Galloway, N.J. – Stockton Athletics held its 2026 Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Campus Center on October 9. Abad Akhtar '11 (cross country/track & field), Samantha Horner '09 (softball/field hockey), Randy Wetzel '03 (cross country/track & field) and Kevin Chandler (assistant track & field coach) were the inductees.
 
The dinner was part of Stockton's University Weekend celebration. The ceremony was the first since 2024 and the 14th overall for the Stockton Athletics Hall of Fame, which was founded in 2010 and now includes 56 individuals plus seven Osprey teams.
 
After opening remarks by Stockton University President Dr. Joe Bertolino, the inductions began with Horner, who earned NJAC all-conference honors in softball and field hockey twice each plus a 2009 NFCA All-Region First Team accolade in softball. She still holds the school record for runs in a season (47) and shares the mark for career runs (133).
 
Horner, who now resides in South Carolina and coaches high school softball, said "Stockton, thank you for giving me a place to compete and grow."
 
Akhtar was a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier in cross country (2009-10) as well as Stockton's first-ever NJAC individual cross country champion and NJAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year (2010). He earned a total of 10 NJAC all-conference honors in cross country and track & field.
 
Akhtar has gone on to become an entrepreneur in Atlantic City. He mentioned training with fellow inductee Wetzel, saying, "Without Randy Wetzel, I don't think I would have been as good as I was." Akhtar also said "What made Stockton great for me was the people. What really made me comfortable here were the people."
 
Chandler is the first assistant coach in any sport to be elected to the Stockton Athletics Hall of Fame. He coached the Stockton throwers for 34 years, mentoring eight NCAA Championship qualifiers including three All-Americans as well as competitors who won 32 NJAC individual titles and received the NJAC Most Outstanding Athlete award five times.
 
Chandler unfortunately was unable to attend the Hall of Fame dinner. Catherine Werner, who was coached by Chandler from 1994-98 accepted the honor on his behalf. "It's people like Kevin who made Stockton a home," Werner said. "Kevin embodies the heart of Stockton Athletics and Stockton University."
 
Wetzel was Stockton's first-ever qualifier for the NCAA Cross Country Championships (2000) as well as the first Stockton runner to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships twice (2000, 2002). He was a four-time NJAC all-conference cross country runner and a five-time NJAC all-conference runner in track & field.
 
Wetzel mentioned training with Akhtar as a postgraduate and recognizing his potential. He also spoke of "locking eyes" with his now wife in a forensics class at Stockton and talked about imparting his philosophy as a runner to his children. "I just want to prove to my kids that great things come by working hard. Never let anyone outwork you," Wetzel said.