Nine New Razorback Hall Of Famers
Waco – – The Texas Sports Hall of Fame (TSHOF), in conjunction with the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Little Rock Touchdown Club, is proud to announce nine new members from the University of Arkansas into its 2016 class of inductees for the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame: Joe Falcon (track and field), Quinn Grovey (football), Dan Hampton (football), Bev Lewis (track and field, administrator), Lee Mayberry (basketball), Kevin McReynolds (baseball), Frank O’Mara (track and field), Cliff Powell (football), and R.H. Sikes (golf) .
Sponsored by the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Southwest Conference (SWC) Hall of Fame induction ceremony and luncheon will be held at the Embassy Suites Little Rock (11301 Financial Centre Pkwy, Little Rock, AR 72211) on Monday, October 24th, at 11:30 AM. Visit www.lrtouchdown.com or call 501-690-3944 to reserve event tickets and to access sponsorship information.
“We are once again delighted to work with the University of Arkansas in honoring another amazing class of inductees into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame,” said Jay Black, the Interim President/CEO of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. “Their accomplishments and dedication to the high standard of excellence that exemplifies the very best of the Southwest Conference era, have left a great legacy for all Razorbacks to be very proud of.”
The Southwest Conference Hall of Fame is one of four separate halls of fame housed within the Texas Sports Hall of Fame’s physical structure. They include the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and now, the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame.
“The Southwest Conference played such an important part in our program’s history and we are pleased to once again recognize nine deserving Razorbacks who helped make our tenure in that league so successful,” University of Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Jeff Long said. “This year’s inductee class includes a diverse group of Razorback legends who either coached or competed successfully during their distinguished collegiate careers. And while they all competed in different sports, they all share a common trait of representing the University of Arkansas and the Southwest Conference with great class and dignity.”
Media interviews with the inductees will be available before and after the luncheon.
Joe Falcon (Men’s Track and Field)
One of the most decorated runners in University of Arkansas history, Joe Falcon ran under legendary coach John McDonnell. He was the anchor leg of the Arkansas Razorbacks distance medley relay that won at the 1986 Penn Relays and was the NCAA Cross Country Champion in 1987. He was named most outstanding performer among college men at both the 1988 and 1989 Penn Relays. Falcon won six individual NCAA titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track: indoor 3,000 m champion 1987 & 1988, indoor mile champ 1988, outdoor 10,000 m champion 1987, outdoor 1,500 m champion 1988 and cross country champion 1987. As a professional, Falcon won the 1990 Oslo Dream Mile with a time of 3:49.31, the fastest mile run in that year. In the same year, he won the 5,000 m at the Prefontaine Classic.
Quinn Grovey (Football)
One of the most exciting signal callers in UA football history, Quinn Grovey led the Razorbacks to back-to-back Southwest Conference titles in 1988 and 1989. He was a three-year starter and is the only UA quarterback to lead the Hogs to multiple Cotton Bowl berths. A four-year letterman, Grovey threw for 4,496 passing yards while rushing for 1,746 yards. He earned All-SWC honors in 1988 after leading the league in passing accuracy. His career passing yardage total ranks fifth while his rushing yardage total ranks 13th on the school record lists. His 18 touchdown passes in 1990 and his 29 career passing scores rank third and fourth respectively, on both the season and career school record charts. A native of Duncan, Okla., Grovey was named the player of the year in Oklahoma his high school senior season when he rushed for 700 yards and passed for 900 yards. He led his teams to two state championships. Following his career at Arkansas, Grovey played briefly in the CFL. A member of the UA All-Century team and the UA Sports Hall of Honor, Grovey ranks third in UA history in total yards and touchdown responsibility.
Dan Hampton (Football)
Dan Hampton was a four-year football letterman (1975-78), a three-year starter at Arkansas and a two-time All-Conference selection before being drafted in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Hampton totaled 239 tackles (126 unassisted tackles) in his career with 32 being behind the line of scrimmage while recovering six fumbles. He was an AFCA First-Team All-American in 1978 and helped Arkansas to finish third nationally after winning the 1978 Orange Bowl. As a senior, he logged 98 tackles, including 18 behind the line of scrimmage. He was named the SWC Defensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-SWC honors in 1978. He also earned the outstanding SWC Player of the Year award from the Houston Post for his senior season. Hampton was named second-team All-SWC in his junior season (1977). As a freshman, Hampton helped the Razorbacks to a share of the SWC title and a victory over Georgia in the 1976 Cotton Bowl. Arkansas sported a 35-10-2 record during Hampton’s career, including a mark of 22-8-1 in Southwest Conference (SWC) play. Hampton was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the fourth pick of the first round in the 1979 NFL Draft. He played 12 seasons for Chicago, becoming one of only two Bears’ players to play in three decades for the team. He started 152 of his 157 career games with the Bears and finished third on the team’s all-time career sacks list with 82. Hampton earned All-Pro honors five times and four trips to the Pro Bowl, twice as a defensive tackle and twice as a defensive end. Hampton was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade team and in 2002 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a member of the University of Arkansas’ All-Century team (selected in 1994) and the Arkansas All-Decade team for the 1970s. He is a member of both the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Bev Lewis (Women’s Track and Field, Administrator)
Prior to Bev Lewis assuming the duties of director of women’s athletics in 1989, her Razorback women’s cross country and track teams had six top 20 national finishes, and she coached Team USA at the 1990 World Junior Cross Country Championships. Her coaching was instrumental in establishing Arkansas’ perfect record of sending a team or individual to every collegiate national meet since the program’s inception. Lewis also coached Arkansas’ first women’s conference championship team at the 1988 Southwest Conference Cross Country Championships. As a result, her peers voted her SWC Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. She also was named SWC Outdoor Track Coach of the Year in 1989.
Lewis spent 19 years (1989-2007) as the director of Women’s Athletics. She served collegiate athletics at the highest level as an administrator, as a member of the NCAA Management Council, the NCAA Championship Cabinet and the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee. From 2008-14, Lewis served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Associate Athletic Director in the combined men’s and women’s athletic program. In 1998, she was voted into the University of Arkansas Hall of Honor for her contributions as a coach and administrator. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, Lewis was named to Arkansas Business magazine’s “Top 100 Women in Arkansas” in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The publication also named her to their 2010 “Women of Influence” in Arkansas.
Lee Mayberry (Men’s Basketball)
Lee Mayberry is one of the most decorated players in program history who was a key part of Arkansas’ highly-successful transition from the Southwest Conference (SWC) to the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Recruited and coached by Naismith Hall Of Fame inductee Nolan Richardson, Mayberry teamed with fellow 1992 NBA first round draft picks Todd Day and Oliver Miller to lead Arkansas to a 115-24 overall record, four straight conference titles (3 SWC & 1 SEC) and four NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by the run to the Final Four in 1990. Mayberry’s legacy is visible all over the Razorback record book, as he still holds the program record for career steals (291) while ranking second in assists (729) and third in points (1,940). An All-SEC first team selection following Arkansas’ first year in the league, Mayberry was also a two-time All-SWC first team honoree. In 1992, he also earned All-America honors from AP, Basketball Times and the NABC. A first round pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1992 NBA Draft, Mayberry had a seven-year career in the NBA following his illustrious four years at Arkansas.
Kevin McReynolds (Baseball)
Kevin McReynolds was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers after his senior year of high school, but chose to attend the University of Arkansas. McReynolds was a three-year letterwinner at Arkansas, appearing in 151 games with a career batting average of .337 while also totaling 33 home runs and 121 RBI. As a freshman, McReynolds guided the Razorbacks to the first College World Series appearance in program history. He earned College World Series all-tournament team recognition in helping the Razorbacks to a second-place finish. He also earned All-America and All-Southwest Conference honors in 1980 and 1981. McReynolds was named the Most Valuable Player at the 1980 Southwest Conference Tournament. Following his collegiate playing career at the University of Arkansas, McReynolds was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft and went on to play 12 seasons in the Major Leagues. McReynolds played for the San Diego Padres, the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals in his professional career. His best season as a pro came in the 1988 season for the New York Mets. McReynolds had a .288 batting average, 27 home runs and 99 RBI to finish third in the National League MVP vote.
Frank O’Mara (Men’s Track and Field)
Competing for legendary Coach John McDonnell at Arkansas, O’Mara was an All-American and Southwest Conference champion his sophomore, junior and senior years before becoming McDonnell’s first outdoor NCAA champion as a runner in 1983 when he won the 1,500-meter run at Houston.
O’Mara later spent three years as a coach for the Razorbacks and was a member of the coaching staff in 1985 when the school won its first NCAA triple crown. He also continued to compete in track events around the world. O’Mara was the world indoor champion twice in the 3,000-meter run and competed for the Irish national team in three Olympic Games – 1984 at Los Angeles, 1988 at Seoul and 1992 at Barcelona.
Cliff Powell (Football)
A three-year lettermen from 1967-69, Powell was a first team All-American in 1969 and led the Razorbacks to consecutive Sugar Bowls in 1969 and 1970. The two-time All-Southwest Conference (SWC) first team selection held the school’s all-time record for career tackles (367) from 1969 through the end of the 2002 season. In 1968 he started for the Razorbacks, helping Arkansas win 10 games and a share of the SWC title. He was elected team captain as a senior and set the school’s single-season tackles (134) record. Powell earned 24 tackles against No. 1 Texas in the 1969 Shootout, a mark that still ranks third on the UA single-game tackle list. He was All-Southwest Conference in 1968 and 1969 and earned All-America honors in 1969. Powell also earned the Houston Post’s Most Outstanding Player of the Southwest Conference award in 1969. Powell is a member of the Razorbacks’ All-Century Team and the 1960s Razorback All-Decade squad. He was inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 2001. He was selected for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
R.H. Sikes (Men’s Golf)
A native of Paris, Arkansas, Sikes had a stellar amateur and college career as a member of the golf team at the University of Arkansas. He won the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 1961 and 1962. In 1963, he won the NCAA Championship, was runner-up at the U.S. Amateur, and played on the victorious Walker Cup team. Sikes’ victory at the NCAA Championship was the only Razorbacks national championship recognized by the NCAA until John McDonnell’s track and field teams of the mid-1980s to mid-1990s started winning them. While he was still an amateur, a national survey rated his putting touch the best in the game – amateur or pro. He spent 10 years as a PGA tour player winning two tournaments. Sikes is an inductee of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Arkansas State Golf Association Hall of Fame, and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.
