Radford University Athletics has announced four new members that will be inducted into the Radford Athletics Hall of Fame in October.
The Class of 2026 will include Frederi Rondeau ’92 (men’s soccer), Chelsea Kelley ’11 (softball), Teresa Williamson ’15 (women’s cross country and track and field) and Matt Hillsiner ’12 (baseball).
The four-member class will be the 23rd to be inducted into the Radford Athletics Hall of Fame. This year’s induction ceremony will once again be part of Homecoming weekend festivities and will be held at Kyle Hall Oct. 23.
Frederi Rondeau
The keeper of some of the Highlanders’ best early years of Division I, Rondeau was a two-time all-Big South selection and 1990’s Big South All-Decade member. He ranks five times in the conference record book for career games played, minutes, saves, save percentage, and shutouts. For the Highlanders, his program records for single season saves and minutes in goal as well as career starts and saves still stand to this day. In 1989, he set the single-game record for saves with 21 against Lynn. His 10 shutouts during the 1990 campaign still rank top three in Big South history. Then, capping an impressive three-year run, Rondeau was a member of the 1991 Big South Regular Season Championship squad. His guidance on the defensive end would prove to be a staple at Dedmon Center Field, as Radford’s defense held opponents to just a 0.80 goals-against average over his three seasons in the net.
Chelsea Kelley
A member of one of the most dominant runs in Radford Athletics history, Kelley was the southpaw ace of the Highlanders staff from 2008 to 2011 earning two all-Big South selections, a slew of NFCA all-region awards, a Big South Pitcher of the Year nod, the Big South’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and NFCA All-American honors. She is one of just two Highlanders and Big South student-athletes to ever earn a Senior All-American award and is the only Big South softball student-athlete to ever earn the Lowe’s Senior Class award. Her pitching numbers for strikeouts, appearances, starts, complete games, innings pitched, fewest losses and saves still rank among the program’s top 10 lists today including her 58 wins which rank fourth-most all time. During the team’s back-to-back Big South Regular Season Championship and Tournament titles in 2009 and 2010, Kelley tossed over half of the innings in the team’s 79 wins. While a student, Kelley was the recipient of the Radford Academic Excellence Scholarship, Softball Scholarship and the Dr. Paul W. Harris Leader Scholarship.
Teresa Williamson
One of the best examples of championship success both on the competition field and off of it, Williamson turned heads with her studies and with her blistering performances as a part of the Highlanders cross country and track and field programs. She owns seven Big South event championships, was named the Big South’s Most Outstanding Performer twice, was named to the Big South’s 2019-20 All-Decade team. and is on a select list of just 12 Radford student-athletes to earn two or more Academic All-American awards. Her marks for the 5k and 6k still stand in the top 10 of the cross-country program record book, holding on as one of just two athletes to compete before 2020 on both lists. Her Big South titles in the Mile, 800-meter, 1500-meter and 800-meter all still stand as the last Highlander to achieve such a feat to this day. While a student, Williamson was the recipient of the Women’s Track and Field Scholarship, the Cupp Endowed Track Scholarship and a Nursing scholarship.
Matt Hillsinger
The do-it-all slugger of the Highlanders lineup enters the Hall as one of Radford’s most prolific hitters in program history among a stacked list of greats. The three-time first-team All-Big South was also named to the conference’s All-Decade team and set the standard for the great baseball teams that followed in the 2010’s. During his Radford career, Hillsinger achieved top 10 marks for runs, hits, batting average, triples, total bases, stolen bases, stolen base percentage and sacrifice flies. He hit over .300 in each of his final three seasons, including an impressive .367 showing in his junior 2010 campaign. Picking up more defensive duties as his career lengthened, the outfielder was about as reliable as it gets committing just three errors over his final three seasons to end his career with a .985 fielding percentage. Following his collegiate career, Hillsinger was selected in the 22nd round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. While a student, Hillsiner was the recipient of a baseball scholarship, Radford Academic Excellence Scholarship, Dean’s on Campus Room Scholarship and the Turk Athletic Scholarship.
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