Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame | Class of 2023

Note: The following appears in the Florida State football gameday program.

Eleven former Clemson student-athletes and coaches, including eight who earned All-America honors, will be inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend. The class includes student-athletes and coaches from eight different sports. The group includes three former Tiger football players, two from men’s track & field and baseball and one each from men’s tennis, men’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s track & field and a Hall of Fame former golf coach.

The class features multi-sport athlete Kyle Parker, who starred at Clemson in baseball and football between 2008-10. After earning All-ACC honors in baseball in the spring of 2008, when he should have been a senior in high school, Parker starred in football and baseball during the 2009-10 academic year.

In the fall of 2009, Parker totaled 20 passing touchdowns in quarterbacking Dabo Swinney’s football team to its first ACC Atlantic Division championship. In the spring, he hit 20 home runs in leading the Tiger baseball team to the College World Series. He remains the only athlete in Division I history with 20 passing touchdowns and 20 home runs in the same academic year.

DeAndre McDaniel and Raymond Priester are the other former Tiger football players in the class. McDaniel was an All-America safety in 2009 and 2010. He is the only Tiger in history with 15+ interceptions and 15 tackles for loss in a career. Priester rushed for 3,966 yards in his career as a running back, second most in school history. He held the record for 24 years until Travis Etienne broke it three years ago.

Yehezkel Halifa and Miller Moss are the two men’s track & field athletes who will be inducted. Halifa was an All-American in the 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m during his career and finished second at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, the highest finish for a Tiger in that national event. Moss won an NCAA championship in the indoor heptathlon and was an All-American outdoors in the decathlon.

Lawson Duncan and Ani Mijacika are two tennis players who will be inducted. Duncan was the No. 4 ranked player in the nation in 1984, when he posted a 70-14 record. He led the nation in wins that year, and it is still the Clemson single-season record. Mijacika was a singles and doubles All-American in 2009, when she was ACC Player-of-the-Year. She ranked No. 2 in the nation in singles in 2008 and No. 4 in 2009.

Will Solomon and Gary Burnham are two new Hall of Famers who came to Clemson after high school careers near Hartford, Conn. Solomon led the ACC in scoring in 1999-00 and was a First-Team All-ACC selection, the only sophomore guard so honored in Tiger history. Burnham was a third-team All-American in 1995, when he helped the Tigers to the College World Series. He hit .340 in his Clemson career and later played 14 years of professional baseball.

April Sinkler was a seven-time All-American for the women’s track & field program between 2009-12. She has the third-most All-America certificates in program history. Additionally, she was an eight-time ACC champion in field events. Six times (indoor and outdoor), she was an ACC field-event MVP, more than any track athlete in school history.

The only coach who will be inducted this year is Larry Penley. The head coach of the men’s golf program from 1983-21, Penley coached Clemson to the 2003 NCAA championship. Seven times, he led Clemson to an NCAA regional title, more than any other Division I coach. He led the Tigers to 83 tournament victories, most in ACC history. That includes 10 ACC championships. He was inducted into the College Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and the state of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.

GARY BURNHAM
Baseball • 1994-97

• Consistent starter on four NCAA Tournament teams and two College World Series teams (1995,96).
• Led the ACC in doubles in 1995, and when he left Clemson, he was second in that category on a career basis.
• Third in Clemson history in career doubles (77).
• Fifth in Clemson history in career runs (215) and fifth in career walks (157).
• Third-team All-American by NCBWA in 1995, when he hit .344 with 27 doubles, eight homers, 62 RBIs and 83 runs.
• Hit a career-high .391 in 1997 with 15 homers and 82 RBIs. His RBI total is sixth in Clemson history.
• He was a career .340 hitter with 29 homers and 209 RBIs.
• Starter on Clemson’s 1994 ACC championship team.
• Spent 10 years in the minor leagues with the Phillies, Blue Jays, Reds and Cardinals, as he reached as high as AAA.
• He also played in Taiwan and in the Japan Major Leagues, then he finished his professional career in Italy in 2010.

LAWSON DUNCAN
Tennis • 1984

• He was a finalist at the 1984 NCAA singles tournament, as he reached the finals.
• Won five matches in straight sets at the 1984 NCAA singles tournament.
• All-American and All-ACC selection in 1984.
• ITCA Rookie-of-the-Year in 1984.
• Second on the Clemson career list for winning percentage (83.3) in singles play.
• Had a 70-14 record in singles, the Clemson record for singles victories in a season.
• His 70 singles wins are 13 more than any other player in a season in Tiger history.
• His 83.3 winning percentage is seventh highest in school history.
• Won 143 sets in 1984, the Clemson season record by 26 sets.
• Had a 15-3 record in three-set matches and 13-6 record in tiebreakers in 1984.
• Named to the ACC 50-Year Anniversary Team.
• ACC champion at No. 1 singles in 1984.
• No. 1 singles player on Clemson’s 1984 ACC championship squad, as the team reached the Final 16 of the team tournament.
• Finished No. 4 nationally in the final ITA singles poll.
• Played professionally from 1984-89 and reached the fourth round of the French Open in 1989.

YEHEZKEL HALIFA
Cross Country, Track & Field • 1987-89

• Leader of standout Tiger teams in that era, as he played on four ACC championship teams, two in cross country (1987,88), one indoor (1989) and one outdoor (1989).
• One of the few distance runners in Clemson history to earn All-America honors in the 10,000m, 5000m and 3000m during his career.
• Finished second in the nation at the NCAA cross country meet in 1988, the highest finish in Clemson history.
• All-ACC selection in cross country in 1987 and 1988.
• All-American in the 3000m and 10,000m in 1988.
• Finished second in the 1988 ACC cross country meet.
• All-American in the 5000m in 1989.
• ACC champion in the 5000m indoor in 1989.
• ACC champion in the 10,000m in 1988 and 1989.
• All-district selection in cross country in 1989.

DeANDRE McDANIEL
Football • 2007-10

• Only player in the nation in 2009 who had at least eight interceptions and 100 tackles, and the only player in Clemson history to do both in one season.
• His eight takeaways on defense in 2009 tied for second most in Clemson history.
• Two-time All-American, as he was a first-team All-American by CBS Sports and FWAA and third-team All-American by Sporting News in 2009. He was a third-team All-American by Rivals and Phil Steele in 2010.
• Two-time First-Team All-ACC selection.
• Only Tiger in history with 15 interceptions and 15 tackles for loss in a career.
• His 16 career takeaways are fourth in Clemson history, and his 190 takeaway return yards are sixth.
• His 15 career interceptions are tied for second in school history.
• Had eight interceptions in 2009 to lead the ACC and was third in the nation.
• National defensive player-of-the-week against Miami (Fla.) in 2009, when he had two interceptions.
• Graduated from Clemson in 2010.
• He is now a senior defensive analyst on Dabo Swinney’s 2023 staff.

ANI MIJACIKA
Tennis • 2006-09

• Three-time doubles All-American (2007-09).
• Two-time singles All-American.
• Singles and doubles All-American in 2008 and 2009.
• First Tiger to be a singles and doubles All-American twice in a career.
• 2009 ACC Player-of-the-Year.
• No. 2 in the nation in the final singles ranking in 2008 and No. 4 in 2009.
• No. 4 in the nation in the final doubles ranking in 2007, No. 5 in 2008 and No. 11 in 2009.
• Three-time team MVP.
• No. 1 singles ACC champion in 2008.
• Three-time First-Team All-ACC selection (2007-09).
• Reached a No. 1 singles ranking by ITA in 2008 and 2009.
• ITA Southeast Regional Rookie-of-the-Year in 2007.
• She was a finalist for the 2008 Honda Sports Award for tennis.
• All-American on Clemson’s 2008 ACC championship team.
• Had a four-year record of 84-24 in singles and a 79-22 mark in doubles.
• She was named to the ITA Collegiate All-Star team in 2008.

MILLER MOSS
Track & Field • 2007-11

• National champion indoors in the heptathlon in 2011, Clemson’s only heptathlon national champion.
• His championship was remarkable in that he was 55 points behind entering the final day and won by scoring 5,986 points.
• At the time, Moss’ 5,986 heptathlon points were fifth most in NCAA history.
• Named ACC Indoor Track & Field Athlete-of-the-Year in 2011.
• He was the Southeast Region Field Athlete-of-the-Year in 2011.
• ACC champion in the heptathlon in 2011 with 5,881 points.
• Member of the ACC championship 4x400m relay.
• In the outdoor season, he was a USTFCCCA All-American in the decathlon.
• Finished second at the ACC outdoor meet in the decathlon.
• Finished third to win All-America honors in the decathlon at the NCAA meet in 2011, then finished third at the USA Outdoor Championships.
• Only Tiger to finish in the top three nationally in the heptathlon and decathlon in the same year.
• Two-time All-American in the indoor heptathlon, as he finished eighth at the 2010 indoor meet.

KYLE PARKER
Baseball, Football • 2008-10

• Only student-athlete in NCAA history to total 20 homers and 20 passing touchdowns in the same academic year (2009-10).
• Quarterbacked Clemson to its first ACC Atlantic Division championship in 2009. He did that as a redshirt freshman, leading the Tigers to nine wins.
• Totaled 4,902 total yards in his two years at quarterback.
• Had 4,739 passing yards and 32 passing touchdowns, a top-10 mark in Tiger history.
• Totaled 2,526 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2009.
• Honorable mention All-American in 2009.
• Hit 14 homers as a freshman, when he was a First-Team All-ACC pick, then earned All-ACC honors in 2009.
• First-team All-American by Ping!Baseball in 2010.
• Hit 20 homers to lead the team in 2010 and helped the Tigers to the College World Series.
• Hit. 344 with 64 RBIs in 2010.
• Hit .302 with 46 homers and 166 RBIs in his career in three years.
• Fifth in the nation in runs (85), 15th in walks and 25th in homers in 2010.
• His 85 runs in 2010 are fifth in Clemson history.
• First-round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies and played in the major leagues.

LARRY PENLEY
Golf Coach • 1983-21

• Inducted into the state of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
• Inducted into the state of South Carolina Golf Hall of Fame in 2009.
• Inducted into the College Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
• All-time leader in tournament victories (83) among ACC coaches. He won 19 tournaments in the 1980s, 25 in the 1990s, 15 in the 2000s, 18 in the 2010s and six in the 2020s.
• Coached Clemson to the 2003 national championship with a victory on Oklahoma State’s home course.
• Won an NCAA-record seven NCAA regional titles.
• Led Clemson to 10 ACC championships, including 2021, his final year as head coach.
• Named ACC Coach-of-the-Year nine times, including his final season in 2021.
• First coach in NCAA history to win the conference title, a regional championship and the national title in the same year.
• National coach-of-the-year in 2003.
• Eight-time NCAA district coach-of-the-year, including 2021.
• One of two ACC coaches in any sport named ACC Coach-of-the-Year in five different decades.
• Led Clemson to 37 NCAA Tournament appearances, tied for second in ACC history among all coaches in all sports.
• Took Clemson to the NCAA national championship tournament 21 consecutive years.
• Led Clemson to 25 top-20 finishes, most among all Tiger coaches in all sports.
• Led Clemson to 13 top-10 finishes, second in Tiger athletics history.

RAYMOND PRIESTER
Football • 1994-97

• Clemson’s career rushing leader between 1996 and 2020, as he held the record for 24 years, a mark that was broken by Travis Etienne in 2020.
• Had 3,966 rushing yards, second in Tiger history and 11th in ACC history, on a school-record 805 carries.
• Rushed for 112 yards per game in 1996, still the single-season record. His 110 yards per game in 1995 is third highest in school history.
• Played 2,329 snaps in his career, most by a running back in school history.
• Had 204 yards on 36 carries at Maryland in 1997. That included a streak of running the ball on a Clemson-record 12 consecutive plays.
• He had 4,282 all-purpose yards, eighth in Tiger history, in his career.
• Had a school-record 263 rushing yards against Duke in 1995.
• Had 15 games with 100+ rushing yards, third in Clemson history.
• Three-time All-ACC selection, as he earned Second-Team All-ACC honors as a sophomore and junior and First-Team All-ACC honors as a senior.
• Finished 18th in the nation in rushing as a sophomore and 21st as a junior, with over 1,300 yards each season.
• Second in the ACC in rushing in 1995 and 1996 and third in 1997.
• Second in the ACC in yards per carry in 1995, third in 1996 and seventh in 1997.
• Fifth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams.

APRIL SINKLER
Track & Field • 2009-12

• Seven-time All-American in jump events, tied for the third-most All-America certificates in Clemson history.
• Had three indoor All-America certificates and four outdoor.
• Eight-time ACC champion, fifth most in Tiger history.
• She was a 14-time All-ACC selection, all in individual events. That is fourth in Clemson history for All-ACC selections.
• Named ACC indoor MVP in field events three times, the only Clemson athlete to be named three times.
• Named ACC outdoor MVP three times, one of just three Tiger female track & field athletes to do it.
• Her six ACC MVP awards are the most ever by a Tiger.
• Indoor ACC champion in the high jump and long jump in 2009 and 2010.
• Outdoor ACC champion in the high jump and long jump in 2010.
• A leader on six Clemson ACC championship teams, indoors in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and outdoors in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
• Still holds the Clemson record in the high jump indoors and outdoors.
• She was a big reason Clemson finished No. 4 in the nation outdoors and No. 5 indoors in 2011.

WILL SOLOMON
Basketball • 1998-01

• Named one of the top-25 players in Clemson history in conjunction with the 100-year celebration of Tiger basketball in 2012.
• First-Team All-ACC selection as a sophomore, the only Clemson guard to earn First-Team All-ACC honors as a sophomore.
• Second-Team All-ACC selection as a junior, then turned professional.
• Set 15 school records in his last two years, including 1,218 points in consecutive seasons.
• Had a school-record 52 consecutive double-figure scoring games.
• Had two 40-point games in his career, 43 points against Virginia in 1999-00 and 41 points against Georgia Tech in 2000-01.
• Led the ACC in scoring in 1999-00 as a sophomore with a 20.9-point average, 16th in the nation.
• Averaged 20 points per game in 13 games against top-25 teams in 2000-01 and averaged 19 point per game in six games against North Carolina his last two seasons.
• First-team all-district pick as a sophomore and junior.
• Played 10 years of professional basketball, four in the NBA and six overseas.