HENDERSON — The Freed-Hardeman University Sports Hall of Fame has voted to add three new members with the addition of cross country's Tyler Alverson, men's soccer's Jonathan Edwards, and men's basketball's Jason Shelton. The induction ceremony will come with a dinner during homecoming festivities on November 8 at 6:00 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased here.
As the first cross country runner selected to the hall of fame, Tyler Alverson is the perfect choice for both his efforts on the course in addition to his time in the classroom. Alverson was the first runner from Freed-Hardeman to qualify for the NAIA Cross Country National Championship race: a feat he accomplished in all four years of competition. In addition to his four qualifications to the cross country championships, Alverson qualified for 2019 NAIA Track and Field Championship in the marathon race - again the first such qualification in FHU history.
Across his four seasons of competition, Alverson placed first in six different cross country meets while adding an additional nine top-10 finishes. He was the American Midwest Conference's Cross Country Runner of the Week on nine occasions. In his seven semesters of action, he was selected to the All-AMC team all seven semesters with four cross country accolades and three track and field mentions.
In the classroom, Alverson was a three-time selection for the NAIA Daktronics Scholar Athlete award while being selected to the American Midwest Conference Academic All Conference team each semester he was at FHU.
He was the 2020 recipient of the Charlie Smith Heart of a Lion Award, awarded each year to an outgoing senior that best exemplified what it means to be a student-athlete at Freed-Hardeman University.
Alverson graduated in 2019 with a degree in Bible before obtaining his Masters of Divinity in 2021.
The Freed-Hardeman University men's soccer record book has one name at the top of nearly every offensive category as of 2025: Jonathan Edwards.
In three seasons in maroon and gold, Edwards amassed 176 points, nearly 80 points more than the next Lion. Across those three seasons he averaged 3.03 points per game to lead FHU's record book. His 82 goals is more than twice what the number two goal-scorer recorded by averaging 1.41 goals in each of his matches.
In 2002 Edwards netted five goals against Fisk (Tenn.) University before repeating the accomplishment against Delta State (Miss.) University in 2004. In his freshman campaign alone he recorded a program-record 76 points before collecting 38 points in 2003. His final season for the Lions he earned 62 points - the second-best mark in program history. His 36 goals in 2002 is seconded only by his 2004 season when he netted 29.
An All-Conference selection all three years, Edwards was selected as the TranSouth Conference Freshman of the Year in 2002 before being named to the second team in 2003. His final year in 2004 he was again named to the TSAC's top squad.
After three years at FHU, Edwards graduated from Harding (Ark.) University with a specialized degree in international business. He obtained his MBA from Freed-Hardeman in 2009. Edwards owns and operates Hotel La Riviera in Montecatini Terme, Italy while directing Faulkner (Ala.) University's study abroad program. He also owns DFW Zombie Hunt while working as an employee benefits consultant for Wilson Benefits in Dallas, Texas.
In 11 seasons at the helm of the Freed-Hardeman men's basketball team, Jason Shelton helped build a foundation of success that is still felt in 2025. Coaching from 2005-2016 Shelton amassed a winning record of 225-136.
After two years of building the program, eight of the next nine seasons ended with a winning record with all eight of those coming with 20+ wins. His first winning season - the 2007-08 campaign - began with a 125-73 victory over Carver Bible (Ga.) College to jump start a 20-11 year. The 2008-09 season was one of the best for the FHU program in which the Lions were invited to Kansas City for the NAIA DI National Championship as the No. 13 seed for the first time since the 1998 edition. Coach Shelton's Lions forced eventual national champions Rocky Mountain (Mont.) to overtime before falling by a single point.
It was not Shelton's only trip to the big dance with the Lions returning in the 2010-11 before making an annual visit from 2014 until 2016.
The 2013-14 season was, at the time, the best in FHU history after starting with 17 consecutive wins. The Lions would continue their success by winning a record 29 games. In the January 28 edition of the NAIA Top-25 poll, the Lions reached the pinnacle of the rankings by being voted as the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time in history. More importantly for the Lions, their trip to Kansas City saw FHU pick up their first-ever victory in the tournament before falling in the quarterfinals ending the season with a 29-6 record. For his work, Shelton was named as the Don Meyer National Coach of the Year.
The success followed in the 2014-15 postseason when after years of runners-up finishes the Lions' 83-78 victory at home over Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) in the American Midwest Conference tournament final gave FHU their first-ever tournament championship win. Shelton's Lions followed up in 2015-16 with an AMC regular-season championship.
Shelton ended his career as FHU's bench boss after 11 season and a 225-136 record including a 126-62 record in league play in the TranSouth and the American Midwest. 13 of Shelton's players were selected as All-Americans while four (as of 2025) are in the FHU Sports Hall of Fame.
After coaching, Shelton moved into administrative jobs first as the athletic director for Jackson Christian School before moving into his current role as the Athletic Director for Clarksville Christian School.
