The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Texas Women’s Athletics Hall of Honor to induct six new members
09.13.2013 | Texas Athletics
Class of 2013 to include Katy Arris-Wilson, Robin Carter, Kelly Pace Wilson, Melaine Walker, Diane Watson and Susan Sigmon.
AUSTIN, Texas -- Five distinguished former University of Texas student-athletes and one athletics staffer will be inducted this fall into the UT Women's Athletics Hall of Honor, the Women's Hall of Honor Committee announced Friday. The 14th Longhorn Women's Hall of Honor class includes: Katy Arris-Wilson, 20-time All-American in swimming who led Texas to a pair of NCAA team titles; Robin Carter, 11-time All-American and 1994 NCAA Women's Diver of the Year; Kelly Pace Wilson, five-time All-American in tennis who guided Texas to two NCAA team championships; Melaine Walker, Olympic gold medalist and three-time NCAA champion in track who led UT to a pair of NCAA team titles; Diane Watson, two-time All-American in volleyball who paced Texas to its first NCAA semifinals appearance; and Susan Sigmon, long-time staff photographer who has served 31 years (1982-present) with UT Athletics.
The Class of 2013 will be inducted at an 11:30 a.m. (Central) ceremony and luncheon on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The six new members will be enshrined during ceremonies at the Texas-Kansas football game the following day (2:30 p.m. Central kickoff). Tickets to the Friday luncheon are $35 and available through the T-Association at 512-471-6864. Interested patrons may also sponsor a table of 10 for $450.
A 20-time All-American who helped the Longhorns to NCAA team titles in 1990 and 1991, Arris-Wilson (1989-92) left Texas as one of the most versatile swimmers in school history. She earned an individual NCAA title in the 1,650 freestyle in 1992 and was a member of two NCAA champion relay squads, helping UT's 400 freestyle relay claim the crown in both 1990 and 1991. Arris-Wilson won three Southwest Conference individual titles and five SWC relay crowns in her career. She was named the SWC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the state of Texas' NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 1992, while also earning a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following her senior season.
The 1994 NCAA Women's Diver of the Year, Carter (1992-95) is one of only four female divers in UT program history to earn All-America honors in all four years. She won the NCAA three-meter diving title as a junior in 1994 and finished her career as an 11-time All-American and five-time Southwest Conference champion. Carter helped lead Texas to top-five team finishes at the NCAA Championships in each of her four seasons in Austin.
Pace Wilson (1992-95) remains the winningest tennis player in school history. A five-time All-American, she helped UT to its two NCAA team titles in 1993 and 1995. Pace Wilson still holds school records for career singles wins (152), career singles winning percentage (.863) and single-season winning percentage (.913 in 1994-95). After leading the Longhorns to the 1995 NCAA team title, she also advanced to the finals of both the singles and doubles (with partner Cristina Moros) draws at the NCAA Championships. Pace Wilson ranked No. 1 nationally in single and doubles and earned the NCAA's National Senior Player of the Year in 1995.
One of the top hurdlers in school history, Walker (2005-06) was a three-time NCAA champion, eight-time All-American and six-time Big 12 Conference champion. She helped lead the Longhorns to NCAA team titles at the 2005 Outdoor Championships and the 2006 Indoor Championships. As a junior, Walker ran legs on the NCAA champion 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays at the 2005 national outdoor meet. She then ran on the NCAA champion 4x100-meter relay at the 2006 national outdoor meet. Walker won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing while setting an Olympic record with a time of 52.64 in the final. She also won a World Outdoor title in the 400-meter hurdles in 2009 in Berlin, recording the second-fastest time in history (52.42).
Watson (1983-86) was a two-time volleyball All-American and one of the first outside hitters in program history to earn national honors. A native Californian, she also began a trend of talented players who left the Sunshine State to play at Texas. The first Longhorn to earn All-Southwest Conference honors in four straight seasons, Watson led UT to its first NCAA Championship semifinals appearance as a senior in 1986. She earned 1983 SWC Newcomer of the Year and 1985 SWC Player of the Year honors and was a member of the league's 1980s All-Decade First Team. Watson finished her career as UT's all-time leader in kills (1,408), attacks (3,431) and digs (1,253).
Sigmon recently completed her 31st year of association with The University of Texas. She is credited with building the UT Athletics photography department from scratch into the model program for Intercollegiate Athletics across the nation. The UT Women's Athletics Department became the first office in the country to hire a staff photographer, when it hired Sigmon in 1982 to provide photographic documentation of its athletic events and studio work for media guides, posters and programs. Her work has been honored over 90 times by the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), including multiple awards for "Best in the Nation."
The six inductees were selected by the 22-member UT Women's Athletics Hall of Honor Selection Committee. The committee is chaired by Dr. Jim Deitrick, professor of accounting in the Red McCombs School of Business. In addition to Deitrick, the committee includes: Arthur Allert, Tina Bonci, Beverly Bowes Hackney, Brad Buchholz, Rick Cantu, Jody Conradt, Stephanie DeMunbrun, Dr. Linda Ferreira-Buckley, Cindy Figg-Currier, Carlette Guidry Falkquay, Mary Herman, Courtney Houston, Tara Huntress, Becky Marshall, Chris Plonsky (ex officio), Dr. Robert Prentice, Sally Schlobohm Tan, Martha Smiley, Mary Steinhardt, Jill Sterkel and Pam Willeford.
2013 Longhorn Women's Hall of Honor Inductee Bios
Katy Arris-Wilson (Swimming, 1989-92)
(B.A. Economics, The University of Texas, 1992)
A 20-time All-American who helped the Longhorns to two NCAA team titles, Katy Arris-Wilson left Texas as one of the most versatile swimmers in school history. She stepped in as a freshman and made an immediate impact individually and on relays. Arris earned All-America honors by placing third in the 200 and 400 individual medleys and second in the 800 freestyle relay. She added honorable mention All-America honors in the 1,650 freestyle and helped Texas to a runner-up finish at the 1989 NCAA Championships. Arris' three top-eight individual finishes and contributions on relays as a sophomore helped Texas to its sixth NCAA team title and eighth overall national title in 1990. She tallied three more individual All-America honors as a sophomore in middle distances and butterfly events. Arris placed second in the 200 freestyle, third in the 500 freestyle and seventh in the 200 butterfly at the 1990 NCAA Championships. She helped UT to the NCAA crown in the 400 freestyle relay and added third-place finishes in the 800 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relay to help the Horns to the national title. Arris added five All-America finishes as a junior at the 1991 NCAA Championships, and Texas secured its seventh NCAA title and ninth overall national title. Arris helped UT to its second straight NCAA title in the 400 freestyle relay. She placed second in the 500 freestyle, third in the 200 freestyle and seventh in the 1,650 freestyle and added a third-place showing in the 800 freestyle relay. Arris closed her UT career with an individual national crown at the 1992 NCAA Championships, where Texas placed second in the team standings. Arris won the 1,650 freestyle and posted a fourth-place finish in the 500 freestyle and a sixth-place finish in the 200 freestyle. She also placed second in the 400 and 800 freestyle relays. Arris finished her Texas career with three SWC individual titles and five SWC relay crowns. The Southwest Conference selected Arris as its Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1992, and the NCAA awarded Arris a postgraduate scholarship following her senior season. Arris also was selected to the GTE Southwest Conference Academic Honor Roll. Arris represented the U.S. in international competition at the 1991 FINA World Championships, 1990 Goodwill Games and at the 1989 and 1991 Pan Pacific Championships. Arris received the state of Texas' NCAA Woman of the Year Award in 1992. She graduated with honors in 1992 and earned a bachelor of arts (B.A.) in economics with a minor in business administration. Today, Arris is the president of Tide Swim Team in Virginia Beach, Va. She and her husband, Kevin Wilson, are the parents of three children, William, Sophie and Kayla.
Robin Carter (Diving, 1992-95)
(B.S. Nutrition, The University of Texas, 1996; M.B.A. Business Administration, The University of Texas, 2002)
The 1994 NCAA Women's Diver of the Year, Robin Carter helped Texas to top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships in all four years as a Longhorn. One of only four Longhorn divers in program history to earn All-America honors in all four years, Carter won the NCAA three-meter diving title in 1994. She finished her UT career as an 11-time All-American (9 AA, 2 HM AA) and five-time Southwest Conference champion. Carter earned All-America honors in all three events as a freshman, when she placed fifth in the one-meter event, sixth in the platform event and eighth in the three-meter event at the 1992 NCAA Championships. As a sophomore, Carter earned All-America honors in the three-meter event (second place) and the platform event (seventh place) at the 1993 NCAA Championships. She became UT's third national champion diver as a junior, when she claimed the three-meter title at the 1994 NCAA Championships. Her fifth-place finish in the one-meter event and 15th-place showing in the platform event cemented her selection as the NCAA Diver of the Year. She also was a member of the U.S. National Diving Team in 1994. Carter earned three more All-America honors and placed third in the one-meter event, eighth in the three-meter event and 10th in the platform event at the 1995 NCAA Championships. She finished her Texas career as a three-time team MVP (1992, 1994 and 1995). Carter earned a bachelor's degree in nutrition in 1996 and a master's degree in business administration in 2002. She currently lives in Sugar Land, Texas with her husband, Mark, and two children: Andrew (2) and Aaron (1). Carter is a senior brand manager for Coca-Cola North America and is a co-owner and manager of Windfern Business Park.
Kelly Pace Wilson (Tennis, 1992-95)
(B.S. Kinesiology, The University of Texas, 2002)
A five-time All-American and member of UT's two NCAA champion women's tennis teams, Kelly (Pace) Wilson remains the winningest player in school history. She helped UT to its two NCAA team titles in 1993 and 1995. Nearly 20 years after completing her collegiate career, Pace continues to rank first all-time at Texas in career singles wins (152), career singles winning percentage (.863) and single-season winning percentage (.913, 1994-95). Pace's senior campaign proved to be among the most productive individual seasons in the history of college tennis. She helped UT to victory in the 1995 NCAA team title match against Florida and also played in the singles and doubles finals (with partner Cristina Moros) at the NCAA Championships. Pace ranked No. 1 nationally in singles and doubles and was selected as the NCAA's National Senior Player of the Year. She competed in the NCAA Championships' singles draw all four years as a Longhorn and added a semifinals appearance in 1993, and she also played in the NCAA Championships' doubles draw three times. Pace ranks second all-time at Texas with five All-America honors. She earned singles All-America honors from 1993-95 and doubles All-America honors in 1994 and 1995. The 1995 Southwest Conference Player of the Year was selected as UT's Team MVP in 1992, 1994 and 1995. She earned All-SWC honors in singles and doubles all four years as a Longhorn. Pace played professionally from 1995-98 and won two tournaments, and she competed in one of professional tennis' four majors – the U.S. Open – in 1996. Pace was ranked as high as No. 134 in doubles and No. 196 in singles during her professional career, and she has won 12 USTA National Senior Championships. Pace earned a bachelor's of science (B.S.) in kinesiology from UT in 2002. She is currently a director of tennis and associate tennis professional at Gold River Racquet Club in Sacramento, Calif.
Susan Sigmon (Staff Photographer, 1982-2010)
(B.S. Journalism, The University of Texas, 1981)
Sigmon recently completed her 31st year of association with The University of Texas and is credited with building the UT Athletics photography department from the ground up into the model program for Intercollegiate Athletics across the nation. The UT Women's Athletics Department hired Sigmon in 1982 to provide photographic documentation of its athletic events and studio work for media guides, posters and programs. In doing so, the department was the first in the country to hire a staff photographer. Five years later, the men's and women's athletics departments at Texas developed a joint photo operation and Sigmon was named head of the division. In that role, she oversaw a staff of three full-time employees and a number of student assistants. Her work has been honored over 90 times by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), including multiple awards for "Best in the Nation." Sigmon's photos have been published nationally and internationally, appearing in Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Sporting News, Glamour and Vogue. She also filled campus requests from the Graduate School of Business, the Admissions office, the President's office and the Ex-Students Association, and she provided photographic services for The University of Texas Chancellor's office. Sigmon was the recipient of a University of Texas "Excellence Award" in 1992, recognizing consistent, high-level performance by an employee of UT. She retired from full-time employment at UT in August of 2010, but she returned to the athletics department in October of 2010 and currently works as a Special Assistant to the Communications department. Sigmon continues to direct the digital archiving process for UT Athletics photographic history, and those archives house over 100,000 images – both historic and current. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1981 from The University of Texas. During her time as an undergraduate, she served as a staff photographer and photo editor for The Daily Texan. Sigmon was awarded that publication's "Outstanding Staffer" honor and was a recipient of a UT Photojournalism scholarship recommended by Professor Larry Schaff. Sigmon and her husband, Jim, reside in Austin with their son, Christopher, and daughter, Wes. Jim serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for New Media in the UT Athletics Department. The couple was selected by the Texas Exes in 2008 to produce a photography book, "Our Texas," for the 125th anniversary of The University, and the Sigmons picked 180 photos of school buildings, campus monuments and athletic events that best represented The University.
Melaine Walker (Track, 2005-06)
(A.S. Social Sciences, Essex County College, 2004; B.S. Applied Learning and Development - Youth and Community Studies, The University of Texas, 2006)
An Olympic gold medalist and record-holder and world champion 400-meter hurdler, as well as a three-time NCAA champion, eight-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-American and six-time Big 12 champion, Walker is one of the top hurdlers in Texas Track and Field program history. Walker began her collegiate career at Essex County College in Newark, N.J., where she collected two national junior college championships and eight junior college All-America honors. She joined the Longhorns for the 2005 and 2006 indoor and outdoor seasons, during which she amassed numerous individual national honors in addition to helping UT to 2005 outdoor and 2006 indoor NCAA team championships. Walker kicked off her Texas career with a sixth-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships as a junior in 2005. During the outdoor season, she was a strong contributor to Texas' national crown, running legs of UT's NCAA title-winning 4x100-meter and 4x400-meter relays while also placing fourth in the 400-meter hurdles. In her senior season, Walker added two more indoor All-America honors in the 60-meter hurdles, where she finished fifth, and as the anchor leg of the Longhorn's 4x400-meter relay, which placed third, en route to UT's second consecutive NCAA track and field team championship. She closed her collegiate career with another NCAA 4x100-meter relay title and a third-place finish in the 100-meter hurdles at the national outdoor meet, a performance which helped her earn 2006 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South Central Regional Athlete of the Year honors. Walker finished her career ranked second all-time in UT program history in the 400-meter hurdles with her collegiate-best mark of 54.87 seconds, and she still ranks third in the 100-meter hurdles (12.75) and the 60-meter hurdles (8.05) and fourth in the 55-meter hurdles (7.77). Since turning professional at the conclusion of the 2006 season, Walker has experienced significant international success as a 400-meter hurdler. She was the gold medalist in the event at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, setting the Olympic 400-meter hurdles record of 52.64 in the final. Walker went on to win a World Outdoor title in the 400-meter hurdles in 2009 in Berlin, crossing the finish line in 52.42, the second-fastest time in history. She was the silver medalist in the event at the 2011 World Outdoor Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and raced in her second Olympic 400-meter hurdles competition at the 2012 London Games. Walker earned a bachelor's degree in applied learning and development – youth and community studies in 2006. A product of Kingston, Jamaica, she continues to train in and compete for her native country.
Diane Watson (Volleyball, 1983-86)
(B.S. Physical Education/Health, The University of Texas, 1989)
A two-time All-American and member of the Southwest Conference 1980s All-Decade First Team, Diane Watson was one of the first Longhorns to earn national distinction from the outside hitter position. A native of Westminster, Calif., Watson made an unprecedented decision to leave the Sunshine State's mecca of volleyball talent to play collegiately in Austin. The 1983 Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year became an immediate fan favorite because of her tenacious playing style. In 1985, she amassed 315 kills, 281 digs and hit .279 en route to earning Southwest Conference Player of the Year honors. She became the first Longhorn to earn all-conference honors in four straight seasons, and she led Texas to its first NCAA Championship semifinals appearance as a senior in 1986. At the conclusion of her collegiate playing career, Watson was UT's all-time leader in kills (1,408), attacks (3,431) and digs (1,253). In today's record book, she still ranks seventh in career kills, attacks and digs. Watson earned a bachelor's degree in physical education/health in 1989. She continues to contribute to the development of volleyball in her current role as the assistant athletic coordinator and head volleyball coach at nearby Round Rock High School.
