Colorado State University Pueblo

PUEBLO, Colo. (Aug. 2, 2022) - The Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2022 is set to be inducted during Homecoming weekend on Sept. 30 with a banquet followed by on-field introductions at the school's football game against Fort Lewis the following day.
 
The Class of 2022 features footballer Darius Allen, wrestler Jesse Hillhouse, baseballer Mike Massaro, gymnast Kelly Nogare Downs, basketball and volleyball player Rejina Pollard and basketballer Jim von Loh. The 1996 and 1997 Volleyball teams coached by Tom Shoji will also be inducted into the Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame.
 
The Sept. 30 banquet starts at 6 p.m. at the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom with the ThunderWolves homecoming football game against Fort Lewis set to kick off at 2 p.m. The Hall of Fame inductees being introduced at halftime.
 
The Pack's homecoming weekend activities begins September 28 at 11:30 a.m. in the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom with "The Athletics Friends and Scholars Banquet". If interested in attending, contact Amber Shipley at the CSU Pueblo Foundation by phone at (719) 549-2380, or by email at amber.shipley@csupueblo.edu.
 
"We are excited to host Homecoming 2022 on the campus of CSU Pueblo," said Dr. Paul Plinske, CSU Pueblo's Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships.  "The highlight event of Homecoming weekend will be the induction of a new Hall of Fame class of outstanding student-athletes, coaches and contributors, along with the enshrinement of one of our school's top performing teams. We hope our alumni and fans can return to campus and revel in the achievements of our past student-athletes, coaches and teams. It will be a great weekend for all Pack!"
 
The CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame was started in 2008 with Harry Simmons and Jessie Banks the charter  inductees. Prior to this year's class, a total of 64 student-athletes, 13 coaches, seven contributors and 12 teams have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
 
Simmons coached for 34 seasons at Pueblo Junior College, Southern Colorado State College and the University of Southern Colorado before retiring in 1980.  Simmons compiled a 603-326 (64.9%) at the Pueblo school with 11 national tournament appearances highlighted by the 1961 National Junior College Athletic Association title.  Simmons is a member of several Hall of Fame organizations, including the NAIA, the National Association of Athletics Directors, the National Junior College Athletic Association, the Colorado Sports and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
Banks helped start the women's athletic programs at then-SCSC in 1966 and coached basketball, softball and volleyball through her time with the university. She retired from coaching in 1985. Banks played professional basketball for the  "All-American Redheads" from 1954-1959 and was inducted with the team into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. in 2012.
 
2022 CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame Class
 
Student-Athletes
 
Darius Allen (football, 2011-2014) - A two-time Upshaw Lineman of the Year Award recipient as the top junior or senior offensive or defensive lineman in Division II, Allen was also a two-time AFCA All-America selection.  Allen helped lead the ThunderWolves to the 2014 NCAA Division II title and played on four consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) championship teams. During his career, Allen compiled 173 total tackles in 46 games with 87 solo stops. He also had 55 tackles for losses (263 yards) with 33.5 sacks (176 yards). Allen was only the second player to be a two-time winner of the Gene Upshaw Award, joining Grand Valley State's Mike McFadden, who won the award in 2005 and 2006.  During his senior season at CSU Pueblo, Allen was named the RMAC and Daktronics Super Region 4 Defensive Player of the Year.  As Coach John Wristen stated after Allen won his second Upshaw, "Darius has been double and triple teamed all season, but he is playing better than he did last year. Being the Gene Upshaw Award winner last year, he has brought a lot of positive attention to our program at a national level."
 
Jesse Hillhouse (wrestling, 2011-2013) - With a career record of 63-10, including 30-2 in duals and 15-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic conference duals, Hillhouse is one of four CSU Pueblo wrestlers to win a NCAA Division II title as he topped the field in 2013 in the 125-pound division by defeating Jerry Huff of Adams State 4-2 in sudden overtime.
 
Mike Massaro (baseball, 2003-2005) - An All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-selection and tournament pick in 2004 and 2005, Massaro was a post-season pick as both an outfield and pitcher.  He holds the school record holder in runs scored and fielding percentage by an outfielder.  He is ranked seventh in RMAC history and second in CSU-Pueblo history with 265 career hits and is fifth in the RMAC history with 195 career runs.  Massaro is tied for second in program history and sixth in RMAC history with 14 career triples.  In 2004, Massaro led the Pack to a 44-10 record both RMAC regular- and post-season championships as he batted 465, the fifth-highest single season average in school history.  He has a .391 career batting average with 41 career steals on 46 attempts (89.1%).  As a pitcher, he led team with a 3.49 ERA in 2003.  During his three-season Thunderwolf career, the team 118 games (73.3%).  Massaro was picked in the 13th round of the 2005 MLB draft by the Oakland A's where he reached AAA with the Sacramento River Cats.  In nine seasons in the professional minor leagues, Massaro played in 812 games with a 304 batting average.  Massaro is currenting serving his second stint on the CSUP coaching staff after being as an assistant coach from 2008-2020.
 
Kelly Nogare (gymnastics, 1983-1985) - An All-American performer in 1984, Nogare guided the team to a seventh-place finish at the national championships.  She helped the team to a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships in 1984 by not only winning four events, the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise, but establishing the league record in all four events.  She recorded a top 10 finishes at the 1985 NAIA Championships in the all-around (tied for 8th), vault (10th) and beam (tied for 7th).
 
Regina Pollard (women's basketball & volleyball, 1986-1990) - A first team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference performer during the 1988-1989 season, Pollard holds the 15th highest scoring average in school history with 11.5 points per game for 86 career games.  She averaged 15.4 points per game as a junior (1988-1989, the 14th best total in program history) and led the Pack in scoring in 13 of the 28 games.  As a senior, she averaged 16.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game before suffering a season ending injury after just eight games.  On the volleyball court, Pollard led the Pack with 2.2 blocks per game as a senior in 1989 as she collected 277 blocks in two seasons.
 
Jim von Loh (men's basketball, 1969-1973) - The first CSU Pueblo student-athlete to be recognized as a first-team academic All-American in 1972, von Loh played four seasons for the school with the last three campaigns as a starter.  A defensive specialist, he played in 86 career games and averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 points per game during a period when steals and blocked shots were not kept.  His 18-point effort in the school's March 1972 NCAA West Region championship game earned him a place on the all-tournament team as the team became Colorado's first College Division team to advance to the "elite eight".  He was also a second-team CoSIDA all-academic pick in 1973 when von Loh was honored as the school's top biology student as a senior.  After receiving his bachelor's degree from CSU Pueblo, von Loh earned a master's from the University of New Mexico in 1977.  Before retirement, von Loh worked for 45 years in the environmental sciences industry.
 
Team
 
1996 & 1997 Volleyball - The two squads made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Championships.  The 1996 the team set a school record with 27 wins in 32 matches and won both the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's west division and post-season titles in 1996 to advance to the NCAAs for the first-time in program history.  In 1997, the team had its best statistical season in program history, setting school records in kills per set (15.77), assists (14.44), and digs (19.19) in the pre-rally scoring era.  CSU Pueblo finished the season with a 24-9 and won the RMAC west division title and placed second in the league tournament.  Cris Teeter set a school record in 1997 with 4.01 kills/set.
 
If interested in attending the Hall of Fame Banquet, contact Amber Shipley at the CSU Pueblo Foundation by phone at (719) 549-2380, or by email at amber.shipley@csupueblo.edu.

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