Point Park University will name its newest Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame members on Oct. 10. The honorees are current Detroit Tiger Don Kelly, basketball player and soccer star Chris Heh, golfer Sam Depe III and volleyball and softball player Linda Keibler-Guercio.            To get into the Hall of Fame there are specific criteria.            “Anybody can nominate someone,” Point Park Director of Athletic Communications Kevin Taylor said “We have a Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame Committee and myself and others on that committee put forth names and once we have a grouping of names, we have meetings and we talk about the qualifications of different nominees and we put it to a vote and we aim to have four or so inductees a year.”            The people on the aforementioned committee are Director of Athletics Dan Swalga, Taylor, Dean of Students Keith Paylo, Manager of Alumni Relations John Pine, Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. Darlene Marnich and history professor and Point Park Alumnus Ed Meena.            According to the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame nomination form, the mission of the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame is: “The Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 2000 and the purpose of it is to recognize the accomplishments of Point Park University athletes, coaches and administrators who have made outstanding contributions to the University’s athletic department and teams.”            Nominees and coaches have to complete their careers at least five years prior to their nomination date, and nominated coaches need to have at least three years of headcoaching experience at Point Park for consideration.Awards garned throughout their tenure help a nominees’ chances of induction, however, to gain entry into the Hall of Fame, one does not have to have played or coached solely at Point Park.            Baseball player Don Kelly faced many challenges going into professional baseball after coming from Point Park.            “The one summer that really helped me was going to play Summer Collegiate Wooden Bat League down at Petersburg, Virginia against some pretty good Division I players. That was the first time that I had to prove to myself that I could do it,” Kelly said. “I could play, but, to go down there and play against these top caliber [Division I] guys was great to prove to myself that I could play against them, which gave me the confidence going into pro ball that I know that I can hang with these guys.”            Kelly said he chose Point Park because of Al Liveri who helped him in many ways before, during and after college.            “Coming out of high school, […]Liveri was my region baseball coach, and he was the hitting coach at Point Park and the big reason why I chose to go there.”            Kelly’s brother-in-law is current Pirates second baseman Neil Walker and like Walker, Kelly has played for the Pittsburgh Pirates.            Kelly, who resides in Wexford, PA, was a member of the Detroit Tigers’ Opening Day roster. The Tigers have many veterans on their team which provided the basis of his advice to collegiate athletes who have a desire to continue their passion of athletics beyond college.            “Have fun and work hard. Even at the level I am at now playing with the Tigers, you see these guys every day: Miguel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez [and] Johnny Damon. They’re having fun going out there and playing the game, it’s not a job,” Kelly said “Even to play collegiately, you’re going from high school, where maybe you’re playing 20 [to]25 games, to now college, where you’re going to be playing 50 [to]55. It’s a lot more baseball and you’ve got to have fun doing it.”            According to the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame website, “Chris Heh is the most prolific offensive player in the history of Point Park men’s soccer. The Pleasant Hills, Pa., native is the Pioneers’ all-time leader with 50 goals and 111 points in three seasons from 1996-98.”            Heh, who grew up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, reflected on the honor of being inducted in the Pioneer Athletic Hall of Fame.            “I am very excited to receive this honor. It’s a great honor, and it shows that my hard work was noticed by people and I was very pleased to hear the news,” Heh said in a phone interview.            Heh was a part of the 1998 Point Park Men’s Soccer Team; a season which was considered its best. Heh scored 21 goals during the season and the team finished 12-5 and made the playoffs.            When giving advice to athletes at the collegiate level, Heh made sure to mention that in order to achieve athletic success you need to have a support system.            “Don’t be selfish [and] always be a team player, because you can’t get into the Hall of Fame by yourself. You need a team, you need a coach and you need a strong supporting staff around you, so you have to be aware that an individual award is really a team award.”