PUEBLO, Colo. – Six former student-athletes, a former football coach, longtime contributor, and athletics historian, Tim Simmons, and the 2017-18 women's basketball team were inducted into the 17th-Annual Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in a ceremony here Friday night in the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom in front of over 300 people.
 
Along with Friday's induction ceremony, the Class of 2026 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 2026 are former women's track and field athlete Lauren Fairchild (2016-21), former football player Scott Gallas (1977-80), former wrestler Mike Guenther (1983-85), former volleyball player Oni Lattin (2014-15), former men's basketball player Brad Ranson (1980-83), former football player John Trahan (1981-84), longtime former football assistant coach Donnell Leomiti (2007-20), contributor and athletics historian Tim Simmons (1965-69, 1971-74, 2021-present) and the 2017-18 women's basketball team comprise this year's CSU Pueblo Athletics 2026 Hall of Fame Class.
 
Here are the biographies of this year's Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Inductees:
 
Lauren Fairchild (Women's Track & Field, 2016-21) - One of only 13 student-athletes in program history to win an NCAA Division II National Championship, Lauren Fairchild etched her name in CSU Pueblo history when she captured the 2019 NCAA Division II Women's Indoor National Championship in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 1 inch ... During her outstanding career at Colorado State University Pueblo from 2016-21, she competed in 57 indoor and outdoor meets and participated in 169 events and finished first 69 times, second 23 times, and third 17 times during her decorated collegiate career ... In addition to her 2019 national championship, Fairchild was a national runner-up as a member of the distance medley relay and placed fourth in the long jump at the 2021 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships ... Closed her collegiate career with a fifth-place finish in the long jump at the 2021 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships ... Earned three All-American honors in the long jump and another All-American honor as a member of the Distance Medley Relay ...Was also a top-three finisher 10 times at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships and captured five RMAC gold medals, including conference titles in the 200 meters and 4-x-400-meter relay during her senior season in 2021 ... Following the conclusion of one of the most accomplished track and field careers in CSU Pueblo history, Fairchild continued her success away from competition as she earned a doctoral degree from Nova Southeastern University and works as a physical therapist in the Dallas, Texas, area.
 
Scott Gallas (Football, 1977-80) – An anchor in helping elevate the 1980 University of Southern Colorado football team to the national stage during his senior season, Gallas anchored an offensive line that blocked for CSU Pueblo Hall of Famers Bill Gower and Mick McCall ... A four-year starter on the offensive line, Gallas played for the then-USC Indians from 1977-80 ... He earned Honorable Mention All-America honors as a junior and was a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection during his junior and senior seasons ... Served as a team captain for head coach Mike Friedman during his senior season in 1980 ... In addition to his accomplishments on the football field, he also lettered in track and field as a discus thrower for the Indians ... After graduating from USC with a degree in recreation, Gallas signed a free-agent contract with the Houston Oilers and attended the team's training camp ... He later returned to the Denver area, earned his physical education teaching certification from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and embarked on a distinguished coaching career that included 23 seasons coaching football at Northglenn High School.
 
Mike Guenther (Wrestling, 1983-85) – Mike Guenther became the second national champion in University of Southern Colorado wrestling history when he captured the 177-pound title at the 1985 NAIA National Championships in Jamestown, North Dakota ... Guenther, who competed for the then-USC Indians from 1983-85, was a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection and two-time RMAC Champion at 177 pounds ... In 1984, he placed third at the 1984 NAIA National Championships before reaching the top of the podium a year later ... In 1985, Guenther joined teammate Bryan Hawkins, the 126-pound national champion and a member of the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025, in capturing an individual national championship ... He compiled a 35-9 record during his national championship season ... A graduate of Pueblo South High School, Guenther arrived at USC after winning a junior college national championship at Colby Junior College.
 
Oni Lattin (Volleyball, 2014-15) – Oni Lattin is the first volleyball player in CSU Pueblo history to earn an RMAC yearly award as she was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015 ... Lattin, who played two seasons for the ThunderWolves, led NCAA Division II in blocks per set (1.54 per game), placed second nationally in solo blocks (49) and 11th in total blocks (157) as a senior in 2015 ... A two-time first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection, Lattin was an All-South Central region pick and earned D2CCA Honorable Mention All-American accolades in 2015 ... She was just the second-ever All-American in volleyball in school history ... In two seasons at CSU Pueblo after playing at San Diego State and San Jacinto Junior College, Lattin had 291 total blocks (84 solos), 52 digs, and 247 kills in 56 matches with the Pack ... She still holds the school season record for blocks per set (1.54) in 2015, and her 49 solo blocks in 2015 are also a single-season school record ... After her collegiate career, she continued her professional career by playing 10 seasons in Sweden, Finland, and France ... Her mother, Monica (Lamb), was a standout basketball player at USC and played for the Houston Comets of the WNBA ... Her grandfather, David Lattin, played on the 1966 Texas Western (now UTEP) men's basketball team that won the 1966 NCAA Championship defeating Adolph Rupp and the University of Kentucky in the championship game.
 
Brad Ranson (Men's Basketball, 1980-83) – After playing his freshman season at Colorado Mesa in 1979-80, Brad Ranson returned to his hometown of Pueblo and completed his collegiate basketball career at the then-University of Southern Colorado, playing three seasons from 1980-83 for Class of 2010 Hall of Fame coach Don McIntosh ... A three-year starter for the then-Indians, Ranson averaged 16.0 points and 5.2 assists per game over 76 career contests ... He became one of just 25 players in program history to score 1,000 career points, finishing his USC career with 1,217 points ... He remains the most accurate free throw shooter in program history with a career percentage of 87.4 percent, a mark that also ranks sixth all-time in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference history ... Ranson was a two-time First Team All-RMAC selection and also earned NAIA District 7 First Team honors ... His name appears 16 times in the CSU Pueblo record book, highlighted by a 41-point performance against New Mexico Highlands in 1982 that ranks among the highest single-game scoring performances in program history ... Following the completion of his collegiate career in 1983, Ranson continued his basketball legacy in his hometown ... A standout in both basketball and baseball at Pueblo South High School, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Jim Ranson, and embarked on a successful high school coaching career ... Ranson served as the boys' basketball coach at Pueblo Central High School from 1994 until his retirement in 2026.

John Trahan (Football, 1981-84) – John Trahan is one of the greatest receivers in the history of CSU Pueblo Football ... Trahan, who played for then-University of Southern Colorado from 1981-84, was a three-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection and an NAIA All-America honoree in 1982 after leading the RMAC in receiving with 41 catches for 917 yards and 10 touchdowns ... Trahan's play in 1982 helped lead the Indians to their first-ever playoff berth ... The 1982 Indians finished the season with a 9-2 record and advanced to the NAIA National Playoffs ... Before the resumption of football at CSU Pueblo in 2008, Trahan was the school's career leader in receptions (126), receiving yards (2,244), and receiving touchdowns (16) ... He now ranks fourth on the career receiving list behind Reggie Retzlaff (187), Zack Rakowsky (161), Paul Browning (152) and John Sandoval (144) ... Trahan's 12 receptions and 207 receiving yards against Colorado Mesa in 1982 and his three touchdown receptions against Fort Lewis in 1982 rank among the top three single-game efforts in the Pack's all-time football record books ... After graduating, Trahan worked and coached in the Denver area.

Donnell Leomiti (Football Coach, 2007-20) – One of the first coaches hired when CSU Pueblo reinstated its football program, Donnell Leomiti helped build the ThunderWolves into one of NCAA Division II's premier programs ... He coached the defensive backs when football returned in 2008 and served as the program's recruiting coordinator for its first 10 seasons ... Leomiti was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2017 before taking over as defensive coordinator in 2018 ... During his tenure at CSU Pueblo, he coached nine All-Americans, 15 All-Region selections and 38 All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honorees ... Under Leomiti's guidance, the ThunderWolves developed one of the nation's most opportunistic secondaries, leading NCAA Division II in interceptions in 2011, 2014, 2018 and 2019 ... His secondary played an integral role in CSU Pueblo's run to the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship, as all four starting defensive backs earned All-RMAC honors and three went on to earn All-America recognition ... The 2014 defense led the nation in scoring defense at 12.8 points per game, interceptions with 29, defensive touchdowns with seven, and turnovers gained with 43 ... He played collegiate football at the University of Colorado before beginning his coaching career ... Leomiti passed away in 2020 following a courageous battle with pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma, which was diagnosed in the fall of 2013 ... His legacy continues through the countless student-athletes he coached and mentored and his lasting impact on the CSU Pueblo football program ... His wife, Lauren, who was a former women's cross country student-athlete, was inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
 
Tim Simmons (Contributor, Sports Information/Historian, 1965-69, 1971-74, 2021-present) – Tim Simmons has been connected to CSU Pueblo virtually his entire life and now joins his father, Harry Simmons, as a member of the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame ... A 1969 graduate of Southern Colorado State College with a degree in mass communication, Simmons earned his master's degree from the University of Iowa in 1971 ... He became the first recipient of CSU Pueblo's Mass Communication Department Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1972 ... Simmons returned to his alma mater in 1971 and served as Sports Information Director and Assistant News Bureau Director until 1974, when he left to become the Sports Information Director at Colorado State University in Fort Collins ... His distinguished career in sports communications also included serving as Director of Public Relations for the Denver Nuggets, Information Director for the Big Sky Conference, and Sports Information Director at the University of Colorado ... Simmons' contributions to CSU Pueblo have continued long after his professional career took him away from campus ... Along with his siblings, Jim, MaryBeth and Martha, he helped establish an endowed scholarship in honor of their parents to benefit CSU Pueblo Athletics ... More recently, Simmons and his sister, Martha, created the 80-for-80 Fund to support Pack men's basketball ... A member of the University's President's Club and a sustaining trustee of the CSU Pueblo Foundation, Simmons has produced "The Howler," a newsletter chronicling CSU Pueblo Athletics, for the past five academic years ... He also serves as a historian for the CSU Pueblo Athletics Department, helping preserve and share the history of the programs and student-athletes he has followed for a lifetime.

2017-18 Women's Basketball Team – Team Category – Led by CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Famers Tuileisu Anderson and Molly Rohrer, the 2017-18 CSU Pueblo women's basketball team cemented its place among the most accomplished teams in program history ... The ThunderWolves finished the season with a 25-7 overall record and went 20-2 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, capturing both the RMAC regular-season and tournament championships ... The Pack's memorable season culminated with the program earning its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament ... Rohrer was named RMAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and also earned RMAC Women's Basketball Academic Player of the Year honors ... A First Team All-RMAC selection for the third straight season, Rohrer averaged 14.5 points per game and led the conference with 2.0 blocked shots per game ... Anderson and Katie Cunningham joined Rohrer on the All-RMAC First Team ... Anderson averaged 12.5 points per game, while Cunningham was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned RMAC Tournament MVP honors ... Cunningham averaged a team-leading 9.9 rebounds ... Lauren Heyn and Taylor Long were named Second Team All-RMAC, while Rohrer and Cunningham earned D2CCA All-South Central Region honors ... After opening the season with losses in five of its first seven games, CSU Pueblo responded by winning 20 of its next 22 contests to close the regular season ... The ThunderWolves carried that momentum into the RMAC Tournament at Massari Arena, where they capped their championship run with an 84-69 victory over Black Hills State in the title game.

2017-18 Women's Basketball Roster
2017-18 Women's Basketball Schedule/Results