TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (March 30) – The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Sports Hall of Fame officially announced on Wednesday the members of 2016 class to be inducted during ceremonies on Friday, September 23, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. the Alfred Lawson Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium.
The 11-person class includes the 1984 Women's 4x400 Relay team of Mary Jones, Pamela Porter, Vogel Newsome and award-winning Fox Sports reporter Pam Oliver; golf coach Marvin E. Green; Jr., All-America middle distance runner Kevin Hicks; baseball ace Thomas Lomack; Irene Nelson Holden, as a Supporter of Athletics; along with a trio of All-American football greats, defensive back William Carroll, wide receiver Robert Wilson and kicker Jimmy Vertuno.
The 2016 Class, the 41st in the illustrious history of the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame, will be formally enshrined during the Friday ceremonies, and they will be further recognized during the Sports Hall of Fame Game on September 24, when FAMU faces South Carolina State at Bragg Stadium. Kickoff will be 5:00 p.m.
Tickets for the induction ceremony are $50 each and tables seating eight (8) are available for $400.
Contact FAMU Sports Hall Chairman Dr. Joseph P. Ramsey, II at (850) 545-3725 for ticket reservations.
Limited tickets will also be available at the FAMU Athletic Box Office in the Lawson Center beginning in July.
Here are the profiles of the 2016 FAMU Sports Hall of Fame Class:
2016 SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS
1984 WOMEN'S 4X400 RELAY TEAM
A talented quartet of athletes featuring Mary Jones, Pamela Porter, Vogel Newsome and Hall of Famer Pam Oliver, performed with distinction for the Rattlerette Track Program. Collectively, they won the 1984 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles in the 800 and 1600 meters. The quartet qualified for the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Outdoor Nationals in the 1600 meter relay, where they advanced to the finals, earning All-American honors. All four women were individual standouts as well ranging from sprints to middle distance event performances.
CARROLL, WILLIAM (1988-91)
This two-time All-America defensive back was a key defender on two MEAC championship squads in 1988 and 1990, anchoring a ball-hawking secondary that made life miserable for opposing receivers.
The Mobile, Alabama native finished his career with 23 pass interceptions, tying a school record with nine (9) interceptions in 1990, following that up with eight (8) picks in 1991, earning first-team All-MEAC and Black College and FCS All-American honors both years.
Carroll, an honor student who was also a trained jazz pianist, tied a single game school record for interceptions, with four (4) picks against Tennessee State in his senior season of 1991.
GREEN, JR., MARVIN E. (Coach, 2001-Present)
@ Finished Division One National Minority Team Runner Up in 2002, 2003, 2007, 2014
@ Featured on HBO's Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumble in 2002 for having a Stellar Minority Golf Program
@ Coached Four National Minority Championship Medalists
(Jason Owens- 2002, Jay Sandhu- 2003, Jason Still -2007 & Dominick Vennari- 2014)
@ Annually has one of the Top 5 Ranked Golf Teams among HBCUs
(there are over 25 teams Nationally- MEAC, SWAC, CIAA and SIAC)
@ Selected to the African American Golfers Hall of Fame – May 2012
“College Golf Coach of the Year”
@ Coached and Mentored former FAMU Golfer and Two –Term SGA President and University Board of Trustee Member Gallop Franklin 2009 & 2010
@ President of the National Black College Golf Coaches Association from 2003-2013 (Serving Five Consecutive 2- year terms)
@ Has fostered a relationship with an outside, nationally known philanthropic group (Bill Dickey Scholarship Association ) that has awarded over $120,000 in scholarship support to many members of his team.
@ One of the Founding Member Coaches of the MEAC Golf Conference Championships-2014
@ Has Graduated over 95% of his Student Athletes.
HICKS, KEVIN (Track, 2004-05)
As a collegiate sophomore Kevin Hicks became the first Florida A&M track star to qualify for the World Championships since 1990, by kicking his way to a third-place finish in the Hershey's 800 Meter Final at the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships. Hurdler Reggie Davis of Tallahassee was the last FAMU athlete to reach the World Championships stage in the late 1980s. Hicks captured the first USA Indoor title for an FAMU runner since Bob Hayes (60 meters) in 1964, on February 27, 2005 with a victory in the 800 meter final. Hicks has made great progress in 2005 and in the future will look to become the third FAMU track athlete as a U.S. Olympian joining the late Bob Hayes (1964) and Rey Robinson (1972) - the present FAMU coach…..
2006: 5th in opening round at USA Outdoors (1:49.78)…1st at Kansas Relays (1:47.58)…7th at adidas Classic (1:47.05)…best of 1:47.58.
2005: 3rd at USA Outdoors (1:46.99); 2nd at NCAA Outdoors (1:44.94); USA Indoor 800m champ (1:48.73)ranked #3 U.S. by T&FNbest of 1:44.94…. MEAC 800m and 1500m champion… Outstanding Male Performer at MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
2004: MEAC 800m & 1,500m champion (1:49.41/3:53.33)best of 1:48.02. Outstanding Male Performer at MEAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships.
HOLDEN, IRENE NELSON (Supporter)
Passionate for Florida A&M University, Irene Nelson Holden served the institution for over 40 years in the accounting department.
Extremely active in the FAMU National Alumni Association and the FAMU Booster Club, Holden also worked with Athletics during home events and closely with the business managers in Athletics during her tenure.
Holden has been honored by the National Alumni Association with its' Leadership Award for her work with the Weekend of Rededication, and for spearheading activities with the Association.
Additionally, the National “F” Club presented her with its' Outstanding Contribution to Athletics Award several years ago.
LOMACK, THOMAS (Baseball, 1966-69)
An Alabama-born performer, who starred in basketball and baseball at old Tallahassee Lincoln High, Lomack was a four-year letterwinner for the Rattler Baseball team, as an outfielder and catcher… Drafted out of high school by the Cleveland Indians in 1965, Lomack elected to attend FAMU, where he served as team captain of the nationally-ranked 1969 SIAC Championship team, which went on to NAIA regional tournament play. A two-time All-SIAC Tournament selection (1968, 1969), Lomack finished his career at FAMU with a nifty .356 batting average over four seasons.
VERTUNO, JIMMY (Football, 1987-90)
A clutch performer on special teams throughout his four-year career, Jimmy Vertuno was a three-time All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection (1988, 1989, 1990) and a 1988 Sheridan Network All-America as a placekicker. The Tallahassee native led the Rattlers in scoring in three of his four seasons (1987, 1988, 1990), scoring a career best 71 points in the Rattlers MEAC Championships season of 1990….. He scored 230 career points, #2 all-time, having connected on 113 of 123 point after attempts, and making 39 of 56 field goal tries…. In 1988, his four field goals, which tied a school record at the time, helped FAMU end a 13-year losing streak to Tennessee State in a 23-6 win on a rainy night in Nashville.
WILSON, ROBERT (Football, 1993-97)
One of the first star receivers in coach Billy Joe's Gulf Coast Offense, this Big Bend native set the standard for pass catchers in the Orange and Green.
Wilson finished his dazzling career number two all-time in FAMU history in career pass receptions with 218, and career receiving yards with 3,027.
A three-time All-MEAC selection, Wilson captured All-America honors in 1996, when he had single season highs in receptions (78) and receiving yards (1,161).
That season, he snared 10 receptions against Tennessee State, and had 155 receiving yards against North Carolina A&T.
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