USU Hall of Fame inductees announced
sports editor
The Utah State University Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame announced the 2012 class, Monday.
Alfred Castro, Eric Hipple, Brian Jackson, Shae Jones-Bair, James Murphy, James Parker, Kristie Skoglund and Emmett White are the 2012 inductees.
They will be honored Sept. 8.
“We are extremely proud of this class and the legacy each of them left at Utah State University,” said Utah State Director of Athletics Scott Barnes in a press release. “This group joins 61 other outstanding individuals, along with three teams, to further ensure the proud tradition of Aggie Athletics.”
Castro is one of two Aggie wrestlers to be named a two-time All-American. The Coachella, Calif. native posted a 32-7-1 record as a sophomore. During his junior year, he finished eighth at the NCAA Championships at 118 pounds. Castro was unable to wrestle during his senior season because of injury.
Hipple played quarterback for the Aggies from 1976-79 and ranks second all-time in school history in pass completion percentage at 60.2 percent. He played 10 seasons with the Detroit Lions and finished his career with 55 touchdowns and over 10,000 passing yards.
Jackson ranks first all-time in USU basketball with an average of 37.4 minutes per game. The Palos Verdes, Calif. native finished his career ranking fourth all-time with 1,900 career points and 753 field goals made. The Portland Trailblazers drafted Jackson in the second round of the 1981 NBA draft.
Jones-Bair is one of two female track athletes in school history to earn All-American honors three times in her collegiate career. She finished eighth in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Championships during her freshman year in 1998, fifth the next season and fourth in the 2000 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 2000, Jones-Bair set the school record of 4.20 meters.
Murphy helped the Utah State football team to a 20-12-1 record and 12-2-1 league record from 1978-80. Following his collegiate career, Murphy went to the CFL where he won the Grey Cup Championship three times for different teams, was a two-time CFL All-Star and earned the MVP award in 1986.
Parker is the most decorated student-athlete in USU history, earning All-American honors nine times in his collegiate track career; four times in the indoor weight throw, four times in the hammer throw and once in the discus. After college he was the 2004 USA Indoor weight throw champion and silver medalist in the hammer throw at the 2003 Pan Am Games.
Skoglund is one of six softball players at USU to be named All-American. During her freshman season in 1984, she helped the Aggies finish tied for seventh in the College World Series. She ranks tied for first all-time with seven career saves and second with a .86 earned run average. The pitcher from San Diego, Calif. holds the single-season record with four saves in 1985.
White scored 16 touchdowns as an Aggie running back in 2000 and earned Third-Team All-America honors as a junior. White set an NCAA single-game record against New Mexico State with 578 all-purpose yards.
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu