Hall of Fame to Present Star of Tomorrow Award
Officials of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Crain Automotive Team on Tuesday announced the establishment of the Star of Tomorrow Award, which will be given annually to the top college athlete from either an Arkansas school or an out-of-state school if that athlete is from Arkansas.
The Star of Tomorrow Award will be presented each year during the Hall of Fame’s induction banquet.
The inaugural award will be announced during the induction banquet for the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 on Friday, Feb. 3, at the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock. The award will be for accomplishments during the 2011 calendar year.
“We’re very excited about this award,” said Ray Tucker, the Hall of Fame’s executive director. “We plan for it to be one of the most significant awards in Arkansas sports.”
Larry Crain of the Crain Automotive Team said Arkansas is “known for producing world-class athletes. We want to develop something that will recognize the best college athlete each year. In a sense, we want this to be seen as the Heisman Trophy of Arkansas sports.”
Athletes from all intercollegiate sports – male and female – will be eiligible for the award.
“We believe we will be identifying many of the future inductees into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame with this award,” Crain said. “This is something that will be coveted by Arkansas athletes.”
Crain is a longtime supporter of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and a member of the Hall of Fame Foundation Advisory Board.
“We appreciate Larry and the Crain Automotive Team for stepping up to sponsor the Star of Tomorrow Award,” Tucker said. “With the Crain Team involved, you know it will be done right.”
Sports information directors at colleges and universities will nominate athletes for the award. The number of nominees per school will be determined by the full-time enrollment at the school. Colleges and universities with fewer than 5,000 students may nominate two athletes. The numbers increase to four athletes for schools with between 5,000 and 10,000 students; six athletes for schools with between 10,000 and 15,000 students; eight athletes for schools with between 15,000 and 20,000 students; and 10 athletes for schools with more than 20,000 students.
A panel of media representatives will determine the 10 finalists. The selection of each nominee will be 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, the winner will be determined by the following formula: 25 percent based on a public vote, 25 percent based on a vote by dues-paying members of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, 25 percent based on a vote by members of the Arkansas sports media and 25 percent based on a vote by Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees.
Members of the Hall of Fame get to 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 Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 1959. Andrew Meadors of Little Rock is the organization’s president.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2012 will consist of six people from the regular category, three from the senior category and two from the posthumous category. The Hall of Fame also will induct the 1994 national championship basketball team from the University of Arkansas. This is the second time in its history for the Hall of Fame to induct a team. The 1964 national championship Razorback football team was inducted in 2010.
Those being inducted from the regular category are former Razorback basketball player Lee Mayberry, former Oaklawn Park track announcer Terry Wallace, former Newport High School head football coach Bill Keedy, former Razorback basketball player U.S. Reed, former Razorback football player “Light Horse” Harry Jones and Little Rock native and former Oklahoma State University head football coach Pat Jones.
Those being inducted from the senior category are former Forrest City star athlete Elmer “B” Lindsey, former college coach and NFL scout Bob Ford of Wynne and former Southern Arkansas University women’s basketball coach Margaret Downing.
Those being inducted from the posthumous category are former University of Central Arkansas head football and track coach Raymond Bright and 1892 Kentucky Derby winning jockey Alonzo “Lonnie” Clayton.
Tickets for the Feb. 3 induction banquet are $100 each and may be obtained by calling Jennifer Smith at (501) 663-4328 or Catherine Johnson at (501) 821-1021.
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.
