The ceremony is part of Westminster’s jam-packed 2025 Homecoming and Family Weekend, Sept. 12-14
Four Blue Jays alumni and two athletic teams will be celebrated during the 2025 Homecoming and Family Weekend, Sept. 12-14.
Sarah Koestner ’14, Hannah Marshall ’18, Josh Moore ’07, Josh Thompson ’00, the 1999 women’s volleyball team and the 2009-2010 men’s basketball team will be inducted into Westminster’s prestigious Hall of Fame during a reception and dinner at 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 in Backer Dining Hall.
Tickets to the Hall of Fame reception and dinner are required. Make a reservation or help sponsor the event online.
Silent and Live Auctions to Support Our Blue Jays
The event will include both a silent and brief live auction to benefit the Westminster College Blue Jays. The online auction officially began at 7 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 8 and runs through 7 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15. Professional sporting event tickets and exciting vacation packages will be featured. Visit GiveSmart to view the items and bid. Let’s support our Blue Jays!
About the 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees
Dr. Jessica Brown, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, said this year’s Hall of Fame inductees represent the hard work and dedication that are strong characteristics of Westminster College Blue Jays.
“This ceremony and the people who are a part of it represent who we truly are in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics,” Brown reflected. “To start our Homecoming Week festivities off by honoring our Hall of Famers is an honor, and we invite all alums to join us on this special occasion.”
Read more about the inductees below.
Sarah Koestner graduated magna cum laude from Westminster in 2014 after double-majoring in accounting and business administration. From 2010 to 2014, Koestner played a pivotal role in the College’s cross country and track teams: She currently is the only Blue Jay in the cross country program’s history to earn First Team All-Conference honors all four years of her career. Additionally, she was named to the 2010-2019 SLIAC All-Decade Team.
In 2013, Koestner was instrumental in the women’s first SLIAC cross country championship win. In her track career, she set record times in multiple events and received numerous All-Conference awards. After graduating, she followed her interest in accounting and earned her designation as a Certified Public Accountant. Koestner has since built a diverse career spanning public accounting, corporate accounting, and banking, with her work taking her to locations ranging from small-town Kansas to the World Trade Center complex.
Along her professional journey, she has connected with Westminster alumni from various generations, creating meaningful connections along the way.
Hannah Marshall was a standout on the women’s volleyball team at Westminster during all four years she played on the team. She graduated from the College in 2018 with a degree in exercise science and minors in nutrition and public health, going on to earn her master’s degree in athletic training from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, where she also served as a graduate assistant for the women’s volleyball team.
Marshall’s coaching career has included positions at Trinity International and Lincoln College with the men’s volleyball program. She currently is a rising star in the coaching ranks as the head women’s volleyball coach at William Peace University in Raleigh, North Carolina, which she joined in 2022. Marshall has already led the William Peace program to record-setting seasons and multiple conference tournament appearances. Marshall also coaches a national team, as well as trains multiple teams as a pod leader, at Carolina Advantage Volleyball.
While at Westminster, Marshall was named the 2015 SLIAC Player of the Year, was a SLIAC three-time First Team All-Conference selection and member of the SLIAC All-Decade Team. She holds multiple program records, including most career kills (1,317) and career service aces (248) in the rally scoring era.
In 2023, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) recognized Marshall as a 30 Under 30 recipient. She currently serves on multiple NCAA and AVCA national committees.
Josh Moore was a standout student-athlete at Westminster College, earning a 3.6 GPA as a biology major while leaving a lasting legacy on the football field. A dominant defensive force, Moore holds records at the College for sacks in a game (3.5, achieved twice), and he remains the career leader in both sacks (22.5) and tackles for loss (42.5). He was a three-time First Team All-Conference selection and earned UMAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, Lineman of the Year in 2006 and COSIDA Academic All-District honors in 2006. He also helped lead Westminster to three UMAC South Division titles (2003 to 2005) and back-to-back UMAC Championships in 2003 and 2004.
Moore’s drive and discipline carried into his professional life, where he has excelled in leading organizations to optimize end-user support and deliver strategic service programs. His career began with global companies such as Ecolab and has evolved into building a national service platform at CFS Technologies. Moore’s work enables food service and retail brands across the United States to access innovative, reliable maintenance solutions.
Moore lives in Toledo, Ohio, with his fiancée and five children. He enjoys CrossFit with his daughters, traveling for his son’s soccer games, and staying active enough to keep up with all of them.
Josh Thompson graduated from Westminster College in 2000 with a BA in sports medicine and education. He then went on to earn an M.Ed. in health promotion from the University of Cincinnati in 2002. After graduating, Thompson began his career as a head athletic trainer at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas. In 2005, he returned home to Westminster as the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance, where he served until 2019. Since then, Thompson has served as the head athletic trainer for NCAA Division II Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
While at the College, Thompson served from 2008 to 2018 as the governmental affairs chair for the Missouri Athletic Trainers Association, playing a key role in drafting the Missouri Concussion Statute that passed in 2011. He received the CUATA DIII Head Athletic Trainer of the Year award in 2016, as well as the 2015 William T. Griffin Award for Legislative Advocacy. In 2019, Thompson received the NATA Service Award.
Thompson’s favorite Westminster memory is working with an incredible group of student-workers and interns during his 14-year tenure.
The 1999 Westminster women’s volleyball team made history with a remarkable season, finishing with a 23-6 overall record and an undefeated 14-0 mark in SLIAC play. Under the leadership of Head Coach Melinda Washington — who was named SLIAC Coach of the Year — the team earned the program’s first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. Their postseason run ended in a hard-fought 3-1 loss to national powerhouse Washington University, but the season marked a turning point for Westminster volleyball.
The team’s success was fueled by strong individual performances, including four players earning All-Conference honors. Jennifer Whitaker ’00 and Dala (Reuter) Freesmeier ’00 were named to the First Team, with Whitaker earning SLIAC Player of the Year. Reuter set a Westminster record for most blocks in a single season with an astounding 225 — a record that still stands.
The 1999 team combined talent, leadership, and resilience, setting a new standard for excellence in the program. Their achievements paved the way for future success and remain a proud chapter in Westminster’s athletic history.
The 2009-2010 men’s basketball team etched their place in program history with a remarkable 20-8 overall record and a dominant 13-3 mark in SLIAC play. Their season was highlighted by capturing both the SLIAC regular season and conference tournament championships, marking the first conference tournament title — and NCAA tournament appearance — under Head Coach Matt Mitchell.
Coach Mitchell’s leadership earned him the SLIAC Coach of the Year honor, underscoring his ability to guide the team through a highly competitive conference schedule. Key performances fueled the championship push, including standout efforts from All-Tournament selections Kurt Kovach ’12 and Ky Millard ’11. With their historic run, the 2009-2010 Blue Jays set a new standard for excellence in Westminster basketball. Their conference sweep and NCAA berth remain a proud milestone in program history, remembered for teamwork, determination, and championship pedigree.
Learn more about the 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony here. For more information on the 2025 Homecoming and Family Weekend, please visit Westminster’s website.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.
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