MU announces new Athletics Hall of Fame class of six
MU announced its 2011 Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame inductees Monday. The class consists of six former standout student-athletes.
Former Tiger Ben Askren wrestled from 2004 to 2007, and might be the most dominant overall athlete in school history. During his time at the school, he won two NCAA titles, three Big 12 Conference titles and finished with a 153-8 (.950) record. Askren became just the second wrestler in NCAA history to win the Dan Hodge Trophy twice, an award that’s annually given to the nation’s top wrestler. He was also selected as a four-time NWCA Academic All-American, proving he can excel in the classroom as well.
Former Missouri football standout Don Chadwick played guard, defensive tackle and linebacker for the Tigers from 1956 to 1958. During his senior campaign, he was a captain and received an honorable mention as an All-American. As great as he was on the field, Chadwick was also marked as an exceptional student and citizen. He was inducted into the Mystical Seven, which is an exclusive membership society on campus.
Another football standout, current Columbia native Russ Sloan was a consensus 1st Team All-Big Eight wide receiver in his senor year in 1959. He ended the season by setting a then-school record of six receptions for 73 yards in the 1960 Orange Bowl. Sloan was offered a contract by the St. Louis Cardinals to play professional baseball out of high school, but chose to attend MU, where he ultimately earned an undergraduate and graduate degree.
Sloan had opportunities to play for NFL teams such as the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and New York Jets. However, injuries prevented a professional athletic career, so he took up coaching football instead. He is the second winningest coach behind Tiger legend Don Faurot in the history of Northeast Missouri State, which is now known as Truman State.
Baseball standout Tom Heckman was a pitcher for Missouri from 1978 to 1981. By the time he ended his tenure, he held a Big 12 record for career victories with 36. Moreover, his 11 complete games in 1981 still holds as a single-season school record.
Recent graduate Max Scherzer established himself as one of the nation’s dominant pitchers during his three years with the Tigers. He began by leading the Big 12 with a 1.86 ERA, breaking an MU record with 131 strikeouts and being named Big 12 pitcher of the year during his sophomore season. He was selected No. 11 overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2006, the highest any MU player has ever been drafted.
Former Tiger George Williams was a three-sport athlete, participating in basketball, track and field, and tennis in 1920 and 1921. As a basketball player, he was one of best in the entire nation and led the Tigers to a combined 34-2 record along with Missouri Valley Conference championships in both seasons. He was a two-time All American and was named the national player of the year by the Helms Foundation in 1921. He went on to win two national championships in the AAU circuit, which was the equivalent to the NBA at the time.
The Hall’s constitution states its purpose is to “recognize and honor those individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the achievements and prestige of the University of Missouri in the field of athletics, and who have continued to demonstrate in their lives, the values imparted by intercollegiate athletics.”
This is the 22nd class enshrined since the Hall of Fame started in 1990. The ceremony will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Columbia on Friday, Feb. 10.