2006-07 UCM Athletic Hall of Fame inductees announced
10 individuals and two teams make up the 2006-07 class of the University of Central Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.
Joining the Hall of Fame this season are William Green (football and baseball, 1966-67) from the early era; Danny Dornan (men’s golf, 1995-99), Vladimir Golias (track and cross country, 1998-2001), Lori Price (Hackett) (volleyball, 1980-83), Tyrone Latimer (men’s basketball, 1993-95), and Josh Reynolds (baseball, 1998-2000) and Renay Spilker (Ries) (softball 1986-89). Dr. Ed Elliott, Jim Pilkington, and the Nigro Brothers auctioneers made it in the special recognition category. The 2001 Mules Football team and 2001 Mules Baseball squad will join the Hall of Fame as well.
William Green –
Football and Baseball, 1966-67
A two-time first-team All-MIAA defensive back in 1966 and 1967, Bill Green was a two sport star for the Mules football and baseball teams. He was a small college All-American in 1967 and still holds the school record with a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. Northwest Missouri State in 1966. He also still ranks in the top 10 in several categories. He is fifth in career punt return yards (428), eighth in school history in career punt returns (34), tied for eighth in career kickoff returns (25), and his six interceptions in 1967 is tied for fourth all-time. He was also the third baseman for the Mules baseball team, and was drafted in 1966 by the Houston Astros.
Danny Dornan
Golf, 1995-99
Dornan was a four-time All-MIAA selection and three-time All-American for the Mules Golf team. He helped the Mules to three consecutive MIAA titles from 1997-99. Dornan was the 1996 individual MIAA runner up as a freshman and the 1997 MIAA individual champ. He took 37th at the 1997 NCAA regional and in 1998, grabbed 25th at the West regional. As a senior, he took 45th in the NCAA regional.
Vladimir Golias
Track & Field, Cross Country, 1998-2001
Golias is the only four-time 3,000 meter steeplechase national champion (1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001) in the history of the NCAA. He is only the second athlete in NCAA Division II history to win an event four straight years. While at Central Missouri, he earned a total of seven All-America awards in track and cross country. He is the UCM record holder in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (8:43.04) and is in the top 10 in five more events.
Lori Price (Hackett)
Volleyball, 1980-83
Price was a two-time all-conference performer in 1982 and 1983, an Academic All-American, and the team and MIAA Most Valuable Player in 1983. A key member of the Jennies 1983 team that went 50-8 and started UCM’s run of 24 consecutive national tournament appearances. She ranks sixth in school history in assists (4,095), ninth in service aces (159) and also holds the single-season record for service aces with 111 in 1983.
Tyrone Latimer
Mules Basketball, 1993-95
A two-time All-American and College Sports NCAA-II Player of the Year in 1995, Latimer is the UCM all-time leading scorer for two-year players. A two-time first-team All-MIAA and MIAA Most Valuable Player in 1994-95, his 832 points that season is second-best in school history, while his 26.0 points per game that year is fourth best. He also has the 14th-best single-season point total (580 points, 19.3 ppg) for his junior year in 1993-94. Latimer ranks sixth in school history in three-point percentage (.377).
Josh Reynolds
Baseball, 1998-2000
The Mules’ career record holder for wins (32), Reynolds was a first-team All-American in 2000 and a second-team All-American in 1999. He was also a two-time first-team All-MIAA pitcher, MIAA Freshman of the Year in 1998, MIAA Most Valuable Player in 2000, and NCAA Region Pitcher of the Year in 1999. He is fifth all-time in strikeouts (193), and fifth in innings pitched (248). He helped the 1998 and 2000 teams to the Division II World Series, finishing 5th as a senior. Reynolds went on to pitch seven years in the Minor Leagues in the Mets and Red Sox organizations.
Renay Spilker (Ries)
Softball, 1986-89
The first All-American in Jennies’ softball history, Spilker was also a two-time all-region pick and a four-time All-MIAA selection (three time first-team). She ranks ninth in career hits (177), third in career batting average (.346), eighth in doubles (31), sixth in triples (11), fourth in home runs (11), seventh in total bases (263), and seventh in runs batted in (76). As a senior, she helped the Jennies to a 36-12 record and a 4th place finish in all of NCAA-II.
Dr. Ed Elliott
The President at Central Missouri from 1985-99, Dr. Ed Elliott knew how important athletics were to a university. He was a former student-athlete himself as a quarterback at William Jewell College. He actually played in front of former Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder. Elliott was a leader in the fundraising effort for the building of Walton Stadium, as well as Crane Stadium and the South Recreation Complex. He also served as chair of the MIAA CEO Council for several years and was instrumental in making Central Missouri athletics a leader in Division II as it is today.
Jim Pilkington
A former track and field and cross country coach from 1971-83, Pilkington was the founder of the Mule Relays. He served as a professor at Central Missouri for 28 years (1971-99) and has been a starter at meets all over the country. Some of the meets include the NCAA-II National Championships, the USTAF National Championships, the Mule Relays for several years, and hundreds of high school district and state meets. He also founded the Midwestern America National Jump Championships, which was the largest jump meet in the Midwest. While a coach, he led UCM to the 1978 MIAA cross country title and tutored seven All-Americans in his career.
Nigro Brothers Auctioneers
For the past five years, the Nigro Brothers auctioneers have helped Central Missouri athletics raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. When it comes to community service, George Nigro, David Nigro, Toby Tyler, and Ron Stricker know how it’s done. They raise funds for organizations and schools across the area and donate hundreds of hours of time and refuse to accept anything in return. The Celebrating Central Missouri Athletics Auction has grown every year thanks to their efforts. The Nigro Brothers are known for their boots and cowboy hats as well as getting people to bid high for a worthy cause.
2001 Mules Football
The first football team in Central Missouri history to get 10 wins in a season, the 2001 Mules scored more than 30 points nine times and won their way to the program’s first postseason football game since 1970. They defeated Minnesota-Duluth in the Mineral Water Bowl by a 48-17 margin, marking only the second postseason win in school history and the first since 1950. The 10-2 Mules had five first-team All-MIAA selections in Lee Thompson, Todd Devoe, John Young, Kevin Nickerson, and Lloyd Thompson. Young also grabbed All-American honors on the offensive line.
2001 Mules Baseball
The 2001 Mules baseball squad set the then-school record for wins with a 53-10 record and was the NCAA-II runner-up. The team set 15 Central Missouri records and rolled to the MIAA regular season title with a 26-3 record. The Mules then went on to win the MIAA Tournament and NCAA Central Region championships in undefeated fashion. They had several individual award winners as you might expect with 11 All-MIAA players, six all-region performers, and four ABCA All-Americans. Pitcher Corey Clinefelter was MIAA and regional player of the year while first baseman Chris Umphres, with his .448 batting average, was national player of the year and defensive player of the year. All-American pitcher P.J. McGinnis set the school and MIAA record for wins with a 14-1 record as well.
With the 2006-07 inductees, the Central Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame now consists of 124 individuals and 40 teams.