Wylie's Sandifer, tennis-playing Meyers boys in 2023 hall of fame class
Seven sports will be represented by the Class of 2023 at the 22nd induction ceremony for the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame.
The class was announced Wednesday at the hall of fame museum at the Mall of Abilene.
Inductees include recently retired Wylie ISD athletic director and coach Hugh Sandifer, who led the Bulldogs to the 2004 state football championship with future NFL quarterback Case Keenum. Three other Wylie teams led by Sandifer (2000, 2009 and 2016) played in title games.
Sandifer retired in 2020 and in November of that year, Wylie's football stadium for him and a life-size statue unveiled at the home-side entrance. He coached at Wylie for 41 years - 34 as head coach. He also was the boys basketball coach for 13 years.
More:Stories, laughs, some tears flow at Wylie ISD homecoming tribute to Sandifers
Other sports represented are baseball, basketball, golf, soccer, tennis and track and field.
This class includes the first soccer player to be honored, Abilene High's David Salas.
The banquet is May 1, back at the Abilene Convention Center, with tickets going on sale in January.
For information, go to museum@bigcountryhalloffame.org.
The honorees are:
Football: Jerale Badon and Mike Kinsey
Badon was an all-state receiver at Abilene High (166 catches for 1,853 yards and 17 TDs at AHS) and went on to set records at Abilene Christian University. He was the Wildcats' all-time reception leader until being passed this past season by Sweetwater's Kobe Clark. He led ACU into its first two NCAA Division II playoff appearances. He is a member of that school's hall of fame.
Kinsey was an all-state defensive lineman at Brownwood in 1981. The Lions that year went 13-1 and beat Sugar Land Willowridge 14-9 for the school's seventh state title. He lettered for four years at Texas Tech, also on defense. A team captain, he played in the 1986 Hula Bowl. He signed a free agent contract with the Houston Oilers.
Football and track ... and soccer: David Salas
Salas was an all-district cornerback and competed in track at AHS. But his best sport was soccer.
After high school, Salas played at Hardin-Simmons. He scored 46 goals, had 23 assists and totaled 115 points for the Cowboys. He netted 17 game-winning shots.
He was named the top American Southwest Conference freshman in 2003 and was league's MVP in 2006.
He was all-region three times and is a member of HSU's hall of fame.
Golf: Mike Standly
Standly was on a state title team at Cooper High, then helped the University of Houston to a national title. He was an all-America selection.
He went on to play on the PGA Tour from 1991-99, winning one event - edging Payne Steward at the Freeport-McMoRan Golf Classic in 1993. He was second at that tourney in 1993 and tied for fifth in 1995.
He finished in the top 10 a dozen times and had 35 top-25 finishes in his career. His best finish at a major was 16th at the 1993 U.S. Open
He played on the PGA and Nationwide tours from 2000-on.
Tennis: Kim Gidley
Gidley starred at Abilene High and then at Abilene Christian, leading the Wildcats to a national runner-up finish.
Ranked No. 5 nationally in singles and No. 6 in doubles, she was invited to the 1983 Olympic Trials.
She finished her collegiate career at Southern Illinois, helping her team win a Division II title.
Gidley turned to coaching, serving as an assistant at AHS from 1990-93, then as head coach through 1997.
She then took the job at the Air Force Academy, where she has coach for the past 25 years. She has led the women's team there to 338 match wins.
More:'Someone who never quits': Catching up on Kim Gidley's challenges and successes
Track: Adree Lakey Whitefield
From Roby, Whitefield attended Angelo State University, where she won national titles in three events.
She won the hammer throw in 2007, discus in 2008 and shot put in 2009.
She was the named Outstanding Female Field Athletes in the Lone Star Conference from 2006-08, and LSC Female Athlete of the Year 2008-09.
She was an 11-time NCAA Division II all-American.
Legacy Award: Meyers family
This year's award honors Chip, Mike, Rick, Scott and David Meyers, who played at Cooper.
They comprise the only family in USTA Texas Tennis history to have won the Texas Slam. Chip played at the University of Texas; Mike played at Texas A&M, Rick, who was 63-0 at Cooper and won a single title in 1976, played at TCU; and the twins, Scott and David, won a state doubles title in 1982, with Scott playing at TCU.
Bill Hart Memorial Legend winners
Harry Craft, Roby, centerfielder for the Cincinnati Reds from 1937-42 and a member of the 1940 World Series champs. He then managed in the majors, teams that included sluggers Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. He managed the Reds, Kansas City A's, Chicago Cubs and Houston Colt 45's.
Harold Hudgens, Ballinger, all-Southwest Conference basketball player at Texas Tech. At 6-foot-10, he was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and Colorado Nuggets but played semi-pro basketball for the Phillips 66ers.
Wendell Robinson, Stamford, football player and longtime coach. After starring at Stamford, he then played under Bud Wilkinson at Oklahoma. Robinson was 224-110-4 as a coach at Santa Anna, Merkel, Crosbyton, Spur, Lindale, West Rusk, Bremond and Bangs. He is a 20-year member of the Texas High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Wylie's Sandifer, tennis-playing Meyers boys in '23 hall of fame class
