The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

2018 Hall of Honor Class to be inducted tonight
09.07.2018 | Texas Athletics, T-Association
Follow images and news from the event on Twitter (@TexasLonghorns) and Instagram (texaslonghorns).
AUSTIN, Texas -- Fifteen distinguished and decorated former University of Texas student-athletes and staff will be inducted tonight (Sept. 7) into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor. The ceremony starts at 6 p.m. in the Zlotnik Ballroom at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center on the UT campus (1900 University Ave.). Follow images and news from the event on Twitter (@TexasLonghorns) and Instagram (texaslonghorns).
2018 Texas Athletics Hall of Honor Inductees
- Justin Blalock
- Jodi Reeves Boatright
- J. Brent Cox
- Ruth Stiver Dew
- Derrick Dockery
- Troy Dumais
- Michael Griffin
- Vicki Hall
- Bill Hamilton
- Dan Krueger
- Kim Rhodenbaugh Lewallen
- Leo Manzano
- Gary Plock
- Chip Robertson
- Telisa Young
The 62nd Men's Hall of Honor class includes Justin Blalock (Football, 2003-06), two-time All-American and member of the 2005 National Championship team who played eight seasons in the NFL; J. Brent Cox (Baseball, 2003-05), first-team All-American and 2005 NCBWA Stopper of the Year who led Texas to the 2005 National Championship; Derrick Dockery (Football, 1999-2002), first-team All-American who played 10 seasons in the NFL; Troy Dumais (Swimming and Diving, 1999-2002), seven-time NCAA individual diving champion who led Texas to three straight national team titles and went on to become the only four-time Olympian in Texas Swimming and Diving history; Michael Griffin (Football, 2003-06), second-team All-American and member of the 2005 National Championship team who played 10 seasons in the NFL; and Leo Manzano (Track and Field, 2005-08), five-time NCAA Champion, 11-time All-American and two-time Olympian. Vintage selections Bill Hamilton (Football, 1973-76); Dan Krueger (Basketball, 1972-76); and Gary Plock (Tennis, 1975-78), in addition to Special Selection Chip Robertson (Equipment Manager, 1993-present) round out the men's class.
The 19th Women's Hall of Honor class includes Jodi Reeves Boatright (Softball, 1997-2000), a 1998 second-team All-American who helped the Longhorns advance to the Women's College World Series; Ruth Stiver Dew (Rowing, 2000-04), the first rower in program history to earn first-team All-America honors and who helped UT's first varsity eight boat make its first two appearances at the NCAA Championship; Vicki Hall (Basketball, 1988-93), a three-time first-team All-Southwest Conference selection who led Texas to three SWC regular season titles and a member of the SWC All-Decade Team for the 1990s; Kim Rhodenbaugh Lewallen (Swimming and Diving, 1984-87), three-time NCAA Champion, 10-time All-American and member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team; and Telisa Young (Track and Field, 1989-94), a two-time NCAA individual champion and four-time All-American in the triple jump.
The Men's Hall of Honor was founded in 1957. The governing body, the Longhorn Hall of Honor Council, is made up exclusively of men who have lettered at UT. Each year, a selection committee nominates 16 candidates whose names are distributed to the Hall of Honor Council. To be eligible for nomination, a letterman must have completed his eligibility 10 years prior to the year of election. The six honorees receiving a majority of votes are inducted. In addition, the Council can add a limited number of vintage or special selections to that year's class.
The Women's Hall of Honor was created in 2000. To be eligible for nomination, a former student-athlete must have completed her collegiate eligibility five years prior to the year of election. The Women's Hall of Honor Selection Committee considers both a candidate's contribution to the Texas Athletics program and the candidate's contributions to her community. A maximum of five former student-athletes and one additional non-athlete per year may be inducted into the Women's Hall of Honor.
The new members of the Hall of Honor will receive a special salute during the Texas Football game vs. Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 8.
2018 Hall of Honor Inductee Bios
Justin Blalock, Football (2003-06)
Pronunciation: BLAY-lock
One of the most powerful, versatile and durable offensive linemen in Longhorns history, Justin Blalock was four-year starter at Texas who set the UT record for consecutive starts with 51. During that span, he was starter for three consecutive bowl wins, including back-to-back Rose Bowls and the 2005 National Championship, a two-time All-American and a three-time first-team All-Big 12 pick. Over his four years, Texas posted a 44-7 record. He capped his career with a senior season that saw him become the Longhorns' 18th unanimous first-team All-American at the time, along with being named a finalist for the Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman) and Outland Trophy (nation's top interior lineman). He was also selected as the inaugural Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2006 when he helped Texas gain 162.6 rushing yards per game (34th NCAA), 391.5 total yards per game (23rd NCAA) and score 35.9 points per game (seventh NCAA) en route to a 10-3 record and a win over Iowa in the Alamo Bowl. In 2005, Blalock started all 13 games in the Longhorns' perfect run to the National Championship that culminated in a 41-38 victory over No. 1 USC in the Rose Bowl. He earned third-team All-America honors and was a key part of a line that helped Texas rank first in the nation in scoring offense (50.2 ppg), second in rushing offense (274.9 ypg) and third in total offense (512.1 ypg), while setting school single-season records in both points scored (652) and total yards (6,657). The 652 points broke a 22-year-old NCAA record of 624 points set by Nebraska in 1983, while the 50.2 points per game average marked only the fifth time in NCAA history a team finished the year averaging over 50 points per game up until that time. As a sophomore, he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and helped Texas rank second in the nation in rushing (299.2 ypg), seventh in total offense (464.4 ypg) and 12th in scoring (35.3 ppg). The Longhorns finished the season 11-1 with a 38-37 win over Michigan in their first appearance in the Rose Bowl, leading to a top-five ranking. Blalock opened his career much like how he finished it, with All-America honors and a 10-win season. He earned first-team Freshman All-America recognition from both the Football Writers Association of America and The Sporting News, helping the UT offense to rank sixth in the nation in scoring (41.0 ppg) and eighth in rushing offense (232.5 ypg). Blalock graduated from Texas in December 2006 with a degree in youth and community studies and a minor in business and was drafted with the seventh pick in the second round (39th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2007 NFL Draft. Over the next eight seasons, he once again showed his durability by starting all of the 125 games in which he played and at least 14 games each year for the Falcons. He graduated from UT with a degree in Youth and Community Studies prior to his final bowl game in December 2006. Following football, Blalock became the co-founder of a web community for teachers, coaches, and administrators to network and find employment. A native of Plano, Texas, he was inducted into the Plano ISD Hall of Fame in 2013.
Jodi Reeves Boatright, Softball (1997-2000)
A 1998 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) second-team All-American, Jodi Reeves Boatright served as one of the cornerstones in establishing a Texas Softball program that began varsity play in 1997. During her four seasons on the Forty Acres, she helped UT to 154 victories, three top-three Big 12 Conference finishes and three NCAA Tournament berths while playing a major part in the 1998 Texas squad that set a national mark as the quickest program to advance to the Women's College World Series from the beginning of varsity play (just two seasons). A two-time NFCA All-Midwest Region selection at shortstop, including first team honors in 1997, Boatright completed her career ranked in the top five of the program record book in 20 different categories. Following two decades of Texas Softball, she still continues to rank in the career top 10 in doubles (first with 48), triples (tied for fourth with 10), walks (tied for sixth with 87), RBI (seventh with 123), hits (eighth with 211) and runs scored (tied for 10th with 128) while sitting just outside the top 10 with a .316 batting average, 46 stolen bases, a .512 slugging percentage and a .399 on-base percentage. The program's first three-time All-Big 12 Conference selection (1997-99), Boatright was also named the Co-Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 1997 after leading the Longhorns during the conference campaign with a .452 league batting mark (19-for-42), 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBIs. She also picked up nods to both the 1998 Big 12 All-Tournament and the 1998 NCAA Region 6 All-Tournament Teams. Academically, Boatright excelled by earning four consecutive Academic All-Big 12 inclusions, including a pair of first-team nods in 1999 and 2000. A native of Kingwood, Texas, she graduated from The University of Texas in 2001 with a B.S. in Youth and Community Studies. Following graduation, Boatright coached varsity softball at Fort Worth (Texas) Country Day High School for four years before moving with her husband Caj Boatright, a UT Law School graduate, back to Kingwood in 2006. Since returning to her hometown, she has served on staff with Young Life, a high school Christian ministry, while concentrating on raising her four children, Kai, Ty, Jake and Drew. Boatright remains active athletically, participating in numerous triathlons, marathons and ultra-marathons throughout the country over the past 10 years. She has also served as a private softball instructor and spent time as a coach with her children's youth baseball and softball teams.
J. Brent Cox, Baseball (2003-05)
One of the most dominant relievers in Texas Baseball history, J. Brent Cox helped the Longhorns to three consecutive College World Series appearances from 2003 to 2005 and served as the Longhorns' closer during the 2005 National Championship run. As a junior that year, Cox recorded 19 saves in 42 appearances, both marks that are tied for the most in a single season in Texas Baseball history. The right-hander compiled an 8-3 record with a 1.73 ERA that season, striking out 87 batters in just 78 innings of work. For his efforts, Cox was named the first-ever winner of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, honoring the top relief pitcher in college baseball, and was chosen first-team All-America. En route to Omaha, Cox picked up his 15th save in a win over Arkansas that sent Texas to the NCAA Super Regional. There, with the Longhorns having fallen in game one to No. 8 Mississippi, Cox closed out games two and three to seal Texas' fourth straight berth in the College World Series. Once in Omaha, Cox found himself on the hill in all five games for the Horns. In game one versus No. 4 Baylor, he followed Adrian Alaniz's strong start to seal the 5-1 win. In game two against top-ranked Tulane, Cox and starter Kyle McCulloch combined for a 5-0 shutout, the Longhorns' first CWS shutout since 1983. After taking game three versus Baylor, Texas found itself up against SEC champion Florida in the best-of-three finals. Once again, Cox dominated for Texas. In game one, he sealed a 4-2 win over the Gators, and with the Longhorns on the brink of the title, Cox got the final out of game two to give Texas the National Championship. Cox was named to the CWS All-Tournament team, and his 13 career appearances in Omaha are tied for the most in CWS history. A three-time All-Big 12 honoree, including two first-team selections, the Bay City, Texas native held a 1.99 career ERA over three seasons, the 10th-best all-time mark in UT history. His 24 career saves rank third all-time behind Corey Knebel (37) and Huston Street (41). Cox participated in international play as well, competing for USA Baseball on both the 2004 Collegiate National Team and the 2006 Olympic Qualifying Team. Following his junior season, Cox was drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees. He played in the Yankees organization for five seasons before returning to Austin in 2011. While finishing his degree, Cox became a student-assistant coach for the Longhorns, helping Texas back to Omaha once again. In May of that year, Cox graduated from UT with a degree in education and he currently works for Nalco Champion in South Texas.
Ruth Stiver Dew, Rowing (2000-04)
Pronunciation: STEYE-vur
Ruth Stiver Dew is the first rower in program history to earn first-team All-America honors by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA). A four-time letterwinner who began her collegiate career as a walk-on with the novice squad, Dew helped guide Texas' first varsity eight boat to its first two appearances at the NCAA Championship in her junior (2003) and senior (2004) seasons. As a freshman in 2000-01, she rowed in the No. 5 seat on the first novice eight and led her boat to eight first-place finishes. Dew made the jump to varsity in her sophomore season (2001-02) and rowed in the No. 5 seat in the first varsity eight, claiming second-team CRCA All-South Region accolades. In the summer between her sophomore and junior year, she rowed for the New York Athletic Club on the boat that won the 2002 US Rowing National Championship. As a junior in 2002-03, Dew rowed in the No. 5 seat of the first varsity eight which finished 12th nationally in UT's first-ever NCAA Championship appearance. She again claimed second-team CRCA All-South Region honors in 2003. Dew earned a B.S. in Advertising from The University of Texas in 2003 and competed in the USA Under-23 National Camp in New Jersey in the summer of 2003. She returned for her senior season while attending graduate school and led the first varsity eight to a second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship, where the boat finished in 15th place. Dew earned first-team CRCA All-South Region honors and went on to claim first-team CRCA All-America honors as a senior. In addition, she was named a CRCA South Region Scholar Athlete and a third-team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection in the women's at-large category. Dew also earned an M.A. in Advertising in 2004. Following the completion of her collegiate career, she went on to compete for Team USA and earned a bronze medal in the women's coxless pair with teammate Jennifer Reck at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dew currently lives in Austin.
Derrick Dockery, Football (1999-2002)
Durable and versatile, Derrick Dockery's career at Texas was highlighted by a senior season that saw him named consensus first-team All-America in 2002. On top of his All-America honors following that year, he was chosen first-team All-Big 12 and was a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy. A three-year starter and four-year letterwinner, Dockery was a key cog on teams that won at least nine games and were ranked among the nation's top 25 all four years. Texas posted a 40-12 record during his career, including back-to-back 11-2 campaigns and a top six ranking in 2001 and 2002. His versatility was on display as he started at both guard and tackle throughout his career. His durability resulted in playing in 52 straight games during his Texas career and starting 31 times (25 at guard/six at tackle). In all four seasons as a Longhorn, Dockery blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher and guided UT to a bowl game. Dockery made an immediate impact, earning the distinction of being called "the best true freshman offensive lineman I've ever coached" by Mack Brown in 2000. Following his days as a Longhorn, Dockery was selected in the third round (81st overall) by the Washington Redskins in the 2003 NFL Draft and went on to enjoy a successful 10-year career in the league. During that time, he played in 141 games while making 115 starts. He started his first career game in week four of his rookie season in 2003 and went on to start 109 consecutive games from 2003-09. That streak was part of a stretch where he played in 116 consecutive games. After being drafted by the Redskins in 2003, he remained with the organization through the 2006 season. He also had a second stint with the Redskins (2009-10) following two seasons with the Buffalo Bills (2007-08). He finished his career by playing two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2011-12). Dockery earned his bachelor's degree from Texas and an MBA from George Washington University. He currently works in Washington, D.C. as the Business and Intergovernmental Coalitions Director of the Office of the Speaker. Prior to joining the Speaker's Office, Dockery served as the press assistant and coalition liaison for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He began his career on Capitol Hill as an intern in 2012. He and his wife, Emma, launched Yellow Ribbons United that year. The organization strives to close the gap between military service and civilian responsibility by encouraging Americans to move beyond the gratitude they have for our military's service to actively expressing their appreciation through civic and social action.
Troy Dumais, Swimming and Diving (1999-2002)
Pronunciation: doo-MAY
Troy Dumais concluded his amazing 20-year career in 2016 as one of the most decorated divers in both UT and American history. He is the only four-time Olympian in Texas Swimming and Diving history and one of just two divers to ever represent the United States in four different Olympiads (joining Greg Louganis). Dumais was a bronze medalist in the three-meter synchronized springboard with teammate Kristian Ipsen at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The Ventura, California native dove for the Burnt Orange and White from 1999-2002, winning seven individual National Championships and earning four straight All-America honors, while becoming the first diver in NCAA history to win four consecutive titles in a single event (three-meter). Among his collegiate triumphs were the 1999 three-meter springboard title (won as a freshman), as well as sweeps of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 one- and three-meter springboard crowns that helped power the Longhorns to three consecutive team National Championships. Internationally, Dumais represented the U.S. in the 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, while just missing out on an unprecedented fifth Olympic berth to the 2016 Rio Games by finishing fourth in the synchronized three-meter competition at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. In all, Dumais was a 20-time U.S. national team and eight-time World Championships team member, a three-time USA Diving Athlete of the Year (1997, 2006, 2009) and a 2006 Sullivan Award finalist. He won bronze and silver medals at both the 2005 World Championships and 2006 World Cup, silver medals in the three-meter and synchronized three-meter events at the 2009 World Championships and was a silver medalist on synchronized three-meter at the 2010 World Cup. Dumais was also a six-time Pan American Games medalist (bronze in 1999; two bronze in 2003; gold and bronze in 2007; silver in 2011) and still holds the record for the most U.S. junior individual titles with 19. A winner of a remarkable 38 U.S. national diving championships, his last national crown came at the 2014 USA Diving Winter National Championships. While his international diving career was still ongoing, he returned to the Forty Acres to earn his bachelor's degree in general kinesiology in the spring of 2006. Dumais currently lives in Dallas, Texas and is studying to be a chiropractor.
Michael Griffin, Football (2003-06)
An aggressive and hard-hitting safety, Michael Griffin was a critical piece of one of the most talented and accomplished defensive backfields in UT history. Despite sharing the field with back-to-back Thorpe Award winners during his junior and senior years, Griffin made a tremendous impact of his own and was equally deserving of recognition. The group selflessly came together to create a lockdown secondary that helped guide Texas to a National Championship. Griffin appeared in 50 career games with 28 starts and posted 364 tackles, 15 TFL, four sacks, eight INTs, 23 PBU, nine forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and a UT-record eight blocked punts. During that time the Longhorns posted a 44-7 record with three bowl wins, including back-to-back Rose Bowl championships. His 364 tackles rank eighth on UT's all-time list and his eight blocked punts rank second on the NCAA all-time list and first on UT's list. As a senior, Griffin was tabbed second-team All-America by The Associated Press and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and was named a semifinalist for the 2006 Lott Trophy (defensive IMPACT player of the year). He started all 13 games at free safety in 2006 and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from The Associated Press and the league's coaches, while leading the team with 126 tackles to go along with four TFL, one sack, four INT, 10 PBU, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two blocked punts. Texas finished that season 10-3 with a win over Iowa in the Alamo Bowl. Griffin also led the team in tackles in 2005 with 124, while tying the UT single-season record with four blocked punts and adding four TFL, three INTs, eight PBU, three fumble recoveries and one caused fumble en route to second-team All-Big 12 honors. One of his three interceptions was one of the iconic moments of the National Championship victory over USC as Griffin ranged all the way from his safety position to the sideline, kept his feet in bounds and kicked the pylon to give the Longhorns a touchback and halt a Trojans drive. As the team completed its perfect 13-0 season, he helped anchor a defense that ranked 10th nationally in total defense (302.9 ypg), eighth in scoring defense (16.4 ppg), fourth in pass efficiency defense (96.7) and eighth in passing defense (172.0 ypg). The 19th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, Griffin played nine seasons for the Titans. He was twice named to the Pro Bowl, and played in 141 career games for the team, including 103 consecutive games between 2007 and 2013. He is the franchise's all-time leader in tackles by a safety with 912. In his Titans career, he tallied 25 interceptions, seven sacks, 11 forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries, recording seven interceptions during the 2008 season. Griffin played from 2007-15 with the Titans and played his final NFL season with the Carolina Panthers in 2016. In 2018, he signed a one-day contract with Tennessee in order to retire with the franchise. A native of Austin and product of Bowie High School, Griffin returned to his hometown, completed his UT degree in Youth and Community Studies in 2017 and has started a business with former Longhorns and Titans teammate Brian Orakpo.
Vicki Hall, Basketball (1988-93)
A three-time first-team All-Southwest Conference selection, Vicki Hall helped lead Texas to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances and was named to the Southwest Conference All-Decade Team for the 1990s. During her five seasons on the Forty Acres, the Longhorns compiled an overall record of 118-37 (.761) with a 69-7 (.908) mark in Southwest Conference play. Texas won three Southwest Conference regular-season championships during Hall's career with the Longhorns. She played in 117 career games with 112 starts and her career average of 30.9 minutes per game ranks fourth in school history. The 1989 Southwest Conference Freshman of the Year, Hall scored 1,831 points in her Texas career, which still ranks sixth in in program history. She stands seventh in Texas history in scoring average (15.6 ppg) and third in three-point field-goal percentage (.404). Hall led the Longhorns in rebounding in three of the four seasons she played. Hall graduated from The University of Texas in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Hall played on various international teams from 1993-2009 in the countries of France, Greece, Israel, Italy and Turkey. She played two seasons in the American Basketball League and three seasons in the WNBA with the Cleveland Rockers, Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks. Hall represented the United States on both the 1987 U18 National Team and the 1990 US National Team. She has been coaching at the collegiate level since 2009, including six seasons as associate head coach at the University of Toledo. In the spring of 2018, Hall was named head coach at Indiana State University.
Bill Hamilton, Football (1973-76) – Vintage Selection
A four-year letterwinner at linebacker, Bill Hamilton played on Darrell K Royal's last four teams at Texas, tutored by Royal's legendary defensive coach Mike Campbell. Hamilton came to Texas from Las Cruces, New Mexico as a quarterback, but a broken bone in his hand his freshman year initiated his highly successful move to linebacker. His 23 tackles versus Houston in 1976 tied a UT single-game record and still stands as the fifth-most tackles in a game in Longhorns history. Hamilton's 154 tackles that year rank fifth on the UT all-time list for most tackles in a season. He set a single-season record for forced fumbles with seven in 1975 and that record stood for 20 years before Derrick Johnson broke it in 2004. He ranked third on the team in tackles (123), recovered three fumbles and had two interceptions in addition to his record-setting seven forced fumbles for the 10-2 Longhorns in 1975. That team was Southwest Conference co-champions with a 6-1 record and knocked off No. 10 Colorado, 38-21, in the Bluebonnet Bowl to finish the year ranked sixth nationally. He had 13 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception in the bowl game. Following his time as a student-athlete at Texas, Hamilton went on to become one of the most successful orthopedic surgeons in the state and is now among the chief surgeons at the highly respected Scott and White Hospital in Temple. Specializing in sports medicine, Hamilton graduated from Texas in the spring of 1977 and went on to earn his medical degree from The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1981.
Dan Krueger, Basketball (1972-76) – Vintage Selection
Pronunciation: CREW-gur
Dan Krueger was a four-year letterwinner and floor general who helped Texas win the 1974 Southwest Conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament. A two-time first-team All-Southwest Conference selection as a junior in 1974-75 and in his senior season in 1975-76, he led the team in scoring and served as team captain in each of his last two years in Austin. As a freshman, Krueger became the first Texas Basketball player since 1920 to make the jump from high school to college ball and compete on the varsity team, when the NCAA made freshmen eligible for the 1972-73 season. In his sophomore campaign, he ranked third on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg), improving that number to 15.5 points per game in SWC play. Krueger converted 52 percent from the floor and 89 percent from the free throw line, and upped those numbers to 55 percent from the field and 92 percent from the line in league play. Despite starting the year with a 0-9 mark, Krueger and the Longhorns responded with an 11-3 record in SWC action to claim the league title and reached the NCAA tournament before falling 77-61 to Creighton in the First Round. Krueger was slowed by mononucleosis during the early part of his junior season in 1974-75, but he rallied to lead the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game. He proved to be a clutch player that year, leading the Longhorns to four wins by converting a basket or free throws with less than 35 seconds remaining. As a senior in 1975-76, Krueger posted a team-best 18.9 points per game scoring average while converting 51 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line. He posted a career-high 35 points during an overtime loss to BYU (Dec. 29, 1975) in a tournament in Norfolk, Virginia, a mark that still ranks as the fifth-highest point total by a UT player in a neutral-site game. Krueger still ranks sixth in school history in career free throw percentage (.841, 292-347), and his 87.8 percent mark (65-74) as a sophomore in 1973-74 ranks eighth on UT's single-season list. Krueger earned his bachelor's degree in education from The University of Texas in 1976. For the last 29 years, he has served as director of life and LFSS sales, Southwest Zone for Farmers Insurance. Krueger and his wife, Donna, reside in Austin.
Kim Rhodenbaugh Lewallen, Swimming and Diving (1984-87)
Pronunciation: ROW-den-baw loo-WALL-in
A three-time NCAA Champion, 10-time All-American and member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team, Kim Rhodenbaugh Lewallen helped lead the Longhorns to three consecutive NCAA team titles from 1985-87. Lewallen had national and international success in the pool prior to enrolling at UT. She recorded five national breaststroke titles during her high school career in Cincinnati, winning the 1981 Short Course 100 breast, the 1982 Short Course 200 breast, the 1982 Long Course 100-meter breast, the 1983 Long Course 100-meter breast and the 1983 Long Course 200-meter breast. Competing for Team USA, Lewallen won silver medals in the 100-meter breast and the 400 medley relay at the 1982 FINA World Championships. She later won three medals at the 1983 Pan American Games in Venezuela, capturing gold in the 400 medley relay and bronze in both the 100 and 200 breast. Lewallen also won three medals at the 1983 Pan Pacific Games in Toyko, claiming gold in the 400 medley relay, silver in the 100 breast and bronze in the 200 breast. In the summer prior to her freshman season at Texas, she made the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team and placed eighth in the 200-meter breast (2:35.51) at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. As a freshman in 1984-85, Lewallen won NCAA individual titles in the 200 breast and 200 IM and swam the breaststroke leg on the national champion 200 medley relay. Lewallen also placed second in the 100 breast and finished fourth overall in the individual point standings while leading the Longhorns to the NCAA team title. During her sophomore campaign in 1985-86, she suffered a broken foot but still placed fifth in the 100 breast, seventh in the 200 breast and 13th in the 200 IM at the NCAA Championships as the Longhorns again captured the team title. In her junior and final season in 1986-87, Lewallen placed third at the NCAA meet in both the 100 breast and 200 breast and finished 12th in the 200 IM to help Texas to the NCAA team title. Following her collegiate career, she appeared on the cover of a Wheaties cereal box in 1987 in honor of her national breaststroke titles. Lewallen concluded her amateur career by winning gold at the 1987 World University Games in the 400 medley relay and earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications in 1989. She has served as a motivational speaker and a private swim instructor for the past 29 years and currently resides in Mingus, Texas.
Leo Manzano, Track and Field (2005-08)
Arguably the most accomplished distance runner in Longhorns history, Leo Manzano was a five-time NCAA Champion, 10-time conference champion, 11-time All-American and a two-time Olympian. A native of Mexico who immigrated to the United States when he was 4 years old, Manzano came to Texas in time for the 2005 season after winning nine 4A state championships at Marble Falls High School. He immediately made an impact with the Longhorns, winning the NCAA Outdoor title in the 1,500 meters as a freshman. He went on to win National Championships in the mile at both the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Indoor and the 2008 Indoor distance medley relay before concluding his career with the NCAA Outdoor 1,500-meter title. Manzano finished his career with the top five indoor mile times in Texas history and his 1,500-meter UT school record of 3:35.29 still stands. At the 2007 Big 12 Championships, he became just the second Longhorn to eclipse the four-minute mile barrier indoors and broke a 24-year-old UT record with a 3:58.78 clocking. Outdoors, in addition to still holding the UT record in the 1,500 meters, he's posted the top three and six of the top ten 1,500-meter times ever by a Longhorn. As a member of a highly successful Distance Medley Relay squad during his career, he helped Texas set the school record in 2007 (9:29.60) and anchored them to three straight victories (2006-08) at the prestigious Penn Relays. Manzano was named the 2008 Athlete of the Year by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). He helped Texas to a second-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships and a pair of third-place finishes (2007 and 2008) at the NCAA Indoor meet. All totaled, UT finished among the top four nationally five times (seven in top 10) in his eight NCAA Championships. He became the first-ever Longhorn to make the U.S. Olympic squad in the 1,500 meters at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. At the 2012 London Olympic games, Manzano won the silver medal in the 1,500 meters, the first American to earn a medal in the event since 1968. He has also earned 10 medals at the USA Outdoor Championships, including gold in the 1,500 meters in both 2012 (Eugene) and 2014 (Sacramento). He won gold in the 1,500 meters at the USA Indoor Championships in both 2010 and 2012. A longtime, annual competitor at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, Manzano set the record for the Jerry Thompson Mile in 2008 (3:56.98) and still owns the meet record for the mile in the high school boys division with a time of 4:06.29. He has twice been named the Texas Relays Most Outstanding Performer, doing so in 2003 and as a senior at Texas in 2008. A 2008 graduate of UT with a degree in Spanish and Portuguese, Manzano continues to compete professionally and trains in Austin. He remains very active in community events in Marble Falls and the Austin area.
Gary Plock, Tennis (1975-78)
Gary Plock starred at No. 1 singles for a Texas Tennis team that featured three of the most dominant players in Longhorns history in an era when the Southwest Conference fielded as many as five of the nation's top-20 teams on an annual basis. A tennis hall of famer in the state of Kentucky, Plock was a two-time All-American at Texas where he claimed a pair of SWC doubles titles. The big-serving lefty teamed with Longhorn Hall of Honor members Kevin Curren (Wimbledon finalist in 1985) and Steve Denton (1981-82 Australian Open Finalist) for much of his career. His .723 (73-28) career singles winning percentage ranks as the 11th best in UT history, and his conference doubles titles were the first for the Horns in 20 years. As a senior, the SWC Championship duo of Plock and Curren knocked off Stanford's tandem of John McEnroe and Bill Maze to reach the NCAA Championships doubles finals and wound up second. Plock, Curren and Denton led the Horns to the 1977 SWC Championship and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championship. Plock teamed with Curren that year to win the SWC doubles title and advance to the NCAA Championships doubles quarterfinals. Plock and Curren were U.S. Amateur Indoor Doubles Champions in 1977. That same year, Plock won the U.S. Amateur Singles 21-and-Under Championships. He led the Horns to an 11th-place finish at the 1975 and 1976 NCAA Championships. Plock's outstanding junior record included winning the 1974 Sugar Bowl International Championships in New Orleans. Plock was a three-time U.S. Junior Davis Cup member and was the U.S. Junior Southern Champion and Kentucky High School State Singles Champion for four straight years, including a runner-up finish at the state championship as an eighth grader. Plock played the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour in Nice, France, Monte Carlo and other European cities before focusing more on his studies, teaching, and sports business. Plock is currently managing partner of GP Sports, Inc., a marketing and advertising company in Lexington, Kentucky.
Chip Robertson, Equipment Manager (1993-present) – Special Selection
A veteran of 38 years as a collegiate equipment manager, Chip Robertson has spent the last 25 years serving the student-athletes, coaches and Texas Athletics as the Longhorns' equipment manager. During his time at Texas, he's accompanied the Texas Football team and handled the equipment needs at 20 bowl games. That stretch includes multiple trips to the Rose Bowl (three), Cotton Bowl (three), Fiesta Bowl (two) and a Sugar Bowl appearance. The Longhorns played in five Big 12 Championship games, won five conference titles (three Big 12, two Southwest Conference) and played for two National Championships, winning in 2005, during his UT tenure. In his role as the Longhorns' equipment manager, he oversees all ordering, issuing and maintenance of Texas Athletics equipment, but to the student-athletes and coaches he has worked with on a daily basis, he is much more than that. A friend, confidant and tremendous example of hard work and dedication, the connection to the student-athletes is obvious when so many return to see him on visits to the campus. The son of a high school coach and a former student equipment manager himself, Robertson has a special place in his heart for student managers. He also has mentored and developed hundreds of talented young student managers who have come through his program. Robertson came to Texas in 1993 after serving as equipment manager at SMU for 11 years. Prior to his stint at SMU, he was assistant equipment manager at Missouri for two years. A native of McComb, Mississippi, Robertson graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1978 with a degree in accounting. While at Ole Miss, he spent five years as a student manager. Robertson is a certified member of the Athletics Equipment Managers Association. He and his wife, Jeri Ann, have one daughter, Carson Ann, who is attending UT.
Telisa Young, Track and Field (1989-94)
A two-time NCAA individual champion and four-time All-American, Telisa Young became one of the top triple jumpers in school history despite an injury earlier in her collegiate career that forced her to avoid jumping for two full seasons. As a freshman (1989-90), she qualified for indoor nationals in both the triple jump and the 400-meter hurdles and placed 11th in the triple jump with a leap of 40-1.25. Young suffered a leg injury during the 1991 indoor season that forced her to miss the majority of the indoor schedule. She returned during the 1991 outdoor season and led the Longhorns to the team title at the Southwest Conference Championships. Young placed second in the 400-meter hurdles and was on the winning 4x400-meter relay at the league's outdoor meet. She also competed in the heptathlon at the 1991 Texas Relays and recorded 5,014 points. She still ranks as the sixth-best performer in the heptathlon in school history. Young sat out the 1991-92 campaign to complete recovery from the leg injury sustained during the 1991 indoor season. After her two-year absence from jumping, Young won the 1993 NCAA Indoor title in the triple jump with a leap of 43-3.50. Named the Most Valuable Athlete by her teammates in the 1992-93 season, she was the individual high point scorer at the SWC Indoor championships. Young won the triple jump and helped the 4x800-meter relay win the title at the league's indoor meet. During the 1993 outdoor season, Young won the 400-meter hurdles at the Texas Relays and finished second in the triple jump at the SWC Championships before earning All-America honors with a sixth-place showing at the NCAA meet. As a senior in 1993-94, she again won the SWC and NCAA Indoor titles in the triple jump and helped the Longhorns tie for third as a team at the NCAA Indoor meet. Her winning mark of 43-3.75 at the national meet still ranks her as the third-best performer in the indoor triple jump in program history. Young won the triple jump and was the individual high point scorer at the SWC Outdoor championships. She concluded her collegiate career by placing second at the NCAA Outdoor meet. Young recorded a career-best leap of 44-4.75 at the national meet, a jump that still ranks her as the second-best performer in the outdoor triple jump in school history. Her effort helped the Longhorns place second as a team at the 1994 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Youth and Community Studies in 2010. For the past 12-plus years, Young has worked as a teacher and coach at St. Francis School in Austin.


