El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes eight new members

Eight new members were welcomed to the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame at a special ceremony at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino Wednesday night.

Those eight members include:

– Rita Aguilar – Five-time city golf champion

– Billy Davis – Two-time Super Bowl winner as a wide receiver with Dallas and Baltimore

– Kaysie Smashey – Professional tennis player

– Ben Avalos – State champion high school wrestling coach

– Anthony Carter – State champion high school wrestling coach

– Ray Adauto – Diablos, Chihuahuas, and UTEP announcer

– Ronnie Hernandez – Basketball official for 35 years

– Wally Hartley – Middle school track, cross country, and football coach

The night was filled with plenty of life lessons but also plenty of laughs.

“When they told me I was getting in, I was like, ‘Wait a minute. You get into a hall of fame after your career is over.’ So, I don’t know if someone is trying to tell me something,” said Anthony Carter, who has led the Hanks girls wrestling team to four straight state titles.

Former NFL wide receiver Billy Davis, who attended Irvin, also left guests at the dinner ceremony with a profound lesson on achieving success.

“You know, I can remember more about the failures than the accomplishments,” he said. “I fell down seven times, but I got up eight times. And that’s the one thing I learned about being a true El Pasoan. You stay the course and you be humble about it, but you go after it with all your heart.”