Cullowhee, N.C. – Ralph Lundy, a three-sport student-athlete and a two-time graduate from Western Carolina University, is receiving another well-deserved honor as he is among the 10-member South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame's induction Class of 2025.

Lundy's two-year athletic career at WCU stretched across the men's soccer pitch, baseball diamond, and wrestling mats. He also returned to coach at his alma mater before embarking on a legendary collegiate coaching career, leading Erskine and the College of Charleston to unprecedented heights.

Transferring to WCU after two years at Brevard College – one of three transfers added to the Catamount roster to help bolster a fledgling program – Lundy was a two-year starter anchoring the backline. He helped guide the Catamounts to a tremendous two-year stretch early in the men's soccer team's history under head coach – and 1998 WCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Dr. Charles Schrader. WCU's went 8-2 in 1970 and 7-2-2 the following year with Lundy on the roster.

Lundy was a key member of the 1970 Catamount men's soccer team – dubbed the "Schrader's Raiders" – which limited the opposition to just 12 goals against the 44 scored by the offense in the 10-game regular season. The '70 season was highlighted by a pair of four-match winning streaks that saw the Catamount booters roll off wins at UNC Asheville 6-0, a 9-1 win at Tusculum, and a 6-1 drubbing of mountain rival Appalachian State in Cullowhee to cap the regular season.

The only blemishes on the star-studded 1970 season were a pair of 2-1 losses to national powers Clemson and Erskine as the Schrader's Raiders claimed an NAIA Area V Playoff berth.  

Named a co-captain as a senior in 1971, Lundy and Duck Thomas again anchored a Catamount squad that outscored opponents 47-20 in a 7-2-2 season. That 1971 squad posted four shutouts, including 7-0 shutout wins over UNCA and Toccoa Falls, a 5-0 victory over Rollins College, and an outstanding 14-0 effort over North Georgia College. Other highlights from 1971 included a 5-1 home win over future SoCon rival Furman and a thrilling 3-2 road victory at App State as Lundy went undefeated against the Mountaineers in his two-year playing career.

Originally from Sparta, N.C., Lundy entered the Marine Corps after earning his degree in physical education before returning to Cullowhee in 1975 as a graduate assistant, helping pick the Catamounts up after a disappointing one-win 1974 season.

The 1975 Catamounts scored four victories over UNCA, Toccoa Falls, Wofford, and North Georgia College. He was on the sidelines in Cullowhee for just one season while earning his master's in physical education before being named the head soccer coach of the Erskine Flying Fleet in 1976.

Over 10 winning seasons, Lundy was named South Carolina's Coach of the Year three times and complied a record of 131-71-13 with the NAIA power, claiming seven district titles and three national tournament appearances.  

Lundy was named head coach at the College of Charleston in 1987 and remained there for 33 successful years, posting a 323-279-53 record until his retirement in 2019. His Cougar teams enjoyed 19 winning seasons, five conference championships, and five appearances in the NCAA Tournament including an Elite Eight appearance in 1994. He ended his career with a 453-350-66 record and ranks among the top 25 in winningest Division I head coaches. He

With this year's honor, Lundy is now a six-time hall of fame inductee, first enshrined into the South Carolina Youth Soccer Hall of Fame in 1991. He was accepted into the Erskine College Hall of Fame in 1993, with Western Carolina and Brevard College following suit in 2006. He was inducted into the College of Charleston Hall of Fame earlier this year on January 18. Additionally, in 2003, Lundy was recognized by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, "proclaiming a career of exceptional service to the sport of soccer."

In addition to Lundy, the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes Richard Seymour, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame; World Cup standout Clint Dempsey of Furman; Coastal Carolina baseball coach Gary Gilmore, who led the Chanticleers to the 2016 NCAA title; University of South Carolina's All-American catcher Landon Powell; five-time WNBA All-Star, Shannon Johnson; Clemson offensive lineman Harold Olson, who helped the Tigers to the 1958 and '59 ACC titles; Susan Hill-Whitson, the most celebrated tennis player in Clemson history; Erskine basketball legend Don Whitehead, and Claflin's storied women's basketball coach Nelson Brownlee, who will be enshrined posthumously.

The South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame's Induction Banquet honoring the class of 2025 is set for Monday, May 19, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The 10 individuals will be forever enshrined with the state's highest athletic honor.

The SCAHOF Banquet is the largest annual celebration of Palmetto State sports stars under one roof. The traditional introduction of past inductees, the "Walk of Legends," is one of the event's highlights. The affair, which includes a reception and dinner, begins at 5:30 p.m. Tables of eight may be purchased online at https://scahof.org/Banquet