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DENVER - Metro State director of athletics
Joan McDermott announced the college's 2011 Hall of Fame class on Wednesday. Five individuals and two teams will make up the 10th Hall of Fame class in Roadrunner athletics history. The
1994 men's tennis team,
2004 women's soccer team,
Dr. Elizabeth Friot (administrator),
Rebecca “Beck” Meares (women's tennis),
Patrick Mutombo (men's basketball),
Antonio Porras (men's soccer) and
Doug Stepelton (men's basketball) will all be inducted on Saturday, Feb. 19, on Metro State's campus.
The Hall of Fame & Alumni Recognition Lunch, underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance, will take place at noon in the Tivoli Turnhalle. The Roadrunners host New Mexico Highlands for a basketball doubleheader following the ceremony. The women's game is slated for 3 p.m. and the men will tip off at 5 p.m.
This year's event will also recognize distinguished Metro State alumni during the lunch ceremony, including the following award winners:
Fans and friends of Metro State are invited to attend. Free parking is available in Lot R on campus for attendees. Please visit www.GoMetroState.com to RSVP and purchase tickets to the event. Through the Metro State partnership with the Brown Palace Hotel & Spa and Comfort Inn Downtown Denver, rates at the Comfort Inn start at just $79, including free breakfast. Mention the Metro State rate to take advantage of this special offer. Call 303-296-0400 to make reservations.
“The 2011 class has a great mix of accomplished teams and individuals, both on and off the field of play,” McDermott said. “We are excited for our inductees to come back to campus and see the success that they started and continues today.
“Our 1994 men's tennis team was one of the best in school history and it will be great to reconnect with some of our tennis alumni. The '04 women's soccer team captured the first women's national championship in any sport at Metro State and their legacy continues today. Beck (Meares) was arguably the best women's tennis player in school history and we are excited to give her the recognition she deserves. Patrick (Mutombo) was instrumental in both of our national championships in men's basketball and really helped bring our program to an elite level. Antonio Porras was also a great player for our men's soccer program. He earned his spot on the RMAC All-Time Team last year and now gets the honor of being recognized at Metro State.
“Dr. Friot has been a valued faculty member at Metro State for 40 years. She is also an avid supporter of Roadrunner athletics in many ways, and she has been outstanding in her role as faculty athletic representative through the years. We are very proud to recognize her contributions to our programs.
“Doug Stepelton holds a distinct honor as one of the founders of the basketball program at Metro State. He played on the very first team in 1966-67, and is a member of the first graduation class at Metro State in 1969. It's truly an honor to welcome Doug into our Hall of Fame.”
Metro State's Hall of Fame currently includes 36 individuals and four teams.
1994 Men's Tennis Team
The Roadrunner men's tennis squad in 1994 posted a 15-1 (.938) mark for the year, still the best single-season record in school history. The only loss came to nationally-ranked Southern Colorado (CSU-Pueblo) in the third match of the season. The Roadrunners went on to win their final 13 matches and finished third in the Colorado Collegiate Tournament.
No. 1 singles player Martin Coe had a 17-4 (.810) record for the season and No. 2 player Jake Keller went 19-2 (.905). The duo played No. 1 doubles together and posted a 17-3 mark. Arturo Rodriguez, Russ Windham and Russell Swank all posted winning singles records and had double digits in wins as well. It was the final year after 11 seasons at Metro State for Head Coach John Arntz, who holds the coaching record for wins (65) at the college.
The 1994 team featured five seniors in Coe, Rodriguez, Windham, Christian Martinez and David Woods.
2004 Women's Soccer Team
The 2004 women's soccer team captured the school's first women's team national championship, going 25-1-0 overall with a 14-0-0 mark in RMAC play. As a result, the Roadrunners also won the RMAC regular season and tournament championships.
That year, Metro State either began or continued five team NCAA Division II records that still stand today, including longest unbeaten streak (59 games), longest home winning streak (61), longest home unbeaten streak (61), longest conference winning streak (57) and longest conference unbeaten streak (72). Additionally, the team started two team records for longest winning streak (46) and consecutive games with at least one goal (46).
The Roadrunners also set single season records that still stand for wins (25), points (297), points per game (11.42), goals (104), assists (89), assists per game (3.42), shot attempts (576) and shots on goal (310).
Midfielder Ymara Guante was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Player of the Year after scoring 13 goals with 18 assists for 44 points. Guante joined Kylee Hanavan as an All-American and five players were also named all-region. Hanavan led the team with 27 goals and 68 points, while adding 14 assists.
Metro State took home three conference awards as Head Coach Danny Sanchez was named RMAC Coach of the Year, Guante earned RMAC Player of the Year honors and Elin Otter was selected as the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year. A school record five players were named first team All-RMAC.
In the championship game, Metro State topped Adelphi (N.Y.) 3-2 behind goals from Marina MacDonald, Adrianne Almaraz and Hanavan. Stephanie Prouty was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Hanavan was the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the final four, and joined Guante and MacDonald on the all-tournament team.
Dr. Elizabeth Friot (administrator)
Dr. Friot has been a major supporter to Roadrunner athletics for many years and has been a Roadrunner Club member since 1997. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, she has been a professor of secondary education at Metro State since 1970.
Along with her teaching duties, she has served as the school's Faculty Athletics Representative since 2005 and has been a member of the Intercollegiate Athletic Advisory Board since 1999.
Friot has earned a Distinguished Service Award at Metro State in 1993-94 and currently serves on the college's 45th Anniversary History Committee. She has also served on the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Trustees and was appointed chair for two separate terms. Friot has also been a member of the Colorado Education Association and served on the Higher Education Advisory Council. She was the president of the Faculty Senate for five years as well.
Rebecca “Beck” Meares (women's tennis, 2001-04)
Meares is known as the best women's tennis player in school history after an illustrious four-year career that coincided with the most successful stretch in the college's tennis program. She was a three-time first team All-RMAC player in both singles and doubles and was named 2004 RMAC Player of the Year after being nationally ranked throughout her senior campaign. She also captured the Fall ITA regional doubles championship with her sister, Jessica Meares, and went on to post a 17-3 mark at No. 1 singles and 19-3 record at No. 1 doubles in her final season.
The native of Australia holds Metro State career records for singles wins (60), doubles winning percentage (.862), No. 1 singles wins (33) and No. 1 doubles winning percentage (.837). She also ranks second in school history in doubles wins (75) and No. 1 singles winning percentage (.805).
The Roadrunners captured three RMAC championships and also reached the NCAA Tournament three times during her four years. They also reached the national quarterfinals in two of those seasons and compiled a 73-20 team record during her tenure.
In 2009, she was named to the RMAC All-Time team.
Meares was also an excellent student, earning Academic All-RMAC twice and graduating in 2005 with a degree in adult fitness/exercise science. She currently serves as Metro State men's and women's tennis head coach, beginning that role in 2008-09.
Patrick Mutombo (men's basketball, 1999-2003)
Mutombo was a two-time first team All-RMAC player during the program's most successful stretch that included national championships in 2000 and 2002. He is one of three players to play on both national championship teams. He led the Roadrunners to a 113-22 record in four seasons from 1999 to 2003. Additionally, Metro State won three RMAC Tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in all four of his seasons.
He currently ranks second in school history in free throw percentage (.853), fifth in field goals made (571) and ninth in points scored (1,360), and holds the single season record for field goals made, draining 267-of-511 (.523) during his senior season in 2002-03.
Mutombo was a two-time all-region selection and his most memorable time came as a junior in 2001-02 when he was named Division II Bulletin second team All-America and RMAC Player of the Year after averaging 16.6 points and 4.4 rebounds, while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 88.4 percent at the line during the team's second national championship run. His season culminated in the championship game when he was named Elite Eight Most Valuable Player after scoring 29 points and grabbing six rebounds in the championship game against Kentucky Wesleyan.
Mutombo also was successful in the classroom, twice earning Academic All-RMAC honors and graduating in 2003 with a degree in political science. He is still continuing a professional playing career, playing most recently with the Bakersfield Jam in the NBA Development League during the 2009-10 season and starting this season with Bakersfield, before an injury.
Antonio Porras (men's soccer, 2003-06)
Porras is one of the most decorated men's soccer players in school history, holding career school records for points per game (1.56), assists (34) and shot attempts (221), ranking second all-time in points (126), goals (46), goals per game (0.57), game-winning goals (13) and shots on goal (113) and third in assists per game (0.42).
He led the Roadrunners to four winning seasons from 2003-06 as the team compiled a 54-25-7 record during his time on the field. Additionally, Metro State won the RMAC Tournament championships in 2003 and 2004 and made its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance during his senior season in 2006.
Porras was named All-RMAC all four seasons, earning a first team selection each of his final three years. He was also a two-time first team all-region honoree and was named National Soccer Coaches Association of America second team All-America as a junior in 2005 after scoring 14 goals and adding 11 assists for 39 points.
In 2009, he was named to the RMAC All-Time team.
Porras graduated from Metro State in May, 2007, with a degree in modern languages and a minor in international business.
Doug Stepelton (men's basketball)
Stepelton, a founder of the Roadrunner basketball program, has been a proud supporter of Metro State athletics for years. He donated rings for the men's basketball national championship teams in 2000 and 2002.
A 1969 graduate of Metro State, he played on the first men's basketball team at the college in the 1966-67 season. His memories of the first Metro State team include games against Colorado College, Colorado Mines, and competing in a YMCA league where the team faced players from the National Football League's Denver Broncos.
Stepelton, past founder of his own mortgage company and Vice President Director of Marketing for a large financial institution, has for the past 12 years been the President and Trustee of The Festus & Helen Stacy Foundation. This private foundation, founded in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., partners with Christian organizations worldwide.
Stepelton's community involvements also include serving as past presidents for the Optimist Club, The Urban League of Broward County and the 10-24 Association for helping officers in need. He was the director of the Broward Intensive Halfway House under the Department of Juvenile Justice and Vice President for Twig House, a home for maladjusted children. He also served on the Cure International Hospital Board for physically handicapped children in Third World countries.
Stepelton and his wife, Virlee, have been married 43 years and reside in the Fort Lauderdale area near sons, Sean and Brett. The family works together to further the mission of The Festus & Helen Stacy Foundation.