pursue a teaching career and still resides there. He taught at Clear Creek Middle School for 33 years until his retirement in 2014. During his time as a teacher, Sexton also coached track, football and wrestling. He has four children (two boys and two girls) and four grandchildren.

Under the guidance of head coach Jare Klein, the 1983-84 wrestling team finished the season with an 18-2-1 overall record and captured the 10th MIAA wrestling championship in school history. During the regular season, Olivet’s only losses were a 21-19 to University of Notre Dame (Ind.) and 17-15 to Wabash (Ind.) College, and the tie was 22-22 against Malone (Ohio) University.

Led by MIAA Most Valuable Wrestler Dan Pantaleo at 142 pounds, the Comets had seven individuals earn All-MIAA honors. The other six wrestlers were Mike Pantaleo (126), Richard Goodman (134), Dale Sharrard (150), Bob Kintz (158), Dave Labrecque (167) and Sam Hargrove (unlimited).

Five wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in Binghamton, N.Y. Backed by Dan Pantaleo’s championship at 142 pounds and Labrecque’s fourth-place finish at 167 pounds, Olivet was ninth in the final team standings. Across all men’s sports at Olivet, the ninth-place performance is the highest team finish in school history at a national championship and Pantaleo is still the only individual national champion in school history.