Feb. 5, 2009

The 2009 class of inductees includes all-time head men's basketball coach Abe Lemons, Jim McGurk, Ken Lang, George Kon, Delilah Johnson, James, Wayne and Leonard Tyrone, Jim McKone, Lupe Garcia and the 1971 College World Series baseball team.

Abe Lemons is the program's all-time leader in winning percentage with a .775 and the former head men's basketball coach never had a losing season at UTPA. He finished his career with the Broncs with a 55-16 overall record and a 29-6 record on Sam Williams Court. In all, Lemons coached for 34 seasons and ended his career with a 599-343 record. He also coached at The University of Texas where he helped the Longhorns win two Southwest Conference Championships while guiding them to the NIT Championship in 1978.

Lemons was also honored by the Jim Thorpe Association with the Abe Lemons Award - an award given to an individual on the Jim Thorpe Executive Council who demonstrates great dedication to Oklahoma and goals of the Jim Thorpe Association but also is someone you can count on to be there when you need him.

Jim McGurk was a standout for the men's basketball program as he helped guide the Broncs to the 1963 NAIA National Championship and capture the title of national champions. In his tenure with the Broncs, McGurk reached the 1,000-point mark as the finished his career with 1,281 points where he is currently ranked 10th in the record books. The standout athlete also ranks third in the record books in rebounds with 948, eighth in field-goals made (514) and 10th in free-throw made with 253.

In his first season with the Broncs, McGurk was a part of the team that scored the most points in a half with 69 and in his third season was part of the team that recorded the most rebounds in a game with 75.

Ken Lang, the captain of the 1963 men's tennis team, made the 1962 semi-finals of the NAIA singles. In 1963, Lang earned NAIA Singles National Champion, NAIA Doubles National Champion along with teammate John Hunter, and was named NAIA First Team All-American in singles and doubles. Lang donned the Bronc green and orange from 1960-1963.

In just his second season donning the Bronc green and orange, George Kon was the 1965 NAIA Singles National Champion. That same year, Kon helped guide the '65 men's tennis team to an NAIA National Championship title.

During his tenure with the Broncs, Kon was also named NAIA First Team All-American. The All-American was also part of the 1963 men's tennis team to earn a NAIA National Championship title. Kon was a member of the 1963, 1965-1967 Pan American men's tennis team.

Delilah Johnson, a two-time All-American in the women's discus, holds three number-one records in the books and a number-five record in the books. In 1992, Johnson ranked first in outdoor discus with a toss of 174-0 and fifth in the javelin with a throw of 143-2. In 1994, Johnson recorded a toss of 49-9.75 in indoor shotput to place her first in program history. That same year during the outdoor season, Johnson recorded a toss of 49-5 to place her first in the record books in outdoor shotput.

Throughout her tenure with the Lady Broncs, Johnson accumulated 13 titles with two titles during the indoor season with one Sun Belt Conference championship title in the shotput and another in the American South Conference.

During the outdoor season, Johnson earned 11 titles and was also an NCAA National Qualifier. She earned two Sun Belt Conference Championship titles in discus, two in javelin and three in shotput. In the American South Conference, she earned another title in shotput, two in discus and one in the javelin.

The 1971 College World Series Team will be the second team to be inducted into the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame. The Broncs earned their berth to the College World Series as they went 2-0 at the District VI Tournament. Pan American lost the first game to Southern Illinois, 5-4, but rebounded with back-to-back wins over Seton Hall and Harvard. In their final match-up, which would be against Southern Illinois who handed them their first loss, would bring the Broncs season to an end as they defeated the Pan American Broncs 8-6.

The '71 baseball team would finish with 44 victories - an all-time record for any Texas college or university at the time. The team would also be selected as the top-ranked team in the country at season's end and led the nation in fielding. Head Coach Al Ogletree would also be named Coach of the Year by The Sporting News and South Plains Professional Scouts Association.

Family ties on the Pan American baseball team were strong as the Broncs had three brothers on the squad. The Tyrone brothers played for the Broncs in 1970-1972 and 1976-1979. The first Tyrone to be named a Bronc was James Tyrone who played in 1970 and '71. He currently holds the number-three spot in the record books in batting average with a .363 and the number-six spot in stolen bases with 71. In his tenure with the Broncs, he recorded eight triples. James was also a part of the 1971 College World Series team where he was named an All-American, for the second consecutive season. In 1971, he stole 51 bags and was walked on 50 occasions. After his stint with the Broncs, Tyrone signed a professional baseball contract with the Cubs and played in 1972, '74-'75 and the A's in 1977.

The second Tyrone to go through the Pan American baseball program was Wayne Tyrone who lettered during the 1971 and 1972 seasons. After his two seasons with the Broncs, Tyrone signed a professional baseball contract with the Cubs in 1976.

The final Tyrone to go through the Pan American baseball program was Leonard Tyrone. In his four seasons with the Broncs (1976-1979), Tyrone ranked fifth in runs scored (141) and stolen bases (79), seventh in batting average (.387) and eighth in games played (182).

A name not forgotten in the UTPA Athletic Department is that of Jim McKone. McKone spent 30 years as the Sports Information Director and received the CoSida Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 for all his efforts with the UTPA Sports Information office. McKone was also the past president of the National Baseball Writers Association from 1980-981 and served as the public relations officer for the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in Edinburg, TX.

Lupe Garcia was a mainstay in the UTPA Athletic Department where he served as equipment manager and a bus driver for all athletic sports during his tenure of 35 years with the UTPA athletic department.

The UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame will be held on February 21, 2009. For more information on the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame, contact the UTPA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at (956) 381-2221.