A coach, athletics administrator, support staff person, or others being considered must have served the university for at least seven (7) years. Such individuals must have been out of the position for five (5) years to be considered.

In all cases, the record of the individual must be of such outstanding merit in athletics that there can be no question concerning the individual's qualification for the Hall of Fame.

The committee has the prerogative to waive the above specified qualifications under special circumstances.

No nominee for the Hall of Fame will be inducted unless she or he will be present at the induction ceremony. A family member or representative must agree to be present in the event of a posthumous induction.

Each inductee will have a plaque in her or his honor displayed in the Hall of Fame and will also receive a duplicate plaque documenting the honor.

Anyone may submit a letter of recommendation for nomination to the Hall of Fame. Letters of recommendation should be sent to the Hall of Fame Committee, TWU Intercollegiate Athletics, P.O. Box 425349, Denton, TX, 76204-5349. Information about nominees may also be faxed to 940/898-2372.

Currently, the TWU Athletics Hall of Fame boasts 17 members. For biographical information on these outstanding individuals, please click on their induction class.

Class of 1994 - Kathy Arendsen, Mary "Poggy" Suba Barbaria, Margaret Varner Bloss, Dr. Bert Lyle, Kitty Winter Magee and Louise Ritter

Class of 1995- Dianne Baker, Lisa Harlan Gandy and Kathy Van Wyk

Class of 1997- Donna Grant, Jo Kuhn, Peggy Allen McCoy and Donna Terry

Class of 1999- Leleith Hodges, Missy Mapes, Willie Rucker and Abbie Rutledge

Class of 2002-Audrey Reid German, Stephanie Ball Moreno and Tammi Julch Williams

Inducted May 6, 1994

Kitty Magee (Student -- 1930-38; Faculty Member -- 1938-40, 1950-81) Magee was the first chairwoman of the Texas Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. After obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1934 and her master's in 1938, Magee was a member of the TWU faculty until her retirement in 1981 with the rank of associate professor. She has published numerous journal articles in her field. Magee served as an officer and/or committee member in many national and state organizations. One of her most distinguished honors was her selection by NAGWS in 1993 as the Texas Pathfinder in recognition of her contribution to women's athletics. The Fort Worth native was an inductee of the TWU Order of the Redcoats. She is an active member of the TWU Almunae Association and the Pioneer Scholarship Drive. Scholarships, academic awards and a lectureship have been established in her name. Magee currently resides in Denton.

Mary (Poggy) Suba Barbaria (Field Hockey, Badminton, Tennis -- 1938-42, 1946) Barbaria was a member of the All-American field hockey team from 1943-47 and a four-time All-American in lacrosse. In addition to being a member of the TWU field hockey team, she was also the Texas State Singles Badminton Champion in 1942 and 1946. She has won numerous amateur golf tournaments, including the Senior Citizens' Olympic Golf Tournament, in addition to being a stand out in softball. The Galena Park native graduated from Texas State College for Women (now TWU) in 1942 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education and a master's in 1946. She currently resides in Penn Valley, Ca.

Margaret Varner Bloss (Tennis, Badminton -- 1947-50) Bloss is the only person to represent the United States in international competition in three racquet sports: tennis (Wightman Cup), badminton (Uber Cup) and squash (Wolfe-Noel Cup). During her collegiate career at TWU, she won state titles in tennis and badminton. Bloss also was a five-time Texas singles tennis champion. A nationally ranked player, she reached the Wimbleton doubles finals in 1958. She also has won several national and international badminton titles. Additionally, she was a four-time national champion in squash. The El Paso native received her bachelor's degree in 1949 and her master's in 1950 from TWU. Bloss, who lives in El Paso, co-owns the duPont-Bloss Stables, which specialize in thoroughbred breeding and training.

Dr. Bert Lyle (Athletics Director, Track Coach, Faculty Member -- 1965-88) Dr. Lyle was coach of the United States spring, hurdle and relay teams at the 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. His TWU track teams garnered three AIAW national championships, including the inaugural event, and his teams also won two Track and Field Federation Championships. He has had a tremendous impact on track and field as Olympic Sprint Development Committee Chair and as the Elite Sprint Coordinator for the U.S. women. A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, Lyle earned his bachelor's degree from Duke University, a master's degree from Southern Methodist University and a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. Since his retirement from TWU in 1988, Dr. Lyle has resided in Denton.

Louise Ritter (Track -- 1976-81, Basketball -- 1978-79) Ritter, a three-time Olympic qualifier, won the high jump gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, Her winning jump of 6-foot-8 tied her American record and set an Olympic record. At the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, she finished eighth in the high jump. While pursuing her bachelor's degree at TWU, she won national collegiate championship honors three times. She set 12 national high jump records. Ritter also won the bronze medal at the World Championships. In 1988, Ritter was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame for Women. She also was selected as a TWU Distinguished Alumna in 1989. A native of Red Oak, Texas, Ritter served as a assistant track coach Southern Methodist University and was the head track coach at Texas Tech University. She resides in Dallas.

Kathy Arendsen (Softball -- 1977-79) Arendsen, a native of Holland, Mich., was a gold medalist at the 1979 Pan American Games and a silver medalist at the 1983 Pan Am Games. She was a pitcher on the Pioneer team that won the 1979 AIAW/ASA Women's College World Series. During her career at TWU, she received two of her three Broderick Awards as the nation's top collegiate softball player. In addition, she was a two-time AIAW All-American. Arendsen's 15-year career with the Raybestos Brakettes included three world and nine national titles. The 1980 California State-Chico graduate, who was the head softball at Yale University, was a member of the National Team Selection Committee for the 1996 Olympic Softball Team. She currently is the head softball coach at Mississippi State University.

Inducted Sept. 22, 1995

Dianne Baker (Badminton, Field Hockey, Soccer, Softball, Tennis -- 1971-75) Baker, who is the TWU head softball coach and faculty member in the kinesiology department, lettered in five sports during her four years. With Baker playing shortstop, TWU won the AIAW state softball championship (1975), finished as the AIAW state softball runner-up (1973 and 1974), and represented the state of Texas in the College Softball World Series (1975). In addition to her softball achievements, she won 25 championship titles and 18 runner-up titles in tennis and badminton. As a senior in 1975, Baker was the softball team captain and was named the Outstanding College Athlete of America. Baker served as the head softball coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, for 15 years, and led the Ladyjacks to an NCAA Division II National Championship in 1986. She captured her 500th career win April 24, 1995, against Northwestern State (La.) University. Before the start of the 1997 season, Baker had compiled a 500-292 career record, establishing her among the winningest active coaches in the NCAA record books. Her coaching honors include being named 1986 National Coach of the Year, 1985 and 1986 Regional Coach of the Year, and 1984 Gulf Star Conference Coach of the Year. She has coached 17 All-Americans and one Olympian, Sandy Green, a left fielder on the 1996 Canadian Olympic Team. Baker has penned three books, published numerous articles, and is the featured instructor in an eight-part softball fundamentals videotape series called, "Softball." She resides in Denton.

Kathy Van Wyk (Softball -- 1978-81) Van Wyk, currently the co-head softball coach at San Diego State University, was the 1979 Texas AIAW Player of the Year and a catcher/pitcher on TWU's 1979 national championship team. She transferred to California State-Fullerton in 1981 after TWU dropped its softball program. In 1982 at CSUF, Van Wyk posted a 35-1 record with a 0.18 earned run average. The victories remain a school single-season record and the .972 winning percentage is an NCAA record. She earned AIAW All-America honors and won the Broderick Award, which honors the outstanding collegiate softball player in the nation. She was also named WCAA All-Conference, Orange County Athlete of the Month, PONY All-Tournament pitcher, five-time American Softball Association All-American, and won an NCAA postgraduate scholarship with a 3.43 grade point average. She was the first female inductee in the Orange County Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Her 1982 stats included four no-hitters, back-to-back perfect game, 27 shutouts, 278 innings pitched, 270 strikeouts, and six one-hitters. From 1985 to 1988, Van Wyk played on the U.S. National Team. She was a CSUF assistant coach from 1983 to 1987, and a part of the 1986 national championship team. After leaving Fullerton, Van Wyk became a pitching instructor at Rod Carew's Baseball School in Anaheim, Ca., from 1987 to 1989. She then went to Azzano Decimo, Italy, to coach the Azzanase Softball Club. From January to March, 1990, Van Wyk was the pitching coach for the Walkerville Softball Club in Adelaide, South Australia. She returned to Cal State Fullerton as an assistant coach from 1991 to 1994. After 11 years at CSUF, Van Wyk was named assistant coach at SDSU. She has produced seven instructional videotapes on pitching, catching and strength training for softball. She resides in Corona, Ca.

Lisa Harlan Gandy (Gymnastics -- 1981-85) Gandy, who is a physical therapist in Paris, Texas, was the first Pioneer gymnast to win a national championship title (1982, floor exercise) and also earn All-America honors. She was a three-time TWU President's Award winner (1983-85), three-time Division III All-American (1982), Division II Regional Floor Exercise Champion (1984), and a Division II all-around individual national qualifier (1984). Gandy's accomplishments were recognized by the Texas Association for Intercollegiate Athletics when she was awarded the Division III Gymnast of the Year in 1982. She was also given the Gymnastics Association of Texas Honor Award in 1982 for bringing national recognition to Texas through her gymnastics achievements. Gandy was the only college recipient of the award, which is given to only five individuals in Texas each year. After graduation from TWU, Harlan was selected to the Athletes In Action Gymnastics Team and traveled to Bulgaria, Germany and Kenya on a mission trip using gymnastics as a platform of ministry. She has volunteered for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and for a therapeutic horsemanship program.

Inducted Sept. 19, 1997

Peggy Allen McCoy(Basketball - 1987-91) Peggy Allen McCoy lettered in basketball four years and is the Pioneers' all-time scoring leader with 1,783 points. She also holds five school records - best field goal percentage in a season (.604), most blocked shots in a season (56), most points in a game (42), best field goal percentage in a game with a minimum of six field goals made (1.000, 8/8), and most blocked shots in a game (9). Her senior year, the 6-2 post was honored as the Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year, and then earned the LSC Defensive Player of the Year award. Allen McCoy was twice a 1st Team All-Conference unanimous selection. In 1989-90, when TWU finished runner-up in the conference tournament to West Texas State, she was voted to the all-tournament team. She was also tapped conference Player of the Week twice in her last two seasons.

Allen McCoy received many prestigious awards throughout her career. She was named to the Kodak Women's All-District Basketball Team in 1990, and was a Kodak All-America Honorable Mention in 1991. She was one of seven finalists in Div. II for the 1991 Champion USA/WBCA Player of the Year, an award given annually to the player selected as the best in her division by members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

The Pioneer cager married Stacy McCoy in March 1990, then finished her collegiate basketball career at TWU in 1991. She returned in 1993 and graduated with a B.S. in Child Development. The McCoys lived in Maryland at Fort Detrick Army Base from 1991-95. In 1994-95, she played basketball in the Washington Area Military Athletic Conference. In 1995, the McCoys moved back to the DFW area after Stacy finished his Army tour. Peggy teaches at Lake Worth High School where she is the head coach for track and JV basketball. In May of this year, she was extended an invitation to try out for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Cleveland Rockers of the WNBA. She resides in Fort Worth with her husband and two stepchildren, Deon, 10, and Cherika, 8.

Donna Terry (Softball Coach - 1977-81) Donna Terry arrived at TWU in the fall of 1977 to do her master's work and agreed to take the helm of the Pioneer softball program from Jo Kuhn. Terry also played for the Connecticut Falcons of the Women's Professional Softball Association. She was part of the pitching rotation with the renowned Joan Joyce. In the summer of 1978, the Falcons won their third straight world championship. Terry was voted MVP of the league with a 15-2 pitching record and .374 batting average. She also led the league in home runs.

In four seasons as TWU's head coach, Terry compiled an incredible 240-47 (.836) record. Her teams won three state and two Southwest Region titles, and her student-athletes won every conceivable accolade, from All-Conference to All-American recognition, and the Broderick Award. But it was her opportunity to play overseas that kept her from witnessing her team's greatest achievement - winning the 1979 AIAW/ASA Women's College World Series. She played in a series of exhibition games with the Falcons, the first U.S. softball team to tour China, while the Pioneers came from behind to win back-to-back games against UCLA and claim the national title. That year, Terry was named MVP of the International Women's Professional Softball League. She also competed for the Puerto Rican National team in the Central American Games and the Pan American Games in 1979.

When TWU softball was dropped in 1981, Terry went to Puerto Rico to coach their national team. She then enjoyed a successful career at the University of California - Berkeley. While at Cal, Terry's teams compiled a 165-91-1 (.629) record, including two conference titles and a third place finish at the NCAA Championship, the highest ever in the history of the softball program. Terry was honored as the 1987 Pacific-10 Conference Coach of the Year, and a number of Cal players earned All-Conference and All-Region honors under her tutelage. One of the few collegiate coaches to record over 400 career victories, she had a nine-year career mark of 405-144-1 (.737).

Terry passed away June 27, 1988, in Little Rock, Ark., from complications due to hepatitis. Her father, Francis Terry, and sister, Wren Kennedy, were present for her posthumous induction.

Donna Grant (Volleyball - 1972-76) Donna Grant was a member of the Pioneer volleyball team that placed second in the 1973 AIAW National Championship, and then fifth in the 1974 national tournament. The 6-2 middle blocker graduated from TWU in 1976 with a B.S. in Health and Physical Education, and embarked on a successful 17-year coaching career at the junior high and high school level.

She was the head volleyball coach at Nimitz High School in Irving, Texas, from 1976-80. Then in her first year as the head coach at Spring (Texas) High School in 1980, Grant's team won the 4A state championship. She coached at Spring until 1991, and then became certified as an administrator. Grant stayed in the north Houston area and was the volleyball coach and 10th grade assistant principal at Westfield High School from 1991-93. She also taught volleyball at North Harris County Community College.

Grant earned a Master's of Education degree with Administration/Mid-Management Certification from Sam Houston State University in 1992. In 1993, she retired from coaching and began her career in education administration full time. She spent two years each at Thornton Junior High and Knox Junior High as an assistant principal before returning to Spring High School this year.

Over the course of her coaching career, Grant has won a state championship, and four bi-district, three area, and eight district titles. Her overall record is 315-156 (.669) and her district record is 154-51 (.751). She coached three all-state and six academic all-state players. In 1990, she served as president of the Texas Girls Coaches Association. She was voted by her peers to coach the East All-Star Team in 1983 and again in 1993. Ironically, Grant played on the All-Star Team her senior year at Richardson Berkner High School against current Pioneer head volleyball coach Patty Dowdell, who was a senior at Spring Woods High School. She resides in Montgomery, Texas.

Jo Kuhn (Director of Athletics, 1982-92, Asst. Professor, 1967-97, Golf, Basketball and Softball Coach) With more than 30 years of accomplishments as an administrator, coach, and teacher, Jo Kuhn has established herself as an ardent promoter and devoted supporter of women's athletics.

After playing on the LPGA tour for three years, Kuhn was appointed to the kinesiology faculty at TWU in 1967. She coached the golf, basketball and softball teams to numerous state titles.

Kuhn became TWU's Director of Athletics in 1982 at a time when Athletics had been reduced to a marginal, no-scholarship program with virtually no financial or university support. In ten years, she moved the program from the cellar to a nationally recognized contender. As an independent school, Kuhn succeeded in gaining admission to the Lone Star Conference, a Div. II conference for schools with programs in both men's and women's sports. In 1988, TWU was admitted by a unanimous vote, making it the only women's institution in the nation in a co-ed athletic conference.

Because of the direction set by Kuhn and embraced by the current administration, TWU student-athletes have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better for the past 15 years. More than $750,000 has been designated for athletics scholarships through the fundraising efforts of the Pioneer Scholarship Campaign, which Kuhn established in 1984.

Kuhn has accomplished many things in her career. Some of the highlights include: Vice President of the Texas Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women; U.S. Softball Selection Committee for the Pan American Games; Commissioner of AIAW Region 4; and National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Adminstrators Board of Directors. Kuhn was instrumental in proposing a bill to the NCAA and obtaining a favorable vote to permit try-outs for Div. II institutions. She was elected to the Ursinus College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988. Kuhn received one of the highest honors of her career in 1992 when she was inducted into the National Sport Hall of Fame by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. The award is given to the outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to maintaining sport as an integral part of the total education program.

Kuhn resigned as A.D. in 1992 so she could return to teaching. In December 1992, TWU Athletics established the Jo Kuhn Leadership Award to be presented each spring to the student-athlete who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities. This year, Kuhn retired from teaching and remains actively involved in the Pioneer Scholarship Campaign. She resides in Denton.

Inducted Sept. 10, 1999

Leleith Hodges (Track & Field -- 1978-81), a five-foot sprinter from Islington, St. Mary in Jamaica, won the Caribbean high school championship in the 100 meters at the age of 17 and graduated in 1972. But she decided not to pursue a college education and spent the next six years working. She made the Jamaican national team and ran only during the summer months. Hodges, who competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, realized that running just three months a year was not what she wanted. So she spoke with former TWU track student-athlete Audrey Reid, who is also from Jamaica. Reid told Hodges about TWU's excellent academic programs and top track and field team. After some delays in receiving a student visa from the Jamaican government, Hodges arrived at TWU in January 1978.

Her freshman season turned out to be her best ever. The 24-year-old sprinter entered the AIAW outdoor track and field national championships in Knoxville, Tenn., with the nation's best time in the 100 meters (11.05). In the finals, she established an AIAW record with an 11.18, besting the meet record of 11.32 set by UCLA's Evelyn Ashford the previous year. Hodges ran away from Ashford, who finished second at 11.42. She also anchored the Pioneers' 4x100 meter relay team, which finished second with a time of 45.41.

Two weeks after the AIAW championships, TWU went to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national meet in Los Angeles. Hodges and Tennessee State's Brenda Morehead set a new AAU record in the 100 meters on the first day of the championships. They finished in a dead heat with a record time of 11.14 in the semifinals. That pace was also a record for a Jamaican sprinter as well. The following day in the finals, Hodges hit the wire with a time of 11.23 to Morehead's 11.25. Then she captured her second national title of the day with a record-setting victory in the 440-yard relay. TWU ripped off a 44.61, beating the old meet mark of 44.9 set by Tennessee State in 1971.

Hodges was ranked the number two sprinter in the world behind Marlies Gohr, a German runner. For her outstanding accomplishments, Hodges was named the Jamaican Sportswoman of the Year for 1978.

In 1979 in East Lansing, Mich., Hodges defended her AIAW 100-meter title with a first-place time of 11.81 against a strong wind. Dr. Bert Lyle, TWU's head coach, commented on how strong the wind was blowing, so much that it kept breaking the finish tape. Hodges went on to earn third place in the 440-yard relay, which TWU ran in 45.83.

Hodges began her junior season with a national indoor title. She ran in the AIAW Indoor National Championships in Columbia, Mo., in March 1980 and took first place in the 60 meters with a time of 7.30. At the Texas AIAW state championships in Austin in April, Hodges helped TWU set a new state medley record of 1:40.37. She was also part of the 4x100 meter relay team that took first place with a time of 46.53. She finished second in the 100 meters in 11.75 seconds after suffering cramps in her hamstring. For the first time ever, she had her leg wrapped before a race.

Set to defend her back-to-back titles in the 100 meters, Hodges prepared for the AIAW national championships in Eugene, OR, although her hamstring was sore. She finished fifth in 11.50 seconds. She also placed fifth with TWU's sprint medley relay team, which ran a 1:40.6, just .1 seconds slower than its best time of the year. The Pioneers' 400-meter squad was forced to scratch from the finals due to injuries.

Hodges came back in the 1981 season and won the 100 meters in the Texas Relays in April after stumbling in the blocks. The TWU 4x100 relay, led by Hodges, also placed first. She set a new meet record at the Baylor Invitational in the 100 meters with an 11.61, breaking her own mark of 11.70 set the year before. She also ran the leadoff legs on the Pioneers' winning 440-yard and sprint medley relay teams.

Her fabulous collegiate career ended with her final appearance in the AIAW outdoor national championships in Austin in May 1981. Hodges raced to a second-place finish in the 100 meters. Her time of 11.24 was just four-hundredths of a second behind winner and fellow Jamaican, Merlene Ottey of Nebraska. Also, the Pioneers' 400-meter relay team took third with a 44.95 clocking.

Hodges stayed at Texas Woman's to finish her degree and graduated in 1982 with a B.S. in physical education. She received numerous AIAW All-America awards during her collegiate career. She represented Jamaica on the national team for 13 years, competing in the Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cup Championships, Caribbean Games, and three Olympics (1972, 1976 and 1980). In Moscow in 1980, Hodges earned her highest Olympic finish when the 4x100 relay team placed fourth.

Hodges resides in Altadena, Calif., with her husband, Daniel, and their three children, Randy, Tanya and Natasha.

Missy Mapes (Softball 1977-80, Assistant Coach 1980-81) transferred to TWU with Kathy Arendsen. Mapes was an outstanding infielder who occasionally played catcher. She also provided vital power at the plate. Her first year with the team, TWU took fourth at the Women's College World Series..

Dubbed the team's “workhorse,” Mapes played in all 71 regular season games during the 1979 national championship season and finished with a .349 batting average. After winning the national crown in May, Mapes was named a 1st Team All-American and won the TWU President's Award, the highest accolade given by TWU Athletics. She played for the Orlando Rebels that summer, registering a .609 batting average and earning another All-America award. Then in July, Mapes helped the U.S. go 13-1 in the Pan Am Games and win the gold medal.

During her senior season, she was named MVP of the Hawaiian Tournament and was nominated for the Broderick Award. She finished her collegiate career with three state titles, two regional titles, two WCWS berths and a national championship.

Mapes spent the 1980-81 season as a TWU assistant coach. During the summers of 1980-84, she played third base for the Raybestos Brakettes, earning four more ASA All-America awards. The Brakettes won the national title twice and came in second twice with Mapes on the roster. She won a gold medal at the World Games in 1981 when the U.S. defeated China, 1-0. Two years later at the Pan Am Games, Mapes brought home a silver medal when the U.S. came in second to Canada.

She earned her B.S. in physical therapy at TWU's Dallas campus in 1983. In 1988, she earned her M.S. at Northeastern University in Boston. She has won several small golf tournaments and has run in both the Detroit and Honolulu marathons. Mapes, who hails from Troy, Mich., is entering the M.B.A. program at Walsh College later this month.

Willie Rucker (Softball 1975-79, Assistant Coach 1979-81) came to TWU not even knowing there was a softball team. She was impressed with the school's academic program, earned a spot on the roster as a catcher and helped TWU to a national championship. The Pioneers had to defeat UCLA in back-to-back games in the 1979 AIAW/ASA Women's College World Series. Rucker, a native of Amarillo, Texas, was the catcher for pitching ace Kathy Arendsen during the finals against the Bruins. Rucker was instrumental in saving at least two of TWU's games in that national championship tournament.

During her collegiate career, TWU brought home two state and regional titles, a fourth-place national finish and a national title. Her senior year, she was nominated for both the TWU President's Award and the Broderick Award. She served as an assistant coach from 1979-81 and received her degree in physical education in Dec. 1980.

As a player, Rucker was a member of the Edmonton Snowbirds of the Women's Professional Softball League, earning all-star status and Rookie of the Year honors. From 1982-86, she was a player/coach for the Budweiser Belles in the ASA Women's Majors.

Taking the coaching path, she served two years as an assistant at Trenton State College, earning her master's in administrative physical education while helping Trenton State to a NCAA Div. III national title in 1983. She was the assistant volleyball coach at Rutgers University before her appointment as head softball coach at Montclair State. At MSU, Rucker compiled an impressive 209-87 record, her teams made seven NCAA regional appearances, and they earned three berths in the NCAA Div. III World Series. The Red-Tailed Hawks were nationally ranked in each of her last five seasons, and in 1989 became the first school other than Trenton State to win the New Jersey Athletic Conference Championship. She coached eight NCAA Div. III All-Americans.

In 1987, Rucker was nominated to coach the U.S. in the Pan Am Games. She was named the 1989 Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year, and left MSU as its all-time winningest softball coach. She moved to Western Oregon State College where she coached the Wolves for eight seasons. In 1995, she was voted Cascade Conference Coach of the Year. She coached two NAIA All-Americans during her tenure there and improved her overall collegiate coaching record to 358-243 (.596).

Rucker has been involved with the Women's Professional Fastpitch League since 1995 when she co-coached one of the six inaugural teams. She became the assistant coach of the Virginia Roadsters in 1997, then was hired as the head coach of the Carolina Diamonds. The Diamonds recently finished the 1999 season with a record of 33-35, missing the playoffs by only two games.

Throughout her career, she has served on numerous NCAA committees and was an executive board member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Rucker resides in Gastonia, N.C.

Abbie Rutledge (Badminton, Field Hockey and Tennis 1939-43, Coach 1945-46) hailed from Alice, Texas, and lettered in badminton, field hockey and tennis as an undergraduate at Texas State College for Women. She returned as a graduate student and coached all sports. Rutledge was the badminton partner for Mary “Poggy” Suba Barbaria, another member of the TWU Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 1940-41, Rutledge played on the TSCW squad that scored on the touring team of the United States Field Hockey Association when they visited the Denton campus. She was listed in Who's Who Among Students at American Colleges and Universities her junior and senior years and was president of her senior class. A health and physical education major, Rutledge received her B.S. in 1943, then returned for her master's degree in 1945.

Rutledge was ranked in the top eight women's tennis singles players in the U.S. from 1950 to 1965. She won the Midwest Women's Tennis Singles Championship from 1950-1959. She was also a member of the American Tennis Team and played internationally in Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, and Denmark.

Also an outstanding badminton player, Rutledge was ranked in the top eight women's singles players in the U.S. for 17 years. She represented the U.S. Badminton Team in South Africa and the European Championships and was on the Uber Cup Squad in 1963 and 1966.

She was a professor at Agnes Scott College, Purdue University and Adelphi University. She served as the Dean of Centenary College for Women in Hackettstown, N.J., until her retirement. Rutledge was awarded an honorary doctorate from CCW.

After retiring, she moved to Kennebunkport, Maine, where she lived until her death in March 1996. She co-authored eight books on physical education, sports and dance that are still used in colleges and universities. She contributed articles to the Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Badminton U.S.A.

Rutledge's sister, Dorothy Burris, is present for her posthumous induction.

Inducted January 19, 2002

Audrey Reid German (Track & Field, 1971-76) was a great talent in the world of track and field from Bunkers Hill, Trelawny, on the Island of Jamaica. She had already competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics before Jamaican Athletics Federation Chairman Herb McKinley went looking for a university in the United States where German could continue her education and participate in a great track program. At that time, Dr. Bert Lyle had established TWU as one of the premiere track teams in the country, always finishing in the top three at the AIAW National Championships and winning it in 1969. So, German packed her bag and enrolled at Texas Woman's University in the fall of 1971.

In her first season of collegiate competition, German won the high jump at the AAU national championships and at the AIAW state, regional and national championships and then went on to compete in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich during the summer. She parlayed her 1972 performance by winning all three AIAW high jump championships again in her sophomore season while also finishing third in the 100 meter hurdles at the national championships. German strained her knee while lifting weights during the summer of 1973, which hindered her take off for the high jump. So during her junior season, she started running the anchor leg of TWU's 4x100 meter relay. German helped lead that relay team to the AIAW, AAU and United States Track and Field Federation championships in 1974.

After sitting out the 1975 season with a more serious knee injury, German came back her senior season and won the high jump at the AIAW state, regional and national championships. She won the national championship by clearing her highest mark ever with a leap of 6-1 1/2. German went on to finish her undergraduate degree in May of 1976 before she competed in her final Olympic Games in Montreal.

She went home to Jamaica in the fall of 1976 to become the director of the Physical Education Department at St. Elizabeth Technical High School where she remained until 1978. While in Jamaica, she was a member of the Organizing Committee of the Western Regional Track and Field Championships. German returned to TWU and earned her Master's Degree in Health and Human Resources in 1982. She currently resides in Dallas with her husband, Artist German, and their two children, Adia and Azerial, and is employed by Saks Fifth Avenue.

Stephanie Ball Moreno (Volleyball, 1989-92) came to TWU after a successful career at Katy High School where she earned All-District honors as a junior and senior at setter. She saw limited action as a freshman, playing in 42 of 102 possible games for the Pioneers and averaging 2.19 assists per game. Moreno became a more complete player in her second season under head coach Sandy Troudt as she earned Honorable Mention Academic All-Lone Star Conference honors while recording 4.00 assists and 1.67 digs per game.

In her junior year, Moreno finished the season with a TWU record of 187 setter kills, which still stands today. She finished second in the conference in assists-per-game with 9.4 and fifth in attack percentage with a .287. For those numbers, Moreno was named Second Team All-Lone Star Conference. She was tabbed Academic All-LSC while leading the conference in grade point average and also named GTE Academic All-America for District VI.

After being named captain her senior year in 1992, Moreno helped lead the Pioneers to one of their best seasons under Coach Troudt as the team finished second in the Lone Star Conference with an overall record of 26-14, 7-3 in conference. She established another TWU record by earning 1,651 assists, which was the fifth-highest total in the country. Moreno was named NCAA All-Region and First Team All-LSC at setter and combined that with her second straight Academic All-Conference and GTE Academic All-America for District VI selection.

After graduation, the Katy, Texas native traveled the world, visiting 40 different countries before she settled down in Houston. She is married to John Moreno and currently works for American Express Corporate Services in the travel department. The couple is preparing for a move to San Antonio.

Tammi Julch Williams (Basketball, 1990-94) came to TWU in the fall of 1990 hoping to be a dominant post player for the Pioneers. After four successful years, TWU's opponents found out how good the Arlington, Texas native was as she notched herself in the record books.

“TJ,” as everybody referred to her, began her first year by averaging 10.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, earning her a starting job in the Pioneers' rotation. She finished 18th in the Lone Star Conference in scoring while helping lead TWU to a fourth-place finish. As a sophomore, Williams led the team in scoring and rebounding and moved to No. 8 on the Pioneers' all-time scoring list with 691 points after just two seasons. She earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors at post after finishing fourth in the league in scoring and rebounding, averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game. Williams was also tabbed GTE Academic All-America for District VI and First Team Academic All-LSC.

Williams kept adding on the awards after her junior season, moving to third on the TWU scoring list with 1,159 points and earning her second consecutive Academic All-Conference selection and being named to the Third Team GTE Academic All-America list. She led the conference in scoring with 19.5 points and finished second in rebounding with 9.5 boards per game and earned her first ever LSC Player of the Week honor for the week of Dec. 3-9, 1992, on her way to being named Second Team All-Conference.

As a team captain in her final season, Williams was again one of the top performers in the Lone Star, finishing sixth in scoring with 17.7 points and fifth in rebounding with 8.3 boards per contest. She was named to the Second Team All-Conference squad for the second straight year and added another LSC Player of the Week honor on Dec. 5-11, 1993. The 1994 Division II NCAA Woman of the Year for the state of Texas exemplified the true meaning of being a student-athlete. Williams was named First Team GTE Academic All-America and earned her third consecutive Academic All-Conference selection. She also earned the U.S. Achievement Academy's All-American Collegiate Scholar award for the second time in her career. Williams finished No. 2 on TWU's scoring list with 1,644 points and brought in 805 rebounds in her four seasons. For all her work on and off the basketball court, Williams earned the prestigious $5,000 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award in 1994. She was also an active member of the TWU Athletics Council and through her brother, Williams had direct involvement in the Special Olympics.

After graduation, Williams attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for four years. She recently finished three years of pediatric residency and is currently a pediatrician at the Medical and Surgical Clinic of Irving. Williams and her husband, Geray, have two children, Geray Jr. and Halle, and are expecting another child in February.

This page was last modified October 23, 2003