LSC picks 2012 Hall of Honor inductees

From the LSC Office

 RICHARDSON, Texas – The 2012 inductees to the Lone Star Conference Hall of Honor include a former football star and past track and field standout league officials announced on Monday.

      

Autry Beamon of Texas A&M-Commerce (formerly East Texas State) and Abilene Christian’s Delloreen Ennis-London compose the 2012 class of inductees for the LSC Hall of Honor, which recognizes outstanding individuals who have brought pride and honor to the conference through their contributions as an athlete or who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to the betterment of the conference as a coach or administrator.

      

The inductees were chosen by a panel of athletic administrators throughout the league.

      

“Autry and Delloreen are most deserving of this high honor. Today in the Lone Star Conference we talk of how the league has such rich tradition and how we are committed to being the very best at everything we do. Certainly Autry and Delloreen contributed greatly to those ideals,” said LSC Commissioner Stan Wagnon.

      

Each of the inductees will receive the LSC’s signature Hall of Honor award, a 15-inch custom-sculpted eagle figurine mounted on a cherry wood base. The awards for Beamon and Ennis-London are to be presented this fall with ceremonies at each recipient’s institution.

      

Here’s a closer look at each of the 2012 inductees to the LSC Hall of Honor:

      

Autry Beamon, Texas A&M-Commerce, Football: Beamon continues to remain one of the most prolific players in the Lone Star Conference’s proud history. To this day, Beamon remains the only player in Lion history to be named a four-time first team All-LSC selection, earning the honor in each of his four seasons at defensive back. Beamon was a three-time Associated Press All-American, earning first team honors in 1973, while being named a four-time NAIA All-American, including first team recognition in 1973 and 1974. He concluded his career with 30 interceptions, which ranks first all-time in school history as well as among the LSC leaders, while his 535 interception return yards remains a conference career record to this day. Beamon also holds the LSC record for interception return yardage in a single game (122) and season (318). During his four seasons, Beamon helped lead the Lions to the conference championship in 1972, and played a critical role in helping East Texas State to the 1972 NAIA national championship. Following his playing days, Beamon was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings and went on to play seven seasons in the NFL, suiting up for the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns as well. Beamon played in 100 career NFL games and tallied 13 interceptions for 132 yards, including a career-best six interceptions for the Seahawks in 1977. Beamon also played in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl with the Vikings following the 1976 season. Born in Terrell and residing in Kaufman, Beamon was inducted to the A&M-Commerce Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. He was a teammate of LSC Hall of Honor inductee Harvey Martin as the two anchored the Lions’ defensive unit during the 1972 national championship run.  

      

Delloreen Ennis-London, Abilene Christian, Track & Field:  Ennis-London was inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in October 2009, and is perhaps the greatest female track and field athlete in Lone Star Conference history.  She is the only athlete to win all eight short hurdle national championships in a career (55 meters indoors and 100 meters outdoors, 1996-99 and also ran on the Wildcats’ national championship 4x100 relay teams in 1998 and 1999 to give her 10 career national championships.  In her post-ACU career, Ennis-London has been one of the top hurdlers in the world, making three Olympic teams and three times earning medals at the IAAF World Championships.  She finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles final at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, before failing to make the final at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.  Ennis-London competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where she finished fifth. In 2005, she finished second in the 100-meter hurdles final at the world championships before finishing third in the final in 2007 and third again in 2009.  In 2006, Ennis-London was named to the NCAA Division II women’s track and field Silver Anniversary Team as selected by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association. She still holds the NCAA Division II all-time best in the 100 hurdles with her time of 12.71 seconds. Ennis-London was a combined 34-6 in short hurdles races (55 meters, 60 meters and 100 meters) in her four years, and along with the eight NCAA Division II national championships, she also won 100-meter hurdles races at both the Texas Relays and the Penn Relays.