Five highly successful coaches whose achievements have reached legendary proportions, a representative of women's sports in the early days of the University of Central Arkansas' affiliation with the Gulf South Conference and a founding father of the Arkansas State Golf Hall of Fame are among the nine-member class for the school's 2008 Sports Hall of Fame.
Golf, track, football, cross country, baseball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming and coaching are all represented the nine new inductees (most multi-sport athletes) who make up the eighth class of the Sports Hall of Fame.
Five of the nine had the bulk of their achievements in the 1950s and 1960s, which was by design, said Ken Stephens, a Hall of Fame member who chaired the selection committee.
"The last couple of years, we've tried to look at some of the older guys before we put in some of the younger ones," Stephens said. "By our rules now, we have to induct two of three seniors, which mean their playing or coaching days are 50 years or more. We would like to get some of the older people in while they are still around. We want to get them in while people can remember them and what they accomplished."
Among the inductees are coaching legends from various eras, including Eldon Hawley, Bill Kessinger, Bobby Richardson, Charles Strong and Joe Fred Young. Jay Fox, one of the top golfers in school history, has gone on to be one of the major forces in establishing the ASGA.
The lone female in the group is Jennifer McClendon, who starred in volleyball, tennis and swimming during UCA's transition from the NAIA to the Gulf South Conference of NCAA Division II. Also to be inducted are Jamie Holt, one of the best track athletes in the AIC during the 1980s; and the late Don McConnaghey, a football and track star in the late 1940s and early 1950s who was the patriarch of a strong UCA sports family that produced former NFL wide receiver Tom McConnaghey.
"I say this every year, but this is a remarkable class," said Lu Hardin, UCA president, at a news conference Friday to introduce the new group. "These are folks who have had a significant impact, not only on UCA, but the state of Arkansas."
A formal induction luncheon for the group will take place Saturday, Sept. 20.
The 2008 inductees
JAY FOX Golf (1978-1983): Two-time AIC champion and All-District 17 selection; has won more than 50 ASGA designated tournaments; 1989 ASGA Match Play champion, served as executive director of ASGA since 1991 and helped establish Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame in 1994.
ELDON HAWLEY Football/Track/Coaching (1957-1960): Earned seven letters, four in football, three in track. NAIA half-mile champion; two-time AIC half-mile champion; Second Team All-AIC in football; went on to 40-year coaching career, including stints as a top assistant to Larry Lacewell at Arkansas State and Tommy Turbeville at Ole Miss and Auburn; recently retired as the director of football operations at Auburn.
JAMIE HOLT Track/Cross Country (1984-1987): Earned eight letters, four each in track and cross country; was NAIA All-American in 1986; part of NAIA national champion 4x400 meter relay team; won two AIC championships; still holds UCA 800 meter record.
BILL KESSINGER Baseball/Basketball/Track (1951-55): Three-sport letterman basketball, baseball, track; member of four AIC champion track teams; was member of three AIC champion relay teams; went on to coaching career before becoming the longtime superintendent at West Memphis High School.
JENNIFER McCLENDON Volleyball/Tennis/Swimming (1989-93): Earned eight letters between tennis and volleyball; earned three All-AIC nominations; two-time team captain; 1993 GSC Volleyball Tournament Most Outstanding Player; First-team All-GSC in 1995 and two-time GSC All-Academic team.
DON McCONNAUGHEY Football/Track (1949-1954): Earned eight letters between football and track; won AIC 100-yard dash and 220-yard dash; member of AIC champion 440 and 880 relay teams; was All-AIC honorable mention in 1954.
BOBBY RICHARDSON Track/Coaching (1961-1964): Member of three AIC championship track teams; three-time AIC champion in the mile; broke AIC mile record by 6.8 seconds in 1963; charter member of Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame; won 22 state championships in track/field and cross country while coaching at Crossett High.
CHARLES STRONG Football/Coaching (1979-1981): Three-year letterman in both football and track; two-time First Team All-AIC and All-District 17; played for two AIC champion teams; holds UCA record for longest interception return - 100 yards; lengthy coaching career as a top assistant at Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, and South Carolina.
JOE FRED YOUNG Football/Coaching (1962-1965): Four letters in football; three-time All-AIC; long coaching career won six high school conference championships; made playoffs 17 of 18 years at Fort Smith Northside; coached in eight state championship games; inducted into Arkansas High School coaches Hall of Fame in 2001.
