Leah Freeman Posted Thursday, January 4, 2024 @ 10:29 AM Orlando, FL (January 8, 2024) – The NIRSA Championship Series Executive Board announced the selections of Gary Cahen and Shayla Smith to the 2023-24 National Flag Football Hall of Fame class. Both will be formally inducted in April into the three-person class in Phoenix, AZ. The Hall of Fame, which began in 2003, includes players, officials, and contributors to the sport. Shayla Smith was a standout player who starred on UCF’s Women and Co-Rec National Championship teams in 2008 and 2009. Smith was a two-time All-Tournament selection who excelled on both sides of the ball, featuring at quarterback, receiver, and defensive back. She helped UCF defeat FAMU in 2008 in the Women’s National Championship as well as throwing for two touchdowns in 2009 as UCF defeated Georgia in the Co-Rec title game. Smith, who came to UCF from Kingsland, GA starred for the UCF Knights as a Women’s Basketball standout from 2002-2006 and currently works as a basketball coach and scout. Gary Cahen was selected to the contributor category for the Hall of Fame for his unwavering dedication and support to the growth of Flag Football within the NIRSA Championship Series. Cahen, who currently serves as the Associate Director of Programs at the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, has for over two decades served NIRSA and the sport of Flag Football in a variety of volunteer roles. As a student official, Cahen was UCF’s first All-American Flag Football official in 2001 and would later serve as the Director of Officials for the National Tournament from 2008-2010. Cahen also served on the Flag Football Rules Committee, Flag Football Rules Editorial Board, and as the host of the National Flag Football Tournament in 2012. Under his leadership of the UCF Intramural Sports program, UCF has won a nation-leading 15 Flag Football National Championships and 26 UCF students have earned All-American honors as an official. Cahen and Smith join 5 other former UCF students who have previously been inducted into the Flag Football Hall of Fame. They include officials Nick Brigati (2009) and Leisha Cavallaro (2016) along with players Drew Hill (2011), Brandon Baroody (2012), and Tatianne DeAraujo (2017). Back