FLORENCE, S.C. - Francis Marion University athletic officials recently announced the Class of 2024 inductees for the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame:  baseball infielder and right-handed pitcher Barrett Kleinknecht ('22), cross country and track and fielder runner Paul Reardon ('89), and long-time athletic trainer Spyder Webb ('78).

The induction ceremony will take place during Homecoming activities on Saturday, Feb. 24, in the Smith University Center gymnasium at approximately 4 p.m. between the women's and men's games of the FMU and King University basketball doubleheader.

Kleinknecht, a native of Florence (West Florence High School), lettered two years on the baseball diamond (2009 and 2010) after transferring to FMU.  He started at shortstop and pitched, earning All-Conference and All-Region honors both seasons, and garnering All-America accolades as a senior in 2010.  He was also named a regional Gold Glove winner both years.  His business degree was in management.

He helped the Patriots to a two-year record of 78-29-1, including winning the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Tournament title (at which he was named tournament MVP), and FMU advanced to the NCAA Tournament both seasons.

His career totals include 107 games, a .372 career batting average (tied for 6th best all-time in Patriot history), 105 runs scored, 35 doubles, 22 home runs (tied for 4th), 110 runs batted in, and a .411 on-base percentage.  He pitching numbers included a 7-4 record with six saves, a 2.43 earned run average, and 48 strikeouts in 70.1 innings pitched.

In 2009, he hit .372 with a school-record 89 hits, 50 runs scored, 16 doubles, nine homers, 64 RBIs, and a pair of 12-game hitting streaks. He helped the Patriots to a 38-15-1 record and No.14 national ranking.

During his All-American campaign in 2010, he batted .371 average, with 55 runs, 19 doubles, 13 homers, 46 RBIs, and a 6-1 pitching mark with a 1.74 ERA.  Opponents batted only .165 against him as FMU went 40-14 and ended the year ranked No.10.

After his career at FMU, he was drafted in the 12th round of 2010 MLB Draft.  He was named the MVP of the Danville Braves in 2010 and later played with the AA Mississippi club from 2012 through 2014.  He was selected the Fan Favorite each of those years and received a Gold Standard Award for community service in Pearl, Miss., in 2014.  That same season, he was also named the 2014 Utility Player of the Year and was awarded the Bill Lucas Award by the Atlanta Braves front office for contributions on and off the field.

He spent the 2015 season with the AAA Gwinnett club, and was again named a Fan Favorite.  He played every position on the field during his six-year career and appeared in 519 contests.

In 2016, he moved from the field to coaching and served as an assistant coach with the Rome Braves, who won the South Atlantic League championship.  He went on to manage the Gulf Coast Braves (Rookie League) in 2017, Danville Braves (Low A Affiliate) in 2018, and Florida Fire Frogs (High A Affiliate) in 2019, while also serving as a minor league spring training field coordinator. 

In 2020, he returned to Florence and started his own mosquito and turf control company (Kleink's Mosquito & Turf Control).  He is married to former FMU softball player Carson Summersett and they have two children.

Reardon, a native of Sumter (Thomas Sumter Academy), lettered four years in both cross country and track from 1985 to 1989. He later served as assistant coach for both programs through eight seasons (1989-97).  His business degree was also in the discipline of management.

In the fall, Reardon garnered NAIA District 6 All-District Team honors three times, and placed third at District Six Meet in 1988, fourth in 1986, and sixth in 1987.  He qualified for the NAIA National Cross Country Meet twice (including a 169th place finish in 1988), was named his team's Most Valuable Player twice, and set a career-best for 8000-meters (26:24) at the 1988 Citadel Invitational Meet.

In the spring, he twice earned All-District Team recognition for track & field and was selected as the Team MVP for track & field as a junior.  He won five District Six individual championships (3-mile run 1987; 880-yards, mile run, and 3-mile run in 1988; and 3-mile in 1989) and ended his career eighth on all-time points list with 262.50.

He was a member of four NAIA District Six championship teams: cross country in 1988, and track and field in 1986, 1987, and 1989.

Following his graduation, Reardon embarked on a career in healthcare finance, working for multiple hospitals including McLeod Health and Cape Fear Valley Health System. In 2000, he co-founded Receivable Solutions, Inc., a healthcare receivables firm which he operated until October 2019, when it was then purchased by a private equity firm.

Reardon and his wife Ashley, also a 1989 Francis Marion graduate, reside in Hartsville.  They have two daughters and one granddaughter, and are enjoying retirement. Reardon is still a very active runner, participating in multiple 5k and 10k races each year and has completed seven marathons.
 
Webb, a native of Florence (McClenaghan High School), earned his undergraduate degree in political science in 1978 and served as the University's athletic trainer through parts of five decades until his retirement in 2012.

He worked with thousands of Patriot student-athletes across all 14 intercollegiate sports during his time at FMU, keeping Patriots in competitive condition and returning them to competition as soon as possible after suffering injuries.  The plaza in the Griffin Athletic Complex is named in his honor.

During the summer, Webb spent 34 years working for the Seattle Mariners Class A affiliate in the Northwest League.  During the 2008 summer, he was recognized for his work by his then current squad, the Everett AquaSox, with the naming of their athletic training room in his honor, and in 2010, the AquaSox again recognized Webb with his own Bobbleheader Night – something FMU also did.

The three will join 55 current members in the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame: Chiffonia "Precious" Adderson (women's basketball), Cindy Alford Vestal (softball), Jeannette Alston (women's basketball, volleyball), Kristi Anderson (women's softball), Mark Bedenbaugh (cross country, track and field), Gary Bennett (golf), Kirk Bevington (men's soccer), Daryl Blume (men's basketball), Marcel Boggs (men's basketball), Jennifer Brabson Cleek (women's basketball), Michael Colaiacovo (cross country, track and field), Maria Costas (women's basketball, tennis, volleyball), Tom C. Davidson (coach and administrator), Daphne Donnelly (women's basketball, softball), Matt Dura (golf), Carlton Farr (men's basketball), LaRue Fields (women's basketball, volleyball), Alvaro Figuerola (men's soccer), Allen Floyd (men's basketball), Jennifer Grande Parker (volleyball, women's basketball), Gerald Griffin (baseball coach and athletic director), Dr. Rufus R. Hackney Jr. (administrator and golf coach), Jeremy Halpin (baseball), Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell (women's basketball coach), Lewis Hill (men's basketball coach), Mary Hirst (women's tennis), Wayne Huggins (baseball), Mary Jackson (women's basketball, volleyball), Erin Jones (baseball), Scotty Keefe (baseball), Anthony "Chico" Lombardo (baseball), Sam Lundkvist (men's tennis), Annamaria Karai Meadows (women's tennis), Pearl Moore (women's basketball), Robert Moore (men's basketball), Laurie Niego Mancari (softball), Krissy Burt O'Kelley (women's volleyball), Crystal Poskey Ashley (women's volleyball), Mitch Powell (track and field, cross country), Tommy Randall (golf), Katie Roberts Chapman (women's soccer), Angela Salem (women's soccer), Josef Schroeder  (men's soccer), Kim Slawson Hawkins (women's basketball player and coach), David Stafford (track and field, cross country), Garth Thomson (men's tennis player and coach), Randy White (track and field, cross country), Dr. Thomas M. Whiteley  (track and field/cross country coach), Lee Whitwell (women's tennis), Kerri Williams (women's soccer), Bob Wilson (men's basketball player and coach), Mike Wilson (baseball), Michaela Wolf Lawson (softball), Rendy Yates (softball player and coach), and Tracey Tillman Young (women's basketball).

         
           Kleinknecht                          Reardon                                  Webb