UTEP reveals 2017 Hall of Fame induction class
Five legendary athletes will be inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 27 at a ceremony at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center.
The school revealed the Class of 2017 Wednesday afternoon.
Here are the five inductees joining the hall of fame later this year:
Antonio Davis, Basketball – Davis won 95 games as a Miner from 1986-90 before starring in the NBA at the power forward position. Davis played for the Pacers, Raptors, Bulls, and Knicks over a span of 13 seasons. He was even named an NBA All-Star in 2001. He recorded more than 9,000 points during his career and also played for Team USA.
Seth Joyner, Football – Joyner joined the UTEP football team in 1982 as a walk-on and left the team in 1985 as an NFL draft pick. Joyner, a linebacker, played for the Philadelphia Eagles for eight seasons and was named the 1991 Sports Illustrated NFL Player of the Year. He later played for Arizona, Green Bay, and Denver. In his final season in the NFL (1998), Joyner won a Super Bowl with the Broncos.
Blessing Okagbare, Track and Field – Okagbare already had an Olympic silver medal to her name in the long jump before rewriting the record books with UTEP track and field in 2010. That season, Okagbare won the NCAA outdoor championship in the 100 meter dash and also took gold in the long jump, becoming the first athlete to accomplish that feat. In the indoor season, Okagbare took gold in the national championships in the 60-meter dash and long jump.
Cynthia Ruelas, Volleyball – Ruelas is the first volleyball player to be inducted into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame. Ruelas owns 17 school records and ranked in the top five nationally in blocks twice – 1994 and 1997. She tallied 1,181 kills and 636 blocks during her career with the Miners. She ranks in the top five in school history in blocks, kills, and hitting percentage.
Paul Stankowski, Golf – Stankowski will become the first member of the UTEP men’s golf team to be inducted in October. He starred at UTEP from 1987-91, becoming the only golfer in program history to claim an individual WAC title in 1990. Stankowski was also a three-time honrable mention All-American. He later went on to win multiple events as a professional golfer. Perhaps his finest moment came when he finished tied for fifth at the 1997 Masters.