Apr 15, 2025

2025 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Class Announced

Posted Apr 15, 2025 4:26 AM

Wichita, Kan. – Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jim Dunning, Jr. announced today the selection of the 10 individuals to be inducted, Saturday, August 2 in Topeka.

The class includes award-winning coaches, Olympians, national champions, All-Americans, and World and American-record holders.

“This is an accomplished group and one the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is extremely proud to recognize on behalf of the entire state,” Dunning said.  The individuals represent the best of the state of Kansas and come from diverse backgrounds. Their stories provide inspiration to all Kansans.”

The honorees include:

  1. Larry Brown – 1972 NFL MVP running back for Washington who played at Dodge City Community College and Kansas State. 
  2. Tim Jankovich – All-State basketball player from Manhattan HS who later led Kansas State to three NCAA Tournament appearances.  He had a collegiate basketball head coaching record of 332-199. 
  3. J.C. Louderback – Three-sport standout at Southwestern College. Was the Arkansas City HS boys tennis coach for 36 years and longtime college football and basketball official. 
  4. Bob Lutz – Wichita Eagle sports reporter and columnist for more than 40 years. He established the League 42 urban youth baseball organization in Wichita.
  1. Kendric Maple – State titlest in wrestling at Wichita Heights HS, and NCAA championship wrestler and three-time All-American at Oklahoma. 
  2. Bobby Randall – Born in Norton but attended high school in Gove…Played five years in MLB for the Minnesota Twins, and still ranks second in career batting average at Kansas State. Longtime Head Coach at Iowa State, University of Kansas and Manhattan Christian College
  1. Laverne Smith – Set career and season rushing and touchdown records at Kansas and played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A track and football standout at Wichita Southeast and the University of Kansas, he still holds the KU 100-meter dash record. 
  2. Deb (Pihl) Torneden – Running for Kansas State University, was the Most Outstanding Performer at the 1984 Big Eight Conference Indoor Championships. Was a four-time All-American and National Masters Champion. She holds 23 Kansas road race age group records. 
  3. Clifford Wiley – 1980 U.S. Olympic Team sprint team member.  Competing for the University of Kansas was a world record holder, World Cup Champion, three-time U.S. national champion, NCAA Champion and 13-time All-American. 
  4. NOTE: Former Kansas State assistant football coach and Kansas head coach Mark Mangino was selected in 2024 but could not attend the induction ceremonies. He will be recognized at the 2025 event.

This year’s class brings the total number of Inductees to 349, with the first class in 1961 including such legends as Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.  Created by the Kansas State legislature in 1961 during the state’s Centennial Celebration, the hall has operated for 64 years.

The Induction Ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by a reception and lunch at the Washburn University Ballroom located at 1700 SW College Ave. Tickets for the event are $50 and may be purchased online at kshof.org or by clicking HERE.

Those wishing to be a sponsor for the event, contact KSHOF Executive Director Richard Konzem at 785-331-6607 or [email protected].

Inductee Profiles

LARRY BROWN – Pittsburgh (Pa.) Schenley H.S., 1965 / Dodge City C.C. 1967 / Kansas State University, 1969    

  1. Starred in the NFL for eight years as a player with Washington…Was named NFL MVP in 1972 and selected a four-time Pro Bowler (1969-1972).
  2. Played in 102 games, starting 84 and had career rushing totals of 5,875 yards and receiving yardage of 2,485.
  3. Was the NFL rushing leader in 1970 with 1,125 yards and again in 1972 with 1,216 yards despite missing two games…Played in the 1973 Super Bowl.
  4. Selected to Washington Ring of Fame and Washington DC HOF.
  5. Was selected as Dodge City Community College's Distinguished Alumnus in 1972 and was a part of the inaugural 2021 NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame class.
  6. At Kansas State was a blocking back as a junior, but in 1968, he became the team's running back and led Kansas State with 402 rushing yards on 111 attempts, to go along with 13 receptions.

TIM JANKOVICH - Manhattan H.S., 1977 / Kansas State University, 1982    

  1. Two-time all-state selection at Manhattan HS…Began his collegiate career at Washington State where he started as a freshman for coach George Raveling.
  2. Returned home to Kansas State under KSHOF inductee Jack Hartman and led the Wildcats to the NCAA tournament all three seasons including the 1981 Elite Eight and 1982 Sweet Sixteen.
  3. Three-time academic All-American and honorable mention All-Big Eight player, and finished his career at Kansas State in the school's top-10 in nine categories, including first in season free-throw percentage (.917) and eighth in career field-goal percentage (.510). In addition, he holds the Big Eight tournament record for single-game assists (14).
  4. Began his coaching career in 1983 and served as an assistant at Texas-Pan American, Kansas State, Texas, Colorado State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt, Illinois, Kansas, and Southern Methodist.
  5. Served as head coach at North Texas, Hutchinson Community College, Illinois State, and Southern Methodist. Named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 in leading SMU to American Conference regular season and tournament titles in 2017.
  6. Had a career head coaching record: 332-199. 

J.C. LOUDERBACK – Arkansas City H.S., 1952 / Cowley County C.C., 1954 / Southwestern College, 1957

  1. Three-sport athlete in tennis, football, and basketball, at Cowley County Community College (then known as Arkansas City Junior College) and Southwestern College.
  2. Helped Cowley County to a national runner-up finish in basketball (1953) and led the Tigers to two conference championships in tennis (1953-54).
  3. Began coaching and officiating in 1957.
  4. Coached tennis at Arkansas City HS for 36 years and was an assistant football coach… Won three state tennis championships as coach (1989, 1990, 1992) and coached 20 singles and doubles state champions.
  5. Louderback family was named 2002 Family of the Year by the United States Tennis Association
  6. Officiated football from 1957 to 1999 and basketball from 1957 to 1988.
  7. Is the namesake of Louderback Family Tennis Complex in Arkansas City.
  8. Inducted to the Southwestern College Athletics Hall of Fame (1990), the UTSA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame (1998), the Cowley College Athletics Hall of Fame (2000), the Kansas Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame (2003), and the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame (2016).  

BOB LUTZ – Derby H.S., 1973 / Wichita State University, 1985                                  

  1. Began his career as a journalist at the Derby Reporter and later joined the Wichita Eagle as a sports reporter in 1974, later becoming a columnist…He spent 45 years as a journalist, 42 at the Eagle.
  2. Also hosted a radio show for 24 years, including nine-plus with his son Jeff.
  3. Founded League 42 in Wichita in 2013 in honor of Jackie Robinson, who broke the MLB color barrier. The league allows youth to play baseball at an affordable price and has grown to more than 600 kids in just over a decade. The league has drawn national attention for its dedication to kids, education, baseball and its namesake, Jackie Robinson.
  4. Won the KSHSAA’s Oscar Stauffer Award in 1977 recognizing excellence in sports writing.

MARK MANGINO - New Castle (Pa.) H.S., 1974 / Youngstown State University, 1987 (selected in 2024)

  1. Began coaching career as a student assistant under Bill Narduzzi and Jim Tressel at Youngstown State. Moved to the high school ranks where he was offensive coordinator at Geneva (Pa.) and head coach at Lincoln (Pa.) high schools.
  2. Returned to college football as an assistant coach under KSHOF inductee Bill Snyder in 1991 at Kansas State. Served as an assistant coach under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma from 1999 to 2001, where he won the Frank Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant in 2000
  3. Served as head coach at the University of Kansas from 2002 to 2009. Led KU to a 50-48 overall record and four bowl games, including a win in the 2007 Orange Bowl over Virginia Tech
  4. The Jayhawks finished No. 7 in the final Associated Press poll and were ranked as high as No. 2 that year.
  5. Named AFCA, AP, Eddie Robinson, George Munger, Home Depot, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Sporting News, Walter Camp, Woody Hayes, and Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2007
  6. Inducted to the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the KU Booth Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

KENDRIC MAPLE - Wichita Heights H.S., 2008 / University of Oklahoma, 2013                

  1. 2013 NCAA champion for Oklahoma at 141 pounds going undefeated and was a three-time All-American selection…Was a four-time NCAA wrestling national qualifier and three-time Big 12 Conference Champion.
  2. Had a career collegiate record of 127-25.
  3. Was a three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I All-Academic Team selection and a three -time All-Big 12 Academic Selection.
  4. Was a two-time U.S. Open Freestyle Champion (2017, 2022) and the Alexander Medved International Champion (2017)...Finished second in the U.S. World Team Trials (2017).
  5. Has served as an assistant coach (Oklahoma, Purdue, Nebraska, and currently Missouri).
  6. At Wichita Heights: a two-time state champion 130 pounds (2008), 135 (2009). Career record of 154-9.

BOBBY RANDALL – Gove H.S. 1965 / Kansas State University, 1969

  1. Played baseball professionally 1969-1980, including five years in the majors with the Twins and seven years in the minors with the Dodgers organization.
  2. Drafted in the second round of the 1969 draft by Los Angeles and was drafted two previous times by the Dodgers.
  3. Played in 744 games for the Dodgers minor league system, hitting over .300 in four seasons...He had the fourth highest number of sacrifice hits in 1976
  4. Named to All Big-Eight First Team (1969) with a .394 batting average and set a Kansas State career batting average record (.371) – currently second all-time…In 53 games, recorded 56 hits over his career, and 43 in 32 games in 1969.
  5. Head Coach Iowa State 1985-1995 (309-311-1); Kansas 1996-2002 (166-213) and Manhattan Christian College...Selected to Kansas State All-Century Baseball Team in 2000 and state of Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in1998.

LAVERNE SMITH – Wichita Southeast H.S., 1972 / University of Kansas, 1977       

  1. 1971 Kansas State Class 5A 100-yard dash champion…2012 Wichita Southeast HS HOF inductee.
  2. Played at the University of Kansas 1973-76, earning all-Big Eight honors in 1974 and second team recognition in 1975 and 1976.
  3. Set KU School Records for career rushing yards (3,074), career touchdowns (21), career 100-yard games (13), season rushing yards (1,181), season 100-yard games (7).
  4. Big Eight 100 meter and 440-yard relay champion…KU 100-meter record 10.07 (1976) still stands.
  5. Was the 99th pick of the 1977 NFL Draft by Pittsburgh…Played in seven games but suffered a broken leg and was on the roster two more seasons.

DEB (PIHL) TORNEDEN – Lindsborg H.S., 1979 / Kansas State University, 1984      

  1. Four-time All American and Eight-time Big Eight champion...Named the Outstanding Performer at 1984 Big Eight Indoor meet.
  2. Qualified for Olympic Trials four times…National Masters 15K champion…Two-time national champion in her 60-64 age group in 2023.
  3. Anchored world record 4x800 relay for women over 60. Seven-time Kansas Runner-of-the-Year. Holds 23 Kansas road race age group records from mile to half-marathon.
  4. Selected to three U.S. national teams to South Korea, China and Greece.

CLIFFORD WILEY – Baltimore (MD) Douglass H.S., 1974 / University of Kansas 1978  

  1. Member of 1980 US Olympic Team.
  2. Two-time Pan Am Games Champion (1979, 1983); Two-time USA National Champion in 400 meters (1981, 1982); USA National Champion Indoor 440 yards (1983).
  3. World Record 4x100 Relay (1977 IAAF World Cup); IAAF World Cup Champion 400 meters (1981).
  4. At the University of Kansas, was NCAA Champion 4x400 Relay (1977); 13-time NCAA All American.
  5. Head Manager of Team USA (2004 IAAF World Junior Championships).
  6. Lawyer and Track Meet Organizer in Kansas City, Kan.

KSHOF Nomination Criteria

To be placed on the KSHOF Ballot, nominees must accomplish all of the following:

  1. Meet the criteria for Kansas ties as outlined below.
  2. Meet the criteria for the waiting period as outlined below.
  3. If being nominated for excellence at the college level, the nominee must be an inductee of their own college or university hall of fame or have their jersey retired. Note: this may be waived if the nominee's school does not have a hall of fame or jersey retirement program.  

Athletes must meet any two of the following:

  1. Born in Kansas.
  2. Maintained residence in Kansas a minimum of two years prior to retirement.
  3. Graduated from a Kansas high school and competed for a minimum of two years while attending that school.
  4. Competed for a Kansas junior college, college, and/or university a minimum of two years.
  5. Competed professionally while living in Kansas a minimum of five years. 

Coaches must meet any one of the following:

  1. Born in Kansas AND lived in Kansas a minimum of five years.
  2. Graduated from a Kansas high school or college AND attended a minimum of two years combined at a Kansas HS or college.
  3. Coached at a Kansas high school for a minimum of 10 years as Head Coach.
  4. Coached at a Kansas college, university, or junior college, a minimum of five years as Head Coach.
  5. Coached professionally while maintaining permanent residence in Kansas a minimum of five years. 

Waiting Period

  1. Nominees are eligible five years after graduation from high school AND immediately after retiring or ending competitive participation
  2. Active coaches and athletes are NOT eligible for nomination.
  3. Active KSHOF Trustees, Directors, Staff, and members of their immediate family (parent, grandparent, spouse, child, grandchild, sibling) are NOT eligible for nomination but may be inducted if nominated prior to beginning Board service.
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