Post by CrimsonPhantom on Jan 22, 2020 17:22:12 GMT -7
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A total of four former Aggie greats - Andrea Kabwasa (women's basketball), Wendell McKines (men's basketball), Darrell Martin (track & field) and Chris Williams (football) - are set to be the latest group of individuals inducted into the US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame as new Mexico State athletics announced its 2020 class Wednesday morning.
Those four individuals are set to be formally inducted on Friday, Feb. 21, at 6:00 p.m. MT in the Barbara Hubbard Room on the second floor of the Pan American Center and will be recognized the following day at halftime of the men's basketball game against UTRGV.
Tickets are $40 per person and can by purchased by calling Nicole Gomez at 575-646-8050 or via email at nicolemg@nmsu.edu. The deadline to purchase tickets for the event is Wednesday, Feb. 19.
"I couldn't be happier to recognize and honor our former student-athletes with their induction into the US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame," Director of Athletics Mario Moccia stated. "Being inducted into your alma mater's hall of fame is the highest honor one can be bestowed and all four are deserving of this recognition. Hall of Fame weekend will be a wonderful experience for these inductees as well as our fans when we celebrate some of the greatest that have put on an Aggie uniform."
Andrea Kabwasa | Women's Basketball | 1988-92
One of the first truly great women's basketball players to don an Aggie uniform, Andrea Kabwasa starred for New Mexico State in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the watch of two separate head coaches (Doug Hoselton and Joe McKeown). By the time her playing career was a matter of record, the Hawthorne, Calif., native stood as the program's all-time leading scorer, assist generator and steal-getter.
Through her collegiate career, Kabwasa collected High Country Athletic Conference First Team honors (1990), an All-Big West Second Team choice in 1991 and a spot on the All-Big West First Team as a senior in 1992. Twice she earned the title of Big West Player of the Week and the all-around star closed out her career with 1,778 points, 675 rebounds, 499 assists and 273 steals.
To this day, her 17 assists against Arizona on Dec. 30, 1991, are the most by an Aggie in a single game in the history of the program and her 224 helpers in the 1991-92 campaign represent the most in a single season in Aggie lore. Currently her career point total is the third-highest in program history while her steal and assist totals rank second and third respectively. Kabwasa sank 747 field goals in her career and attempted 1,559 - marks that are the second-highest in Aggie annals.
Following her illustrious career in an Aggie uniform, Kabwasa graduated from New Mexico State and currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif., where she serves as a special education teacher.
Kabwasa on her induction | "I tend to be an introverted, quiet person so I wasn't sure what to make of it but it's quite an honor and a surprise. It's not anything I ever expected or thought about, so my initial reaction was surprise and a feeling of, "did they get that right?" I'm definitely humbled by it and grateful for it. I played basketball and gave it my best because I was in love with my sport. I wasn't doing it for accolades, just because I truly loved the sport and was passionate about it."
Darrell Martin | Track & Field | 1975-78
Few Aggie track & field athletes have succeeded in compiling a résumé quite as extensive as the one put together by Darrell Martin. Through the mid-1970s, Martin amassed some nine collegiate medals on the conference scene and departed Las Cruces as the program's record holder in no fewer than four events (60-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 220-yard dash and 440-yard dash).
A team captain on the Aggies' 1978 squad, Martin went on to participate in the 1980 Jamaican Olympic trials.
Martin on his induction | "I'm just very humbled and it's a pleasure to be recognized. I'm accepting this honor for my teammates and coaches, too, because I had a lot of help from them during my time as an Aggie. My high school coach and New Mexico State head coach Art Morgan helped me a lot. It was a definitely a culture shock when I came to Las Cruces, N.M., from my home town of New York City, but to be in the hall of fame among all the great athletes that New Mexico State has produced is just a humbling experience."
Wendell McKines | Men's Basketball | 2008-12
A staple on two NCAA Tournament teams during the Marvin Menzies coaching era, Wendell McKines was both a fan favorite and a force to be reckoned with by Aggie opponents through his time in Las Cruces.
Through his final season (2011-12), McKines' name was one of national prominence due to his scoring and rebounding numbers. The eventual All-WAC First Team choice and WAC Tournament MVP averaged 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in his farewell season. On the national scene, McKines ranked eighth among all NCAA Division I men's basketball players in rebounds per game and was the land's 29th-leading scorer, too. Twenty of his 47 career double-doubles came in the 2011-12 campaign and helped NM State go 26-10.
Once his collegiate career came to an end, McKines had amassed 1,521 points and 1,135 rebounds to become just the second Aggie ever to record 1,000 or more points and 1,000 or more rebounds in a career. Currently his career scoring total is the ninth-highest in program history while his rebounding total ranks second behind Sam Lacey.
After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, McKines became an excellent player overseas. During his seven-year overseas career, McKines played in teams located in France, the Philippines, South Korea and Israel.
McKines on his induction | "I can't lie and say that I was surprised because I put up big numbers while I was in an Aggie uniform. Reflecting on the good memories I had at New Mexico State made me feel overwhelmed with emotion and I'm excited to come back to Las Cruces for the induction ceremony."
Chris Williams | Football | 2005-08
Producing all manner of eye-popping numbers seemingly every time he found himself lining up against defensive backfields around the nation, Chris Williams is the standard all current and future New Mexico State wide receivers will be measured against.
During a four-year run in the mid-2000s, Williams made a living rewriting the Aggies' record books and hung up his collegiate cleats as the program's all-time leader in receiving yardage (3,555), touchdown receptions (32) and 100+ yard receiving games (18). Williams found himself on the receiving end of four of the 10 longest pass plays in the history of the program and in addition to his receiving prowess he served as one of the best all-purpose players in Aggie history.
Williams' 4,985 all-purpose yards rank as the fourth-most in a career in NM State lore. He turned those numbers into an SI.com All-American Honorable Mention selection in 2006 and earned Fourth-Team Phil Steele All-American recognition in 2008. An undrafted free agent, Williams signed with the NFL's Miami Dolphins in the spring of 2009 and also spent time with the Cleveland Browns (2009), the New Orleans Saints (2013) and the Chicago Bears (2013-14).
In addition to his time in the NFL, Williams has enjoyed a fruitful career with no fewer than four teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 80 games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, BC Lions and Montreal Alouettes, Williams has amassed 5,634 receiving yards and piled up 34 receiving touchdowns.
Williams on his induction | "I just feel blessed, honestly. I'm from New Mexico, I went to high school here and lived most of my life here so when I was starting to play football I never really envisioned being a hall of fame member in this state, but I put in a lot of work for my sport. I was fortunate to make connections and get help from a lot of great people along the way that really helped me to get here, so it's amazing."
Those four individuals are set to be formally inducted on Friday, Feb. 21, at 6:00 p.m. MT in the Barbara Hubbard Room on the second floor of the Pan American Center and will be recognized the following day at halftime of the men's basketball game against UTRGV.
Tickets are $40 per person and can by purchased by calling Nicole Gomez at 575-646-8050 or via email at nicolemg@nmsu.edu. The deadline to purchase tickets for the event is Wednesday, Feb. 19.
"I couldn't be happier to recognize and honor our former student-athletes with their induction into the US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame," Director of Athletics Mario Moccia stated. "Being inducted into your alma mater's hall of fame is the highest honor one can be bestowed and all four are deserving of this recognition. Hall of Fame weekend will be a wonderful experience for these inductees as well as our fans when we celebrate some of the greatest that have put on an Aggie uniform."
Andrea Kabwasa | Women's Basketball | 1988-92
One of the first truly great women's basketball players to don an Aggie uniform, Andrea Kabwasa starred for New Mexico State in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the watch of two separate head coaches (Doug Hoselton and Joe McKeown). By the time her playing career was a matter of record, the Hawthorne, Calif., native stood as the program's all-time leading scorer, assist generator and steal-getter.
Through her collegiate career, Kabwasa collected High Country Athletic Conference First Team honors (1990), an All-Big West Second Team choice in 1991 and a spot on the All-Big West First Team as a senior in 1992. Twice she earned the title of Big West Player of the Week and the all-around star closed out her career with 1,778 points, 675 rebounds, 499 assists and 273 steals.
To this day, her 17 assists against Arizona on Dec. 30, 1991, are the most by an Aggie in a single game in the history of the program and her 224 helpers in the 1991-92 campaign represent the most in a single season in Aggie lore. Currently her career point total is the third-highest in program history while her steal and assist totals rank second and third respectively. Kabwasa sank 747 field goals in her career and attempted 1,559 - marks that are the second-highest in Aggie annals.
Following her illustrious career in an Aggie uniform, Kabwasa graduated from New Mexico State and currently resides in Los Angeles, Calif., where she serves as a special education teacher.
Kabwasa on her induction | "I tend to be an introverted, quiet person so I wasn't sure what to make of it but it's quite an honor and a surprise. It's not anything I ever expected or thought about, so my initial reaction was surprise and a feeling of, "did they get that right?" I'm definitely humbled by it and grateful for it. I played basketball and gave it my best because I was in love with my sport. I wasn't doing it for accolades, just because I truly loved the sport and was passionate about it."
Darrell Martin | Track & Field | 1975-78
Few Aggie track & field athletes have succeeded in compiling a résumé quite as extensive as the one put together by Darrell Martin. Through the mid-1970s, Martin amassed some nine collegiate medals on the conference scene and departed Las Cruces as the program's record holder in no fewer than four events (60-meter dash, 100-meter dash, 220-yard dash and 440-yard dash).
A team captain on the Aggies' 1978 squad, Martin went on to participate in the 1980 Jamaican Olympic trials.
Martin on his induction | "I'm just very humbled and it's a pleasure to be recognized. I'm accepting this honor for my teammates and coaches, too, because I had a lot of help from them during my time as an Aggie. My high school coach and New Mexico State head coach Art Morgan helped me a lot. It was a definitely a culture shock when I came to Las Cruces, N.M., from my home town of New York City, but to be in the hall of fame among all the great athletes that New Mexico State has produced is just a humbling experience."
Wendell McKines | Men's Basketball | 2008-12
A staple on two NCAA Tournament teams during the Marvin Menzies coaching era, Wendell McKines was both a fan favorite and a force to be reckoned with by Aggie opponents through his time in Las Cruces.
Through his final season (2011-12), McKines' name was one of national prominence due to his scoring and rebounding numbers. The eventual All-WAC First Team choice and WAC Tournament MVP averaged 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in his farewell season. On the national scene, McKines ranked eighth among all NCAA Division I men's basketball players in rebounds per game and was the land's 29th-leading scorer, too. Twenty of his 47 career double-doubles came in the 2011-12 campaign and helped NM State go 26-10.
Once his collegiate career came to an end, McKines had amassed 1,521 points and 1,135 rebounds to become just the second Aggie ever to record 1,000 or more points and 1,000 or more rebounds in a career. Currently his career scoring total is the ninth-highest in program history while his rebounding total ranks second behind Sam Lacey.
After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA Draft, McKines became an excellent player overseas. During his seven-year overseas career, McKines played in teams located in France, the Philippines, South Korea and Israel.
McKines on his induction | "I can't lie and say that I was surprised because I put up big numbers while I was in an Aggie uniform. Reflecting on the good memories I had at New Mexico State made me feel overwhelmed with emotion and I'm excited to come back to Las Cruces for the induction ceremony."
Chris Williams | Football | 2005-08
Producing all manner of eye-popping numbers seemingly every time he found himself lining up against defensive backfields around the nation, Chris Williams is the standard all current and future New Mexico State wide receivers will be measured against.
During a four-year run in the mid-2000s, Williams made a living rewriting the Aggies' record books and hung up his collegiate cleats as the program's all-time leader in receiving yardage (3,555), touchdown receptions (32) and 100+ yard receiving games (18). Williams found himself on the receiving end of four of the 10 longest pass plays in the history of the program and in addition to his receiving prowess he served as one of the best all-purpose players in Aggie history.
Williams' 4,985 all-purpose yards rank as the fourth-most in a career in NM State lore. He turned those numbers into an SI.com All-American Honorable Mention selection in 2006 and earned Fourth-Team Phil Steele All-American recognition in 2008. An undrafted free agent, Williams signed with the NFL's Miami Dolphins in the spring of 2009 and also spent time with the Cleveland Browns (2009), the New Orleans Saints (2013) and the Chicago Bears (2013-14).
In addition to his time in the NFL, Williams has enjoyed a fruitful career with no fewer than four teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL). In 80 games with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, BC Lions and Montreal Alouettes, Williams has amassed 5,634 receiving yards and piled up 34 receiving touchdowns.
Williams on his induction | "I just feel blessed, honestly. I'm from New Mexico, I went to high school here and lived most of my life here so when I was starting to play football I never really envisioned being a hall of fame member in this state, but I put in a lot of work for my sport. I was fortunate to make connections and get help from a lot of great people along the way that really helped me to get here, so it's amazing."
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