Morristown graduate to be inducted into Franklin College Athletic Hall of Fame

Heather Waterman one of three to be honored on Sept. 26 by Franklin College

The Franklin College athletic department will induct a Morristown graduate as part of the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Heather Waterman, Franklin College Class of 2011, was a member of both the cross country and track and field programs. She closed her career as one of the most decorated distance runners in Franklin history.

During her senior season, Waterman placed 37^th overall at the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships and earned All-American status at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships by finishing fourth in the 5,000 meters.

Following the end of her senior year, she was named a Second Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators and she ended her career as a 16-time all-conference finisher in track and cross country and still holds Franklin’s program record in the 5K race in both cross country and outdoor track and field, as well as the outdoor track 3000 meters record.

Mark Huneycutt, left, and his wife, Heather, and high school friend Lucas Onan, right, celebrate after Heather finished as the top female runner in the 2013 Apple Festival 8K race.

Waterman, a 2007 Morristown graduate, married Mark Huneycutt on Aug. 2, 2014, and tragically died on Aug. 23, 2015, from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. At the time of her death, Waterman, who went on to graduate from the North Carolina State School of Veterinarian Medicine in May of 2015, was a Captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps.

The Franklin College Class of 2024 includes three people. Also being inducted are Kerry Prather and Andy Clark.

Prather was the men’s basketball coach for 37 seasons. His career concluded following the 2019-2020 season with 528 career wins, six conference regular-season championships, four Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament titles and six postseason appearances.

Prather retired from coaching as the program’s all-time wins leader to assume duties as Franklin College President, which he still holds to this day.

Clark, Class of 2008, is one of the best pitchers in Franklin history. He finished his four-year career with several program records that he still holds. A four-time all-conference selection and a two-time all-region pick, Clark still holds Franklin career records for wins (29), strikeouts (269), and innings pitched (303.2) to go along with a 2.99 earned run average (ranks second all-time).

All three will officially be inducted into the Franklin Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 26.

The trio will be recognized at halftime of the homecoming football game on Sept. 28 when Franklin hosts Ohio Wesleyan at 1:30 p.m.

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