Early, Mickey

May 24, 2025 | Athlete, Football, Inductees, Track & Field

MICKEY EARLY played football and ran track at Rotan. He was 9.6-second 100-yard sprinter in the late 1960’s, which was among the fastest times in the state. On the football field, Early was a three-year starter at SMU, earning all-Southwest Conference honors as a...

Hood, The Don Hood Family

May 24, 2025 | Coach, Inductees, Legacy Award, Track & Field

THE HOOD FAMILY from Abilene is this year’s Pat Gerald Memorial Legacy Award recipient. The lateDON HOOD won nine NAIA and NCAA Division II national championships in 11 years at Abilene Christian University. He was considered the nation’s premier pole vault coach,...

Kinsey, Mike

Feb 2, 2024 | Athlete, Football, Inductees, Track & Field

MIKE KINSEY was an all-state defensive lineman at Brownwood High School in 1981, where he led the Lions to a 13-1 record and a 14-9 victory over Sugar Land Willowridge in the 1981 Class 4A state championship game. That win gave Brownwood its seventh state championship...

Lakey-Whitefield, Adree

Dec 17, 2023 | Athlete, Inductees, Track & Field

ADREE LAKEY-WHITEFIELD, a track and field standout from Roby, accomplished an incredible feat by winning a national championship in three different events during her collegiate career at Angelo State. A track and field star for the Rams, she won the NCAA Division II...
Patterson, Jack

Patterson, Jack

May 10, 2022 | Coach, Legends, Track & Field

JACK PATTERSON is one of two posthumous recipients of the Class of 2022’s Bill Hart Memorial Legends Award. He won an individual Southwest Conference championship at Rice University in 1939. After coaching at Merkel and San Angelo, Patterson became the first track and...
Gray, Elmer

Gray, Elmer

May 10, 2022 | Legends, Track & Field

ELMER GRAY is one of two posthumous recipients of the Class of 2022’s Bill Hart Memorial Legends Award. Gray graduated from Roscoe High School in 1928 and came to ACU to run track and play football. He was the first athlete at ACU to run under 50 seconds in the...