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EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics inducted on Saturday the 2014 Athletics Hall of Fame class, which includes former men's basketball player Marshall Rogers, former baseball players Lupe Canul and Alonso "Knot" Garcia, golfers Manny Martinez and Nancy Verástegui, and former track & field and cross country athlete Rene Guillen. The department also inducted former Pan American Board of Regents member Lou Hassell into the Hall of Honor. 
 
Rogers earned NCAA Division I All-American Honorable Mention during both of his seasons with the Broncs, 1974-75 and 1975-76. He led the nation in scoring with a program record 36.8 points per game in 1975-76. Rogers holds several other program records, including points and field goals made in both a single season and a single game. He averaged 26.7 points per game in 1974-75, the fifth highest total in program history. Rogers holds the program record for points in a season with 919 in 1975-76 and ranks 10^th with 588 points in 1974-75. He holds the program record for field goals made in a season with 361 in 1975-76 after hitting 248 in 1974-75, the 10^th highest total in program history. Rogers holds the program record for points in a game, with 58 against Texas Lutheran on Feb. 16, 1976. In all, he is also responsible for four of the top eight single game scoring performances in program history. Rogers holds the program record for field goals made in a game with 24 in the same game he set the scoring record. He finished with five of the top eight performances in program history in field goals made. Rogers ranks fifth all-time in program history in scoring with 1,507 points. He is also sixth in field goals made with 609 and eighth in free throws made with 289, 197 of which came in 1975-76, the second highest single-season total in program history. He ranks fourth in program history in free throw shooting percentage at .819 and is tied for 10^th in steals with 116. The Golden State Warriors selected Rogers in the second round (34^th overall) of the 1976 NBA Draft. He was on to play 26 games in the NBA. Rogers passed away on June 15, 2011 at the age of 57.
 
Rogers' daughters, Marsha Rogers and Goldie Thompson, spoke on his behalf.
 
"Marshall loved basketball. Whenever we went over to his house he was still pouring over all those stats," Thompson said. "Our hope is that his three grandchildren, who all play basketball, will carry on his love of the game."
 
Canul pitched for the Broncs from 1963-66, leading them to their first two playoff appearances in 1964 and 65. Canul went 8-2 in 1964 and 16-10 in 1965 to lead the Broncs to the NAIA Texas Championships. After playing professionally in Mexico, Canul went on to coach locally, both professionally with the Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, and at the high school level for another 25 years. He was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Hall of Fame in 2002. Canul's granddaughter, Alyssa, is a freshman on the UTPA track & field team, and introduced him.
 
"[The Hall of Fame] is something you read about and see on TV. I always wondered if I'd ever get there," Canul said. "It's hard to describe the feeling."
 
Garcia was teammates with Canul in 1963 and 64 and played a big role in helping the Broncs to their first postseason appearance in 1964. The shortstop went on to play professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization for the Salem Rebels and Batavia Pirates before moving on to the Mexican League with the Monterrey Sultanes, Reynosa Broncos, Tampico Stevedores, Puebla Pericos and Yucatan Leones from 1964 to 75. Garcia set what was then a stolen bases record with Tampico in 1971. He also served his country, spending a year and a half in Vietnam, and coached American Legion baseball in Edinburg after retiring from professional baseball. Garcia passed away on December 27, 2005 at the age of 62.
 
Garcia served his country, spending a year and a half in Vietnam, after getting drafted on May 17, 1966. His service medals include the National Defense Medal, the Service Medal, the Sharpshooter (Rifle M-14) Medal, the Vietnam Campaign medal and the Vietnam Service Medal. He was honorable discharged in May of 1972.
 
Robert Garcia, Richard Flores and Garcia's grandchildren accepted the award on his behalf.
 
"It just makes me so happy to know that his legacy lives on," one of his grand daughters said.
 
Martinez golfed for the Broncs from 1970-74, and made an immediate mark on the program, becoming the first Bronc to ever qualify for the NCAA Championships, doing so in 1971, 1973 and 1974. He recorded three holes-in one, including one to help him win the 18^th annual international golf tournament in Monterrey in 1974. He also finished runner up at the 48^th annual Mexican Amateur Tournament in 1973.
 
"I want to thank my coach, Tony Guerrero, he was like a father to us," Martinez said. "He took us all over Mexico to compete in tournaments. It was a great experience."
 
Verástegui is the most recent Bronc ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, having golfed for the Broncs from 1994-97. She qualified for the NCAA Regionals in 1997 and won Sun Belt Conference Championships in 1995 and 1997. In 1997, Verástegui posted a career-best 223 to win the title, the fourth lowest individual score in program history. A three-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree, Verástegui was twice named UTPA Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She also earned the NGCA Scholar-Athlete Award in 1996. She became the first Bronc to ever win a tournament title after shooting a 225 (81, 72, 72) to win the Lady Panther Classic in 1994. Verástegui finished with four wins and two second place finishes.
 
"With my family's love and support, I was able to reach my dreams," Verástegui said. "I want to say to anyone out there trying to reach their dreams, never give up and work hard. It's worth the sacrifices."
 
Guillen made his mark on the Broncs track & field and cross country programs from 1990-92, reaching the NCAA Cross Country Championships in 1990 and 1991, while winning the American South Conference Championship in 1990, and earning All-Sun Belt Conference honors in 1991. Guillen set what were then program records in the four-mile and 8,000-meter runs in cross country. In track & field, he broke the program record for the indoor 5,000-meter run while winning the conference championship in 1991, and then later went on to break the program record for the outdoor 10,000-meter run. After graduating, Guillen continued running, winning the 1997 San Antonio Marathon.
 
"UTPA gave me the opportunity to dream big and enjoy something I've always enjoyed," Guillen said. "I know that tradition's going to continue here."
 
Lou Hassell played football as a defensive tackle for the Broncs back when the school was known as Edinburg Junior College in 1927 and 1928, serving as the team captain as a sophomore. He later went on to serve on the Pan American Board of Regents. He established an endowed scholarship that goes to the male student-athlete with the highest GPA each year. Although Hassell has passed on, the scholarship is still given in his name today.
 
None of Hassell's family was able to be present for the induction.
 
For more information about the UTPA Athletics Hall of Fame, visit utpabroncs.com/halloffame.

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