CU's 2016 Hall of Fame Class Welcomes 12 Buff Legends
June 29, 2016 | Cross Country, Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Track and Field, Soccer
Sara Gorton Slattery is one of 12 Buffs who will be inducted in November into the CU Hall of Fame.
BOULDER — The 12th class that will be inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame this November 17 will feature a dozen Golden Buffalo legends who are representative of eight sports in the school's history, all of whom left indelible marks in their CU athletic careers.
The dozen, one of whom will be honored posthumously, represent nine different sports over a period that spans from the early 1940s to the middle of last decade, representing six different decades in all. Included in the group are a pair of football teammates from the '90s, the first woman to be inducted from the soccer team which celebrates its 20th anniversary this fall, two start distance performers on the track and trails, an NCAA wrestling champion and the second of only two golfers to win a pair of conference titles since World War II. Two more football players, a star track performer, one of CU's all-time greatest pitchers and a dominant '80s men's basketball player round out the group.
The 2016 class will be the second-largest inducted into the Hall since it was conceived in 1998, and the 12 will join 79 individuals (and the 1959 ski team) who have been enshrined to date (11 have been honored previously after their deaths).
Athletic director Rick George personally notified all 11 living members of the upcoming class of their impending induction, as well as the next of kin for the deceased inductee, Dale "Pete" Atkins, one of the early stars on CU's baseball team who also served two terms as a CU regent.
The group will officially be inducted in the Hall of Fame Thursday night, November 17, on the CU campus, will be featured in the Pearl Street Stampede parade the next night and will be introduced at halftime of the CU-Washington State football game on Saturday, November 19, to complete the weekend.
Those to be inducted are (for complete bios, click on their names):
Dale "Pete" Atkins (1940-42)
Known as the "Paonia Peach" for his Western Slope roots, Dr. Dale "Pete" Atkins was a two-time, first-team All-Mountain States Conference performer (and would likely had been an All-American but the first team wasn't selected until after World War II). In 1941, he enjoyed one of, if not the, finest seasons as a pitcher in CU baseball history, recording a 7-0 record, with 70 strikeouts in 61 innings; he allowed 20 earned runs for a 2.93 ERA. He led the conference in wins and struck out 19 batters in a season-opening 7-4 win at Colorado Mines (the second-most K's in school history). He was also unbeaten on the mound in 1942, earning all-league mention. Atkins earned three degrees from CU (A&S'43, MD'45 and MSci'53) and served as a member of the Board of Regents for two terms (1962-74). He truly loved his alma mater and his Buffaloes, as he was president of the Denver Buffalo Quarterback Club, a member of the Board of the Denver Area CU Alumni, a lifelong member of Alumni Directors Club, Buff Club, and Alumni C-Club. He passed away on Sept. 6, 2010, at the age of 88.
Bill Brundige, Football (1967-69)
One of the first prolific pass rushers in school history as the game had started moving away from a dominant one feature runs in the mid-to-late 60s. A first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America/Look Magazine as a senior in 1969, when he was also a first-team All-Big 8 performer in earning the conference's Defensive Player of the Year nod. He had a monster senior season, setting a CU record that still stood some 33 seasons later with 24 tackles for 123 yards in losses; that included 13 quarterback sacks, also a school record that would last almost a quarter-century. He was a second-round draft pick by Washington in the 1970 National Football League Draft (43rd overall). He started every game his rookie season and played in Super Bowl VII following the '72 season.
Ted Castaneda, Cross Country & Track (1972-74)
He may very well have laid the groundwork for CU's success in distance running today. A five-time All-American in cross country and track, his best times included 1:52.4 in the 800, a 3:58.5 in the mile, an 8:29 two-mile, a 13:32 in the 5,000-meter run, a 28:30.6 in the 10k a 2-hour, 15-minute marathon. He held the American record in the 3-mile run albeit briefly: he ran a 13:10.6 at the 1973 NCAA Outdoor Championships but it was broken in the next heat by the legendary Steve Prefontaine. He still holds some of the top 5k and 10k times in CU history: his 28:30.6 time in the 10k set a CU record back in 1973 and stood for 31 years. He also set the Colorado "soil" record in the mile in 1976, running in 4:04.86; that mark stood for 37 years. He competed in two U.S. Olympic trials (5K, 10K in 1976, marathon in 1980). A graduate of Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, he returned to his hometown in 1980 to coach the men's cross country team at Colorado College, and by 1994 was head coach for all the men's and women's cross country and track teams, all positions he holds to this day. He was one of the seven original inductees into the Colorado Running Hall of Fame in its inaugural 2007 class.
Sara (Gorton) Slattery (2000-05)
She compiled one of the most impressive women's cross country and track resumes during her time at Colorado: she was a 10-time All-American and a six-time Big 12 Conference champion (14 All-Big 12 performances). A two-time NCAA champion, winning the 2003 Indoor 5,000-meter run and the 2005 Outdoor 10,000-meter run, she remains the CU record holder in the indoor mile (4:40.35), the indoor 3,000 (9:07.16) and the outdoor 5,000 (15:24.97). She was just the second Buff to earn three All-American titles in cross country (2000-02-04, the same years she earned All-Region and All-Conference accolades) and was the Big 12's Female Cross Country Newcomer of the Year in 2000. She was on CU's first national championship in women's cross country in 2000 (as a freshman), led CU its second crown as a senior in 2004 and was a member of four Big 12 champion cross country teams. She was the Big 12's Indoor Freshman of the Year for 2001, earning Indoor All-America honors in the 3k (2001, 2003) and the mile (2002), while outdoors, she was the Big 12 champion in the 5,000-meter run twice (2003, 2005) and in the 10k (2005). She is the NCAA record holder for sophomores in the Outdoor 5k (15:24.97), still the fourth-fastest collegiate time … She earned two degrees from CU (Bachelor's in Economics and Master's in Education) and has enjoyed a stellar professional career since graduating from Colorado. She is married to former CU distance runner Steve Slattery.
Jerry Hillebrand, Football (1959-61)
He earned All-America honors as senior in 1961 in an era when only 11 players were named to the team since it was still the platoon format of the game. Also a two-time All-Big Eight Conference first-team performer (1960-61), in addition to being a great blocker and excellent receiver on offense, he was a tough defensive end and a fine placekicker. He recorded the fifth 100-yard receiving game in school history, catching four passes for 137 yards and a score against Arizona in 1960; it set the CU single game mark for yards at the time. As a kicker, he booted 54-yard field goal against Oklahoma State in 1961, the longest in school history at the time and the longest in the nation that season. His 696 career receiving yards at the time of his graduation were a school record, one that would hold for seven more seasons. He was an honorable mention member on CU's All-Century team (selected in 1989). A first-round draft pick by the N.Y. Giants in the 1962 National Football League draft (13th overall; selected as an outside linebacker) … Played nine years in the NFL for three teams, the Giants (1962-66), St. Louis Cardinals (1967) and Pittsburgh (1968-70).
Chris Hudson, Football (1991-94)
The 1994 Jim Thorpe Award recipient as the nation's top defensive back, he was also a consensus first-team All-American and a three-time first-team All-Big Eight performer his sophomore through senior seasons. In fact, he is just one of seven Buffaloes to earn first-team all-conference honors three times. As a senior, he won the team's Hang Tough Award, presented to the player who overcame the most adversity, playing the entire year with a nagging turf toe injury and still played at an All-American level and won the Thorpe hardware. His 15 career interceptions still rank as the second most in Colorado history, while his 20 pass deflections tied for the seventh most by a Buff at the time of his graduation. A third round selection by Jacksonville in the 1995 NFL Draft (71st player overall), he played in 77 career NFL games with Jacksonville (1995-98), Chicago (1999) and Atlanta (2001).
Bob Justice, Wrestling (1967-69)
He was the 1968 NCAA champion as a junior in the 177-pound class, going 5-0 in the tournament at Penn State, with that win helping CU to tie for 14th in the team standings. He actually injured a shoulder in training just ahead of the NCAA's, suffering a partial separation but refused to see the trainer so he could compete. He was the Big 8 runner-up in the weight class (losing 5-1 to the 1967 NCAA champion, one of the premier wrestlers of the time period, Oklahoma State's Fred Fozzard, whom he upset 4-0 in the national semifinals); he was 4-1-3 in conference action and 22-3-3 overall for the season. He owned a most impressive career mark of 32-5-4, but his career was cut short by a serious knee injury his senior year, otherwise he may very well have been a two-time NCAA champion. A graduate of Denver's Abraham Lincoln High School, he was the Denver Public Schools champion and the Colorado state champion as a senior in high school. He graduated from CU in 1970 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering (and earned an MBA in Finance from CU-Colorado Springs in 1977).
Bobby Kalinowski, Golf (1990-94)
Since 1940, only four CU golfers have won conference championships, two of whom who won a pair – Hale Irwin and Bobby Kalinowski. He was the Big 8 Conference individual champion in both 1993 and 1994, earning second-team All-America honors as a senior and third-team recognition as a junior (he was first-team All-Big 8 both years). He played in three NCAA Championships, his top effort being a runner-up finish in the 1994 Central Regional; he tied for ninth in the same event as a junior. His 72.62 stroke average for the 1993-94 season was the best in CU history by a senior at the time; he was second on the team as both a sophomore (73.87) and junior (73.67). His career average of 73.97 was fourth-best at the time of his graduation and still ranks 12th in school annals. He earned the Colorado Golf Association's Player of the Year honor for 1993 while still a student at CU.
Jim Miller, Track (1962-64)
He is considered one of the greatest high school track and field athletes in state history, he certainly made his mark at CU. He was the Big 8 Conference champion over his four-year stint at CU in the 60-yard low hurdles, 60-yard high hurdles, 330-yard Intermediate hurdles, 120-yard high hurdles and part of the league champion short relay squad. His list of accomplishments included Outstanding Athlete at the Kansas relays, Outstanding Athlete at the Big 8 Outdoor Championships and NCAA All-American laurels. In 1963, he won the Big Eight 330-yard intermediate hurdles title in a blazing time of 36.1 seconds that was an NCAA and American record at the time. He also was the co-holder of the American record (6.7) in the 60-yard low hurdles, was the AAU National Champion in the Pentathlon (1965) and 440-yard Intermediate Hurdles (1966). After his graduation from CU, he earned a Law degree from Howard University and went on to become a trial lawyer and an administrative judge for the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. A Colorado Springs Palmer High School graduate, he won seven individual state titles in four separate events, and was inducted into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Fran Munnelly, Soccer (2002-05)
A member of the Big 12 Conference's 10th Anniversary Team and was the conference's Player of the Year as a sophomore in 2003, she was the first player in CU's history earn any kind of All-America distinction. A four-time, first-team All-Big 12 performer and a three-time, first-team All-Central Region her sophomore through senior years (2003-05). She was on the Big 12's All-Newcomer team as a freshman in 2002, when she was a finalist for the National Freshman of the Year. She started all 87 games in her Colorado career, leading the Buffs to a 52-26-9 record in that span and the school's first three appearances in the NCAA Championships. She scored 84 points in her career (30 goals, 24 assists), and finished as CU's all-time leader in points and goals (still stands second and third, respectively, through 2015). She was credited with 10 game-winning goals, including CU's goal in 1-0 upset win over Missouri in the 2002 Big 12 Tournament, CU's first-ever postseason win. She was CU's Female Career Achievement Award recipient in 2005, the Female Freshman Athlete of the Year for 2002-03 and was the first women's soccer player at CU to have her jersey (#13) formally honored.
Shaun Vandiver, Basketball (1988-91)
A two-time All-Big 8 performer (1989-90, 1990-91), after leading Hutchinson CC to the national junior college championship in 1988, he transferred to CU where he was the Big 8 Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore in 1988-89. He still ranks among the top five in both career scoring (fifth, 1,876 points) and rebounding (third, 962), and holds the school-record for career double-doubles (59). He is one of two players in school history to average a double-double in each of his three years as a Buff. His junior season was his finest as a player, being named an honorable mention All-American after leading the team in scoring (22.3 points per game), rebounding (11.2 average), blocks (36) and field goal percentage (59.3), in addition leading the Big 8 in scoring. In the '89-90 Big 8 Tournament, Vandiver earned most valuable player honors after he helped CU upset Missouri and Oklahoma State in back-to-back games, as CU became the first and only No. 8 seed to advance to the title game. He was selected No. 25 overall in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, but would play nine seasons overseas in Europe. After his playing days, he went into coaching and has been the head coach at Emporia State for the last five seasons.
Michael Westbrook, Football (1991-94)
You can't recall the "Miracle in Michigan" without his name coming to mind. He was on the receiving end of college football's play of the decade if not the century when he hauled down a 64-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (via Blake Anderson tip) after time expired to rally CU to a 27-26 win at Michigan in 1994. That play won an ESPY as the national play of the year in all sports (and he's got the actual ESPY since he caught the ball). That play may have defined his career, but it was much more than just that one play. A two-time first-team All American, he became only the third Buffalo receiver to earn all-league honors and was the first to be named twice. He exited his career as CU's all-time leader in both receptions (167) and receiving yards (2,548), both records just recently broken in the last two seasons. He had eight career 100-yard games (six of 128 or more), and caught nine or more passes three times. A first round pick by Washington in the 1995 NFL Draft (No. 4 overall; tied for the second-highest ever among CU players). He was on the regional ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame for the first time in 2016, but he did not advance to the national ballot.
All inductees were nominated by their peers in the Alumni C-Club or by members of the selection committee; over 50 names were originally submitted and were pared to 28 semifinalists. There are now 91 members (plus the '59 ski team, CU's first national champions) in the CU Athletic HOF since its inception in 1998. An athlete must be at least 10 years removed from their CU career and retired from professional sports (teams) to be considered for induction. With an induction every year instead of on a biennial basis as was the case for the first 16 years of the Hall, CU has been able to get more of those who are deserving of the recognition honored in a shorter time span with larger induction classes.