UTEP announces 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame induction class
(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)
EL PASO, Texas - Tobi Amusan (track & field), Beto Bautista (men’s basketball), Izabela Piekarska (women’s basketball), Tony Tolbert (football) and Brandon Wolfram (men’s basketball) form the 21st induction class into the UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame.
This year's class will be inducted on Tuesday, Oct. 15 in the Sun Bowl, and will be honored at the Miners' football game versus FIU on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Amusan competed for the Miners for two seasons (2016-17). She captured the national title in the 100-meter hurdles (12.57) at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
She was a three-time All-American, finishing runner-up in the event at NCAA’s in 2016.
Amusan was also a five-time Conference USA champion.
She holds the school record in the 60-meter hurdles indoors (7.98) and the 100-meter hurdles outdoors (12.57).
Amusan is the current world record holder in the 100 hurdles with a time of 12.12 seconds.
She competed in the 2016 and 2021 Olympics for her native Nigeria.
Amusan was the 2022 world champion in the 100 hurdles.
She is also a four-time African Games champion, four-time African champion, three-time Diamond League champion, and two-time Commonwealth Games champion.
She was inducted into the Conference USA Hall of Fame in 2023.
A tenacious defender, Bautista was a three-year letterwinner for the Miners (1971-74).
Bautista drew rave reviews from coach Don Haskins for his tenacious work in holding down opposing teams’ top scorers. He was also the team’s quickest player and a tremendous ball-handler.
Bautista helped the Miners reach the postseason National Invitation Tournament in 1972.
He was a two-time honorable mention All-Western Athletic Conference selection.
Bautista was captain of the Mexican Student Selection Team at the World University Games in Moscow, Russia, in 1973.
He attended Austin High School in El Paso, garnering All-District honors his senior year.
Piekarska dominated both inside and out with her 6-5 frame.
She was a senior leader on the historic 2007-08 squad (28-4) that won the program’s first conference title, broke into the top 25 for the final six weeks of the season, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Piekarska was second team All-CUSA that season, helping the Miners to an unprecedented 16-0 mark in league play.
Upon graduation, she was the school record holder for points (1,251) and currently sits fourth.
She is also second in the UTEP record book in blocked shots (252), fifth in field goals made (495), sixth in 3-point percentage (36.6), and seventh in free-throw percentage (77.8) and rebounds (651).
She was picked by the Sacramento Monarchs in the third round of the 2008 WNBA Draft before playing overseas.
She is a member of the UTEP Women’s Basketball Centennial Team.
Tolbert made the most of two seasons as a starting defensive end for the Miners, garnering second team All-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1987 and first team in 1988.
He had a monster senior campaign, tallying 101 tackles and 11 sacks in leading UTEP to the only 10-win season in school history.
Tolbert recorded 15 sacks total during his final two seasons in the orange and blue.
Picked in the fourth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Tolbert would later win three world championships (1992, 1993, 1995) with “America’s Team.”
He spent nine years in the league (144 games), tallying 580 tackles and 59 sacks.
His NFL honors included earning a spot on the All-Rookie Team (1989) and second team All-Pro recognition (1996).
He was a 1996 Pro Bowl selection after posting a career-high 12.0 sacks. He is a member of the UTEP Football Centennial Team.
Wolfram left UTEP as the school’s all-time leading scorer in 2001 and currently ranks third in career points (1,831 points).
He was named All-Western Athletic Conference three times during his career, including first team accolades as a junior and senior.
He made the All-WAC Newcomer Team following his freshman year in 1998.
A standout in the classroom as well, he was a two-time first team Academic All-America.
Wolfram recorded 12 double-doubles and seven thirty-point games as a Miner.
He averaged over 20 points per game as a junior (20.7 ppg) and senior (22.3 ppg).
He rated seventh nationally in scoring during the 2000-01 season, en route to being named the Sporting News WAC Player of the Year.
He ranks second in school history in field goal percentage (.579), fifth in free throw percentage (.796) and 10th in rebounds (734).
Wolfram currently resides in the Sun City as Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Further details for the UTEP Hall of Fame festivities will be announced soon.
