2004 RMAC Hall of Fame Press Release

Included in this email below is the 2004 RMAC Hall of Fame Press Release, as well as the web site link to this year's press release.
Complete biographical information, as well as photos of the inductees, will be released in early July as the event nears.

2004 RMAC Hall of Fame Press Release Web Site Link:
http://www.rmacsports.org/2004halloffame.pdf

Friday, May 21, 2004

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
To Enshrine Six Individuals and Three
National Championship Teams Into League's Prestigious Hall of Fame

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO --- The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) has announced that six individuals and three national championship teams will be inducted into the RMAC Hall of Fame this summer.

The 2004 induction class includes three former student-athletes, Debra Gilbert (basketball) of Adams State College, Chuck Pipher (wrestling) of the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University at Pueblo) and Lonnie Porter (basketball and track & field) of Adams State College. The RMAC is also enshrining Troy Bledsoe (athletic director) of Fort Lewis College under the administrator category, Fritz Brennecke (football coach and athletic
director) from Colorado School of Mines in the historical classification and Doug Schakel (men's basketball coach) of Mesa State College for his achievements in the coaching profession. Complete biographical information, as well as photos of the inductees, will be released in early July.

Along with the six individuals, three teams will be recognized for capturing the league's first-ever national championships.
The Montana State College (now University) Bobcats tied (0-0) Saint Joseph's College (IN) in the inaugural Aluminum Bowl on December 19th, 1956, thus sharing the first-ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football title. The game was played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AR and was broadcasted nationally on CBS television and CBS radio. The 1963 and 1964 Western State College wrestling teams will also be celebrated at the banquet for their achievements. Both Mountaineer squads earned the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) College Division national championship. Van Doughtey won the 115-pound individual championship, while every other member of the 1963 WSC team placed at least fourth at the national meet.
In 1964, WSC repeated as national champions with Al Rozman (191-pounds) and Bob Hollingshead (137-pounds) garnering individual titles.

Last year's class included the following individuals: RMAC official John Adams; former Mesa State College director of athletics Jay Jefferson; past Adams State College cross country coach Joe Vigil; Lloyd Madden from Colorado School of Mines as a historical category representative (football player and track & field athlete); as well as former student-athletes Hector Hernandez (wrestling) of New Mexico Highlands University; Annette Wiles (basketball) from Fort Hays State University and Elva Martinez Dryer (runner) of Western State College.
This year marks the third year of the RMAC Hall of Fame. Paul and Wanda Brechler, former conference commissioners, were the initial inductees at the 2002 RMAC Hall of Fame Banquet.

The individuals and teams will be commemorated on Friday, July 10th at the luxurious Colorado Springs Sheraton Hotel. The event will begin with a social hour at 5 pm (MST), followed by dinner at 6 pm and the banquet at 7 pm. Banquet tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased by calling (719) 471-0066 or visiting the RMAC Web Site at the following link:
http://www.rmacsports.org/2004halloffamebanquetregistration.pdf. Tickets must be purchased in advance and will NOT be available on-site.

Founded in 1909, the RMAC is believed to be the second oldest conference in the United States (behind the Big 10, founded in 1898). For further media information pertaining to this event, please contact RMAC Assistant Commissioner, Chris Fitzpatrick, at (719) 471-4936.


Chris Fitzpatrick, Assistant Commissioner Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)
219 West Colorado Avenue, Suite 212
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80918
Web Site: www.rmacsports.org
Office: (719) 471-4936
Mobile: (719) 439-5081
Fax: (719) 471-0088
Work Email: fitzrmac@qwest.net or
Home Email: fitz100@hotmail.com