TAMUC Hall Of Fame

Lion Athletics Hall of Fame induction class of 2017 announced

COMMERCE – Texas A&M University-Commerce has announced the five members of the 2017 Lion Athletics Hall of Fame class, the Bobby Fox Award recipient, and the newest members of the Lion Hall of Honor. Their induction is September 16, 2017.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame are former football players Mike Ciszewski and the late Dwayne Phorne, soccer player Emily (Brueggemann) Daggett, volleyball player Colleen (Favaro) Ogana, and women’s basketball coach Denny Downing.

The Bobby Fox Award recipient is Commerce HS boys’ basketball coach Roger Brown. The Hall of Honor will welcome Lion Champions Fund donors Betty Casselberry and Ann and Hoyle Julian.

The luncheon will take place at 11:00 am Saturday (Sep 16) in the Sam Rayburn Student Center on the A&M-Commerce campus.
The luncheon is open to the public with a cost of attendance of $30 per person or $50 for a couple. As space for the event is limited, please contact Alex Cook to RSVP at (903) 468-8187 or alex.cook@tamuc.edu.

Following the luncheon, there will be an open house at Heritage House (home of Patricia & Ray Keck). The Letter-Winners Tailgate is at 4:00 pm before the Lions football game against Eastern New Mexico at 6:00 pm. Recognized on the field during the game are all letter-winners and the Hall of Fame honorees.

Membership in the Lion Athletics Hall of Fame is limited to former Lion student-athletes, coaches, and athletics administrators. Student-athletes must have completed their eligibility ten years before nomination, while coaches and administrators must have served A&M-Commerce for a minimum of five years. Also, the nominee must be a person of such integrity, character, and sportsmanship that inspires A&M-Commerce’s family by the recognition.

EMILY BRUEGGEMANN – SOCCER – 2000, 2002-04
Brueggemann is the Lions’ all-time leader in goals, points, and game-winning goals. In 77 matches, she scored 57 goals with 15 game-winners. Her 22 assists are the fifth-most in school history to give her 136 career points. She was a four-time all-Lone Star Conference honoree, earning first team honors in 2000 and 2002, second team honors in 2003, and third team honors in 2004. The 2003 team had a 17-match undefeated streak on the way to the NCAA Tournament, while the 2004 squad won the LSC Tournament and advanced to the NCAAs for the third time in school history.

MIKE CISZEWSKI – FOOTBALL – 1985-86, 1988
Ciszewski was a two-time first team all-Lone Star Conference linebacker, who earned AP Little All-America honorable mention as a sophomore in 1986. He had 129 tackles with four interceptions and four fumble recoveries as a sophomore in 1986, and 90 tackles with four sacks as a senior in 1988. He was the J.V. Sikes Award winner in 1988 as a team captain and named to the LSC All-Academic team in 1986 and 1988.

DENNY DOWNING – WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH – 2003-09
Downing led the Lions’ women’s basketball team to its most successful era during his seven-year tenure at A&M-Commerce. Downing recorded a 106-99 record with the Lions, turning around a program that had two winning seasons in the 31 years before his arrival. Downing’s Lions had winning seasons in each of his last four years, with the most spectacular run coming in 2006-07. That year’s team featured the first two All-Americans in program history, as the Lions went 28-9 on the way to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, winning the Lone Star Conference Tournament and the Division II South Central Regional Tournament.

COLLEEN FAVARO – VOLLEYBALL – 2004-07
Favaro is the Lions’ all-time kills leader and also ranks in the top 10 in school history in blocks. She had 1,793 kills in her A&M-Commerce career from 2004-07, with over 500 kills in 2006 and 2007. Colleen also had 102 solo blocks and 284 total blocks in her Lion career. She is the second player in Lion volleyball history to earn all-Lone Star Conference honors four times, picking up first team honors in 2006 and 2007, and second team honors in 2004 and 2005. She also earned the first team all-Southwest Region honors in 2007.

DWAYNE PHORNE – FOOTBALL – 1990-91 (inducted posthumously)
Phorne was a two-year starter at offensive tackle for the Lions, earning All-American honors in both seasons. After transferring to ET from Baylor for the 1990 season, Phorne helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 450 yards per game, as the Lions advanced to the NCAA Playoffs in both 1990 and 1991. Phorne earned three All-American honors – Associated Press Little All-America first team and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette third team in 1991, and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette second team in 1990. He was also a first team all-Lone Star Conference selection in both seasons.