The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame has announced the Class of 2020. Former UTSA Athletic Director Lynn Hickey, high school and college basketball scoring great Stan Bonewitz, professional and Golden Glove champion boxer Mike Ayala, former San Antonio Spurs chairman and former USAA Chairman, General Robert McDermott, and the 1972 Trinity University Men’s Tennis team who won the NCAA Division I title, will be inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 28, 2020 in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Lynn Hickey joined UTSA in 1999 where she led the Roadrunners to three conference commissioner’s cups, two league all-sports trophies, and team and individual awards in all 17 sports at the university. She was only female Division I athletics director to oversee both men’s and women’s sports in the state of Texas, and during her tenure added women’s golf, women’s soccer and brought Division I football to San Antonio. Under her leadership, all sports at UTSA moved to Conference USA in 2013. Before moving into sports administration, Hickey coached women’s basketball at Kansas State and Texas A&M.
Stan Bonewitz was one of the most prolific scorers in San Antonio high school basketball history. He averaged 32.1 points as a senior in leading the East Central Hornets to a 35-0 record and the 1995 Class 5A state title. He ranks among the top career scorers in city history, with 2,484 points. He went on to play for Texas Tech where he was a member of the 1996 NCAA tournament team. Bonewitz finished his four-year career at Tech as only the second player all time to score 1,000 points and have 400 assists.
Mike Ayala compiled a 45-6 record over his professional career, with 23 knockouts, highlighted by a 15-round TKO loss against Danny “Little Red” Lopez in 1979 for the World Featherweight title. As an amateur, Ayala won national Golden Glove titles in 1973 and 1975, in two different weight classes. His ring name was “El Ciclon.” He is the oldest of the fighting Ayala brothers, Tony Ayala Jr., Sammy and Paulie, and considered the best all-around boxer of the four.
When Brigadier General Robert McDermott retired from the Air Force in 1968, he moved to San Antonio and joined USAA, becoming a powerful, influential force for change in the city. He also shaped the San Antonio Spurs for the modern era. Along with Bob Coleman, McDermott put together a group of 22 investors to buy the Spurs in 1993 and keep them in San Antonio. As chairman of the San Antonio Spurs from 1993-96, McDermott hired Gregg Popovich, a Division III head coach with just six seasons as an NBA assistant coach, to be the club’s general manager and executive vice president of basketball operations. McDermott died in 2006 at the age of 86.
The 1972 Trinity University Men’s Tennis team became the only San Antonio-based university team to claim an NCAA Division I title in a team sport. They went 36-0 during the season, knocking out UCLA and USC for the first time in 13 years. Trinity earned the title in Athens, GA with a record 36 points. Dick Stockton won the NCAA singles title, beating teammate Brian Gottfied in the championship match. Gottfried and Paul Gerken were the runner-up in doubles. Bob McKinley reached the singles quarterfinals. Other team members were John Burrmann, Howard Butt, Bill McGowan and Pancho Walthall. They were coached by Clarence Mabry and assistant coach John Newman.
The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame is a partnership between San Antonio Sports, the City of San Antonio, and San Antonio Express-News. The black-tie San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute, where the Class of 2020 will be inducted, will be held Saturday, March 28 in the Stars at Night Ballroom of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and will feature a live performance from Resurrection, A Journey Tribute.
Proceeds from the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute benefit San Antonio Sports’ kids programs. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit SanAntonioSports.org.