UT’s Ronnie Merrill Jr., Allison Macsas Among Nine New Members Inducted Into SSC Hall of Fame
LAKELAND, Fla. - Nine new members were inducted into the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at The Terrace Hotel in Lakeland on Friday evening. Former University of Tampa baseball player Ronnie Merrill, Jr., and cross country standout Allison Macsas were among the honorees.
Charlotte Campbell, Nick Diyorio, Pamela Feggans, Johanna Fischer, Thomas Hipp, Macsas, Merrill Jr., Aimee Murch, and Greta Trotman became the latest SSC standouts to join the Hall of Fame. The nine-member class takes the total number of Hall of Fame members to 179.
Five of the members of the induction class were on hand to receive their awards and give remarks. Campbell, Diyorio, Feggans, Fischer, and Merrill were present for the ceremony.
Two members of the group, Campbell and Feggans, became the latest women's golfers to join the ranks. Diyorio and Merrill represented the sport of baseball. Fischer was a former women's soccer standout. Hipp and Trotman carried the banner for men's and women's tennis, respectively. Murch earned her induction on the softball field, while Macsas earned distinction as a women's cross country runner.
Diyorio and Feggans played their collegiate careers at Florida Southern. Fischer, Hipp, and Trotman became the latest inductees that honed their skills at Barry. Macsas and Merrill competed at Tampa. Campbell is a Rollins alum, and Murch is a product of Lynn.
Macsas was four-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection. She garnered SSC Runner of the Year honors three times, finishing first at the SSC Championship in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She was a two-time All-American and a three-time All-South Region honoree. Macsas still holds the Tampa 5K record, posting a time of 17:16 at the UF Gator Invitational in 2005. Also a standout in the classroom, she was named CoSIDA Academic All-America in 2004 and 2005.
Merrill, Jr., led Tampa to the 1998 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, earning Most Valuable Player honors at the tournament. Named SSC Player of the Year in 2000, he was a four-time All-SSC selection, garnering first-team accolades in 1998 and 2000. He was also tabbed Freshman of the Year in 1997. Merrill, Jr., was named first-team All-American and All-South Region in 2000. He earned second-team All-Region distinction in 1998. Merrill, Jr., played some of his best baseball when it counted most in the postseason, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team at the 1997, 1998, and 2000 regional tournaments. He still holds the UT career records for runs (262), hits (339), triples (24), RBI (228), and total bases (504).