Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

6 to join UNLV Hall of Fame

SUN STAFF REPORTS

The UNLV athletic department announced the class of all classes Thursday for induction into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Randall Cunningham, Matt Williams, Misty Thomas, Sheila Tarr, Marilyn Redd and Christina Hixson will be inducted in early 1997.

Cunningham was the Reb els quarterback and punter from 1981-84 and is the most recognized football player in team history. After earning All-American honors at UNLV and having his jersey retired, he became a Pro Bowl performer the Philadelphia Eagles.

Williams, a Carson City native, played at UNLV from 1984-86 before earning first-team All-American honors and becoming the third player picked in the Major League draft. He developed into one of baseball's biggest home run hitters and best-fielding third basemen and is his 10th season with the San Francisco Giants.

Thomas is the all-time scoring and assist leader in UNLV women's basketball history and her No. 4 hangs in the Thomas & Mack Center's rafters. After she recorded 1,892 points (16.6 ppg), 658 assists and 790 rebounds from 1982-86, Thomas became an assistant coach at UNLV and head coach at the University of British Columbia. In addition to twice receiving academic All-America accolades, Thomas was a member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic team that placed at the Los Angeles Games.

Tarr starred in track and field and volleyball from 1984-86 and was UNLV's first national champion when she won the NCAA heptathlon in '84. She was runner-up the next year. She set school records in the indoor and outdoor shot put, indoor pentathlon and heptathlon. She also was the MVP of UNLV's final volleyball team in '85.

Redd, who died last week, and Hixson are being inducted as "major benefactors."

Redd's donation of $275,000 created the Si Redd Room at the Thomas & Mack Center to honor her husband. The Redds also donated $1.7 million for the construction of the Marilyn and Si Redd Athletic Training Center at the Lied Athletic Complex.

Hixson donated more than $4 million -- the largest single gift in school history -- to the construction of the Lied Athletic Complex and helped establish the Ernst F. Lied Golf scholarship program.

Williams

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