Emporia State has announced the latest additions to the Athletic Hall of Honor.
The class includes All-Americans, national champions, school and world record holders, professional coach, and a world leader in sports education.
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 its first MIAA Championship and a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2007.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
