CENTRAL MISSOURI STATE TO INDUCT SEVENTH HALL OF FAME CLASS

Warrensburg, Mo. (Dec. 10, 1997) -- Six individuals and three teams make up the seventh class of honorees for Central Missouri State University's Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, at a 10 a.m. brunch in the University Union Ballroom.

Chosen by the Hall of Fame selection committee for induction in the student-athlete category are Becky Belland (volleyball), Jerry Boyce (football), the late James R. Garrison (basketball), and Tammy Wilson (basketball). Chosen in the special recognition category are Amos Black and Billy Key. The teams selected for induction are the 1951 Mules' basketball team, the 1986 Mules' football team and the 1989 Jennies' basketball team.

Belland is thought by many to be the best player ever to wear a Jennies' volleyball uniform. She capped her outstanding four-year career (1987-90) by earning NCAA Division II player-of-the-year honors in 1990, the only CMSU volleyball player to ever receive that award. After attending Kirkwood (Mo.) High School for three years, her family moved to Virginia before she came to Central Missouri.

As a freshman in 1987, Belland was a member of the Jennies' Division II runner-up team that was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. She is the only CMSU volleyball player to receive first-team All-America honors three straight years (1988, 1989, 1990) and was the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Most Valuable Player in 1989 and 1990. The Jennies were 156-21 during her career, winning MIAA titles and earning NCAA bids each of her four seasons.

Belland's total of 2,189 career kills is the Jennies' career record and ranks second in Division II history. She was in double figures in kills in 119 of her 177 career matches. She also owns school records for kills per game (3.93), block solos (366), block assists (572) and total blocks (938) in a career, as well as season marks for kills (640), kills per game (4.64) and block solos (125).

Boyce is considered to be one of the most talented football players in Mules' history. A graduate of Southwest High School in Kansas City, Mo., he played for the Mules from 1957 through 1960. As a junior, he was a first-team All-MIAA selection and led the Mules in rushing and scoring. As a senior, he was an honorable mention All-America selection, as well as a first-team All-MIAA selection, after leading the league in pass receiving and punt returns. He played both offense and defense for the Mules and was co-captain his senior season. His 140 career points rank seventh on the Mules' career scoring list. Following his senior season he had a brief trial with the St. Louis Cardinals in the NFL before beginning his coaching career. He coached for five years at Southeast High School in Kansas City (1961-66), then returned to Central Missouri and was an assistant on the Mules' staff for three seasons (1966-68). He has been the head football coach at North Kansas City High School (1968-73), Butler County (Kan.) Community College (1973-75), Cowley County (Kan.) Community College (1977-81) and Fredericktown High School (1990-94). He has served as an assistant coach at Wichita State (1975-77), Kansas State (1981-85) and Indiana State (1985-90). This fall he completed his fourth season as the head football coach at Fort Osage High School in Independence, where his teams have gone 23-18. In 1995 he was named the Greater Kansas City Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year and received the Cecil Patterson Coach of the Year Award for the Kansas City area.

Garrison was a two-sport performer for the Mules, lettering three years in football (1926-28) and four years in basketball (1926-29). In football, he was a member of the Mules' 1926 undefeated MIAA championship team, which was inducted into the CMSU Hall of Fame in 1992. In basketball, he led the team in scoring as a sophomore, was second on the team in scoring as a freshman and a junior, and was third on the team as a senior. Garrison was born in Oklahoma, but grew up in Warrensburg. After graduating from Central Missouri, he went on to enjoy a distinguished career in public service. He served a term in the state legislature, was elected prosecuting attorney of Johnson County, served in the Navy during World War II, was elected to two terms as circuit judge and served on Central Missouri State's board of regents. He died of a heart attack on Jan. 20, 1954, at the age of 45. In recognition of his service to the university and the Warrensburg community, the university's board of regents named Garrison Gymnasium in his honor. The facility was officially dedicated on December 8, 1959, and served as the home court for Mules' basketball until 1976, when the Multipurpose Building was completed.

Wilson enjoyed a standout four-year career (1985-89) for the Jennies, helping them produce four straight 20-win seasons, three MIAA championships and a trip to the NCAA Division II Finals in 1989. A graduate of Hazelwood Central High School, Wilson is the Jennies' career leader in scoring (2,104 points) and rebounding (1,205 rebounds). She is the only basketball player in Central Missouri State history, male or female, to score over 2,000 career points and have over 1,000 career rebounds. She also is the only Jennies' basketball player to earn first-team All-America honors two straight seasons (1987-88, 1988-89). In addition to holding the Jennies' career scoring and rebounding records, she also is the Jennies' career leader in field goal percentage (59.3) and is the Jennies' single-season record holder for points (676) and field goal percentage (62.7). She led the Jennies in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage as a sophomore, junior and senior. She was the MIAA most valuable player as a sophomore and a junior. The Jennies were 101-23 during her four-year career, winning MIAA co-championships in 1986 and 1988 and claiming an undefeated MIAA title in 1989. That season the Jennies were 29-5, had a school-record 25-game winning streak and placed fourth in Division II. Her jersey number 30 has been officially retired by Central Missouri State.

Key, now retired, enjoyed a long and distinguished career in basketball. He played two seasons for the Mules (1946-47 and 1947-48) under Earl Keth. The majority of his coaching tenure was spent as head coach at Missouri-Rolla, where he coached from 1964 through 1987. He also served as athletics director at Missouri-Rolla from 1968 through 1990. In his overall coaching career at the high school and college level, he recorded 535 victories. He served as president of the National Assocation of Basketball Coaches during the 1987-88 season. In 1988 he was one of the original inductees into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame and in 1989 he was a recipient of Central Missouri State's distinguished alumni award. After retiring in 1990, he came out of retirement to serve as assistant coach for the Mules in the 1991-92 season under interim head coach Jerry Hughes.

Black is being recognized for his many years of service to the Central Missouri State athletics program. For 26 years, he was the official scorer at all Mules' home basketball games. A lifelong resident of Warrensburg, Black worked for the Unifemme Company for 40 years before retiring. He began his volunteer work for Central Missouri in 1960 at the request of coach Clarence Whiteman, a 1992 Hall of Fame inductee. In addition to his work for Central Missouri, Black also served as scoreboard/clock operator for the university's high school football and basketball teams. His son, Perry, coached Central Missouri State's College High School to a state football championship in 1972.

The 1951 Mules' basketball team was 18-7 and won the MIAA championship with an 8-2 record. Their two MIAA losses were by one point at Southeast Missouri, a team the Mules later defeated 88-54 in Warrensburg, and by two points at Northeast Missouri. Among the Mules' wins that season was a 50-47

road victory at the University of Dayton. The Mules were led in scoring that season by James Hoverder, who averaged 13.4 points and who was a 1993 Hall of Fame inductee. This was the most successful Mules' team in the 15 seasons the Mules were coached by Earl Keth, who was a 1992 Hall of Fame inductee as a player.

The 1986 Mules' football team gave Central Missouri its first undefeated MIAA football championship in 60 years. After going 2-2 in their first four games, the Mules won their next six games, including all five MIAA contests, clinching the MIAA title with a 56-9 win at Lincoln. The season ended with a loss to former MIAA member Southwest Missouri, but an earlier loss to Northeastern Oklahoma later became a forfeit victory and the Mules finished the season with a 9-2 record. In addition to having the MIAA most valuable player in sophomore quarterback Jeff Phillips, the Mules had seven other first-team All-MIAA selections in wide receivers Brian Wessling and Craig Copridge, offensive lineman John Ragsdale, defensive linemen Phil Grimes and Jeff Wright, linebacker Tom Evans and defensive back Mark Hulet. Head coach Terry Noland was MIAA coach of the year.

The 1989 Jennies' basketball team was only 4-3 after its first seven games, but then reeled off a school-record 25 straight wins before losing in the NCAA Division II semi-finals to eventual national champion Delta State. The Jennies won the MIAA championship with a perfect 14-0 league record and finished 29-5 overall. Tammy Wilson was a first-team All-America selection and led the Jennies in scoring (19.9) and rebounding (9.2). Barb Sorensen captured the MIAA most valuable player award, averaging 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds. Head coach Jon Pye was MIAA coach of the year.

The Feb. 14 induction brunch is open to the public. Tickets are $12.00 and can be obtained by contacting the Central Missouri State athletics office at 543-4250 by Feb. 9. The 1998 inductees also will be introduced and recognized at halftime of the Feb. 14 Mules' basketball game against Northwest Missouri State.

To be eligible for selection to the Hall of Fame in the student-athlete or team categories, nominees must have completed their eligibility or competition at least five years prior to selection. Student-athlete nominees must have earned at least two varsity letters at Central Missouri. Qualifications and criteria are based primarily upon accomplishments at Central Missouri, but also may include accomplishments outside the university.