By Todd Fertig
TopSports.news
Twelve new members were added to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Sunday evening before a crowd of about 350 at the Hotel Topeka City Center in Topeka.
Former Hayden great Mark Turgeon was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Sunday night in his home town of Topeka. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Former Fort Hays State star Annette Wiles, currently the director of Hummer Sports Park, was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday night. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
The 2024 class of inductees to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame took the stage to discuss their careers, their connections to Kansas, and the people who helped them succeed.
Two-time Olympian Melvin Lister (left) visits with 1964 Olympic champion Billy Mills during Sunday's Kansas Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]
Billy Mills welcomed the crowd to the Maner Conference Center after watching highlights of his thrilling run for the gold medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
“They continue to elect a selection of high achievers to the hall of fame,” Mills said. “You’re the best of the best, and I’ve been inspired by your magnificent performances. Your stories, your passion and your dedication will inspire generation after generation of youth of the Sunflower State and beyond.”
Topeka received high marks for its performance as the host of the ceremony.
“In order to tell our story, we have to have some support and the financial support of sponsors to step forward,” said Richard Konzem, Executive Director of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. “Topeka was remarkable about that, particularly Capitol Federal and Noller Auto Group, who served as our title sponsors.”
Named the new executive director of the hall of fame just a few weeks earlier, Konzem said he was pleased with the turnout and the ceremony.
“I’m elated,” Konzem said. “I thought there was a great amount of excitement in the room, and nothing brought that to the front more than the 13 people who had been previous inductees who showed up tonight to honor this class. That, to me, was the single biggest highlight of the evening.”
Topeka connections bookended the evening.
Annette Wiles, director of Hummer Sports Park, was the first inductee, honored for her playing and coaching career that included leading Fort Hays State University to the national title in 1991.
Hayden High School took center stage at the end of the evening when Mark Turgeon was introduced. On hand to celebrate his induction were members of the Hayden basketball teams that claimed back-to-back state titles in 1982 and 1983 as well as other members of the Hayden community.
“This is extra special,” Turgeon said. “I’ve been driving around town with my four kids, telling them all the things that happened while I was growing up. Topeka was really good to me. It was a great place to grow up.”
Starting with Mills’ welcome, the night had an Olympic theme. Seven of the 12 inductees had some connection to Olympic competition.
“To meet people who were in the Olympics in other eras and see what they did, that’s really cool,” said Melvin Lister, native of Leavenworth who competed in the 2000 Olympics in the long jump and in the 2004 games in the triple jump. “I’ve always known that Kansas has great athletes and we’re raw coming out of Kansas. A lot of times we don’t get discovered in high school because we haven’t yet developed. But when we move on, you see the development and the athleticism that we have.”
Lister said it was fitting that Mills provided the welcome to the ceremony.
“Seeing him and watching the video was so neat, because he looked like he was done,” Lister said of Mills’ gold medal run. “That shows a lot of heart and a lot of spirit to be able to dig down and run like that was inspirational.”
The 2024 inductees to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame are:
- Dave Bingham - NAIA national champion baseball coach at Emporia State and head coach for College World Series participant Kansas
- Erik Kynard – Olympic Gold Medalist High Jumper at Kansas State
- Melvin Lister - National champion in the Long Jump at Leavenworth H.S., Butler County CC, and Arkansas
- Mark Mangino - National Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year at Oklahoma; and Head Coach for Orange Bowl Champion at Kansas
- Ron Neugent - Swimming Gold Medalist in World University Games; and American Record-Holder at Kansas
- Kelly Rankin - the only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games
- Scott Russell - NCAA champ and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the javelin at Kansas
- Kevin Saunders - Bronze Medalist and Record-Holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games
- Will Shields - Native Kansan, 14-year NFL veteran Kansas City Chiefs. Member, College & NFL halls of fame
- Sean Snyder - Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State
- Mark Turgeon - All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden, four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas, Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten Champion (Maryland) coach and conference Coach-of-the-Year.
- Annette Wiles - Two-time NAIA Basketball All-American and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State
