Portland Timbers midfielder Eric Alexander (17), looks for a pass against the San Jose Earthquakes during the 2012 Preseason Tournament at Jeld-Wen Field, Mon, Feb 27, 2012. (Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian LC- The Oregonian)LC- The Oregonian

PORTAGE, MI – After a two-year hiatus, Portage Central’s Athletic Hall of Fame is adding a new induction class, and the 2022 honorees form an impressive bunch of former Mustangs.

Included in the group is former Major League Soccer player Eric Alexander, former Minor League Baseball player Ryan Krill, state champion wrestler Angelo Latora, record-setting college volleyball player Patricia Monroe-Thorp and All-American swimmer Ryan Umberger.

The induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Kalamazoo Country Club. Doors open at 5:15 p.m., and dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the ceremony and dinner are $30 for adults and $12 for kids. The deadline to order tickets is Sept. 16, and those interested in attending can call Jodi Shearer at 269-323-5361.

The 2022 inductees will also be honors before Central’s Sept. 23 football game against St. Joseph.

Portage Northern's Eric Staver (left) and Eric Alexander, of Portage Central, pose for a photo during the 2005 season. (File | MLive.com)KALAMAZOO GAZETTE

Alexander graduated from Portage Central in 2006, after compiling an impressive prep soccer career that saw him win the state’s Mr. Soccer award and earn National Player of the Year honors from Gatorade and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He went on to play at Indiana University, where he made the All-Big Ten Freshman Team as a rookie, then claimed first team all-conference honors as a sophomore and second team all-conference recognition as a junior and senior.

The star midfielder continued his career professionally for 11 seasons in the MLS, where he tallied nine goals and 25 assists in 218 games. He made his U.S. Men’s National Team debut in a 2011 friendly against Chile and was selected for the team’s 26-man roster heading into the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Portage Central's Ryan Krill, right celebrates with Jaden Nozicka, left, after scoring during the Division 1 state quarterfinal game against Detroit Catholic Central at Michigan State University's McLane Baseball Stadium. (File | MLive.com)Kalamazoo Gazette

Krill was a three-sport athlete for the Mustangs, starring in football, basketball and baseball, before graduating in 2011. The baseball diamond was where he enjoyed most of his success, leading Central to Division 1 semifinals as a senior by batting .479 with 16 doubles, six triples, five home runs and 50 RBIs. Those impressive numbers prompted the Detroit Tigers to select Krill in the 40th round of the 2011 MLB draft, but he turned down the pro ball opportunity to attend Michigan State, where he was a four-year starter and was voted the Spartans’ Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2015. In conference play, Krill led the Big Ten in batting average (.451), slugging percentage (.857), on-base percentage (.545), RBIs (36) and home runs (10).

After his time in East Lansing, the hard-hitting first baseman was selected by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 2015 draft, and he played three seasons of minor league ball, finishing his pro career with a .264 batting average, six home runs and 59 RBIs.

Portage Central's Angelo Latora, top, works against Battle Creek Lakeview's Tyler Benjamin during a Jan. 11 match at Portage Central. (File | MLive.com)

Like Krill, Latora was a three-sport athlete at Central, playing football in the fall, wrestling in the winter and lacrosse in the spring, but it was on the mat that he made the biggest impact with the Mustangs. The son of former Portage Northern star wrestler and two-time state champ Tony Latora, Angelo brought a third championship medal into the house after winning the 140-pound title as a senior in 2012.

Latora wrapped up his prep career as a four-time state placer and with a 200-21 record, then went on to compete at the University of Michigan, where he capped his college career with a 25-22 record.

Portage Central's Tricia Monroe returns a serve during their match with Portage Northern during the 2003 volleyball district tournament at Mattawan High School. (File | MLive.com)Kalamazoo Gazette

Monroe-Thorp was another standout three-sport athlete at Central, playing basketball, volleyball and golf, with the latter two serving as her top sports. The 2004 graduate helped the Mustangs place second at the 2002 Division 2 girls golf state finals and was named the 2003 Junior Golf Association Player of the Year.

On the volleyball court, Monroe-Thorp shined as a defensive specialist and collected all-state honors as a senior, before going on to play at East Carolina University. After redshirting her freshman season with the Pirates, Monroe-Thorp made a big impact as a first-year player in 2005, with her 443 digs ranking third in ECU single-season history. She closed out her college career as a four-year team captain continued to put up big numbers defensively, eventually becoming ECU’s career leader in digs with 1,864 – a record that still stands.

Portage Central senior Ryan Umberger practices at the Portage Central Middle School pool before competing in the boys swimming state finals. (File | MLive.com)Kalamazoo Gazette

Rounding out the Mustangs’ 2022 honorees is Umberger, a 2009 graduate and two-time high school All-American in the 200-yard freestyle and 2007 state champ in the 200 freestyle relay, who later went on to swim at the Air Force Academy.

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