EC Kansas News

Emporia State announces latest Athletics Hall of Honor Inductees

All-Americans, national champions, school and world record holders, a professional coach and a world leader in sports education are among the inductees that will join the Emporia State Athletic Hall of Honor this year.  Six individuals and a world record setting relay team will join a group of 224 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators and 20 teams who have distinguished themselves, the University and their professions through their athletic achievement.

This year's class will be honored at the Hall of Honor Celebration at 6:00 p.m. in the Skyline Room of the ESU Memorial Union on April 20. The public is invited to attend and reservations can be made at esuhornets.com/tickets starting March 1.

2022-23 ESU ATHLETIC HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES

Marcella Bayon, Women's Tennis 2004-08. Bayon was a seven-time All-MIAA performer and 2005 MIAA Freshman of the Year for the Emporia State women's tennis team. She earned three first-team honors in doubles along with three second-team selections in singles and a second-team pick in doubles during her career. She led ESU to their first MIAA Championship and a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2007. She won the ITA Central Regional title in singles as a sophomore and in doubles as a senior. She set a school record with a 67-11 record in dual play doubles with three different partners.

Josh Honeycutt, Men's Track & Field 2008-11. Honeycutt won the 2009 National Champion in the indoor triple jump for the Hornets. He holds the Emporia State school record in the triple jump at 51-10.00 indoors and 53-9.25 outdoors. The Iola, Kan. native was a part of Emporia State's fourth place finish at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. He captured seven of eight possible MIAA Championships in the triple jump, winning four straight outdoors and three of four indoors. He also won two MIAA outdoor and one indoor championship in the long jump. After graduation he won the triple jump at the 2013 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Angela Mahan, Softball, 2008-11. Mahan earned All-American honors and was the MIAA Player of the Year as a senior for Emporia State in 2011.She was named second-team All-American by the NFCA at second base after leading the Hornets to a 42-16 record that included four straight MIAA regular season and post season tournament championships during her career. She was a three-time All-MIAA honoree. The Liberty, Mo. native led the MIAA with 52 runs scored, 18 doubles and a .690 slugging percentage while hitting .376 with nine home runs as a senior. As a sophomore she was a starter on a team that reached the NCAA Division II Championship game. She set the Emporia State and MIAA career record with 204 runs scored and still ranks second in MIAA history at the time of her induction.

Rainer Martens, Baseball, 1961-64. Martens is the president and founder of Human Kinetics, the world's largest publisher of information about the sport sciences, physical education, sports, and fitness. Martens founded the American Sport Education Program (ASEP) which is the leading provider of youth, high school, and elite-level sport education programs in the United States. He is a member of the National Senior Softball Hall of Fame as player-coach for the Florida Legends. He competed in baseball as a Hornet.

Laura Mayo, Women's Track & Field 1997-98. Mayo won the 1998 national championship in the hammer for Emporia State with a school record toss of 188-09 that stood as the top mark in school history for 23 years. She set the indoor weight throw record with a toss of 52-10 at the 1998 Iowa State Qualifier and still ranks sixth in the event at ESU. She was a two-time all-American for the Hornets, placing sixth in the hammer as a junior in 1997.  She also won the 1998 MIAA championship.

 

Lance Nichols, Basketball/Baseball 1957-60. Nichols played basketball and baseball for Emporia State. He spent seven years as a minor league baseball player reaching AAA with the Dodgers organization. Following his playing days he was a minor league manager with the Expos, Cardinals and Orioles organizations reaching AAA. He was the director of player development for the Phillies in 1989. Nichols is a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame.

1936 Men's Track & Field Distance Medley Relay. The quartet of Duward Crooms, Norman Rhoads, Paul Bridges and Archie San Romani set the world record with a time of 10:12.7 in the Distance Medley Relay at the 1936 KU Relays.

Original source can be found here.