PUEBLO, Colo. – Seven former student-athletes, a longtime baseball coach, a contributor to the baseball program, the 1950 & 1960's Women's Recreation Association legacy and three former teams – 1982 football, 2011-12 women's golf and 2013-14 women's golf were inducted into the 15th-Annual Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 in a ceremony here Friday night in the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom in front of nearly 350 people.
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 New Mexico Highlands that will be played in the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
The members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are former women's basketball player
Tuileisu Anderson (2014- 18), former women's golfer
Leina Kim (2012-15), former football player
Cameron McDondle (2012-15), former men's track and field runner
Thomas Staines (2017-19) and former men's basketball player
Damon Williams (1996-98), along with two women's sports pioneers from 1967-69 -
Francis P. Price (women's basketball, volleyball and softball) and
Ruth Shelton (women's basketball and volleyball). Additionally, former baseball coach
Stan Sanchez (1993-2020) joined the Hall of Fame as a coach, while the
Women's Recreation Association of 1950 and 1960 will join the Hall of Fame as a Legacy Contributor. In the team category - the
1982 football, the
2011-12 women's golf and
2013-14 women's golf will join the Hall of Fame in the team category, along with baseball contributor
Max Salas.
Here are the biographies of this year's Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Inductees:
Tuileisu Anderson (Women's Basketball, 2014-18) – A four-year letterwinner that played 124 games for the Pack women's
basketball program … The 124 games are the second-most in school history ... In her career, she averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while making 78 percent of her free throws to rank eighth all-time in school history … She is the program's second all-time leading scorer with 1,516 points and holds the Pack single season record for made three-pointers with 82 in 2016-17 and is second in career 3-pointers made with 204 … Is one of just two players in school history to make 200 or more treys in a career and one of three players in school history to score 1,500 or more points … Was a three-time First-Team All-RMAC selection and was a six-time RMAC Player of the Week honoree … Her 2016-17 team that went 28-4 and won the regular season RMAC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament was inducted as a team in 2023.
Leina Kim (Women's Golf, 2012-15) – Kim was the first-ever All-American selection by the Women's Golf Coaches Association as she earned first team honors in 2015 and was a second team honoree in 2014 … Was also a three-time RMAC Player of the Year and was the league
individual medalist as a senior in 2015 … Earned RMAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2013 and was a 13-time RMAC Women's Golfer of the Week … As a senior in 2015, she shot a then RMAC single-round record of 6-under par 66 at the RMAC Championships and finished with an RMAC Championship record with a score of 135 … During her Pack career, she won eight tournaments and owned the nation's top scoring average of 73.2 following the conclusion of the 2014-15 season … Five of her tournament wins came in 2014-15 as she earned her third consecutive First-Team All-RMAC honor … Was a three-time NCAA Regional qualifier … Placed third at the NCAA West Regional in 2015 after carding a 54-hole total of 221 to earn a spot in the NCAA Division II National Championships as an individual … At the 2015 NCAA D-II National Championships, she finished in a tie for 12th place with a 306 … As a freshman, she became the first women's golfer player in school history to earn WGCA All-Region honors after qualifying as an individual for the NCAA Division II National Championships, where she finished 28th overall.
Cameron McDondle (Football, 2012-15) – At the end of his collegiate career, McDondle compiled 5,951 rushing yards to become the
school's all-time rushing leader … The 5,951 career rushing yards is second-most in RMAC history and 15th all-time in NCAA Division II … He averaged 126.6 rushing yards per game and scored a school record 56 rushing touchdowns and averaged 6.6 yards per carry as he totaled 897 career carries for the ThunderWolves … Rushed for more than 100 yards in 31 career games, which included 10 straight 100-plus rushing games as a senior in 2015 and gained 100 or more rushing yards in 23 of his last 25 career games … Was a Harlon Hill Trophy finalist and finished third in the national Harlon Hill vote as a senior … Earned First-Team AP Little All-America honors and was also an All-American selection by D2Football.com, D2CCA and
Don Hansen's Football Gazette … Named a two-time First-Team All-RMAC selection as a junior and senior and was the 2015 RMAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Fran Price (Women's Basketball, Volleyball and Softball, 1967-69) – Price started her collegiate career at Tennessee A&I before returning to then Southern Colorado State College to earn her degree … She teamed with fellow Class of 2024 inductee Ruth Shelton to lead the 1968 women's basketball team to the AAU Regionals in Phoenix, Ariz., as the team finished the season with a 19-6 record … Along with playing basketball at then SCSC, Price also played volleyball and softball … A 2010 inductee into the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame, Price had an outstanding coaching career in Las Vegas and compiled a 302-72 record at Rancho High School, winning a state title in 1977 in the first-ever Nevada Girls High School State Tournament … Named the Southern Nevada Coach of the Year seven times and is considered one of the most successful girls basketball coaches in the state of Nevada … Also was the head women's basketball coach for two seasons (1985-87) at Texas A&I, which is now Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Ruth Shelton (Women's Basketball and Volleyball, 1967-69) – Shelton attended
the University of Northern Colorado before returning to SCSC, where the school started a women's physical education program … She played both basketball and volleyball for SCSC … She was the leading scorer (15.0 points per game) on the 1968 women's basketball team that posted a 19-6 record and advanced to the title game of the AAU Regional Playoffs … A Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Shelton taught and coached in Pueblo School District 60 … She worked in the South Central League (SCL) as a secretary from 1984-86 and was a member of the Athletic Equity Committee Title IX for the Colorado Department of Education in 1988 … Was inducted into the Pueblo Softball Hall of Fame in 2009 and was named in 2011 by the
Pueblo Chieftain as one of Pueblo County's Top 10 Female Athletes of all time.
Thomas Staines (Men's Track & Field, 2017-19) – One of two student-athletes from CSU Pueblo to be honored by the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame as its Collegiate Athlete of the Year … He won the indoor and outdoor NCAA Division II National title in the 800 meters in both 2018 and 2019 … Was a member of the school's National Champion Distance Medley Relay team at the 2019 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships … In 2019, was named the USTFCCCA South Central Region Track Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor track and field … He also won four RMAC Championships, three with relay teams, and was a four-time First-Team All-RMAC selection … Finished the 2019 indoor and outdoor seasons with the top 800-meter time in NCAA Division II … Was honored in both 2018 and 2019 as the RMAC's Top Indoor and Outdoor Track Athlete.
Damon Williams (Men's Basketball, 1996-98) – In two seasons with the University of Southern Colorado, Williams averaged 22.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 blocked shots per game as he started 46 of
50 games for the Pack … He set a then school record for points in a game with 46 against Fort Lewis on Jan. 24, 1997, and held the mark until David Simental scored a new school record 48 points at Westminster on Feb. 13, 2021 … Tallied a career-high 17 rebounds in a 1997 game against Colorado College and Western State (now Western Colorado) … His 24.0 scoring average for the 1996-97 season is the second-best mark in school history behind Hall of Famer Cal Tatum's 25.1 average for the 1972-73 season … Career-wise, his 16 double-doubles rank third all-time at CSU Pueblo, while his 51.5 field goal percentage is seventh best all-time and his blocked shot average (1.3) is eighth all-time … He was a First-Team All-RMAC selection for both the conference and division and also earned Honorable Mention All-America honors as a senior … Williams helped lead the ThunderWolves to the 1998 RMAC Tournament title, where he was named to the RMAC All-Tournament Team and an NCAA Regional Tournament berth … Following his collegiate career, Williams played 20 seasons professionally in the United States (Dakota Wizards), Finland, Hungary and Italy … Was named the MVP in Finland in both 2001 and 2011 and was the Most Outstanding Player in the Finnish Finals three times (2010, 2011 and 2014) … Named one of the city's top 15 basketball players of all-time by the
Pueblo Chieftain in July 2006.
Stan Sanchez – Coach (Baseball, 1993-20) – Hired to relaunch the baseball program in 1993, Sanchez coached 27 seasons at CSU Pueblo where he posted an 871-581-1 record … He amassed over 1,200 career coaching victories at all levels, including winning 60 percent of his games with the Pack … Sanchez's CSU Pueblo teams reached the postseason 21 times, including 11 consecutive RMAC Tournament appearances … He led CSU Pueblo to six regular season RMAC titles, five RMAC Plains Division titles and five RMAC Tournament titles … The Pack made nine NCAA Regional appearances during Sanchez's tenure, including an appearance in the 1996 NCAA Division II World Series … Coached nine student-athletes who were drafted in the MLB's June amateur draft and 30 of his former Pack players went on to play professional baseball … Sanchez coached 18 ABCA All-Americans … In 1994, the first season the program relaunched, Sanchez led the Pack to a Mile High Intercollegiate Baseball League title and the 1994 Colorado Athletic Conference Championship … The Pack qualified for and hosted the NCAA South Regional Tournament in 1994 … He partnered with Pueblo community leader, Art Gonzales, to create Pack the Park, a free youth clinic that has given thousands of local youth players a chance to learn the game and enhance their skills over the past 19 years … Additionally, the Pack created an annual Christmas Camp and ran its annual Baseball/Softball Academy, giving baseball and softball players around the area a facility to train in during the winter months … Sanchez was inducted into the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
1950 & 1960 Women's Recreation Association, Legacy inductees - Before the advent of th
e As sociation for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1971, female student-athletes at Pueblo College and Southern Colorado State College were members of the Women's Recreation Association. Athletic letters were awarded in WRA sports of archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, field hockey, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball. PC staff member Jenny Turnbull organized the WRA in the 1950's and the WRA continued under the direction of Turnbull, and CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Famers Kay Aguilar and Jessie Banks in the 1960's. The first recognized women's basketball team posted a 19-6 record and advanced to the AAU Regional Finals in 1968. Here is a list of women student-athletes from the WRA in the late 1960's.
2011-12 Women's Golf Team - Team Category - Coached by Greg Dillon, the team captured the school's first-ever
RMAC women's golf title by overcoming a five-shot deficit to win the crown. Domi Dinallo led the team as her 153 two-round score topped the individual list to become the Pack's first RMAC champions. With its RMAC title, the Pack earned its first-ever berth into the NCAA Division II Regionals where the team finished seventh overall and DiNallo finished tied for 15th nationally. The other golfers on the 2011-12 team were Michaela Breit, Kendall Gonzales, Stephanie Heaton, Kelly Meldrum, Julie Sanchez and Trisha Vinci. Dillon was named the RMAC Coach of the Year and DiNallo was named the RMAC Women's Academic Golfer of the Year.
2013-14 Women's Golf Team - Team Category - Coached by Josh Koschke and assisted by Rick Ewing, the team won its second RMAC title in the last three years as they placed three players in the Top 10 at the RMAC Championships led by individual co-medalist Julie Sanchez. The team won the RMAC title by 15 shots as Sanchez's 36-hole total of 152 tied Colorado Christian's Katrina Martinez for co-medalist honors. CSU Pueblo 2024 Athletics Hall of Famer Leina Kim tied for third as she was one shot back at 153. During the season, Kim won three tournaments and made school history when she became the first Pack women's golfer to earn a WGCA Division II All-America honors as a second team selection. With the RMAC title, the Pack earned the school's second NCAA Regional berth. DiNallo was named the RMAC Women's Academic Golfer of the Year for the second time. Other team members were Breit, Danielle DuPont, Maggie Geolat, Lauren Huske-Davies, Katie Maglia, Sydney McIntyre and Natasha Navarro.
Max Salas (Posthumously) – Contributor – The father of former then-Indian shortstop John Salas, Max had the baseball field at Runyon Field named after him in 2008 … In a
Pueblo Chieftain article in 2018, Salas was recognized by former CSU Pueblo coach and
Class of 2024 Hall of Fame inductee Stan Sanchez as "the hardest working man on a baseball field I've ever seen. I've never seen a more driven individual who works with kids to get better. On top of it, everything he did was done voluntarily. He was a proud Pueblo man; he had this kind of steel-man mentality. Heck, we were in the World Series in three years, and a lot of it had to do with his drive to get our program on the map." … The article also stated that "Salas never asked for any compensation. Through it all, Salas did it because he loved his home of Pueblo. Seeing a successful college baseball program in his town became his main objective. At the CSU Pueblo Baseball and Softball Academy, Salas did some of his best work with players of all ages." … He attended Central High School before taking a job at the CF&I Steel Corp., and he retired from the mill after 37 years, including a long stint in the 25" Rolling Mill … For more than a half-century, he devoted his time, talents and heart to the teaching of baseball to hundreds of boys and young men … He served as an assistant coach for Sanchez and was a member of the ThunderWolves' team that competed in the NCAA Division II World Series in 1996 … Additionally, he also was an assistant for the South-Central League Champion Central High in 2000 and was the head coach of the Babe Ruth Bambino World Series entry from Pueblo that electrified the entire city in the summer of 1991.
