PUEBLO, Colo. – Six former student-athletes from the sports of football, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's and women's cross country and track & field, a former football coach, a family legacy and the 2016-17 women's basketball team were inducted into the 14th-Annual Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023 in a ceremony Friday night in the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom.
 
Along with Friday's induction ceremony, the Class of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at halftime during Saturday's Homecoming football game with Adams State that will be played in the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
 
The members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are former men's basketball player Bobby Graham (1963-66), former women's cross country and women's track and field athlete Bailey Hughes (2015-17), former women's basketball and volleyball player Deborah Hunter (1985-87), former football player and current nine-year NFL veteran center Ryan Jensen (2009-12), former women's basketball player Shelly Watts (1985-88) and former men's cross country and track and field athlete and 14-time All-American Derrick Williams (2014-18). Additionally, former football coach Mike Friedman (1974-83) will join the Hall of Fame as a coach, while the Trahern Family, who spanned 13 seasons and over 400 games and matches in both volleyball and basketball, will join the Hall of the Fame as a Legacy Contributor and the 2016-17 women's basketball team that posted a 28-4 overall record and captured the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title and hosted the NCAA South Regional Tournament for the first and only time in school history will join the Hall of Fame in the Team category.
 

 
Here are the biographies of this year's Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Inductees:

Bobby Graham (Men's Basketball, 1963-66) – A three-year starter at Southern Colorado State College in men's basketball, Graham, who prepped at Pueblo South High School, ranks fourth in school history in points, despite playing in an era that did not feature the three-point line … Although he was only 6-foot, Graham was a forward for CSU Pueblo Hall of Fame Coach Harry Simmons and finished his 77-game career averaging 19.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as he played on the first three SCSC four-year squads that compiled a 56-21 record while playing as an independent … Led the then-Indians in scoring as a senior in 1966 (22.5) while finishing his career shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 76.2 percent at the free throw line … An All-District and Honorable Mention All-American, Graham led the then-Indians to postseason play twice as the first SCSC team was ineligible for the postseason following the school's inaugural season in 1963-64 … Was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Pueblo South High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Bailey Hughes (Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, 2015-17) – A 3.93 undergraduate GPA in Liberal Studies at CSU Pueblo and a 4.0 graduate school GPA in Education (Instructional Technology), Hughes was both a CoSIDA Academic All-District and RMAC All-Academic selection during her time as a Pack student-athlete … Earned RMAC All-Academic First-Team honors in cross country in 2015 … In cross country, earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors after finishing 18th at the 2015 NCAA South Central Regional Championships en route to helping the Pack qualify for the NCAA National Championships as a team … Earned All-RMAC honors in 2015 after finishing 10th at the RMAC Championships … Helped lead the Pack to a third place finish at the 2016 RMAC Championships as she finished 19th overall to earn Second-Team All-RMAC honors … The 2016 CSU Pueblo women's cross country qualified for nationals and recorded a then program-best 16th place finish at the NCAA Championships … In track and field, Hughes was a member of the school's 2016 Indoor Distance Medley Relay team that finished 10th at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships that earned Second-Team All-America honors for the first time in program history … Was a member of the third place Distance Medley Relay team at the 2016 RMAC Indoor Championships and a member of the second place Distance Medley Relay team at the 2017 RMAC Indoor Championships … At the 2016 RMAC Outdoor Championships, Hughes was the RMAC runner-up in the women's 5,000-meter run … Was on the then school record holding Indoor Distance Medley Relay Team (11:41.09) at the 2017 NCAA Championships … In her time as a student-athlete at CSU Pueblo, she was a four-time national qualifier … Closed her Pack career with school records in the mile, 3,000 meters and DMR and still holds the school record for women's outdoor 10,000-meter run … Named RMAC Runner of the Week several times in her career and was a two-time All-Conference honoree in cross country and six times for track and field … Received the Threlkeld Prize for Excellence (top graduating senior) at CSU Pueblo in 2016 … Prior to competing at CSU Pueblo, Hughes began her collegiate career at Carroll College in Montana and while at Carroll College, she earned three NAIA All-America honors in track and field … Served as an assistant track and field coach from 2017-19 and head women's cross country coach in 2018 and 2019 at CSU Pueblo.

Deborah Hunter (Women's Basketball and Volleyball, 1985-87) – Hunter was named an NAIA All-District and All-RMAC selection in all three seasons with the Pack volleyball team, including earning back-to-back First-Team All-RMAC honors in 1986 and 1987 … Owns the school's all-time volleyball record for career blocks (1,076), blocks per game (2.95), solo blocks (472), block assists (604) … Also ranks seventh all-time at CSU Pueblo in career kills with 1,052 in 365 games for an average of 2.88 kills per game … Her 2.88 kills per game average is eighth-best in school history … Recorded a career hitting percentage of .302, which is second-best in the program's history … As a basketball player, she shot 44 percent from the field and pulled down a total of 454 career rebounds.

Ryan Jensen (Football, 2009-12) – A four-year starter for Coach John Wristen in football, Jensen earned All-RMAC honors over his final three seasons at CSU Pueblo … As a senior in 2012, Jensen was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award and earned First-Team Daktronics All-American honors and Second-Team AP Little All-America accolades … During the 2012 season, Jensen did not allow a sack and averaged over 13 knockdown blocks per game … Also earned All-American honors as a junior in 2011 … Was a three-time All-RMAC selection in football, including earning First Team honors in both 2011 and 2012 … Participated in the 2013 Texas vs. The Nation All-Star Game … Selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens … Played four seasons (35 games, 25 starts) for the Ravens, before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018 … Has played the past five years with the Bucs as the team's starting center … Since joining the Bucs, he has played in and started 65 regular season games … Missed the entire 2022 regular season due to injury, but played in the Bucs' first round playoff game against Dallas … Started at center for the Bucs' 2020 Super Bowl championship team and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021 … In his nine-year NFL career, Jensen has played in 6,242 regular season plays and has played in a total of 100 regular season games … Jensen's wife, Stephanie, is also a CSU Pueblo graduate and was a member of the Pack's women's track and field team ... Born in Rangely, Colo., Jensen graduated from Fort Morgan High School, where he was an All-State Player.  

Shelly Watts (Women's Basketball, 1985-88) – Watts was a two-time All-RMAC selection in women's basketball as she was a Second-Team honoree in 1987 and received Honorable Mention  accolades in 1986 … She currently ranks second in school history in field goal percentage (50.5 percent), sixth in career scoring average (14.8), seventh in career rebounds (651) and 11th in career scoring (1,185 points) … One of 16 women's basketball players in school history to score 1,000 or more career points … Played in 80 games over three seasons with the Pack … Watts' 1987-88 Pack team won a then school record 17 games, finished the season with a 17-10 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the RMAC and advanced to the NAIA District Tournament in Cedar City, Utah … Was a part of 41 overall wins and 26 RMAC wins during her time with the Pack.

Derrick Williams (Men's Cross Country/Track & Field, 2014-18) – A standout in both the classroom and on the track, Williams graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors (3.99 GPA) in 2019 with both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Biology degrees … Was awarded the CSU Pueblo Threlkeld Prize of Excellence (top graduating student) in 2019 … Served as a team captain for both the cross country and track and field programs … Awarded both the CSU Pueblo and Spank Blasing Track & Field Athlete of the Year award and was a two-time RMAC Summit Award winner, a five-time RMAC Runner of the Year honoree and a three-time NCAA Division II Elite 90 Award recipient … Earned a total of 14 All-American honors in cross country and track and field … Named the RMAC Cross Country Academic Runner of the Year in 2015 and was a four-time CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American … Selected as the 2019 RMAC Man of the Year … Made 10 trips to the NCAA National Championships in both track and cross country … Along with earning 14 All-America accolades in his career, recorded five Top 3 performances at national championships and claimed six individual RMAC Championship titles … Helped the men's cross country team to back-to-back fourth place finishes (2018, 2019) in the UTFCCCA Men's Cross Country Program of the Year standings … The Great Falls, Mont., native, also earned six RMAC Academic Athlete of the Year honors … Williams is currently in his final year of medical school at Harvard University and along with going to medical school, he also earned his MBA from Harvard University.

Mike Friedman – Coach (Football, 1974-83) – In 10 seasons as the football coach at then University of Southern Colorado (USC), Friedman won 61 percent of his games and led the then Indians to its first-ever national playoff berth in 1982 as the school played in the NAIA Playoffs … In his 10 seasons in Pueblo, Friedman posted a 60-38-2 overall record, including a 39-26-1 mark in the RMAC … Led the then Indians to the program's first-ever RMAC football title in 1980 … The 1980 team finished the season with a 9-1 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the RMAC … In 1982, Friedman led the then Indians to a 9-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the RMAC … The nine wins recorded in both 1980 and 1982 were then school records for most wins in a season … His 60 career wins are second-most in school history, while his 39 RMAC wins are also second-most in school history … Six of his 10 teams recorded winning records, including four of the 10 teams winning eight or more games in a season … Among the players that Friedman coached were All-Americans Bill Gower, John Trahan, Jeff England and former longtime CSU Pueblo football coach John Wristen, along with Mark DeRose and Dan DeRose, who is the program's all-time leading tackler … Another former player, Herman Heard, was drafted in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs ... Friedman came to the University of Southern Colorado after spending two years as an assistant football coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater under head coach Forrest Perkins.

Trahern Family – Legacy Contributors – When one asks what family has had the greatest impact on athletics at CSU Pueblo, the Trahern name ranks among the best … The Trahern family legacy spanned 13 seasons and over 400 games and matches … Perhaps the best known of those Trahern's was Sue Northrup Trahern, who was a standout volleyball and women's basketball player at CSU Pueblo from 1978-80 and was inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015 … Sue Northrup Trahern gave birth to two sons – Jake and Ty – that competed for the Pack in men's basketball from 2005-09 for Jake and  2008-12 for Ty … Along with Sue, Jake and Ty, there were brothers – Jim and Bob – that competed in men's basketball at CSU Pueblo in the late 1970s and early 1980s … The Trahern run ended in the 2000s when Jim and Sue's sons competed for the ThunderWolves in basketball and both players were recipients of the Harry "Chief" Simmons Scholarship … When recapping the five Trahern's basketball statistics from their time at CSU Pueblo, the family combined to play in 378 games and tally 2,865 points, 1,493 rebounds, 680 assists and 149 blocked shots while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 67.1 percent from the free throw line … Here are the members of the Trahern family and the years they played basketball at CSU Pueblo - Jim Trahern (1979-81), Bob Trahern (1981-85), Sue Northrup Trahern (1978-80), Jake Trahern (2005-09) and Ty Trahern (2008-12).

2016-17 Women's Basketball Team – Team Category – The 2016-17 women's basketball team that was coached by Jim Turgeon and led by Tuileisu Anderson and Molly Rohrer was one of the top women's basketball teams in the program's illustrious history … Turgeon's 2016-17 squad captured the 2017 RMAC regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament … The team finished the season with a 28-4 overall record and a 20-2 mark in the RMAC … The 28 wins were a school record, while the 20 wins in RMAC play are tied for the most wins in league play in school history … The Pack earned the No. 1 seed in the South Central Region and hosted the NCAA Regional Tournament at Massari Arena for the first time in school history … At the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament, the Pack fell in the regional semifinals to West Texas A&M after picking up a win over Tarleton State in tournament's first round  … Anderson and Rohrer were each First-Team All-RMAC selections, while Rohrer was named the RMAC Player of the Year and Katie Cunningham was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, along with being a First-Team All-RMAC honoree and Turgeon was named the RMAC Coach of the Year … Turgeon is still the only women's basketball coach in program history to be named an RMAC Coach of the Year … In addition, Jaszymn Johnson was named an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection … The Pack opened the 2016-17 season by winning its first 24 games before suffering an 85-81 loss at Westminster on Feb. 10, 2017 … Following that loss, the team reeled off two straight wins before suffering a 91-56 loss at Colorado Mesa to conclude the regular season … During the regular season, CSU Pueblo finished with a 26-2 overall record and a 20-2 mark in league play … The Pack were 16-0 at home in the regular season … Thanks to winning the regular season title, the Pack hosted the RMAC Tournament on its home court and opened the tournament with a 69-65 win over South Dakota Mines, before suffering a 77-71 loss to Regis in the semifinal round of the tournament … A week later, the Pack hosted the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament as the Pack opened with a 68-59 win over Tarleton State, before falling 70-67 in overtime to West Texas A&M in the semifinals … West Texas A&M would defeat Angelo State in the finals two days later and advance to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight … For the season, the Pack averaged 72.8 points per game on offense and allowed just 61.5 points per game … They held 22 of their foes to fewer than 65 points, including allowing a season-low 42 points to Adams State in a 70-42 home win on Feb. 3.