Feb. 16, 2016 DALLAS (SMU) - SMU and SMU Athletics, in conjunction with the SMU Lettermen's Association, have announced the newest class of the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2016 inductees include: Amy Benz, Scot Donie, Reggie Dupard, Janet Ely, Daniel Hernandez, and the late Henry "Choc" Sanders. These athletes will be recognized at the annual Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony on Friday, May 6 at Moody Coliseum.
Amy Benz, one of the top women's golfers in SMU history, played at SMU from 1981-83. Benz was an All-American, and the winner of the AIAW National Championship as a sophomore. She was the 1982 NCAA individual national champion and was awarded All-America honors in both 1982 and 1983. Benz was also a member of the 1982 U.S. Curtis Cup team. Benz would go on to have a very successful career on the LPGA Tour totaling 13 top-10 finishes.
Scott Donie ranks as one of the most successful and accomplished divers ever to compete for SMU. Donie competed for the Mustangs from 1987-90, and he was an 11-time SWC Diving Champion and three-time NCAA Champion. Donie earned All-America honors in 1987-89. His success did not stop at SMU, as Donie was a member of the U.S. National Diving team from 1985-96. He is a two-time Olympian, winning the silver medal in the 10-meter platform in 1992 while competing for the United States.
Reggie Dupard is one of the greats in SMU Football history. As a powerhouse running back from 1982-85, Dupard helped the Mustangs clinch both an SWC Championship and a National Championship in 1982, a 1984 NCAA Co-Championship and an Aloha Bowl win against Notre Dame in 1984. He earned All-Conference honors from 1982-1985, and was named an All-American in 1985. Dupard is one of only two players in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, and is still the school's third-leading rusher. After being drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots in 1986, Dupard played five years in the league for both New England and Washington.
Janet Ely was a diver for the Mustangs from 1978-80. In 1979, Ely wont the AIAW Championship on both the 1 and 3 meter, and earned All-America honors. She became the first female from SMU to represent the United States at the 1972 Olympic Games in München, taking fourth in both the springboard and platform events. Following her tenure at SMU, Ely had an impressive career which included both championships and world records. She took gold in the 10m platform at the World Championships, competed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal in platform, and won the World Diving Championships in 1978. Ely is one of SMU's most decorated divers to this day.
Daniel Hernandez owns one of the most impressive careers in the history of the Men's Soccer program at SMU. During his time on the Hilltop, Hernandez twice earned All-America accolades and was named Conference Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997. After leading the Mustangs to a Western Athletic Conference title in 1997, Hernandez was named a Hermann Trophy finalist. Hernandez was selected in the second round of the 1998 MLS Draft by the Los Angeles Galaxy and was a member of the United States Men's National Team. He also played in the Mexican Primera Division from 2003-2005. In 2009, Hernandez signed with MLS's FC Dallas, where he helped the team to a 2010 Western Conference Championship.
Henry "Choc" Sanders was a household name during the early seasons of SMU Football. Sanders played guard for the Mustangs from 1928-29, and was the first First-Team All-American from SMU in school history, earning the honor in 1928. Sanders was also named to the 1928 and 1929 All-Conference teams, and was an integral part of the Mustangs' 1929 undefeated season. In his three years on the Hilltop, Choc helped the Mustangs tally an overall record of 19-5-5.
Tickets for the ceremony and banquet are expected to go on sale this month. For additional information on purchasing tickets to the SMU Hall of Fame Banquet, please call 214-768-4314 or email Jeff Lockhart at lockhart@smu.edu.
