CELEBRATING THE 1961 PJC MEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

The first national team championship won by an athletic program at CSU Pueblo was won in 1961 when the Pueblo Junior College men's basketball team won the NJCAA national championship with a 79-66 win over Tyler (Tex.) Junior College.

The team boasted a stellar 34-2 record and a 9-1 mark in Empire Conference play, and consisted of such players as first-team all-American and regional tournament MVP Sam Smith, national tournament MVP and future NBA player, Bob Warlick, and all-region selections Norm Colglazier and Waymond Dean.  And the icing on the cake, coach Harry Simmons was named NJCAA coach of the year. 

The members of the team included:
Norm Colglazier
Bob Warlick
Sam Smith
Anthony Hegler
Isaac Pope
Charles Williams
Waymond Dean
Lennie Roybal
Greg Smith
Ron DeLeon
Jerry Hummitsczh
Jack Milam

Coach: Harry Simmons
Assistant Coach: Bill Kennedy
Managers: Caesar Guitierrez, Pete Gray, Howard Snyder

On March 18, 1961 at the Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Kan., Pueblo Junior College captured the National Junior College Athletic Association's basketball title as the Indians completed a four-game sweep by defeating Tyler of Texas 79-66 in the finals.

Bob Warlick led the Indians with 86 points in four games as the 6-4 forward from Hickory, N. C., was named the tournament's most valuable player.  He was the second Indian to capture the honor as Eugene Poston was named the tournament's top player in 1956 when PJC placed sixth.

PJC advanced to the national finals by defeating Snead Parsons (Boaz, Ala.) 80-64, Broome Tech (Binghamton, N.Y.) 69-64 and Eastern A&M (Wilburton, Okla.) as Warlick scored 27, 13 and 20 points in the first three games before adding 26 points against Tyler.

Three other Indians averaged in double-figures in the 1961 NJCAA championships with guards Norm Colglazier (Pueblo Centennial) and Gregg Smith (Canon City) adding 51 and 47 points, respectively.  Six foot-eight center Sam Smith (a University of New Mexico transfer) scored 45 points.

Waymond Dean (Denver Manual) missed scoring in double-figures by a point with 39 tallies for the four games.  Reserves (Ron DeLeon (Pueblo Central) and Lenny Roybal (Santa Fe, N. M.) contributed 26 and 25 points, respectively.

Other members of the 10-man squad for the Hutchinson event were Chuck Williams (Denver Manual), Tony Hegler (Pueblo Central) and Jack Milam (Pueblo Central).  Due to the roster limits for the national tournament, Jerry Hummitzsch (Sheboygan, Wis.) and Isaac Pope (Tennessee) did not dress for the Hutchinson games.

Here is a recap of the four games in Hutchinson as the Indians finished the second with a 31-2 record and advanced to the national finals by winning the Empire Conference.  Harry Simmons was named the national coach of the year and he was assisted by Bill Kennedy. 

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