Texas A&M’s Laura Jones Hahn-Conti Inducted into Hall of Fame

Courtesy: Texas A&M Athletics

The Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association’s Hall of Fame Class of 2018 is a cross section of sports representing great individual efforts and team successes.

Bronson Burgoon ’09 from men’s golf, Kip Corrington ’87 from football, A’Quonesia Franklin ’08 from women’s basketball, Laura Jones Hahn-Conti ’06 from volleyball, Claude Riley, Jr. ’84 from men’s basketball, Kati Jo Spisak ’06 from soccer, and George Woodard ’79 from football are the Hall of Fame inductees.

A tremendous ambassador and ardent supporter of all Aggie athletic teams is Steve Stevens ’62, who will be inducted into the Hall of Honor.

David Heath ’76 is a letterman who has been an athletics trainer and has achieved success at the highest level of his profession and has been selected as the Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

The organization’s 41st-annual Burgess Banquet will be held Friday, Sept. 14 in the Hall of Champions on the west side of Kyle Field, and the event is open to the general public.

A reception begins at 6 p.m. with dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Event sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are still available by calling the Lettermen’s Association (979-846-3024) or at 12thman.com/burgessbanquet.

2018 TEXAS A&M LETTERMEN’S ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

BRONSON BURGOON ’09
Men’s Golf
Bronson Burgoon was a four-year letterman in men’s golf (2006, 07, 08, 09) with the biggest shot in Aggie golf history on the 18th hole of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship.

Burgoon hit a gap wedge from the rough to within three inches of the 18th hole, to birdie the final hole, which clinched his match, and the first men’s golf national title in school history.

He earned All-America honors in 2007 and 2009 as well as earning All-Big 12 honors both seasons.

Burgoon was named the team’s MVP in both 2007 and 2009. When he left Texas A&M, he was No. 1 in career scoring average at 72.78 and he made his PGA Tour season debut in 2015-16.

This season, Burgoon’s top finish has been a tie for 16th at the AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament.

KIP CORRINGTON ’87
Football
Kip Corrington grew up in College Station and played at A&M Consolidated High School before signing with Coach Jackie Sherrill and the Aggie football team.

Corrington lettered four years (1984, 85, 86, 87) as a defensive back. He was a first-team All-SWC selection in 1986 and 1987 and was a three-time Academic All-American (1985, 86, 87). His senior season he was named the GTE National Academic All-American of the Year and he is the only Aggie in the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2003).

During his Texas A&M academic career, he made all A’s with one B. Corrington played four years with the NFL’s Denver Broncos. He was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and graduated from Texas A&M’s Medical School and completed his residency at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro, N.C., where Corrington currently runs a family practice.

A’QUONESIA FRANKLIN ’08
Women’s Basketball
A’Quonesia Franklin, a member of Coach Gary Blair’s first full recruiting class in Aggieland, was one of five freshmen whose commitment changed the direction of the Texas A&M women’s basketball program, and the first two-time All-American in program history.

A four-year letterwinner (2005, 06, 07, 08), Franklin ranks third in school history with 157 3-pointers and fourth with 627 career assists. She scored 1,115 points, which ranks 20th in school history, and nabbed 209 steals, which ranks ninth all-time. In all four of her seasons, she led the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio.

During her career, the Aggies posted a 93-39 record, marking the most wins in any four-year period to that point. She led Texas A&M to the first three NCAA Tournament appearances in their still-active streak of 13 straight trips to the Big Dance and to Big 12 titles in 2007 and 2008. She earned a spot on the NCAA Oklahoma City Regional All-Tournament team in 2008 after the Aggies made the first Elite Eight appearance in program history.

Franklin, a three-time All-Big 12 selection, was a third round pick of the Sacramento Monarchs in the 2008 WNBA Draft, and played two seasons in the WNBA. She has since started a coaching career, where she is now the associate head coach at Kansas.

LAURA JONES HAHN-CONTI ’06
Volleyball
Laura Jones Hahn-Conti was one of the most dominant players in Texas A&M volleyball history and was every opponent’s nightmare throughout her stellar career as a four-year letterwinner (2002, 03 04, 05). The outside hitter, who capped her remarkable career by being selected to the 12-member 2005 All-America first team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), still holds more than 40 school records.

Jones played in every match during her career, and remains the only player to have led the Aggies in total kills and kills per set in four consecutive seasons. In 2005, she led the nation with a Big 12 Conference and school-record 6.09 kills per set and also shattered the school and conference records with 700 total kills. Furthermore, Jones, who remains only the third player in A&M history to receive AVCA All-American first-team honors, obliterated the A&M career record with 2,064 total kills, nearly 300 more kills than the previous record holder.

Jones received Big 12 and All-Central Region honorable mention honors as a sophomore, and as a junior she was named to the AVCA All-America second team, the AVCA All-Central Region Team and the All-Big 12 first team. In addition, Jones became the first player in A&M history to be named the AVCA National Player of the Week.

She tallied 30-or-more kills eight times as a senior, including a still-standing school-record 38 kills in the regular-season finale at No. 10 Missouri. Coached by Laurie Corbelli, Jones led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament every year of her career, including a Sweet 16 appearance and a No. 16 final raking in 2003.

CLAUDE RILEY ’84
Men’s Basketball
Claude Riley, better known around Aggieland as the “Crockett Rocket”, was a four-year letterman (1980, 81, 82, 83) for Coach Shelby Metcalf and the Aggie men’s basketball team.

Riley was part of the 1980 Aggie squad that won the Southwest Conference regular-season title and SWC Tournament crown before defeating North Carolina on their way to the NCAA Sweet 16. Riley was named to the 1980 SWC All-Newcomer and All-Freshman squads and he was the team captain in 1982 and 1983 helping the Aggies reach the NIT in 1982.

At the conclusion of his career, Riley ranked among the top 10 in Aggie annals in rebounds, rebounds in conference play, points, field goals and field goals attempted. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 NBA Draft, and played professionally in Spain and Italy.

KATI JO SPISAK ’06
Soccer
Kati Jo Spisak was one of the top goalkeepers in Aggie history. A four-time letterwinner (2002, 03, 04, 05), she is still Texas A&M’s career leader in wins (69), minutes played (8,559) and saves (291). Spisak was recognized as an All-American across the board in 2003 as a sophomore, earning first team status from Soccer America.

She earned All-Big 12 First Team recognition on three occasions (2002, 2003 and 2005). Spisak was also tabbed to the 2002 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. She was named the MVP of the 2004 Big 12 Championship and earned All-Tournament recognition in 2004 and 2005. Spisak was tabbed as one of the best goalkeepers in the region in all four of her seasons, earning All-Central Region honors from Soccer Buzz and the NSCAA.

A winner on the field, Spisak led the Aggies to Big 12 regular-season titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and Big 12 Tournament crowns in 2004 and 2005. She also pushed Texas A&M to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2002 NCAA Championship, as well as Sweet 16 spots in 2003 and 2005.

Spisak played professionally for the Washington Freedom of the USL W-League from 2007-09 and later was a member of Saint Louis Athletica and the Boston Breakers in the WPS.

GEORGE WOODARD ’79
Football
George Woodard was a four-year letterman (1975, 76, 77, 79) in football for Coach Emory Bellard and Coach Tom Wilson.

Woodard served as a powerful fullback in the wishbone formation. As a freshman in 1975, Woodard helped the Aggie squad earn a share of the 1975 Southwest Conference Championship. He was named All-SWC running back in 1976. Woodard played in four bowl games and was a major workhorse carrying the ball 39 times against Kansas State in 1976 and Michigan in 1977.

Woodard’s 1,153 rushing yards for the 1976 season and his 17 rushing touchdowns in 1976 were second all-time in school history when he left Aggieland. His career rushing total of 2,911 yards is still sixth all-time and his 625 rushing attempts is fifth all-time. Woodard missed the 1978 season with an injury and after his senior campaign of 1979, was drafted in the 11th round by the New Orleans Saints in the 1980 NFL draft.
HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEE
R.H. “Steve” Stevens ’62
A fixture at Aggie athletics and the epitome of selfless service, Steve Stevens is the Hall of Honor inductee for 2018. Stevens, who served on The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents from 1999 to 2005, has given a lifetime of support to Aggie programs and the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association.

While a student, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, the Ross Volunteers as well as Lieutenant Colonel on the Corps Staff as he earned his accounting degree from Texas A&M. After graduation, he served in the United States Air Force and went on to become a certified public accountant. He worked 33 years with Arthur Andersen and then became managing partner of Stevens & Matthews LLP.

In 1981, Stevens served as Vice President of The Association of Former Students as well as President of the 12th Man Foundation in 1983. In 2013, Stevens was selected as a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M, the highest honor bestowed on a former student.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER
David Heath ’76
When it comes to athletic brand and apparel, David Heath has reached the pinnacle of his profession several times.

Before he entered the business world, Heath came to Texas A&M from Austin as a National Merit Scholar and graduated with honors in health and physical education from Texas A&M in 1976 and received his master’s degree in 1979. He earned letters as a student athletics trainer and became the first fulltime assistant athletics trainer in school history before being named the head athletics trainer in Aggieland.

He left College Station and spent eight years with Adidas before joining Nike in 1990. He moved up the corporate ladder and directed Nike’s United States territory sales, became a Vice President for U.S. Sales in 2004 and then in 2007 was promoted to Vice President for Global Sales where he was responsible for over $16 billion in sales revenue for four global operating regions.

Heath retired from Nike in 2009 but was brought back to the industry to help Under Armour where he served as Senior Vice President of Sales before he recently retired from Under Armour.

A community volunteer, Heath has served as Chairman of the Board of The Association of Former Students, President of the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Association and remains active with the Boy Scouts of America.

A third generation Aggie, his father James A. Heath was Class of 1940 and had two great uncles who graduated in the 1920s. He and his wife, Andrea, have two Aggie sons, Joel ’05 and Todd ’07.

 2018 Inductees into the Texas A&M University Athletics Hall of Fame
Bronson Burgoon ’09, Men’s Golf
Kip Corrington ’87, Football
A’Quonesia Franklin ’08, Women’s Basketball
Laura Jones Hahn-Conti ’06, Volleyball
Claude Riley, Jr. ’84, Men’s Basketball
Kati Jo Spisak ’06, Soccer
George Woodard ’79, Football
2018 Texas A&M Hall of Honor Inductee
Steve Stevens ’62
2018 Texas A&M Lifetime Achievement Award
David Heath ’76, Athletics Trainer