From the Closing 4 in New Orleans to the comeback of Tiger Woods and a brand new Grasp’s golf king, it already has been a memorable April on the planet of sports activities.
And it’s about to get much more memorable for New Mexico sports activities followers.
At present, the N.M. Sports activities Corridor of Fame introduced its latest inductees — its Fab 5.
The category options 5 of the best athletes in state historical past, all of whom excelled of their respective sports activities whereas enjoying large roles in giving again to their communities.
“This class is all about achievement, character and recognizing a number of the best New Mexico athletes — some who might have slipped via the cracks over the passage of time, however have left a long-lasting legacy,” mentioned Theo Barela, president of the N.M. Sports activities Corridor of Fame.
“That is really a category that represents what our Corridor of Fame is all about. Three of the inductees have handed, however their influences are nonetheless being felt to at the present time — and will likely be for generations to return.”
The late, greats are golf legend Gene Torres, handball ace Manny Smith and softball sensation Lou Pierotti.
They are going to be inducted together with longtime Aztec wrestling coach Herb Stinson and baseball/softball coach and nationwide officiating standout Invoice Gracey.
The category is the primary to be inducted to the Sports activities Corridor of Fame since 2019. They are going to be honored throughout a banquet on the Albuquerque Conference Heart on Aug. 20.
There will even be a charity golf match, organized by the NMSHOF, at Santa Ana Golf Membership on July 29.
Additional particulars concerning the occasions will likely be introduced within the coming weeks.
“We’re breaking away from the standard Sunday night for the banquet,” Barela mentioned. “The board felt that Saturday permits for a extra vigorous and festive ambiance and offers attendees an opportunity to chill out and never stress about work the subsequent day.
“Holding the occasion in August, which was additionally performed final yr, helps keep away from conflicts with most main sporting occasions.”
THE FAB FIVE:
HERB STINSON was born in Farmington and went to highschool at Aztec Excessive, the place he performed soccer, ran observe and wrestled. He has coached one of the vital highly effective wrestling applications within the nation.
His groups have gained 13 state titles, together with 10 in an 11-year stretch. The Tigers gained the crown this previous season.
Herb, who’s in his thirty seventh yr as Aztec’s head coach, has had 68 particular person champions. He additionally coached wrestling, baseball and soccer at Bayfield, Colo., from 2000-2012 and has been a classroom instructor for 37 years.
Herb has been inducted into 4 teaching halls of fame, however says he’s most pleased with the great success so a lot of his wrestlers have had after highschool — and the Aztec wrestling facility that was constructed from donations by his former athletes.
BILL GRACEY has been in New Mexico athletics for greater than 40 years as a baseball and softball coach and a basketball official at the highschool and collegiate ranges.
He was a standout athlete in soccer and baseball at West Mesa Excessive College, receiving all-district and all-city honors and has been a longtime educator in APS.
In 1971, he was named the college’s athlete of the yr.
As a baseball coach, he gained a state championship at Cibola Excessive College and went on to teach softball at UNM as an assistant.
Invoice has been one of many high collegiate basketball officers within the area for quite a few years. From 1982-2014, he officiated on the NCAA Division I stage in conferences such the Large 12, Western Athletic Convention, Southwest, Sunbelt, Convention USA, Large Sky, Southland, Large West and Mountain West.
The highest baseball participant every year at Cibola Excessive is acknowledged with the “Invoice Gracey” award.
EMANUEL “MANNY” SMITH (1929-1995) is the dean of New Mexico handball, having gained a report 9 straight state titles and 11 straight metropolis crowns when handball was one of the vital well-liked sports activities in Albuquerque in the course of the Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties.
Smith, a instructor, principal and Grasp Instructor for Albuquerque Public Faculties for almost 40 years, was additionally a school basketball participant in upstate New York and for america Military’s worldwide touring basketball group in the course of the Korean Warfare. Manny was additionally a medic in the course of the warfare.
Manny was one of the vital well-known theater actors within the Duke Metropolis.
His affect has touched hundreds of lives, which was displayed by the standing room solely throng at his memorial service on the Del Norte Excessive College performing arts theater in 1995.
He’s the primary handball participant ever elected to the NMSHOF.
LUIGI “LOU” GUSTAVO PIEROTTI (1920-1974) turned a nationwide title for his Pierotti’s Clowns softball group that was based mostly in Los Alamos.
Sports activities Illustrated twice featured Pierotti’s five-man group, which might dominate the competitors across the nation whereas sporting clown make-up and performing quite a lot of hilarious stunts.
A big mosaic monument of Lou and the Clowns stands in entrance of the general public library in Los Alamos.
His Clowns raised greater than $200,000 for charity.
Lou, who was born in a rural space simply exterior of Walsenburg, Colo., was a standout in observe, baseball, boxing, golf and bowling.
GENE “THE ROCK” TORRES (1937-2005) is arguably the best golf skilled in New Mexico historical past.
Born in Trinidad, Colo., Torres turned a self-taught sensation who gained the Colorado State Excessive College championship in 1956. 5 years later, he turned the pinnacle golf skilled and a professor at New Mexico Highlands — the place he would spend the subsequent 43 years mentoring golfers, instructing courses and dominating the state professional circuit.
He gained greater than 80 professional tournaments across the nation, together with 5 New Mexico Opens — and 4 straight from 1968-71.
In 2004, Gene was introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award from the PGA of America.
In 2005, the course at NMHU — one during which Gene could possibly be seen each day doing upkeep on it himself — was named after him.
The 5 have been chosen by a board of 23 members with huge quantities of expertise within the New Mexico sports activities world.
The inductees had beforehand been in a nomination pool — in some circumstances way back to 1973 — and have been amongst 24 chosen by the board’s annual revolving nomination committee. The committee narrowed the listing to 13 and introduced that group to your entire board.
Your complete board then researched the 13 finalists for 2 weeks earlier than a remaining vote was taken.
Your complete course of took greater than 4 months.
“The nomination committee actually gave due diligence to all of the nominees (whose bios may be discovered on NMSHOF.org),” Barela mentioned. “I’m extraordinarily pleased with this class, and the truth that some are lastly receiving the accolades they’ve so well-merited for therefore a few years.”