Oct. 4, 2012
Hall of Honor Photo Gallery
Albuquerque, N.M. --- The University of New Mexico Alumni Lettermen's Association has announced that five individuals: Jordan Adams(Basketball), Van Hill (Tennis), Rick Klatt (Swimming, Water Polo), Kenny Thomas (Basketball), and William Dennard (Posthumous - Football, Track & Field) will be inducted into the UNM Hall of Honor on Friday, November 16.
Along with the honorees, who will be officially inducted at the Hall of Honor induction dinner on Friday, November 16 at the Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, the Alumni Letterman's Association also announced its 2011-12 athletic department award winners. Jeremy Fishbein of men'ssoccer was named Coach of the Year, Jael Fanning of women's soccer was named Female Athlete of the Year, and Mitchell Garver of baseball and Kendall Spencer of track and field were the Male Athletes of the Year. Dave Binderwas announced as the winner of the Distinguished Service Award.
Following are biographical sketches of all of the award winners.
Hall of Honor Class of 2012
Jordan Adams Smith (Basketball 1999-2003)
Athletic Awards and Accomplishments
•Led the Lobos in scoring and blocks four straight years
•Member of the first UNM Mountain West Conference Tournament champion team 2003
•Voted MWC Tournament MVP 2003
•Three time All-MWC Selection, Twice 2nd Team, once 1st Team
•MWC Newcomer of the Year 1999-2000
•Honorable Mention All-American, only postseason All-American in Lobo Women's Basketball history 2002
•5th all-time in games played 128, started in 109 of those games
•Career Blocks Leader 140/2.7 per game
•Career Field Goals made Leader 684
•One of the 12 players with 1,000 points (1,798) and 500 rebounds (729) in program history
•Third in career scoring 1,798/14.0 ppg
•Sixth in career rebounding 729/5.7 rpg
•Member of NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen Team 2003
•Hall of Honor Female Athlete of the Year 2003
•USA Basketball National Team Trials Participant 2001
•WNBA 2nd Round pick by Minnesota Lynx, only Lobo women's basketball student-athlete ever drafted) 2003
•Two-Time member of Canadian National Senior Women's Team
•Former Director of Operations for Lobo Women's Basketball
Dr. Van Hill, DDS (Tennis 1966-1970)
Athletic Accomplishments and Awards
•Lettered in Tennis
•WAC Champion Number Four Position 1966-1967
•WAC Champion Number Three Position 1967-1968, Number One in Doubles with Tony Bull
•WAC Champion Number One Position 1968-1969, and #1 doubles with Tony Bull-defeated three-time WAC champion Brian Cheney of Arizona
•Round of 16's NCAA Tournament 1968-1969
•All-American 1968
•Ranked Number One in Singles in SWTA 1968-1969
•Ranked Number One in Doubles in SWTA 1968-1969 with Tony Bull
•Ranked Number One in Doubles in SWTA 1969-1970 with Dr. Jack Kennedy
•All WAC Team 1967, 1968, 1969 singles
•All WAC team 1968, 1969 doubles
•10-1 single Record in WAC tournament for four years
•Awarded the Joe Daily Award for UNM Athlete of the Year 1969
•Chosen One of the Outstanding College Athletes in America by Outstanding Americans Foundation, 1970
•Won All American Honors, 1969
•Never Lost a Conference Dual Meet Match 1966, 1968
Rick Klatt (Swimming, Water Polo 1970-1974) Athletic Awards and Accomplishments
•NCAA All American in Swimming 1971-1974
•Captain of two WAC Conference Championship Teams at UNM
•WAC Conference Champion in the 100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard Freestyle Relay 1971
•WAC Conference Champion in the 100-yard Freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 400-yard Freestyle Relay 1973
•WAC Conference Champion in the 200-yard Freestyle, 800-yard Freestyle Relay, and 400-yard Freestyle relay
•Member of the UNM WAC Conference Championship Team in 1973
•Competed for the United States on two International Teams in 1973
•member of a World Record setting 800 meter Freestyle Relay at the World Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1973
•NCAA All-American in Water Polo in 1972
•Member of the UNM Team Runner-up at the NCAA District 7 Water Polo Championships 1970
•All-American in Water Polo 1971
•All-American in the U.S. Masters Water Polo Championships 2008
Kenny Thomas (Basketball 1995-1999) Athletic Awards and Accomplishment
•First player in WAC history to surpass 1,800 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 200 blocked shots
•Scoring Leader 1998, 1999
•Second all-time Scoring/Career
•First all-time Freshman Scoring
•Rebounding Leader 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
•11th Lobo to get 1,000 points and 500 rebounds
•All-Time Leader Rebounds/Conference Career
•12th All-Time Rebounding/Season1998
•20th All-Time Rebounding/Season 1999
•First All-Time Freshman Rebounding
•First All-Time Rebounds/Career
•Field Goal Percentage Leader 1996, 1997
•Third All-Time Field Goals Made/Career
•10th All-Time Field Goals Made/Career
•Free Throw Percentage Leader 1998
•10th All-Time Free Throws Made/Season
•Second All-Time Free Throws Made/Season
•Sixth All-Time Blocks/Season
•Blocking Leader 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
•Seventh All-Time Single game Blocks 7
•Sixth All-Time Minutes player/Career
•1998 All-America team (Basketball times)
•WAC All-Conference team 1996, 1998, 1999
•1996 WAC Freshman of the Year
•1996 WAC All-Newcomer Team
•WAC All-Defensive Team 1998, 1999
•1997 World University games
•WAC Tournament MVP 1996
•Four NCAA Tournament Appearances
•22nd Pick NBA 1999 draft to the Houston Rockets, led Rockets in Rebounds 1999-2000, Average double-double 03-04
•Founder of The Kenny Thomas Foundation, Education Awareness/Scholarships for High School Students, young people involved in community to give back
William Dennard (Football, Track 1932-1936) Athletic Awards and Accomplishments
•Set the UNM school record in the 100 meter dash at 9.7 seconds, he was second only to Jesse Owens at the time
•First Lobo to break 10 seconds in the 100-yd dash
•Set UNM records in the 220-yard low hurtles, 24.0 seconds stood for more than 23 years
•All Conference half back and occasional quarterback for Lobo football
•Also played AAU sponsored summer league softball
2011-12 Athletic Department Honorees
Dave Binder (Distinguished Service Award)
In his 16th year as UNM's Head Athletic Trainer.
Jeremy Fishbein (Coach of the Year - Men's Soccer)
Named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Coach of the Year for Men's Soccer, Named Far West Region Coach of the Year, 2011 City of Albuquerque Coach of the Year, Led team to undefeated season and the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16"
Jael Fanning Clark (Female Athlete of the Year - Women's Soccer)
Mountain West Conference Scholar Athlete (4.08 GPA), Second Team All Conference, First Team Academic All District, NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Recipient, NSACC All- Academic, Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week (September 26, 2011), 2012 Mountain West Conference Champion
Mitchell Garver (Male Athlete of the Year - Baseball)
Mountain West Conference MVP, Runner-up Johnny Bench Award, All-American (5 polls), 2012 Mountain West Conference Champion
Kendall Spencer (Male Athlete of the Year - Track and Field)
2012 NCAA Long Jump Champion, 1st Team All-American, 2012 Olympic Trials Qualifier, Represented United States at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under 23 Competition, All-Conference Indoor Long Jump, Indoor Mountain West Conference Student-Athlete of the Year, All-Conference 400 m Relay (Outdoor), Mountain West Conference Indoor Long Jump Record Holder
TICKETS: The awards dinner will be held on Friday, November 16 at 6:00 pm at the Crowne Plaza Albuquerque. Tickets are $60 each or $600 for a table of 10. Call the UNM Alumni Lettermen's Association at 925-5905 to purchase tickets.
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