Benter named to Hanover College's Athletic Hall of Fame

David Benter has been honored again by Hanover College.

Benter, along with Dan Kile and Gary Myers, were inducted into the Hanover College Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night as part of Hanover's homecoming celebration.

A 1996 Hanover graduate, Benter was a four-year letter winner with Hanover's basketball team. He was the NCAA Division III national player of the year as a senior and also was an all-American as a junior.

"In playing on a team like basketball, it's just not for myself, but for my teammates, coaches, family and everybody. I put my heart into it. It's special because those four years were a really good time in my life," he said.

"I played a ‘3' and a ‘4.' I played a ‘4' a lot but we ran a motion offense so I played out on the perimeter a lot. It depended on our match-ups night to night where I would play."

Benter said he started a couple games his freshman year, and was a full-time starter his last three years.
Benter led Hanover to two berths in the NCAA national tournament and was a two-time Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference player-of-the-year and a three-time team most valuable player.

He recalled both times the Panthers qualified for the NCAA tournament "we got beat in the Sweet 16 both  my junior and senior year. We got beat by (Steve) Alford and Manchester my junior year and by Illinois Wesleyan my senior year."

He capped his career ranked fourth in Hanover history in scoring with 1,934 points and sixth in rebounding with 755 boards.

"It's not so much all the wins and losses, or tournament games, I played in, but the relationships I made with a lot of my teammates and coaches there. I'm still close to a lot of those guys and still keep in contact with a lot of them.

"I have  a lot of good memories from Hanover. It's just an honor to be one of the few guys that are inducted."
Benter is a graduate of Brownstown Central where we was a two-year starter in basketball. "I grew a lot. I was only 5-9 as a freshman. I still grew in college and that helped me a lot. I probably grew an inch and a half to two inches after I graduated from high school and I put on about 20 pounds, and that was a big part of my  maturity."

Kile was a three-sport standout at Hanover during the 1950s. He served as captain of the baseball, football and basketball teams, as well as president of the Varsity "H" club and Lambda Chi Alpha.

After graduating from Hanover in 1956, Kile was a teacher and basketball coach at Vevay High School from 1956-1959. He served as vice principal, athletic director, guidance counselor and basketball coach at Knightstown High School from 1959-1969. He, later, worked as principal, athletic director and basketball coach at Brookville High School from 1969-1981.
Kile died in 1986.

Myers, a 1977 Hanover graduate, was a four-year letterman with the college's football team and also lettered twice in both baseball and basketball.

As a receiver, Myers helped the Panthers' win four consecutive Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference football titles and earn two berths in the NAIA national tournament.

He was an honorable mention all-American as a junior and a two-time all-conference selection. As a senior, he was the first recipient of the Jim Peterson Award for the College's most valuable offensive back.

Started in 1995, the Hanover College Athletic Hall of Fame exists to recognize individuals who have served Hanover athletics with distinction, either by virtue of their performance as a coach or member of athletic teams or by meritorious efforts on behalf of athletics, either as an undergraduate or in years after leaving the institution.

Selections are made by a committee which represents current members of the athletic department, college staff and alumni. Nominations, which are accepted throughout the year, are judged on the person's athletic involvement while at Hanover, accomplishments after leaving the college (professional and/or community) and continuing interest in the college, service to the college and involvement in college activities.

The hall of fame, which resides in the Horner Health and Recreation Center, currently honors 100 individuals who have left their mark on Hanover athletics.