Bielema to Headline Hall of Fame Events

Published on May 7, 2013

Bret Bielema (courtesy Univ. of Arkansas / Walt Beazley)

On the evening of Sunday, May 19, new University of Arkansas head football coach Bret Bielema will speak during the “Talking Football” dinner at Chenal Country Club’s St. Andrews Ballroom in Little Rock. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m.

On Monday, May 20, the 15th annual Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic will be headlined by Bielema at Chenal Country Club.

Tables of 10 for the Hall of Fame’s “Talking Football” dinner are $2,000. Individual tickets are $200.

Those desiring to purchase dinner tickets should call the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame at (501) 663-4328.

On May 20, lunch for golfers will be served at 11:30 a.m. with a 1 p.m. tee time. Awards will be presented following the tournament.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic and the Sunday night dinner long have been among the premier sports events in the state, featuring past inductees into the Hall of Fame and other sports celebrities. A number of past inductees already have committed to play in this year’s tournament and attend the Sunday night dinner. The proceeds from the events will benefit the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The official hotel of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame is the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock. Out-of-town guests needing room reservations should call (501) 371-9000.

Bielema was named as the head coach at Arkansas in early December. He has taken the state by storm since then with his outgoing personality and his sense of confidence. As head coach at the University of Wisconsin, Bielema had a 68-24 record and took the Badgers to three consecutive Rose Bowls.

Several members of Bielema’s coaching staff will join him for the Sunday night dinner and the Celebrity Golf Classic.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. The Class of 2013 was inducted in March at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock with more than 1,000 people in attendance at the induction banquet.

Ray Tucker is the executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports editor Wally Hall is the organization’s president.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum on the west side of Verizon Arena is open each Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It includes an 88-seat theater with a video highlighting the careers of Arkansas sports greats along with a touch-screen kiosk with a database of all Hall of Fame inductees.

Dues-paying members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership forms for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame can be obtained here..

Filed under Newsroom

Bielema to Headline Hall of Fame Golf Tournament

Published on April 5, 2013

Bret Bielema (courtesy University of Arkansas / Walt Beazley)

New University of Arkansas head football coach Bret Bielema will headline the 15th annual Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic, which will be held Monday, May 20, at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock.

On the evening of Sunday, May 19, Bielema will speak during the “Talking Football” dinner in Chenal Country Club’s St. Andrews Ballroom. The dinner will begin at 6 p.m.

Tables of 10 for the “Talking Football” dinner are $2,000. For the Monday golf tournament, the cost is $2,000 for a four-member team. Each team will be paired with a celebrity. A combination dinner table and golf team is $3,500.

Those desiring to enter teams and purchase dinner tickets should call the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame at (501) 663-4328.

On May 20, lunch for golfers will be served at 11:30 a.m. with a 1 p.m. tee time. Awards will be presented following the tournament.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic long has been one of the premier sports events in the state, featuring past inductees into the Hall of Fame and other sports celebrities. A number of past inductees already have committed to play in this year’s tournament. The proceeds from the May events will benefit the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The official hotel of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame is the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock. Out-of-town guests needing room reservations should call (501) 371-9000.

Several members of Bielema’s coaching staff will join him for the Celebrity Golf Classic.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first claass in 1959. The Class of 2013 was inducted in March at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock with more than 1,000 people in attendance at the induction banquet.

Ray Tucker is the executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports editor Wally Hall is the organization’s president.

Dues-paying members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership forms can be obtained here.

Filed under Newsroom

Hall of Fame Induction Banquet is Tonight

Published on March 8, 2013

Eight new Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees will be honored Friday night when the Hall of Fame holds its 55th annual induction banquet at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. A crowd of more than 1,000 people is expected to be in attendance at the induction banquet. The Hall of Fame Class of 2013 consists of eight inductees. The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959.

Little Rock insurance executive Andrew Meadors is the organization’s president, and Ray Tucker serves as the executive director. At Friday’s banquet, Wally Hall, the longtime sports editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, will take over as the Hall of Fame president.

The organization also operates the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum on the west side of Verizon Arena. The museum is open each Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It includes an 88-seat theater with a video highlighting the careers of Arkansas sports greats, along with a touch-screen kiosk with a database of all Hall of Fame inductees.

Members of the Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually. Membership forms can be obtained here.

The Class of 2013 consists of:

Marcus Brown, a former basketball star at West Memphis High School who went on to become Murray State University’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,236 points and the leading scorer in Euroleague history with 2,715 points. Brown ended his 13-year professional career with five most valuable player awards. As a high school basketball player, he led West Memphis to the 1991 Class AAAA state championship and the overall championship. In his senior year at Murray State, Brown finished as the nation’s second-leading scorer behind California’s Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He was drafted in the second round of the 1996 NBA draft by Portland. After playing briefly at Portland, Vancouver and Detroit, he became the highest-paid American player ever in the Euroleague.
Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of Southland Park at West Memphis, who is among the nation’s top business leaders. Jacobs owns the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and frequently makes lists of the country’s most influential sports personalities. Southland Park has been a part of the Arkansas sports scene since 1956 when it became the state’s only greyhound track. The Jacobs family was the original concession operator when the track opened. The family’s Delaware North Corp. later bought the facility. Jacobs has been the chairman of the NHL’s board of governors since 2007. He led the effort to build a new arena in Boston and was a pioneer in the regional television sports industry, transforming NESN into a model for all regional sports networks. Jacobs became the chairman and CEO of Delaware North in 1968. The company operates more than 50 professional sports venues around the world.
Former University of Arkansas golfer Stacy Lewis, who was named in December by the Golf Writers Association of America as the 2012 Player of the Year for the LPGA. Lewis won four times in 2012 to become the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to finish first on the Rolex Player of the Year points list. She also had three runner-up finishes, including a share of second at the LPGA Championship. Lewis finished third on the LPGA money list in 2012, earning $1.87 million. Lewis, who grew up in The Woodlands, Texas, had a steel rod and five screws placed in her back 10 years ago to correct scoliosis. She was the 2007 NCAA champion and won 13 tournaments at the collegiate level while putting the Arkansas women’s golf program on the map. Lewis earned All-American honors in each of her four years at Arkansas. She won Southeastern Conference championships in 2005 and 2008.
Former University of Arkansas track and cross country great Frank O’Mara, who competed for the Irish national team in three Olympic Games – 1984 at Los Angeles, 1988 at Seoul and 1992 at Barcelona. O’Mara is now a Little Rock telecommunications executive, serving as the chief executive officer of Allied Wireless Communications. He is from Limerick, Ireland. He ran for legendary Coach John McDonnell at Arkansas. O’Mara was an All-American and Southwest Conference champion his sophomore and junior years and then became McDonnell’s first outdoor NCAA champion in 1983 when he won the 1,500-meter run at Houston. O’Mara was the world indoor champion twice in the 3,000-meter run. After graduation, he spent three years as a coach for the Razorbacks and was a member of the staff in 1985 when the school won its first NCAA Triple Crown. O’Mara was a professional runner for 15 years.
Don Nixon, who had a stellar basketball coaching career at Pulaski Robinson High School, Mabelvale High School, Little Rock Central High School and the University of Central Arkansas. Nixon graduated from Arkansas State Teachers College, now UCA, in 1951 after serving in the U.S. Navy. He coached four basketball teams – junior boys, junior girls, senior boys and senior girls – at what’s now Pulaski Robinson from 1952-54 before moving to his high school alma mater at Mabelvale from 1954-59. After coaching at the junior high level from 1959-67, Nixon coached the boys’ team at Little Rock Central High School from 1968-72 and the men’s team at UCA from 1972-79. Nixon’s Central Tigers won the Class AAAA state championship in 1970 and 1972 along with winning the state’s first overall championship in 1972.
Wyn Norwood, who was a two-time Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference golf champion while playing at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Norwood went on to win two state amateur titles and participate in 14 national amateur championships. Norwood, a Russellville native, worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock from 1992 until his retirement at the end of the 2012 school year. UALR had dropped its men’s golf program in the 1980s and had never had a women’s program before the 1992-93 season. Norwood revived the men’s program and started the women’s program. He spent his first 13 years at UALR as the head coach of both programs. He was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s golf in 1994. Those were the first of five such awards he would earn.
The late John Outlaw, who died suddenly of a heart attack in December 2011 following a highly successful high school coaching career in Arkansas and Texas. Outlaw, an Ozark native and a UCA graduate, went 84-20-1 in nine seasons at Arkadelphia, winning state titles in 1979 and 1987. His undefeated 1987 team was the first Arkansas school ever to be ranked in the USA Today Super 25. After moving to Texas, Outlaw’s teams went 57-21-1 at Sherman and 162-46-1 at Lufkin, giving him a 303-87-3 record. He achieved his 300th victory on Oct. 6, 2011, against The Woodlands in a game telecast regionally by Fox Sports Southwest.
Sonja Tate, one of the best basketball players to ever wear an Arkansas State University uniform. Tate, who played at ASU from 1989-93, remains the career scoring leader at ASU with 2,312 points. Tate returned to ASU prior to the current season to serve as an assistant coach on the women’s basketball staff. In addition to being the school’s career scoring leader, Tate holds the single-season scoring record with 820 points during the 1992-93 season. She has the top five single-game scoring performances at ASU. Tate remains the only ASU women’s player to have scored 40 or more points in a game, a feat she accomplished five times.

Filed under Newsroom

Hall of Fame to Present Star of Tomorrow Award

Published on February 15, 2013

For a second consecutive year, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Crain Automotive Team will present the Star of Tomorrow Award. The award is presented annually to the top college athlete from either an Arkansas-based college or university or an out-of-state school if that athlete is from Arkansas.

The Star of Tomorrow Award will be presented during the Hall of Fame’s induction banquet on the evening of Friday, March 8, at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. The award will be given for accomplishments during the 2012 calendar year.

“We want this to be one of the most significant awards in Arkansas sports,” says Ray Tucker, the Hall of Fame’s executive director.

Larry Crain Sr. of the Crain Automotive Team says his goal is for the award to be viewed as the “Heisman Trophy of Arkansas sports, something that’s very prestigious.”

Athletes from all intercollegiate sports – male and female – are eligible for the award.

“We will be identifying many of the future inductees into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame,” says Crain, a longtime supporter of the Hall of Fame and a member of the Hall of Fame Foundation Board.

A panel of media representatives determines the 10 finalists each year. The selection of each nominee is weighted as follows: 60 percent based on athletic performance, 20 percent based on academic performance and 20 percent based on community involvement.

Once the 10 finalists are selected each year, the winner is determined using the following formula: 25 percent based on a public vote and 75 percent based on a vote by dues-paying members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The winner of the first Star of Tomorrow Award was Joe Adams, a football player from the University of Arkansas.

The 10 finalists for the award to be presented March 8 are:

Megan Herbert, a basketball player from the University of Central Arkansas
Ryan Aplin, a football player from Arkansas State University
Ashley Ray, a softball player from Henderson State University
Connor Silvestri, a soccer player from Hendrix College
Tyler Wilson, a football player from the University of Arkansas
Mickey Hammer, a cross country runner from Southern Arkansas University
Melissa Clement, a volleyball player from Hendrix College
Kevin Rodgers, a football player from Henderson State University
Seth Allison, a football player from the University of Central Arkansas
Jaime Pisani, a gymnast from the University of Arkansas

More information on the finalists can be found by going to www.arstaroftomorrow.com. The public can also vote at that website.

Members of the Hall of Fame get to vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually. Membership forms may be obtained here.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. Andrew Meadors, a Little Rock insurance executive, is the organization’s president.

Tickets for the March 8 induction banquet at Verizon Arena are $100 each and may be obtained by calling Catherine Johnson at (501) 821-1021.

This will be the organization’s 55th annual induction banquet. Members of the Class of 2013 are:

Former University of Arkansas track and cross country great Frank O’Mara, a three-time member of the Irish Olympic team
Former University of Arkansas golf star Stacy Lewis, who is now recognized as the premier player on the LPGA Tour
Wyn Norwood, the former University of Arkansas at Little Rock golf coach who won two state amateur titles and participated in 14 national amateur championships
John Outlaw, who died in December 2011 following a high school coaching career that saw him go 303-87-3, including a record of 84-20-1 in nine seasons at Arkadelphia
Sonja Tate, one of the best basketball players to ever wear an Arkansas State University uniform
Don Nixon, who had a stellar basketball coaching career at Pulaski Robinson High School, Mabelvale High School, Little Rock Central High School and the University of Central Arkansas
Marcus Brown, a former basketball star at West Memphis High School who went on to become Murray State Univesity’s third all-time leading scorer
Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of Southland Park Gaming and Racing at West Memphis

Filed under Newsroom

Eight to be Inducted into Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame

Published on January 6, 2013

Eight new Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees will be honored when the organization holds its 55^th annual induction banquet on Friday, March 8. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2013 will consist of inductees from the regular category, the senior category and the posthumous category.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959.

Little Rock insurance executive Andrew Meadors is the organization’s president, and Ray Tucker serves as the executive director. At the March 8 banquet, Wally Hall, the longtime sports editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, will take over as the Hall of Fame president.

Members of the Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually. Membership forms can be obtained by going to the organization’s website at www.arksportshalloffame.com.

The class of 2013 consists of:

Marcus Brown, a former basketball star at West Memphis High School who went on to become Murray State University’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,236 points. Brown had a highly successful professional career in Europe. Brown ended his 13-year professional career as the Euroleague’s all-time leading scorer, winning five most valuable player awards. As a high school basketball player, he led West Memphis to the 1991 Class AAAA state championship and the overall championship. In his senior year at Murray State, Brown finished as the nation’s second-leading scorer behind California’s Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He was drafted in the second round of the 1996 NBA draft by Portland. After playing briefly at Portland, Vancouver and Detroit, he became the highest-paid American player ever in the Euroleague.
Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of Southland Park at West Memphis, who is among the nation’s top business leaders. Jacobs owns the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and frequently makes lists of the country’s most influential sports personalities. Southland Park has been a part of the Arkansas sports scene since 1956 when it became the state’s only greyhound track. The Jacobs family was the original concession operator when the track opened. The family’s Delaware North Corp. later bought the facility. Jacobs has been the chairman of the NHL’s board of governors since 2007. He led the effort to build a new arena in Boston and was a pioneer in the regional television sports industry, transforming NESN into a model for all regional sports networks. Jacobs became the chairman and CEO of Delaware North in 1968. The company operates more than 50 professional sports venues around the world.
Former University of Arkansas golf star Stacy Lewis, who was named last month by the Golf Writers Association of America as the 2012 Player of the Year for the LPGA. Lewis won four times in 2012 to become the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to finish first on the Rolex Player of the Year points list. She also had three runner-up finishes, including a share of second at the LPGA Championship. Lewis finished third on the LPGA money list in 2012, earning $1.87 million. Lewis, who grew up in The Woodland, Texas, had a steel rod and five screws placed in her back 10 years ago to correct scoliosis. She was the 2007 NCAA champion and won 13 tournaments at the collegiate level while putting the Arkansas women’s golf program on the map. Lewis earned All-American honors in each of her four years at Arkansas. She won Southeastern Conference championships in 2005 and 2008.
Former University of Arkansas track and cross country great Frank O’Mara, who competed for the Irish national team in three Olympic Games – 1984 at Los Angeles, 1988 at Seoul and 1992 at Barcelona. O’Mara is now a Little Rock telecommunications executive, serving as the chief executive officer of Allied Wireless Communications. He is from Limerick, Ireland. He ran for legendary Coach John McDonnell at Arkansas. O’Mara was an All-American and Southwest Conference champion his sophomore and junior years and then became McDonnell’s first outdoor NCAA champion in 1983 when he won the 1,500-meter run at Houston. O’Mara was the world indoor champion twice in the 3,000-meter run. After graduation, he spent three years as a coach for the Razorbacks and was a member of the staff in 1985 when the school won its first NCAA Triple Crown. O’Mara was a professional runner for 15 years.
Don Nixon, who had a stellar basketball coaching career at Pulaski Robinson High School, Mabelvale High School, Little Rock Central High School and the University of Central Arkansas. Nixon graduated from Arkansas State Teachers College, now UCA, in 1951 after serving in the U.S. Navy. He coached four basketball teams – junior boys, junior girls, senior boys and senior girls – at what’s now Pulaski Robinson from 1952-54 before moving to his high school alma mater at Mabelvale from 1954-59. After coaching at the junior high level from 1959-67, Nixon coached the boys’ team at Little Rock Central High School from 1968-72 and the men’s team at UCA from 1972-79. Nixon’s Central Tigers won the Class AAAA state championship in 1970 and 1972 along with winning the state’s first overall championship in 1972.
Wyn Norwood, who was a two-time Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference golf champion while playing at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville. Norwood went on to win three state amateur titles and participate in 14 national amateur championships. Norwood, a Russellville native, worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock from 1992 until his retirement at the end of the 2012 school year. UALR had dropped its men’s golf program in the 1980s and had never had a women’s program before the 1992-93 season. Norwood revived the men’s program and started the women’s program. He spent his first 13 years at UALR as the head coach of both programs. He was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for both men’s and women’s golf in 1994. Those were the first of five such awards he would earn.
The late John Outlaw, who died suddenly of a heart attack in December 2011 following a highly successful high school coaching career in Arkansas and Texas. Outlaw, an Ozark native and a UCA graduate, went 84-20-1 in nine seasons at Arkadelphia, winning state titles in 1979 and 1987. His undefeated 1987 team was the first Arkansas school ever to be ranked in the USA Today Super 25. After moving to Texas, Outlaw’s teams went 57-21-1 at Sherman and 162-46-1 at Lufkin, giving him a 303-87-3 record. He achieved his 300^th victory on Oct. 6, 2011, against The Woodlands in a game telecast regionally by Fox Sports Southwest.
Sonja Tate, one of the best basketball players to ever wear an Arkansas State University uniform. Tate, who played at ASU from 1989-93, remains the career scoring leader at ASU with 2,312 points. Tate returned to ASU prior to the current season to serve as an assistant coach on the women’s basketball staff. In addition to being the school’s career scoring leader, Tate holds the single-season scoring record with 820 points during the 1992-93 season. She has the top five single-game scoring performances at ASU. Tate remains the only ASU women’s player to have scored 40 or more points in a game, a feat she accomplished five times.

Filed under Featured, New Inductees, Newsroom

Hall of Fame to Honor Harold Horton

Published on October 14, 2012

Harold Horton, Class of 1989 (courtesy Univ. of Ark.)

On Friday, Oct. 26, the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will hold a special reception from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. to honor Harold Horton, who retired in July as executive director of the Razorback Foundation. The reception will be held at the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum on the west side of Verizon Arena in North Little Rock.

Tickets for the event are $25 for Hall of Fame members and $50 for those who are not members of the organization. The $50 tickets include one-year memberships, allowing purchasers of those tickets to vote on the next induction class to the Hall of Fame.

Those desiring to purchase tickets should call Ray Tucker or Jennifer Smith at the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame at (501)663-4328.

Dating back to his playing days at DeWitt High School, Horton has had an impact on sports in the state at every level. Horton, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee, served for many years as a member of the organization’s board of directors and is now a member of its senior advisory board. His son Tim, an assistant football coach at the University of Arkansas, is now a member of the Hall of Fame board.

Horton replaced Chuck Dicus (a 1995 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee) as the Razorback Foundation director in November 2008.

Horton entered the University of Arkansas in the fall of 1957 during Jack Mitchell’s final year as head coach of the Razorbacks. He redshirted in 1958 during Frank Broyles’ first year as head coach. Horton played on Razorback teams that tied for a Southwest Conference championship in 1959 and won conference titles outright in 1960 and 1961. Arkansas was 9-2 overall and 5-1 in conference in 1959, including a win in the Gator Bowl. The Razorbacks were 8-3 overall and 6-1 in conference in 1960, finishing the season with a loss in the Cotton Bowl. The Hogs were again 8-3 overall and 6-1 in conference in 1961, concluding the season with a Sugar Bowl loss.

Arkansas was ranked in the Top 10 in the final Associated Press poll in each of those three seasons – ninth in 1959, seventh in 1960 and ninth in 1961.

After earning his degree in physical education in the spring of 1962, Horton spent three years as head football coach at Bald Knob High School and three years as head football coach at Forrest City High School. His combined record in those six seasons was 43-15-3.

Horton joined Broyles’ staff at Arkansas in 1968. Broyles retired from coaching at the end of the 1976 season, but Horton remained on Lou Holtz’ staff through the 1980 season. Horton became the head coach at the University of Central Arkansas in 1982. His teams went 74-12-5 in his eight seasons there, winning NAIA national championships in 1984 and 1985. The Bears won seven consecutive Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference championships under Horton, who was the AIC coach of the year five times and the NAIA national coach of the year in 1983.

After retiring as the head coach at UCA, Horton returned to Fayetteville. He served as Arkansas’ recruiting coordinator for four years and as the director of football operations for another four years before joining the Razorback Foundation.

Horton once summed up his approach to life this way: “Keep your faith in God. Keep working and plugging every day. Keep your head down, doing things the right way, and success will come.”

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. Little Rock insurance executive Andrew Meadors is the organization’s president.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It includes an 88-seat theater with a video highlighting the careers of Arkansas sports greats and a touch-screen kiosk with a database of all Hall of Fame inductees.

Members of the Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership forms may be obtained here.

Filed under Newsroom

Tickets Remain for Nov. 15 Salute to John McDonnell

Published on October 14, 2012

Some tickets still remain for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame’s fall gala to honor legendary former University of Arkansas Coach John McDonnell. The event will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center at Little Rock.

Tickets for the dinner are $200 each, and tables of 10 are $2,000. Checks should be made out to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and mailed to Ray Tucker, Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, 3 Verizon Arena Way, North Little Rock, Ark. 72114.

Those desiring more information on the event should call Catherine Johnson at (501) 821-1021 or email her at cjafund@swbell.net.

McDonnell’s teams at Arkansas won 11 NCAA cross country national championships, 19 NCAA indoor track and field championships and 12 NCAA outdoor track and field championships. He coached 179 All-Americans and 23 Olympians during his career.

Tucker called McDonnell “one of the great names in the history of track. We’re delighted to be able to honor him in this way.”

In addition to McDonnell, the following people will speak at the event:

Little Rock business executive Frank O’Mara, who like McDonnell is a native of Ireland. O’Mara will serve as the master of ceremonies. O’Mara is the chief executive officer of Allied Wireless Communications of Little Rock. He competed for McDonnell at Arkansas, winning an NCAA outdoor championship in the 1,500-meter run. O’Mara, who was world indoor champion twice in the 3,000-meter run, competed for Ireland in the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles, the 1988 Olympics at Seoul and the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona.
Noted Arkansas business executive John Tyson of Tyson Foods Inc. at Springdale. Tyson is a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and a longtime McDonnell friend.
Mike Conley Sr., an Olympic gold medalist who won 16 NCAA long jump and triple jump championships while competing for McDonnell at Arkansas.
Alberto Salazar, now a Nike executive. Salazar, a native of Cuba, is a distance running legend who won three consecutive New York Marathons from 1980-82.
Vin Lananna, another legendary track coach. Lananna headed the track and field program at Stanford from 1992-2003 and then went to the University of Oregon in 2005.

This is the fourth consecutive year for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame to hold a fall salute. Past honorees are Conway business executive Stephen L. Strange Sr., former Razorback basketball star Joe Kleine and former Razorback football star Jim Lindsey.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. Little Rock insurance executive Andrew Meadoers is the organization’s president.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum is on the west side of Verizon Arena in North Little Rock and is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It includes an 88-seat theater with a video highlighting the careers of Arkansas sports greats and a touch-screen kiosk with a database of all Hall of Fame inductees.

Members of the Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually. Membership forms may be obtained here.

Filed under Newsroom

Hall of Fame to honor Coach John McDonnell

Published on September 2, 2012

John McDonnell (courtesy University of Arkansas)

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will hold its annual fall salute on Thursday, Nov. 15, when the organization honors one of the state’s athletic legends, former University of Arkansas track and field coach John McDonnell.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.

Those desiring more information should call Catherine Johnson at (501) 821-1021 or email her at cjafund@swbell.net.

McDonnell was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. His 42 national titles are more than any coach in any sport in the history of collegiate athletics.

“It’s hard to imagine that any coach in intercollegiate athletics has had more influence on a program than John McDonnell has had on the men’s track and field program at the University of Arkansas,” UA athletic director Jeff Long said at the time of McDonnell’s retirement in 2008. “John’s 36 years of dedication have defined the standard of excellence that’s synonymous with Arkansas track and field. John McDonnell applied a team approach to an individual sport and, in turn, produced the most successful collegiate athletic program in history.”

McDonnell’s achievements include:

11 NCAA cross country national championships, 19 NCAA indoor track and field championships and 12 NCAA outdoor track and field championships.
Twelve consecutive indoor championships from 1984-95, the longest string of national titles by any school in any sport in collegiate history.
84 conference titles, including 34 consecutive cross country championships spanning the Southwest Conference from 1974-90 and the Southeastern Conference from 1991-2007.
Five national triple crowns, meaning the Razorbacks won the cross country, outdoor and indoor championships in the same school year.
Twenty conference triple crowns, including eight consecutive from 1987-95.

McDonnell coached 179 All-Americans and 23 Olympians.

“He’s one of the great names in the history of track,” said Ray Tucker, executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. “We’re delighted to be able to honor him in this way.”

The dinner chairman is Frank O’Mara. Like McDonnell, O’Mara is a native of Ireland.

O’Mara is the chief executive officer of Allied Wireless Communications of Little Rock. He competed for McDonnell at Arkansas in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning an NCAA outdoor championship in the 1,500-meter run. O’Mara, who was world indoor champion twice in the 3,000-meter run, competed for Ireland in the 1984 Olympics at Los Angeles, the 1988 Olympics at Seoul and the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona.

Those scheduled to speak at the Nov. 15 tribute dinner include:

Well-known Arkansas businessman John Tyson of Springdale.
Vin Lananna, who headed the track and field program at Stanford from 1992-2003 and has guided the University of Oregon program since 2005.
Former Olympic gold medalist Mike Conley Sr., who won 16 NCAA long jump and triple jump championships while competing for McDonnell at Arkansas.
Distance running legend Alberto Salazar, who won three consecutive New York Marathons from 1980-82.

“I was coached by John McDonnell for 18 years and can attest to his dedication to his athletes and his drive for success,” O’Mara said. “Moreover, his affection for and commitment to the University of Arkansas and the state of Arkansas are undeniable. How rare is it to find a highly successful coach with tenure of more than 35 years at the same school?”

This will be the fourth consecutive year for the Hall of Fame to hold a fall salute. Past honorees include Conway businessman Stephen L. Strange Sr., former Razorback basketball star Joe Kleine and former Razorback football star Jim Lindsey.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. Little Rock insurance executive Andrew Meadors is the organization’s president.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum on the west side of Verizon Arena is open each Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. It includes an 88-seat theater with a video highlighting the careers of Arkansas sports greats and a touch-screen kiosk with a database of all Hall of Fame inductees.

Members of the Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually. Membership forms may be obtained here.

Filed under Newsroom

Southland gift to allow completion of conference center at Hall of Fame

Published on August 16, 2012

Southland Park Gaming and Racing at West Memphis has pledged $300,000 toward the completion of the Jimmie Lou and Floyd Sagely Conference Center adjacent to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum in the Verizon Arena at North Little Rock.

Southland’s pledge was announced during a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Jeremy Jacobs (courtesy of Boston Bruins)

The main hall of the facility will be named the Jeremy M. Jacobs Great Hall in honor of the chairman and chief executive officer of Southland’s parent company, Delaware North Companies.

Southland Park Gaming and Racing, formerly known as Southland Greyhound Park, has been a part of the Arkansas sports scene since 1956 when it became Arkansas’ only greyhound racetrack. Originally owned by the Upton family and other individuals, Southland has been owned by Delaware North for decades. The Jacobs family was the original concession operator when the track opened. West Memphis already had a tradition of greyhound racing. The Riverside Kennel Club had been located at the Arkansas end of the Mississippi River Bridge before Southland was constructed.

“Given our long tradition in the state, we’re honored to be able to support the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame as it adds this conference center,” said Troy Keeping, Southland’s president and general manager. “We’re especially honored that Mr. Jacobs’ name will go on the Great Hall. He is one of America’s top sportsmen.”

Jacobs owns the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and has been the chairman of the NHL’s board of governors since 2007. He led the effort to build a new arena in Boston and was a pioneer in the regional television sports industry, transforming NESN into a model for all regional sports networks. Jacobs was inducted into the Western New York Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Jacobs is also among the most influential leaders in the sport of racing. Southland has donated millions of dollars to charity through the years in Arkansas. These donations include $1 million to Mid-South Community College at West Memphis for the Southland Greyhound Science Center, $1 million to Mid-South for its hospitality program and kitchen incubator project and $250,000 to Mid-South to start an athletic program.

Delaware North operates more than 50 professional sports venues around the world, including venues for the NHL, NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA. There also are venues in Australia and Europe.

Jacobs became the chairman and CEO of Delaware North in 1968, meaning that he has headed the company the majority of Southland’s life. He has grown Delaware North into one of the most admired and largest hospitality companies in the world. Jacobs is joined by three of his sons in leading the company’s global efforts. Delaware North has operations in locations ranging from Yosemite National Park to the Kennedy Space Center to the Sydney Cricket Grounds in Australia.

Jacobs has been a tireless advocate for tourism in the United States. He recently served four consecutive terms on the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The board, appointed by the commerce secretary, created the new national tourism strategy that has been championed by President Obama.

“We’re delighted to place Mr. Jacobs’ name on the Great Hall,” said Andrew Meadors of Little Rock, the president of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. “Thanks to his stewardship and advocacy, Southland has contributed thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of economic impact to this state.”

The Economic Development Administration of the Commerce Department has awarded $1 million to Pulaski County to aid in the construction of the Sagely Conference Center. The conference center will, in essence, finish out the arena. It will be in unused space under the stands that originally was intended for a basketball practice court. The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, which will operate the conference center, has been raising funds to match the EDA grant.

The center will accommodate 500 people for a seated dinner and 750 people for a reception. It will be designed so space can be divided for smaller meetings. The conference center will cover 12,200 square feet. The adjacent museum covers 13,975 square feet. The museum opened in April 2007 following a $4 million capital campaign.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. The Class of 2012 was inducted in February at Verizon Arena with more than 1,400 people in attendance at the induction banquet.

Ray Tucker is the executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Museum is open each Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The museum includes an 88-seat theater with a video highlighting the careers of Arkansas sports greats. There’s also a touch-screen kiosk with a database of all Hall of Fame inductees.

Members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually, and membership forms can be obtained here.

Filed under Featured, Newsroom

Two Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame Inductees to Enter Pro Football Hall

Published on February 7, 2012

For the first time, two past inductees of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the same class.

It was announced during the weekend that Arkansas natives Willie Roaf and Cortez Kennedy have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Kennedy, who played high school football at Rivercrest High School at Wilson, was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Roaf, who played high school football at Pine Bluff High School, was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

“Those of us at the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame always love to hear good news about our former inductees,” said Andrew Meadors of Little Rock, the president of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. “It’s a huge honor for Willie Roaf and Cortez Kennedy to be chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We’re proud of them and join all Arkansans in offering our congratulations.”

Cortez Kennedy, Class of 2005

Kennedy was one of the best defensive linemen ever to play in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks selected him in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft (the third selection overall) after he had earned All-American honors at the University of Miami. The Hurricanes won the national championship his senior season. Kennedy had played at Northwest Mississippi Community College before receiving a football scholarship to Miami.

Kennedy was named to the Pro Bowl in just his second season and ended up playing in the game eight times. He had 58 career sacks, an unusually high number for a tackle. He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1992 after recording 14 quarterback sacks. Kennedy, whose final season was 2000, was named to the Seahawks Ring of Honor and the Miami Hurricanes Ring of Honor. He also was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1990s.

Roaf was lightly recruited out of high school in Pine Bluff. He ended up at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La. He was picked in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft (the eighth selection overall and the first offensive lineman to be drafted) by the New Orleans Saints. Roaf played nine years for the Saints, participated in seven Pro Bowls while in New Orleans and earned a spot on both the All-Decade Teams for the 1990s and the 2000s. Roaf was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2002 and played four seasons for the Chiefs. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in each of those four seasons.

Willie Roaf, Class of 2007

Roaf played one season at right tackle and then spent the rest of his career on the left side of the line. He announced his retirement in July 2006.

Other former Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees who also are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame include:

Dan Hampton, who was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1992
Don Hutson, who was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1960
Bobby Mitchell, who was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1977
Lance Alworth, who was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1979

The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. The Class of 2012 was inducted Friday night at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock with more than 1,400 people in attendance at the induction banquet.

Ray Tucker is the executive director of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame vote each year on inductees. Membership dues are $50 annually. Membership forms can be obtained by going to the organization’s website at www.arksportshalloffame.com.

Filed under Newsroom