A look at the 4 all-time Wichita State athletes in 2024 Shocker Sports Hall of Fame class
The all-time leading scorer in Wichita State women’s basketball history, who was the face of the most successful run in program history, is being immortalized.
Alex Harden headlines the 2024 class, which also includes Charlie Giaudrone (baseball), Taryn Torgerson (women’s golf) and Cacy Williams (softball), selected to be inducted into the Wichita State Shocker Sports Hall of Fame.
A dinner has been set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27 at the Beggs Ballroom on WSU’s campus, while the induction ceremony is slated for halftime of the WSU men’s basketball game against SMU on Sunday, Jan. 28. Cost for the dinner is $50 per person and reservations can be made online at GoShockers.com or by calling the Shocker ticket office at 316-978-FANS.
Harden is generally considered to be among the greatest players in women’s basketball history at WSU, as her distinguished career lasted from 2011-15. She is the only player in program history with more than 1,440 points, 600 rebounds, 350 assists, 100 blocks and 200 steals and finished her career seventh in NCAA history with 3.27 steals per game. Harden finished her career first in points (1,708), second in steals (278), third in assists (436), fifth in blocks (113) and seventh in rebounds (683).
Among her list of accomplishments, Harden was an honorable mention All-American and Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2015. She was a three-time MVC tournament MVP, three-time all-conference player and three-time all-conference defensive player. During her time as a Shocker, she led the team to three straight NCAA tournament appearances.
Meanwhile, a look at the other three inductees:
Charlie Giaudrone
A four-year starting pitcher for the WSU baseball team from 1989-92, Giaudrone finished his career with a 31-7 record and 2.69 ERA in 49 starts. He was a member of the 1989 national championship team and was the starting and winning pitcher in the regional championship game against Michigan to send the Shockers back to Omaha for the College World Series.
During his time with the Shockers, the team won four Missouri Valley Conference championships and two conference tournaments, reached four NCAA tournaments and played in the College World Series three times.
Giaudrone, who was a second team All-American in 1992, finished his career second in ERA (2.69), sixth in games started (49), seventh in consecutive victories (13), eighth in winning percentage (.816), ninth in wins (31) and 10th in innings pitched (294) in program history.
Taryn Torgerson
A Buhler native who was a standout golfer for WSU from 2014-18, culminating in her victory at the American Athletic Conference championship meet during her senior year in 2018. She won the title on a playoff hole after carding a tournament-record 8-under par 64 in the final round.
She also won the 2016 Missouri Valley Conference individual gold medal and helped lead WSU to a MVC team championship and NCAA tournament appearance in 2016. Torgerson finished her career first in program history in tournament titles (six), first in career stroke average (75.55) and first in lowest single-season stroke average (73.26).
Cacy Williams
A standout first baseman for the WSU softball team from 2014-16, Williams finished her career with a .360 batting average, 136 runs, 182 hits, 35 doubles, 39 home runs and 135 RBIs. She was named the 2014 and 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and finished as a three-time all-conference selection.
Williams was the first star player for coach Kristi Bredbenner who spearheaded the team’s run to the 2014 MVC regular-season championship. When she finished her career, she ranked first in WSU’s career batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs, RBIs and fielding percentage.
This story was originally published October 30, 2023 at 1:33 PM.
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