Southern Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will Induct Eight
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Five athletes from the modern era, two from the golden era, and one individual for meritorious service comprise the 2009 Southern Arkansas University Sports Hall of Fame class. SAU’s seventh hall of fame class will be inducted Friday in the first-ever hall of fame banquet at 7 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Southern Arkansas’ campus. The inductees will also be recognized Saturday at halftime of the Mulerider football Homecoming game against Ouachita Baptist. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. following the Homecoming queen and court ceremony at 2 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium.
Modern era athletes to be inducted are Kenneth Brown (football), Russell Hester (baseball), Shawn Mason (basketball), Tracy Morgan-Smith (volleyball and track & field), and Wayne Ross (swimming). Wayne Roper (track & field) and the late P.T. Waller (basketball and coach) are being inducted from the golden era, and the late Sue Bailey for meritorious service.
Kenneth Brown (Modern Era – Football)
A native of Pine Bluff, Kenneth Brown played at wide receiver for 
Southern Arkansas football teams from 1983-1986. He was named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) first team All-America in his senior season, after being a NAIA Honorable Mention All-America selection as a sophomore in 1984. In addition, Brown was a three-time first team pick on both the NAIA All-District 17 and All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference teams his final three seasons (1984-1986), also making the 1985 conference team as a punt returner.
Brown still holds school records for pass receptions in both a game and season, snaring 14 catches on two occasions against Southeastern Oklahoma State and Henderson State in 1986, and finishing with a total of 75 that same season, which also was a league record. He stands at third all-time at SAU in career receptions with 142; third in career touchdown catches with 20; is fourth with 831 receiving yards in a season (1986); and tied at fourth in touchdown receptions in a season with eight (1984).
As a return specialist, Brown also held school records in those areas for a number of years with the most recent being broken in 2005 of 54 career kick returns. He stands at third all-time in career kick return yards with 960 and fourth in career punt returns with 36. Brown has the fifth longest punt return at SAU, 74 yards against Arkansas-Monticello in 1985.
Brown also spent time in the professional ranks in both the National 
Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He began his pro career with the New England Patriots in 1987 and was later picked up that same year by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was with the Atlanta Falcons in 1988, and after sitting out a year was with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger Cats, both in 1990. He also had a year of Arena Football with the Dallas Texans in 1991.
Brown currently lives in Dallas where he works for DHL Packaging at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport as a cargo screener. He has a son, Quandon, who also lives in Dallas, and two daughters, Jessica Brown of Houston, and Kennedy Brown of Dallas.
Russell (Boggie) Hester (Modern Era – Baseball)
Russell “Boggie” Hester was a pitcher for the Mulerider baseball team 
in 1974 and 1975 after playing two years at what was then WestArk Junior College in Fort Smith.
Coached by former SAU baseball and basketball coach and hall of fame member Monroe Ingram, Hester was a NAIA All-District 17 selection in both his seasons and was named All-AIC in 1975. He had a combined 17-6 record in 24 appearances over his two years, pitching in 12 games each season. In 1974 he was 7-4, struck out 72, and posted a 1.90 ERA, and in 1975 had a conference best 10-2 record, with 88 strikeouts and an impressive 1.10 ERA.
Hester teamed with Southern Arkansas Hall of Fame member Gary Wilson to lead the Muleriders to the AIC championship in 1975, and like
Wilson, pitched for the USA All-Stars in the summer of 1975 on a trip to the Orient to play Korea and Taiwan. He also was a member of the ’75 AIC All-Star team that played the Arkansas Travelers in an exhibition game. Hester and Wilson combined on a Mulerider pitching staff that led the NAIA in 1975 with a 1.16 ERA.
Hester and his wife, Joyce, have four children; daughter Dara Hensley of Clinton; and sons Brent Hester of Springdale, Brian Hester of Farmington, and Bart Hester of Rogers; and 12 grandchildren.
A native of Little Rock, Hester now resides at Greer’s Ferry and is superintendent of schools at Heber Springs.
Shawn Mason (Modern Era – Basketball)
A 6-2, 190-pound guard, Shawn Mason played basketball at Southern 
Arkansas from 1998-2002. Prepping at Shirley High School, near Fairfield Bay, he made an immediate impact upon his arrival to the Mulerider basketball team. A four-year starter, he averaged 14.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, and shot 44.7 percent from the floor, 34.5 percent on three-pointers, and 80.9 percent at the free throw line in 105 games over his career.
Mason led SAU to four consecutive Gulf South Conference tournament berths and was the league’s West Division freshman of the year for the 1998-99 season. He went on to become one of only 13 players at the time in GSC history to be a three-time first team All-Conference pick, making the team his sophomore through senior years. He was an All-South Region player both his junior and senior seasons, and was an honorable mention All-America selection his senior year of 2001-02.
As a senior, the fiery red-head not only led Southern Arkansas in scoring with a 17.8 average, but as a blue-collar worker, led his team in rebounding with an 8.2 average, astonishing for a 6-2 guard. Mason also dished out 58 assists and picked off 32 steals his senior season.
Mason scored a career-high 41 points against Arkansas Tech as a senior. In that game, he set a school and conference single-game free throw record that still stands, by converting 20 of 22 attempts at the line. Mason is second all-time in Mulerider history with 436 career
free throws, converting 73.8 percent as a freshman, 84.8 percent as a sophomore, 83.5 percent as a junior and 82.4 percent as a senior.
Mason scored 462 points his senior year to finish sixth all-time in Southern Arkansas scoring history with 1,556 career points. His 400-plus points that season placed him in the university’s 400-point club, while making the 300-point club each of his first three seasons. As a junior Mason averaged 17.0 points and 6.8 rebounds a game, and had 43 assists and 37 steals.
Shawn and his wife, Andrea, now live in Bald Knob. He is presently taking courses in preparation for employment with the Arkansas State Police.
Tracy Morgan-Smith (Modern Era – Volleyball and Track and Field)
A native of Crandall, Texas, Tracy Morgan-Smith arrived at Southern 
Arkansas and became a legendary two-sport athlete in volleyball and track and field for the Riderettes, before they became known as the Lady Muleriders. She played volleyball during the 1989 and 1991 seasons and participated in track and field in the spring seasons of 1990 and 1992, sitting out volleyball in 1990 and track in 1991 due to injury.
As a junior in 1989, Morgan-Smith led the volleyball team to the AIC championship and was named both All-Conference and All-NAIA District 17, being named the district player of the year. Her career only blossomed when she returned in 1991, again receiving All-AIC and District 17 accolades, as well as being selected to the All-Southwest Region team, and highlighted by being a NAIA honorable mention All-America pick. She also helped lead the volleyball squad into the national rankings that year.
Morgan-Smith still holds SAU volleyball records for season and career blocks per set, both at 1.52; attacks in a single match with 71 against Arkansas Tech in 1991; and kills per set in a career at 4.13. She led Southern Arkansas to its best finish ever with a 42-4 season in 1989 and was a part of 16 and 18-match winning streaks that year.
In track and field, Morgan-Smith led the 1992 team to the AIC championship, scoring high-point honors with 52.5. She set a conference record in the triple jump with a leap of 37-9 ¾” and won both the long jump and shot put. The team placed fourth in the District 17 championship, with Morgan-Smith again winning the triple jump. The team advanced to the NAIA National Championship and 
placed 16th in the nation. Morgan-Smith competed in three events, placing fourth in the nation in the long jump, fifth in the triple jump, and was the anchor of SAU’s 400-meter relay team that placed third.
Her track and field accomplishments earned Morgan-Smith NAIA All-America and All-AIC honors in both 1990 and 1992.
Morgan-Smith still holds the Southern Arkansas record in the triple jump at 40-2 ½, and has a hand in two others as anchor on the 400-meter relay team in a time of 46.88 and the 800-meter relay in a time of 1:42.96.
Morgan-Smith currently is employed as a police officer in Dallas, and is married to Charles Smith. She has two sons, D.J. Grigsby and Dalen Morgan.
Wayne Ross (Modern Era – Swimming)
Wayne Ross, a Magnolia native, was an All-AIC swimmer at Southern 
Arkansas four consecutive years from 1980-1983.
Ross set and still holds numerous Mulerider swimming records for the 50, 100, 200, and 1,000-yard freestyle, the 100 breaststroke, the 200 individual medley, and as a member of the 400 freestyle, the 400 medley, and the 800 freestyle relay teams. His 1982 team participated in the NAIA national swim meet held in Vancouver, British Columbia, and at the NAIA national meet hosted by Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia in 1983.
Wayne was coached by his father, Dr. Delwin Ross, who also coached baseball, men’s basketball, and football in his long SAU career, and 
also played sports at what was then Magnolia A&M and a junior college. In his freshman season of 1980, Wayne helped provide his father with the AIC and District 17 coach of the year honors. Playing his final two years at Henderson State, Dr. Ross was recently inducted into their Hall of Honor.
Wayne and his wife, Judy, have two daughters, Christie Malone of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Cindie Nokes of Magnolia, and a grandson. Wayne resides in Magnolia where he manages Radio Shack.
Wayne (Pug) Roper (Golden Era – Track and Field)
Wayne “Pug” Roper began a long track and field career at Stamps 
Public Schools, performing for Coach Raymond “Rip” Powell. Roper finished a spectacular high school career in 1965 with a third-place finish in the 880-yard run in the Golden West Invitational Meet in Sacramento, Calif. that invited only the very best high school leaders from across the country. He set the overall high school state 880-yard record of 1:53.6 in the Meet of Champions as a senior in 1965, a mark that stood until 1970. That same year, Roper was selected Arkansas track & field athlete of the year for his classification.
Later that fall, Roper rejoined his high school coach, Powell, at Southern Arkansas. As a freshman in 1966, he was undefeated in the AIC and set a conference 880-yard record of 1:53.3 at the AIC Championship Meet. The next season, he had only one loss in the conference at the AIC Meet, but managed to set a school record for the 880-yard run in 1:52.9. He was an All-AIC selection in 1966 and 1969; was selected captain of the team his junior and senior seasons; and was also a NAIA All-American.
After college, Roper returned to athletic competition at the age of 33, running road races from 5,000-meter distances to marathons. From 1980 to 1995, he ran 127 5K races and placed first in his age group 104 times, and in the top three in his age group 17 other times. At the age of 57 Roper competed in the Northwest Louisiana District Senior Olympics, winning first place overall in the 400 and 800-meter 
events from 2005-2007. He serves as President of the Red River Road Runners and as the director of road races in the Shreveport/Bossier, La. area. Roper is currently on the board of directors of the Northwest Louisiana District Senior Olympics.
In 2009 Roper was inducted into the Arkansas Track & Field Sports Hall of Fame. Wayne and his wife, Carolyn, live in Waskom, Texas. They have two daughters, Wendy Russell of Stamps, and Misty Manshack of Waskom, and two grandsons. Wayne works in Bossier City for a real estate firm.
P.T. (Duddy) Waller (Golden Era Athlete and Coach – Basketball)
The late Prentice T. “Duddy” Waller was one of the purest shooters to 
ever step on the basketball court for Southern Arkansas. He played when SAU was still a junior college and after his Mulerider career, played at the University of Arkansas.
A native of Emerson, Waller might still hold the Mulerider record for scoring had the three-point shot been in effect when he played.
Waller was an All-AIC selection his freshman season of 1947-48, leading Southern Arkansas in scoring 453 points in 27 games, a 16.8 average, and scored 446 points in only 21 games, a 21.2 average, as a sophomore in 1948-49. He poured in 39 points to lead SAU to an upset of powerful Arkansas Tech in 1947-48.
After playing for the Muleriders and Razorbacks, Waller returned as head basketball coach at Southern Arkansas for three years from 1954-1957. SAU posted 42 wins against 24 losses in the three seasons, giving Waller the second-best winning percentage of .636 all-time, second only to W.T. Watson’s .665 percentage.
Waller left the Muleriders to become head basketball coach at Arkansas, where he coached the Razorbacks for four years from 1966-1970, winning 31 games.
Waller’s son, Steve, was an All-AIC defensive back for a strong Southern Arkansas football team in 1974. Waller’s nephew, Ted Waller, won state basketball championships in 1980 and 1985, and also the state overall championship in 1985, as coach of the Magnolia Panthers, after winning a state title at Village.
Waller is buried in the Stephens cemetery near another Mulerider legend and hall of fame member, Charlie McClendon, who coached LSU to the most football wins in school history. Waller and his wife, Rita, had two children, Steve, who lives in Texarkana; and daughter Teri West of Stephens; and four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Sue Bailey (Meritorious Service)
The late Sue Bailey served Southern Arkansas by volunteering to work 
as a secretary for the late and former athletic director and head basketball coach, W.T. Watson, and served in that capacity from 1980-1995.
Mrs. Bailey graduated from Draughn Business College in Camden with an emphasis on office management. She worked for Dr. Henry Hearnsberger in Stephens, where she self-trained as his nurse and doubled as office manager. She then worked for Dr. John Wilson in Magnolia as his nurse, where she was fondly referred to by many patients as “Dr. Sue”. In 1978, she suffered a back injury while at work, and after back surgery and partial recovery, was told by doctors she would not be able to continue as a nurse.
During her time at SAU, Mrs. Bailey not only served as secretary to Watson, but assisted with pre-game receptions, often bringing food and refreshments from home to serve guests. Twice each year, Sue and husband, Welton Bailey, would host a fish fry for the entire SAU coaching staff and their spouses, serving fresh catfish harvested from their farm pond.
Mrs. Bailey was honored with an award of merit in recognition and 
appreciation of her loyalty and 15 years of voluntary service without compensation to the Southern Arkansas athletic department, and she was also selected as radio station KVMA’s citizen of the week in August of 1991.
An excellent cook, Mrs. Bailey baked many pies to serve as dessert at dinners, including her famous burnt caramel pies, one of which sold at a church auction for $110.
Mrs. Bailey passed away March 1, 1996, with SAU coaches serving as honorary pall bearers.
Mrs. Bailey and her husband, Welton, who still lives in Magnolia, had three children, son Alan Bailey of Rockwell, Texas, and daughters Connie Hendrixson, and Regina Watkins, both of Little Rock, with all three graduating from Southern Arkansas. The Baileys also had six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Southern Arkansas Athletic Department to Host Golf Classic
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas athletic department will sponsor the Southern Arkansas University Golf Classic on Friday, July 17 at the Magnolia Country Club. The classic is a 4-person scramble with registration set for 8 a.m. on the day of the event and a tee time of 9 a.m.
The classic will have a shotgun start, with foursomes placed in flights and prizes awarded to the top three teams in each flight. The cost is $100 per person and includes lunch, Southern Arkansas University shirts, hole and door prizes and complimentary beverages. For those only wanting to participate in the 12:30 p.m. lunch and social, the cost is $15.
Sponsorship opportunities are available for individuals and businesses, including T-shirt sponsor for $1,000; SAU gear for $500; Blue and Gold Tee sponsor for $200; SAU Hole sponsor for $100; and Cart sponsor for $50. Donations to the athletic department are also accepted and appreciated.
For more information on the classic, contact Southern Arkansas golf coach Leonard Biddle at 870-235-4382 or 870-904-8563, or football coach Bill Keopple at 870-235-4105. Registration forms and information can also be found on the SAU athletic website at www.muleriderathletics.com.
Lady Muleriders’ Krcova Receives Academic Honor
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas’ Michaela Krcova has been selected to the 2008-09 ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VI women’s track & field and cross country team. It’s her second consecutive year to receive the honor.
Krcova, a junior from Trnava, Slovakia boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA in 
business administration-finance. She missed the cross country season this past fall due to an injury, but rebounded in time for the spring track season. A former Gulf South Conference Cross Country All-Academic Team honoree, Krcova is also a two-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll. Six times she has made the SAU President’s List, with all “A’s” in her six semesters at the university.
Competing primarily in the 1500 meter run, Krcova recorded a season-best 5:06.51 in finishing ninth at the Texas Christian Invitational in April. She finished second in the same event at the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawk Classic the next weekend, and had three top-11 finishes total on the season.
By virtue of being named first team on the district squad, Krcova will now advance for consideration on the academic All-America team.
Southern Arkansas Host Annual All-Sports Banquet
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Mallory McKee and James Schroeder were honored Wednesday with the coveted Auburn Smith Awards at the annual Southern Arkansas All-Sports banquet in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Also receiving laurels were Sarah Bell and Jack Crowley, being named this year’s Scholar-Athlete Award winners. Director of Athletics, Jay Adcox, presented the annual honors.
The Auburn Smith Award, given annually to both a women’s and men’s student-athlete, is the most prestigious honor a student-athlete can receive at SAU. The award is named in memory of Auburn Smith, who served as athletics director, administrator, coach, and instructor at Southern Arkansas. Athletic ability, performance, character, and scholastic achievement are all considerations by a selection committee of head coaches and athletic administrators at the university who select the honorees.
McKee (Coppell, Texas) is a 5-4 libero for the Lady Mulerider volleyball team, and is also a two-year member of the golf team. A senior, she holds a 3.61 GPA in criminal justice, with a minor in psychology.
McKee was a Second Team All-Gulf South Conference selection this season in volleyball. Four times she was named the GSC West Division Defensive Player of the Week over her four-year career, including twice this past season. McKee currently holds the Gulf South Conference career record of 55 matches with 20-plus digs. Over her four years, she shattered the SAU record book for digs. McKee finished her career as the all-time leader in total digs with 2,297 and averaged 5.47 digs per set over her four seasons. She owns the top four seasons all-time for digs per set, averaging a school-record 6.08 in 2007. McKee posted four of the top five matches all-time at SAU for digs in a match, setting the school record of 44 against Ouachita Baptist in 2007. During her career she recorded 18 matches with 30-plus digs, including four matches of 40-plus digs.
McKee is a four-time member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and is a six-time member of the SAU Dean’s List.
A 6-0, 205-pound third baseman and starting pitcher on the Mulerider 
baseball team, Schroeder (Montgomery, Texas) is the third consecutive baseball student-athlete to win the Auburn Smith honor. A senior, Schroeder holds a 3.55 GPA in physical education, wellness & leisure.
With a .365 batting average and an 8-2 won-loss record on the mound this year, Schroeder has helped lead Southern Arkansas to a 44-9 record, a school record 23-game winning streak, a national No. 1 ranking, and to its 11th consecutive, and 12th overall, Gulf South Conference tournament appearance.
Schroeder is a three-time GSC West Division Player of the Week, including once this season in which he has also received the league’s pitcher of the week honor, one of only six players in the conference’s history to do so. Last year, Schroeder was a second team All-GSC selection and was named to the Natural State baseball honorable mention All-Arkansas team. Schroeder is tied at second all-time at SAU for hits in a game with five, accomplishing that feat three times in his two-year career, including twice this season. He stands third all-time for at-bats in a season with 225 last year. His 18 home runs this year are three shy of the school record, and with 75 RBI, needs 13 more to tie the school mark in that category.
Schroeder is a member of the GSC Academic Honor Roll and a two-time member of the SAU Dean’s List.
The esteemed Scholar-Athlete Award is also given to both a women’s and men’s student-athlete. The nominee must have a minimum of a 3.00 GPA, have completed at least 56 semester hours, with at least one semester at SAU. Selection of the honorees is done by a committee considering GPA, athletic accomplishments, and citizenship.
Bell (Houston, Texas), a senior with the Lady Mulerider volleyball team, carries an impressive 3.68 cumulative GPA in exercise science, with a minor in Spanish.
Bell was named in the fall to the prestigious ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI Third Team. She is a four-time member of the Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll, a two-time member of the Southern Arkansas President’s List carrying a 4.00 GPA for both those semesters, and is a four-time member of the SAU Dean’s List.
On the court, Bell was second on the squad this season with 282 kills, 2.54 kills per set, 239 digs, and 328 points scored. She matched a career-high with 16 kills against Ouachita Baptist, and finished her four-year career with 524 kills and 606 digs.
A senior, Crowley (Dryden, Mich.) sports a 3.83 GPA in business administration-finance. He is a past member of the Gulf South Conference Academic Honor Roll, a three-time member of the SAU 
President’s list, garnering a 4.00 each of those semesters, and is a four-time member of the SAU Dean’s List, carrying at least a minimum of a 3.50 in each of those terms.
On the course, Crowley was the second leading scorer on this year’s squad, and was the team’s highest finisher at the GSC championship. He also led SAU at the Harding Natural State Classic, and finished fourth with a two-round total of 151 in the SAU Invitational.
A cancer survivor, Crowley sat out a season before resuming play in his senior season for the Muleriders.
In other honors, outstanding athletes were named in their respective fields by their head coaches or sponsors. Hannah Sutton received the accolade for athletic training, Jill Fennell for women’s golf, Peyton Mitchell in men’s golf, Payden Emmett for men’s rodeo, Caitlin Korensek in tennis, Kendall Mears in both women’s cross country and women’s track, Kevin Perez for men’s cross country, Michael Wooten in men’s track, Brandon Graves for baseball, Katie Lenderman in softball, Xavier Johnson for cheerleading, Justin Stuart in men’s basketball, Shanaye Davis for women’s basketball, Ryan Terry in football, and McKee received the volleyball honor.
Dan Gregory, with KVMA/KVMZ radio served as emcee for the evening’s event.
Photos by Houston Taylor, SID
Southern Arkansas Track Teams Compete at Hendrix
By: Houston Taylor
CONWAY, Ark. – The Southern Arkansas track and field teams were one of six squads competing Saturday in the Hendrix Invitational in Conway. Others participating were Central Arkansas, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas Tech, and host Hendrix.
The Lady Muleriders’ performance was highlighted by sophomore Bailey Dulaney’s (Keller, Texas) third-place finish in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:26.27, while senior Kendall Mears (Simms, Texas) placed fifth (19:45.11) in the 5000.
SAU ran four contestants in the 1500, with sophomore Jessica Gadlin (Commerce, Texas) (5:22.5) finishing ninth. Junior Michaela Krcova (Trnava, Slovakia) was 11th, sophomore Sarah Banman placed 15th, and sophomore Lindsay Spooner was 18th.
Junior Nyisha Pirtle competed in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, finishing sixth (13.75) in the 100 and ninth (28.83) in the 200.
True freshman Todd McAdoo (Bryant) paced the Muleriders with a fourth-place showing in the 3000 meter steeplechase in a time of 
10:43.15.
Southern Arkansas ran four contestants in the 5000, with sophomore Nathan Blim (Lufkin, Texas) (15:53.34) and junior Kevin Perez (Cabot) (16:02.93) finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Sophomore Colton Connelly (Comfort, Texas) (16:14.63) was eighth, while sophomore Ryan Laws (Cabot) was 11th.
Senior Michael Wooten (Houston, Texas) (2:00.35) was sixth in the 800; while sophomore Dusty Hardin (Banks) (4:17.91) had an eighth-place finish in the 1500. Senior Josh Mitchell (Aiea, Hawaii) was 11th.
Sophomore Mickey Mojica (Royse City, Texas) was ninth (53.64) in the 400 meter dash, and placed 13th (11.90) in the 100.
SAU will compete next in the Rhodes (Tenn.) College Invitational on March 28 in Memphis.
Southern Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will induct Seven
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Two athletes from the modern era and two from the golden era, including one of the nation’s top football coaches, and three former coaches comprise the 2008 Southern Arkansas University Sports Hall of Fame class. SAU’s sixth hall of fame class will be honored Saturday at halftime of the Mulerider football game against Delta State. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Wilkins Stadium.
Modern era athletes to be inducted are Bobby Evans (football) and Tommy Stewart (baseball), and from the golden era, Sammy Furo (football) and Tommy Tuberville (football and golf). Coaches to be recognized are the late Sam Bailey (football and baseball), Dr. Ginger Hurst (volleyball and tennis) and Steve Goodheart (baseball).
Bobby Evans (Modern Era – Football)
A native of Haynesville, La., Bobby Evans played defensive back for Mulerider football teams from 
1986-1989. He was named a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) First Team All-America linebacker in his senior season, and was also a first team selection that year on both the All-District 17 and All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) squads.
Evans set a Mulerider defensive record in 1989 that still stands for the longest return off a blocked field goal attempt that he returned 65 yards for a touchdown against Northeastern State. The score provided the difference in a 26-23 Southern Arkansas win.
Evans was consistent throughout his Mulerider career, recording 81 tackles as a freshman, 78 as a sophomore, 88 as a junior, and 81 as a senior, for a career total of 328. He had 43 tackles for losses totaling 211 yards in his four years at SAU, including 20 sacks for 149 lost yards, had six fumble recoveries, broke up 19 passes and had four interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
Evans went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League, starting in 1990 and playing a total of six years with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Following his first five seasons in Winnipeg, he became a free agent in 1995 and signed with the expansion Shreveport Pirates. After the folding of the American clubs, Evans returned to Winnipeg, playing his final season in 1996.
During his seven years as a pro, Evans made 339 tackles, with 23 for loss, including eight sacks, and had 21 interceptions. He was a CFL Eastern All-Star selection in his fourth season of 1993.
Bobby and his wife, Angela, reside in Bossier City, La. They have two children, a son, Terrance, and a daughter, Tya.
Tommy Stewart (Modern Era – Baseball)
Tommy Stewart left his hometown of Daingerfield, Texas, to come to Southern Arkansas as an outfielder, but ended his career (1992-1995) as an All-America shortstop.
Known as “Scooter” during his time with the Muleriders, Stewart helped lead SAU to its final two AIC and NAIA District 17 championships in 1994 and 1995 before the athletic program’s move to NCAA Division II.
In his senior season, Stewart led the team hitting .474 with a .703 slugging percentage and had an on-base percentage of .530. He was named All-AIC and both the conference and NAIA Southwest Region Player of the Year, and was a second team NAIA All-America selection. But what Stewart received the most national attention for was setting a NAIA national record by hitting safely in 54 consecutive games.
Stewart’s 54-game hitting streak actually began late in his junior season of 1994, and as a switch hitter the next year he erased the old record of 44 with ease. Only two others in all of baseball history have hit in more consecutive games, New York Yankee Hall of Fame legend Joe DiMaggio with 56, and major-leaguer Robin Ventura with 58, when he played collegiately at Oklahoma State.
Improving in every category throughout his Southern Arkansas career, Stewart ended his four years with a career batting average of .367, a .520 slugging percentage and a .414 on-base percentage. He obviously still holds the career hitting streak record for the Muleriders and the season record of 51. Stewart is still second all-time at SAU in games played (212), hits in a season (91 in 1995) and batting average in a season (.474 in 1995).
Stewart signed and had a brief professional baseball career with the Houston Astros, before returning to Daingerfield where he served as assistant baseball coach for four years. He currently is in his sixth season as head coach at Hughes Springs, Texas, where his teams have compiled a five-year record of 125-24-1 and collected four district championships. His 2006 squad went 35-1 and advanced to the finals of the class AA state championship.
Tommy and his wife, Kara, reside in Daingerfield. They have two daughters, Calli and Briley.
Sammy Furo (Golden Era – Football)
Sammy Furo played football in 1947 and 1948 at Southern Arkansas when it was still a junior college 
(Magnolia A&M). A native of Smackover, Furo was SAU’s initial All-America selection, chosen as a second team tailback. The Muleriders would not have another player recognized among All-America teams until 1954.
In his two years at Southern Arkansas, Furo led Elmer Smith’s Muleriders to records of 9-2-1 in 1947 and to 8-2 in 1948. In his first year, they had regular season wins against McNeese State and Northeast Louisiana, junior colleges at the time, but now NCAA Division I schools. The Muleriders closed that year with a scoreless tie against McNeese in a hurricane in the Cajun Bowl in Lake Charles, La.
In 1948, the Muleriders were AIC co-champions, playing against several four-year colleges in the conference ranks at the time. They again also made post-season play, beating Eastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College by a 41-12 margin in the Papoose Bowl.
The oldest football record at Southern Arkansas was set in 1948 when Furo returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown against Henderson State. The record lasted 50 years before Jeff Sustaire returned 
one for 84 yards and a touchdown against Arkansas-Monticello in 1998. The current record is 91 yards with Jason Bennett returning it for a score against Central Arkansas in 2000.
Furo transferred to the University of Arkansas for his final two seasons, lettering with the Razorbacks in 1949 and 1950.
Now retired, Sammy and his wife, Kay, reside in Hot Springs. They have two sons, Sam, Jr. and Adam, three daughters, Patricia Leovich, Carol Fisher and Amy Horner, and seven grandchildren.
Tommy Tuberville (Golden Era – Football and Golf)
A native of Camden (Harmony Grove) and a 1976 graduate of Southern Arkansas, Tommy Tuberville is regarded as one of the country’s top football coaches, directing the Auburn Tigers to an 80-33 record over the past nine years. Now in his 10th season, his Tigers have a 42-9 mark over the past four years for an .824 winning percentage, fifth best in the nation in both wins and percentage over that span.
Tuberville guided his 2004 Auburn squad to an undefeated 13-0 season, the best record in school history. For that effort he was named the AFCA, Associated Press, Paul “Bear” Bryant, FCA, SEC and Walter Camp Coach of the Year. Tuberville has led the Tigers to a Southeastern Conference championship, five SEC West Division titles, and eight consecutive bowl appearances, including five New Year’s Day bowl berths. At Auburn he has coached 35 first team All-SEC players, eight All-America honorees, and has had 29 players selected in the NFL draft, including a SEC record four in the 2005 draft.
In his 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Tuberville has an overall record of 105-53. Before coaching at Auburn, he was the head coach at Ole Miss (1995-98), where he was 25-20 in four years despite inheriting a program under serious NCAA scholarship sanctions and probation. He was the AP SEC Coach of the Year in 1997 at Ole Miss.
Prior to Ole Miss, Tuberville was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Texas A&M in 1994 when the Aggies were 10-0-1, and was on the staff at Miami for eight seasons from 1986-1993 when the Hurricanes won three national championships and posted an 87-9 record. He got his collegiate coaching start in 1980 at Arkansas State where he served for five years, and his first coaching job was at Hermitage High School from 1976-1979, serving the last two years as head coach.
Tuberville played high school football at Harmony Grove before enrolling at SAU in 1972, where he lettered as a free safety for the Muleriders through 1975, and also played golf his final two years. He 
was encouraged to play college football by his father, the late C.R. Tuberville, a long-time and highly respected athletic official in the area.
While at Southern Arkansas, Tuberville played under legendary head coach Raymond (Rip) Powell, and during his tenure at Ole Miss, maintained that his days at SAU were the most formative of his future career. He requested of his then position coach, and still long-time friend, Sonny Whittington, that he wanted to attend offensive team meetings as well as the defensive meetings because of his desire to coach. Tuberville credits Powell, Whittington and the rest of the Mulerider staff (Calvin Neal and Eldon Hawley) with teaching him techniques, fundamentals, and more than he ever learned at any of his other coaching stops.
Tuberville was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in February of this year. He is married to the former Suzanne Fette of Guilford, Ind., and they have two sons, Thomas and Troy.
Sam Bailey (Coach – Football and Baseball)
The late Sam Bailey came to what was then Magnolia A&M Junior College in 1946. A short time 
after stepping on campus, he would start and play a full contest in the first football game he ever played or saw, and even more remarkable, at quarterback.
Bailey grew up in tiny Sandyland near Smackover, and graduated at the time the U.S. entered World War II. By the time he was discharged from the armed service he had a wife and two-year old son, and spent his time working in area oil fields and playing independent basketball.
Magnolia A&M had suspended athletics in 1942 because of the war. Elmer Smith was hired to create post-war athletic programs in 1946 at the school. There were no practice facilities, uniforms, or an on-campus playing field. Smith happened to see Bailey playing basketball on an independent team at Stephens and liked what he saw. He encouraged Bailey to visit the campus in Magnolia and showed his family where they would live, a very small trailer. When Bailey told Smith he had never played football, Smith gambled one of his 22 allowed scholarships on someone who had never even seen a football game.
In Bailey’s first season, the Muleriders were only 4-5, but they soared to a 9-2-1 record in 1947, including a tie with McNeese State in the Cajun Bowl at Lake Charles, La. After his two years at Magnolia A&M, Bailey moved on to Ouachita Baptist and played against the Muleriders in the now defunct AIC. Before the advent of most eligibility rules, Smith still sent Bailey money each month because Bailey’s scholarship at Ouachita Baptist was not enough for a player with a family.
Upon graduating at OBU in 1950, Bailey joined Smith’s football staff in Magnolia as the institution became a four-year school named Southern State College. As an assistant, he helped lead Southern State to consecutive AIC championships in 1951 and 1952. Bailey also coached baseball, leading the Muleriders to three AIC championships in 1953, 1954 and 1956. His baseball teams compiled a 41-36 record over six years (1951-56).
After Smith joined Paul “Bear” Bryant’s staff at Texas A&M in 1954, Bailey followed in 1956. When Bryant left for Alabama, Bailey went with him, serving as assistant athletics director and assistant head coach until the legendary Bryant died.
Bailey’s wife, Mildred, resides in Tuscaloosa, Ala. They had a son, Darryl, who is also deceased, and have two grandsons, Sam and J.R.
Dr. Ginger Hurst (Coach – Volleyball and Tennis)
Dr. Ginger Hurst coached volleyball at Southern Arkansas for 13 years (1977-89) and was named AIC Coach of the Year in 1988. Her teams finished first or second in the conference seven of the last nine seasons of her career.
Hurst coached the 1982 team to an unbeaten Arkansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Association
(AWISA) championship (14-0), and an overall record of 21-5 in that league’s final season before the move to the AIC. Hurst led SAU to back-to-back AIC titles in 1988 and 1989. Under her guidance, the Lady Muleriders accumulated a record of 223-110. The 1989 SAU team racked up a school record 42-4 mark in Hurst’s final year.
During her volleyball tenure at Southern Arkansas, Hurst coached 10 All-AWISA, 18 All-AIC, and 15 All-NAIA District 17 selections. She also signed Tracy Morgan, who was a 1989 All-AIC and All-District pick, and the District 17 Player of the Year, who would go on to be an honorable mention All-America selection in her senior season of 1991.
Hurst helped the Lady Muleriders make a successful transition from the AWISA to the AIC. She was the last elected AWISA president before the merging with the AIC.
Hurst coached women’s tennis at SAU from 1978-1985, compiling a 36-55 record over her eight seasons. In 1983 she had two players win both the AIC singles and doubles championships. She coached four All-AIC and five All-District 17 selections.
A native of Mountain Home, Hurst received her B.S.E. and M.S.E. degrees from Arkansas State University. Before her arrival at Southern Arkansas, Hurst was employed at Helena-West Helena Public Schools.
After retiring from coaching in 1990, Hurst attended graduate school at the University of Arkansas, where she completed her Ed. D. Residing in Magnolia, she has served since as associate professor of health, kinesiology and recreation, and as a member of the Southern Arkansas graduate studies faculty. Hurst has been associated with the Columbia County Animal Protection Society (CCAPS) and the Southern Arkansas University Senior Wellness Program.
Steve Goodheart (Coach – Baseball)
Steve Goodheart, who built the Southern Arkansas baseball program into a national power, retired in 2003 after serving 23 years (1981-2003) as head coach. Easily the most wins in school history, his 
Muleriders won 764 games, lost 416, and tied five, for a .647 percentage. Goodheart’s 764 wins places him second all-time among collegiate coaches in the state of Arkansas behind only the University of Arkansas’ Norm DeBriyn, who retired in 2002 with 1,161 wins in 33 years as head coach of the Razorbacks.
A native of Great Falls, Mont., Goodheart came to what was then Southern State College to play baseball for the Muleriders in 1972. In four years he was a part of two championship Mulerider teams in the now defunct AIC. He was an All-AIC selection in 1975 and played in the AIC All-Star games in both 1975 and 1976. As a student assistant in 1977, he once again helped SAU claim another AIC championship.
Following graduation, he spent a year at Camden Fairview High School as head baseball coach, before going to the University of Arizona for the 1979 season to become a graduate assistant with the baseball program. In his first year there, Arizona was ranked fifth nationally, and in his second year, the Wildcats won the NCAA College World Series. Goodheart received his M.Ed. in physical education from Arizona in 1980, and was hired as a young baseball coach by SAU’s late athletics director, W.T. Watson.
Goodheart, who operated with a non-scholarship program for approximately 15 years, guided his Southern Arkansas teams to nine AIC championships, including six consecutive from 1986-1991, eight 
NAIA District 17 titles and two area championships. He led the 1983, 1987 and 1991 teams to the NAIA World Series, with his ‘87 squad finishing third in the nation, posting an impressive 46-7 record, the best finish ever for an SAU team. Goodheart also oversaw the baseball program’s transition to the Gulf South Conference and NCAA Division II in 1996.
More than 50 of Goodheart’s former players signed to play professional baseball. He coached 54 first team All-AIC players, 26 first team NAIA All-District selections, five NAIA All-Area players, 12 NAIA Southwest Region selections, 17 NAIA All-Americans, 33 first team All-GSC choices, 11 NCAA All-Region picks, and two NCAA All-Americans.
Goodheart was chosen AIC Coach of the Year seven times and NAIA Area V Coach of the Year twice. In 1984, he was selected as one of five coaches to evaluate talent in the region for selections on the 1984 USA Olympic baseball team.
In Goodheart’s final eight seasons competing against the GSC West Division, his Muleriders finished runner-up seven times to established NCAA II powerhouse Delta State University. His record against Division II opposition was even better than against NAIA members, recording 287 wins, 126 losses, and two ties for a .694 percentage from 1996-2003.
Following his retirement in 2003, Goodheart served as an area scout for Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals through this past year.
Still a member of the SAU faculty, Steve and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Magnolia. They have one son, Matthew, and are expecting their second child in the spring.
SAU Sports Hall of Fame Activities Postponed
By: Houston Taylor
MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Southern Arkansas’ 2008 Sports Hall of Fame activities originally scheduled for this weekend have been postponed until Saturday, October 25.
SAU was slated to induct its sixth hall of fame class during Saturday’s football game with Henderson State, but the university will be holding family day activities instead. Family day had been scheduled for the weekend of the Muleriders’ game against Valdosta State on September 13, but the after-effects of Hurricane Ike caused the postponement of those activities.
Instead, the induction of the 2008 Sports Hall of Fame class will be held at halftime of Southern Arkansas’ game against Delta State on October 25. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. for that game.
