Nov. 3 will be a special day as seven new members will be inducted into the Sam Houston Hall of Honor. Four men and three women will be recognized at a special dinner in the Lowman Student Center at 6 p.m. as part of Lettermen’s Day Weekend.
Track and field greats Kendall Bass (2008) and Karina Mancias (2003) will be accompanied by volleyball alumnus Yolanda Royston (2003) as the three female inductees for the Sam Houston Women’s Letter Association Hall of Honor. Four men will join them as Greg Atunes (golf, 1975), Darryl Harrison (football, 1993), Adam Wooten (track and field, 2005), and Steve Sparks (baseball, 1987) will be enshrined in the Sam Houston Lettermen’s Association Hall of Honor.
“I’m completely humbled by this honor from Sam Houston,” Sparks said. “My time in Huntsville was the best memories of my life. I’m very grateful for the opportunity they gave me.”
This year’s inductions will raise the Lettermen’s Hall of Honor members total to 194, the first dating back to 1971. The first women were inducted into the women’s Hall of Honor in 2007, and this trio will bring the member total to 46.
To this day, Bass remains of the all-time top field events performers in SHSU history. She helped lead the Bearkats to three outdoor conference titles and the indoor league championship in 2008. Mancias holds a unique designation of earning all-conference honors in three different sports—cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. Royston was a four-year starter and earned All-Southland first team honors twice, and still holds the SHSU record for most blocks in a three-set match with 10.
Atunes was a two-time letter-winner in 1974 and 1975, and he placed sixth individually in the 1975 NAIA National Championship tournament. Harrison led the 1991 Bearkats football team in tackles as that season brought SHSU its first ever Southland Conference championship. He lettered in all four of his seasons from 1989-1992. Wooten’s success seemed boundless as he was a four-time individual champion and eight-time all-conference performer in 2003 and 2005. Sparks led SHSU to back-to-back Gulf Star Conference baseball titles in 1986 and 1987. He was undefeated in his 1987 season, going 11-0 and eventually being drafted the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth round.
This is just one of the events that will take place during the Lettermen’s Day Weekend activities surrounding the football game at Bowers Stadium against the University of the Incarnate Word on Nov. 4.
Tickets to this annual banquet can be purchased for $50 per person by calling (936) 294-2415 or by emailing events@shsu.edu. Anyone wishing to attend will need to RSVP by Oct. 20.