NATCHITOCHES—Throughout the 2024 N-Club induction ceremony, one themes stood out: relationships.
 
All 15 athletes reflected on their times at Northwestern State with pride among their accomplishments, but most notably, the relationships they made while competing in Natchitoches.
 
"I honestly did not know Natchitoches existed until Coach (Jim) Wells recruited me," said Troy Conkle, the two-time first team all-conference selection at shortstop in 1992 and 1993. "That one small decision has shaped and formed the rest of my life. I got married in 1997. Coach Wells had gone to become the head coach at Alabama and Daniel Tomlin went onto become the first base coach at LSU following his playing career.
 
"Daniel was a groomsman at my wedding, but he was playing against Alabama and Coach Wells for a national championship on that day, so we went with a reserve groomsman. Daniel won the national championship over Coach Wells  and then showed up at the reception in full uniform. He came to the reception immediately after winning a national championship. I found my wife here and friends like that here. That is what Northwestern means to me, more than just the accomplishments on the baseball field."
 
Conkle was one of 15 athletes inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024, most of which were either on conference championship-winning teams or were individual champions.
 
Conkle was also one of three baseball players inducted, He was joined by Matt Donner (1994-95) and Brad Hanson (2001-02).
 
Donner and Hanson each won back-to-back Southland Conference championships with the Demons, both under multiple coaches.
 
Each were first team All-SLC choices, Donner doing so under both Wells and Dave Van Horn, while Hanson made his mark under John Cohen and Mitch Gaspard.
 
The baseball trio are three of eight Demons to make first team All-Southland in back-to-back seasons.
 
While Hanson was making his presence known at the turn of the century, a trio of football players were doing the same on the gridiron.
 
Nathan Black, Gene Tennison and the late Kurt Rodriguez earned their spots in the N-Club Hall of Fame, helping lead the Demons to a conference championship in 1998 and trips to the FCS playoffs in 2001 and 2002.
 
"There was no one else I was going to have speak for me," Black said. "It was either Sam or nobody. I chose Northwestern because of him. I actually walked on here. I was here for three days and I took what was called a trident test. I think I was fifth on the team as a freshman and I was here for three days and he gave me a scholarship.
 
"He has had a major impact. When you play for or look at Coach Goodwin, there is a shining aura around him. Je is above everything you can imagine. He's meant a lot to me in my life."
 
Black's 944 receiving yards in a season as a senior was a school record until 2018 and posted school-record breaking or tying marks with 13 catches for 222 yards in the FCS playoffs against Montana that season.
 
Tennison, whose daughters introduced him, was a a multi-sport star for Northwestern State.
 
He was a 2001 All-American offensive lineman for the FCS playoff team that gave Montana a run for its money and is just the third offensive lineman to be inducted into the N-Club Hall of Fame.
 
In addition to his football accolades, he won the SLC Indoor shot put title with a 53-0.75 mark in helping the Demons win the team championship in 2001.
 
The late Rodriguez, who is the third-leading tackler in program history, was a three-year All-Southland and All-Louisiana selection, recorded 408 tackles and 14.5 sacks. He was represented by longtime friend Nick Fiorito.
 
"When asked to be his presenter, I immediately said yes," Fiorito said. This has to come before anything since he meant so much to me and his family still does mean a lot to me. He was confident and humble, a rare quality. To play ball with him and a number of other friends here was amazing."
 
During the turn of the century, Diamond Cosby Frierson (women's basketball), Michael Byars-Dawson (men's basketball), Hillarie Marshall Coleman (soccer) and Shannon Straty Heid (softball) also made their mark in their sports, helping lead teams to SLC championships.
 
Sharp-shooter Cosby Frierson was a two-time SLC selection finished as the Lady Demons all-time leading scorer and scored 17 in the NCAA Tournament loss to Duke in 2004.
 
Even though she had so much success on the court, she will always remember her relationships she made off of it.
 
"Those relationships are what Coach Smith always preached about to us," Cosby Frierson said. "He always talked about the battles in between those lines and creating the sisterhood outside of those lines and that has held true."
 
On the men's side, Byars-Dawson, who was inducted as a member of the men's first NCAA Tournament team, was a two-time All-Conference selection and was the 2001 SLC Tournament MVP.
 
"It was a culture shock going to Natchitoches from Miami," Byars-Dawson said. "Coach Mike McConathy was a stalker, he got me in. Wherever I was, there he was. Coach Mike got me here.
 
"It was our preseason goal to make it to the NCAA Tournament. I'll never forget when we came back after we were getting back from Dayton after winning in the NCAA Tournament, the entire of city of Natchitoches was there waiting on us. That is a moment I'll take with me forever."
 
Straty Heid helped Northwestern State softball earn three straight SLC championships from 1998-00 and was a three-year All-SLC catcher.
 
She was introduced by teammates Amber Welker and Kelli Burke.
 
Marshall Coleman, who was honored at halftime during Friday's soccer win over Lamar, was a four-time All-Southland selection.
 
Despite two devastating leg injuries, she made the first team in her first three seasons and helped lead the Demons to their first two NCAA Tournament berths in 2000 and 2002.
 
The inductee who played the most recent is tennis player Olga Bazhanova Moore.
 
Bazhanova Moore, who played No. 1 singles and doubles from day one, posted 64 career doubles wins, the sixth-most in program history and 47 singles victories, currently 16th. As a coach, she led the Lady Demons to a conference championship in her first season.
 
She had to travel 18 hours each way by train to come to Northwestern State and play tennis.
 
"It was very challenging to come here, especially at that time," she said. "I am very grateful to Coach Patric (DuBois) for recruiting me here. It was one of the most important decision I made."
 
Three track & field athletes also were inducted, Edgar Cooper, Janice Miller Moore and Samantha Ford Hatten all earned their spot in the Hall of Fame.
 
Ford Hatten, who was choosing between Northwestern State and Texas A&M. While head coach Mike Heimerman thought she was off to College Station, one day he received a fax of her NLI, much to his delight.
 
She was a two-time national meet qualifier and 2003 NCAA All-American as a freshman. At the NCAA meet, she recorded a personal best of 162-7 to place 12th.
 
Miller Moore won the 1992 SLC outdoor high jump title and was runner-up in 1989 and 1991.
 
As a mother of one of the current football players, she was nervous when picking up the phone to find out she was being named to the N-Club Hall of Fame.
 
"I didn't see the name and I just saw the number when the phone rang," Miller Moore said. "I saw the 318 number and my heart just dropped. I was so worried and I just said 'hello.' Mr. Bostian was on the other end and he was just telling me what he was calling me for. I was just so relieved."
 
An all-conference sprinter in all of his four seasons, he was an All-American as a member of the 4x100 relay team.
 
He ran with one quote in mind.
 
"I ran with the intention of straightening out that daggum curve."
 
Coming from a small town and a small graduating class, it was a culture shock going to Natchitoches.
 
"It was a large place to go, considering I was coming from a town of 444. The people in my town were excited for me to get to a school like this."
 
To open the ceremony, Carlos Treadway, a football player from 1988-92, was given the Distinguished Service Award. He was a two-time all-conference tight end for the Demons who has risen to upper level management in Ford Motor Credit, now serving as Executive Vice President and CEO of Ford Credit Europe.
 
"All the relationships I have had, many of them have started here," Treadway said. "I live a long ways away, but I always come back and show up for homecoming and see all those people and all those relationships, it energizes me. I know how special this place is."