Biola added three standout athletes to its Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 12 during its fourth annual induction ceremony. Two dual-sport athletes — Jessica (Logsdon, '02) Pistole and Ben Orr ('01) — and late Biola President Clyde Cook ('57, M.Div. '60, Th.M. '62) were honored for excellence in their sports. Both Orr and Pistole were athletes during Cook’s time as president at Biola and commented on his kindness and genuineness toward them during their time at Biola.
Clyde Cook, Biola’s president from 1982 to 2007, is the third men’s basketball player to be inducted into Biola’s Hall of Fame. Long before serving as president, Cook made a huge impact on Biola athletics — both as a student and as the athletic director for Biola from 1957 to 1960. Cook was a standout basketball player who was once named the CIF High School Basketball Player of the Year and had 13 scholarship offers from major universities. At Biola, he led the league with a 30.1 points-per-game scoring average as a freshman and went on to win two league championships with the Eagles. He averaged in the high 20s throughout his four-year career and spent his senior season as both a player and coach. Cook passed away in 2008 at the age of 72, one year after retiring from the presidency.
Jessica (Logsdon) Pistole spent her time at Biola as a dual-sport student-athlete, competing with volleyball each fall and softball each spring. As the Eagles’ ace pitcher from 1999 to 2002, she holds the program’s career records for wins (80), ERA (0.88), saves (13), appearances (134), starts (106), complete games (88), shutouts (32), innings pitched (757.2), batters faced (2,920), fewest walks per game (0.95) and total strikeouts (580). In 2001, she won the GSAC Pitcher of the Year award and was named an NAIA All-American. She could handle a bat too, ranking third on Biola’s all-time hits list (229) and runs list (139). On the volleyball court, she still holds the single-season service ace record (91) and the single-match service aces record in three-set and four-set matches.
Ben Orr is among the most successful dual-sport athletes in Biola’s history, having earned three NAIA All-American honors across his time as a varsity baseball and soccer player. During his time on the baseball team in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the team won the GSAC Championship three times and advanced to the NAIA World Series in 2001. He was twice named the GSAC MVP and was named to the baseball All-GSAC team three times. Orr ranks inside of the top 10 all- time in six offensive categories and four pitching categories. On the soccer field, he was named an NAIA All-American in 1999 and picked up three All-GSAC honors. He is inside of the Eagles’ top 15 all-time in goals (26) and total points (68).