LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville announced the Class of 2019 inductees to the Athletic Hall of Fame. Each of the former Cardinals made a big impact on UofL athletics while they were in school.
The six inductees are:
- Francisco Garcia, Men's Basketball
- Angel McCoughtry, Women's Basketball
- Eric Wood, Football
- Cindy Lacrosse, Women's Golf
- Wesley Korir, Track & Field/XC
- Lacy Wood, Softball
The athletes will be inducted on Friday, October 25 in the Brown & Williamson Club of Cardinal Stadium.
"We’re thrilled to have each of these outstanding individuals return to our campus and be honored as exceptional representatives of Cardinal Athletics," said Vince Tyra, UofL Vice President/Director of Athletics. "I had the pleasure of watching many of them in competition when they were student-athletes here and saw first-hand many of their remarkable achievements. We look forward to celebrating with this impressive Hall of Fame class next month."
Francisco Garcia was with the men's basketball team from 2002-2005. He was the leading scorer on the Cardinals; 2005 NCAA Final Four team, UofL's first in 19 years. That same year, Garcia helped lead the team to its first Conference USA championship. Garcia was also a John Wooden first team and NABC second-team All-America selection. He was the No. 23 overall pick in the first round of the 2005 NBA Draft and played for 10 years in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets. After the NBA, Garcia continued playing overseas.
Angel McCoughtry had a storied career at UofL and it continues now in the WNBA. McCoughtry played for Coach Jeff Walz from 2005-2009 and is the program's all-time points leader (2,779), rebounds (1,261), and steals (481.) She led Louisville to its first national championship game in 2009. Her list of accomplishments while a Cardinal is long and includes being named 2007 BIG EAST Player of the Year and 2009 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. McCoughtry was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream and went on to be named Rookie of the Year. She remains a member of the Dream, having just re-signed a multi-year deal. In addition to her WNBA career, McCoughtry helped Team USA win gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She also is a successful businesswoman. She opened McCoughtry's Ice Cream in 2017 in Atlanta.
Cindy LaCrosse set a lot of records during her time with the Cardinal golf team from 2005-2009. She still holds the record for the lowest round (65) and most career top-five finishes (17). In her final season as a Cardinal, she tied for 11th at the 2009 NCAA Championship, the highest by a Cardinal ever, and was named the 2009 BIG EAST Player of the year. Golf continued for LaCrosse after graduating. She earned her LPGA card in her first try and has played in several LPGA tournaments since 2010. She finished 13th a the 2012 Women's British Opens and 14th at both the 2012 U.S. WSomen's Open and the 2011 women's LPGA Championship.
The Honorable Wesley Korir has done a lot since leaving Louisville. Since 2013, Korir has served as a member of Kenya's Parliament. He is working with dairy farmers of Cherangany to improve and strengthen their yield. This Kenyan distance runner was a Cardinal from 2205-2007 and holds four school records and earned multiple All-America honors. After his collegiate career, Korir competed in various marathons winning the 2008 Chicago Marathon, the 2009 and 2010 Los Angeles Marathon and in 2012 won the prestigious Boston Marathon.
Eric Wood was a four-year starter at center for the Cardinal football team from 2005-2008. He earned freshman All-America honors and was twice named a first-team All-BIG EAST selection. He helped the Cardinals win the Orange Bowl in 2006. He was a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft going to the Buffalo Bills. He played his entire nine-year career with Buffalo and made it to the Pro Bowl in 2016. Despite living in New York, Wood kept ties to Louisville frequently returning to help charitable causes such as the Kids Cancer Alliance. Wood is now an analyst with the newly-formed ACC Network and does work with the Buffalo Bills Radio Network.
Lacy Wood, no relation to Eric, is Louisville's first softball All-American. At Louisville from 2003-2006, Wood helped lead the Cardinals to three NCAA regional appearances including the first in program history (2004). She still holds the school's career record for grand slams (four) and ranks among UofL's top 10 in batting average, hits, home runs, and RBIs.
The event begins with a reception at 6 p.m. with dinner and the induction ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person or $500 for a table of 10. The inductees will also be saluted at the Cardinals October 26 homecoming game against Virginia.