ORANGE, Calif. –The Chapman University Athletics Hall of Fame is proud to announce the four newest members to be inducted during the 43rd Annual Night of Champions. The 2026 Night of Champions and Hall of Fame Inductions will take place the weekend of October 23-24, 2026.
The 2026 Hall of Fame class includes Dan Healy '80 (basketball), Linsey Buendia '01 (softball), Alyce Perry '05 (soccer) and Wayde Kitchens '09 (baseball). The four-person class represents Chapman's Division II and Division III eras.
Healy finally enters the Hall of Fame after holding both the school records for assists and steals for over 40 years. Healy transferred to Chapman as a junior and made an immediate impact while taking over as the starting point guard. He was an All-CCAA selection in 1979 and helped the Panthers to a NCAA West Regional appearance in 1978. His 215 assists and 108 steals in 1978-79 are still the highest single season totals in school history. His 188 career steals still stand as the most-ever at Chapman and his 398 career assists stood as the school record until this season. He still holds single game records for assists and steals in the CCAA.
Buendia dominated the late 1990s and early 2000s in the circle. She led the Panthers to three consecutive NCAA Division III runner-up finishes and was a First Team All-American in 2000. A three-time All-West Region selection, she compiled a 57-18 career record with a 1.38 ERA and 356 strikeouts. She set the marks at Chapman for most pitching appearances and games started but still holds the record for career wins (57) and complete games (71). Her 0.69 ERA as a junior ranks as the second-lowest in school history.
Perry was a mainstay in the midfield for the women's soccer team from the moment she arrived on campus. She scored 24 goals and assisted on 11 more during her four years on campus, ranking 10th all-time on the Panthers' career scoring list. She earned three All-West Region selections while leading the Panthers to an appearance in the NCAA appearance in all four years. While playing in 78 of 79 matches during her career, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 53-18-8.
Kitchens is the next inductee in a long line of Chapman pitchers to earn induction into the Hall of Fame. He was a three-time All-American and the 2008 West Region Pitcher of the Year. His four-year career ended with a 27-4 record and a 1.96 ERA. He compiled 294 career strikeouts as well as 11 complete games and six shutouts. Those six shutouts are still the most by a Chapman pitcher in school history while his 120 strikeouts in 2007 set the school record and still rank fourth for a single season. He made four consecutive NCAA Division III World Series appearances with the Panthers from 2006-09
The Night of Champions and Hall of Fame Inductions will be held Oct. 24-25, 2025. Tickets will go on sale shortly and can be purchased through Chapman's Hall of Fame website.
