SWC Hall of Fame Welcomes 9 Razorbacks
LITTLE ROCK – Nine Razorbacks became the latest inductees into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame during a luncheon on Monday in Little Rock. The luncheon, held in conjunction with the Little Rock Touchdown Club, featured the induction of legendary University of Arkansas administrators, coaches and players.
2019 University of Arkansas SWC Hall of Fame Inductees
Little Rock
John Barnhill* (football/administration)
Delmonica Dehorney-Hawkins (basketball)
Paul Donovan (track & field)
Bruce James (football)
Scott Hastings (men’s basketball)
Johnny Ray (baseball)
Jon Richardson* (football)
Glen Rose* (basketball / football / coach)
Lisa Sparks-Walker (track & field)
*Honored posthumously
“For more than seven decades, as part of the storied tradition of Razorback Athletics, the University of Arkansas competed and succeeded as a member of the Southwest Conference,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek said. “During that tenure, Razorback student-athletes and coaches helped not only helped write Razorback history, but helped define the legacy of this historic conference. Congratulations to all of these outstanding inductees.”
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.
“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 Cooper Jones, the President/CEO of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. “Their accomplishments and dedication to their families and their schools set a high standard of excellence that exemplifies the very best of the Southwest Conference era, and has left a great legacy for all Razorbacks to be very proud of.”
In addition to the nine individuals honored on Monday, former Razorback baseball great Jeff King will be inducted into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame on Nov. 18 in Fort Worth, Texas. King will be honored along with representatives from other schools that were part of the Southwest Conference.
2019 Southwest Conference Hall of Fame Bios
John Barnhill
John Barnhill was a coach and athletic director at Arkansas. Prior to his coaching career, Barnhill won nine letters as an all-around athlete at Tennessee from 1925 through 1928. He coached for three years at Bristol, Tennessee and was the Tennessee head coach from 1941-45. He compiled a 32-5-2 record at Tennessee and led the school to two bowl games. Barnhill arrived at Arkansas in 1946; and as coach, he tied for the SWC title in 1946 and led Arkansas to the 1947 Cotton Bowl. He had a 22-17-3 record at Arkansas in four years. He became athletic director in 1950 and was a driving force in turning Arkansas into a winning program. Barnhill is a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor. An arena on the University of Arkansas campus, which formerly housed basketball and now houses volleyball and gymnastics, is named is his honor – Barnhill Arena.
Delmonica DeHorney-Hawkins
The first Kodak All-American at the University of Arkansas, Delmonica DeHorney set the standard by which all future post players will be judged. The only player in Southwest Conference history to receive three player of the year honors during her career, DeHorney led Arkansas to its peak of domination of the SWC and onto the national stage as a top 10 team. DeHorney exhibited her promise her first season at Arkansas, earning SWC Newcomer of the Year honors. Her sophomore season was limited due to injuries, but the 6-4 Poteau, Okla., product came back stronger than ever as a junior. It was during the 1989-90 season that DeHorney and Arkansas became household words in the sports world. Leading Arkansas and the SWC in scoring and field goal percentage, DeHorney paced the Razorbacks to the first win over Texas by a conference opponent. The win at Texas broke a 183-game streak and the UT strangle-hold on the conference title. As the SWC co-champions, Arkansas was selected for the NCAA tournament. DeHorney stepped up her game, earning All-NCAA West Regional team honors for her back-to-back 30-point games at the Stanford-hosted tournament. Arkansas reached the Elite Eight with DeHorney leading the way. For her efforts, DeHorney was voted the SWC Player of the Year in 1990 as well as one of the 10 players selected by the WBCA for the Kodak All-America team. As a senior, DeHorney proved herself again. Repeating as SWC Player of the Year, she led Arkansas to an undisputed SWC crown with a pair of wins over Texas and a 15-1 conference mark. Arkansas added the 1991 SWC Classic trophy to its collection to become the first team besides UT to win the postseason conference tournament. Ranked as high as 8th in the nation, Arkansas received a first-round bye in the 1991 NCAA Tournament, but was upset in the Sweet 16 by Lamar.
Paul Donovan
A native of Galway Ireland, Paul Donovan was one of Coach John McDonnell’s early stars in the University of Arkansas’ record-breaking men’s track and field program. Donovan competed for the Razorbacks from 1982-86 and helped lead the Razorbacks to four NCAA and 10 SWC Championships, including the program’s first NCAA Triple Crown in 1984-85. Donovan was a three-time NCAA Champion, earning all three of his titles indoors. His first NCAA individual title came in the 1,500 meters (3:43.48) at the 1985 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The following year, Donovan won an NCAA individual championship in the 3,000 meters (7:54.60) and as part of the 3,200-meter relay (7:20.72) team. Donovan was a 10-time All-American, earning his first accolade in 1982 in the Distance Medley Relay. He was a three-time All-American in cross country after finishing 24th (1982), 10th (1983) and 23rd (1984). In addition to his three NCAA titles indoors, Donovan earned All-America honors as part of the 3,200-meter relay in 1983. He earned a pair of All-America honors outdoors, finishing fourth in the 1,500 meters in 1984 and third in the same event in 1985. Donovan competed in the 1,500 meters in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and later in the event at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Following his Razorback career, Donovan went on to compete professionally including competing at the European Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Scott Hastings
One of the best all-around players to ever grace the hardwood for Arkansas, Scott Hastings stood out in nearly every phase of his game. He remains the only Razorback in school history to lead the Hogs in both scoring and rebounding for three consecutive seasons. He averaged 18.6 points per game during his senior year and 16.3 and 16.2 points per contest in his sophomore and junior seasons, respectively. He led the way on the boards as well averaging 6.0, 5.4 and 6.7 rebounds-per-contest in his final three years at Arkansas. He also paced the team in blocked shots in his sophomore and senior campaigns. He still ranks fourth in school history with 1,779 points and seventh on the UA career rebound list with 680. A four-year letterman, he holds the distinction of being the final Razorback to garner All-Southwest Conference honors three times (1980, ‘81, ‘82) in his career. He started as a freshman for a team that was 25-5 and reached the Elite Eight. He also helped guide the Razorbacks to three SWC Championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Following his Razorback career he was a second-round draft pick of the New York Knicks in the 1982 NBA Draft. Hastings went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets.
Bruce James
A first-team All-American defensive end by the Football Writers Association of America in 1970, James helped Arkansas go 9-2 and finish with a No. 11 national ranking by the Associated Press. He helped the Razorbacks lead the Southwest Conference in total defense by allowing just 267 yards per game. Also, a first-team All-SWC selection, he played in two post-season all-star games – the All-American Bowl in Tampa, Fla., and the Blue-Gray Game in Montgomery, Ala. James lettered in 1968, ‘69 and ‘70. He recorded 53 tackles as a sophomore and 80 tackles as a junior. He was a part of defensive units that led the SWC in total defense in 1970 (267.1), rushing defense in 1968 (138.0) and scoring defense in 1969 (7.6).
Johnny Ray
A two-time All-Southwest Conference second baseman for the Razorbacks, Ray was a standout on the diamond in 1978 and 1979. The two-year letterman helped lead the Hogs to a combined 80-28 record in his tenure including a national championship runner-up finish in 1979, in the program’s first appearance at the College World Series. Ray also earned All-SWC Tournament honors in 1979. The Chouteau, Oklahoma native led the team in numerous offensive categories in both seasons as a Razorback including at bats (154-1978, 235-1979), runs (27-1978, 55-1979) and hits (47-1978, 77-1979). He also led the team in doubles in 1978 (8), triples in 1979 (12) and in RBI in 1979 (47). His 12 triples in 1979 remain a school record and his 14 career triples rank seventh. Ray was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 12th round of the 1979 MLB Draft. Ray made his MLB debut in September 2, 1981. In 1982, Ray was named the Sporting News Rookie of the Year. He won the Silver Slugger Award for second basemen in 1983. He played 10 seasons (1981-1990) in Major League Baseball playing for six-plus seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates before finishing his career with the three-plus seasons with the California Angels. He made one All-Star game appearance as a member of the Angels in 1988. In 5,188 MLB at bats, Ray hit .290 with 53 home runs and 594 RBI. His 1,502 hits are the most by any former Razorback in MLB history. He also scored 604 runs and recorded 80 stolen bases in his MLB career. Following his MLB career, Ray played two years for the Yakult Swallows in the in 1991 and 1992. In 1985, Ray joined other former Razorbacks Kevin McReynolds, Tim Lollar for a donation that enabled Razorback Baseball to add lights to George Cole Field. Ray was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Honor in 1997.
Jon Richardson
The first African-American scholarship football player to compete at Arkansas, Jon Richardson blazed the way for thousands of future Razorbacks with grace and dignity. The native of Little Rock lettered for Coach Frank Broyles’ Razorbacks from 1970-72. The tailback was second on the team in rushing in 1970 with 441 yards and nine touchdowns on 104 carries. He ranked third on the squad with 17 receptions for 240 yards and a score on a team that went 9-2 and finished the season ranked No. 11 in the nation in his sophomore season. In 1971, Richardson was third on the club with 483 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 104 carries, including a career-best effort of 154 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Oklahoma State. He hauled in 13 catches for 87 yards in helping the Hogs to an 8-3-1 mark and a No. 16 national ranking. As a senior, he ranked second on the team with 313 yards on 97 attempts and led the squad with seven touchdowns. He tallied 14 receptions for 105 yards, ranking him fourth on the squad. He also broke the school record with 501 yards in kickoff return yardage in his final collegiate campaign. His 19 rushing touchdowns still ranks on the UA career record list.
Glen Rose
A native of North Little Rock, Rose was a true three-sport star for the Arkansas Razorbacks. In football, he was a three-year starter and was first-team All-SWC as an end in 1927. In basketball, he was first-team All-SWC in all three of his varsity seasons and was first-team All-America as a senior in 1928. Glen also excelled as a left-handed pitcher for the Hogs baseball team. He became the head basketball coach for the Razorbacks in 1932 and led his team to five SWC championships and the semi-finals of the NCAA Tournament in 1941. Rose was the head coach of the football Razorbacks in 1944 and 1945. Rose also served as the Arkansas business manager (1946-48). He coached at Stephen F. Austin College (1948-51), and then returned to Arkansas as head basketball coach for 14 more seasons. Rose had an overall record of 328-203. His 1957-58 team won the SWC and played in the 1958 NCAA Tournament. He is member of both the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor.
Lisa Sparks Walker
Sparks was an early sprinting star for the women’s track and field program, competing from 1980-83. She was a two-time All-American with a 1982 honor for the 4×100-meter relay and 1983 recognition at 440 yards. Sparks continues to hold a presence in Arkansas’ records book as the school-record holder at 300 and 440 yards. She owns three of the top-five times in both events. She was also part of school-record performances in the indoor 4×200-meter relay with Wanda Harris, Patricia Johnson and Gloria Russell, and the mile relay with Russell, Linda Bedford and Diane Ousley.
