June 10, 2010

LAS VEGAS - Six different Rebel sports will be represented during ceremonies this fall as the seven-person, two-team UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2010 was announced by the school Thursday.

Five former Rebel standout players, one head coach and a distinguished contributor will join two record-setting teams in being inducted on Friday evening, October 1, which is also the night before the Battle for the Fremont Cannon football game between UNLV and Nevada, Reno.

The Class of 2010 is made up of men's golfer Jeremy Anderson, men's soccer player Daniel Barber, softball player Julie Crandall, football player Nick Garritano, baseball player Ryan Ludwick, men's tennis coach the late Dr. Larry Easley, the 1994 football team, the 1985 men's soccer squad as well as longtime major donor Bob Mendenhall. Also scheduled to be honored that night is former Rebel football player and current president of the Palms Hotel, George Maloof Jr., who will receive the inaugural Silver Rebel Award.

The induction ceremonies will take place at the M Resort Spa Casino on South Las Vegas Blvd. Tickets for the general public ($125 per person) can be reserved now by calling Brian Finn at (702) 895-4753. Tables of 10 and sponsorship opportunities are also available. Ceremonies will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:30 p.m. and program to follow. Players, coaches and staff from the two teams being inducted that would like more information on attending the event should call UNLV's Susie Smith at (702) 895-4729.

"What an impressive and well-rounded group," said UNLV Director of Athletics Jim Livengood. "Some of the best of the best from more than a third of our programs will be on hand for what I am sure will be a memorable evening."

Born in 1987, UNLV's Athletics Hall of Fame will now grow to 105 members strong. Under the hall's bylaws, former student-athletes must have completed their eligibility at least 10 years earlier to be selected. Coaches and administrators must have stopped working at the University five years previous. All classes now enter on a biennial basis.

A prolific performer on the golf course and in the classroom, Jeremy Anderson is the only athlete in school history to be a three-time All-American and three-time academic All-American. A member of head coach Dwaine Knight's 1998 National Championship squad, Anderson had the unusual honor of being voted player of the year in two different conferences (1999 Western Athletic and 2000 Mountain West). A first team All-American in 1999 and 2000, he was also a second team choice in 1998 as he posted three finishes in the top 30 at NCAA Championships. Before going on to a professional career that included 31 PGA Tour events, Anderson won five collegiate tournaments and set the UNLV record for lowest 18-hole score (63), lowest 54-hole score (198) and lowest scoring average for both a season (70.85) and career (72.01). The final three of those records were later broken by Ryan Moore.
One of only two All-Americans in Rebel soccer history, Daniel Barber was a Freshman All-American in 1989 and then a third team selection two seasons later. UNLV's all-time assists leader with 26, Barber was first team all-conference and all-region in 1991 and first team all-league again in '92. He led the 1989 team in assists with 10 and the '91 squad in total points with 28, including 10 goals scored. The current Las Vegas resident went on to a nine-year career playing in various professional soccer leagues, including being a midfielder on the 1994 Continental Indoor Soccer League Champion Las Vegas Dustdevils.
Regarded as the best catcher in UNLV's storied softball history, Julie Crandall is one of five Rebels to be a multiple-season All-American as she was voted third team in both 1995 and '98. A three-time first team all-conference honoree, Crandall started behind the plate as a freshman for the best team in school history, helping the 1995 Rebels to a tie for third place at the Women's College World Series. The 1998 UNLV Sportswoman of the Year finished with a .324 career batting average and tied for second in program history with 50 doubles. She batted .361 with nine homeruns as a senior before becoming an all-star in the Women's Pro Softball League. Crandall currently ranks sixth in Rebel history with 121 runs batted in, second in walks (111), fifth in on-base percentage (.434), seventh in hits (212) and ninth in homers (20).
Arguably the nation's top place-kicker as a senior, Nick "The Kick" Garritano left as UNLV's second-leading scorer in history with 240 points (four points behind running back Mike Thomas). Leading the Rebels in scoring three of his four seasons, Garritano was a 1994 semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award after leading all of college football in 50-yard field goals made, nailing five of seven attempts from 50-59 yards. The local product out of Chaparral High School still holds the school record for field goals made in a game (4), season (21) and career (53) as well as field-goal percentage in a career (.786). The 1994 First Team All-Big West Conference honoree helped his team earn a shared league championship and booted a then-record-long 38-yarder in the Rebels' Las Vegas Bowl victory over Central Michigan. Garritano has gone on to a distinguished coaching career at Green Valley High School, including helping set a national record for most consecutive victories by a girls' golf team, and just completed a decade leading the Gators' baseball squad.
Former Rebel great and current Major League slugger Ryan Ludwick played three seasons at UNLV before becoming the fourth-highest draft pick in program history (60th overall in 1999), just behind his brother, pitcher Eric Ludwick, who six years earlier was taken 50th. The Durango High School product finished his college career ranked ninth in batting average (.363) and still ranks fourth at the school with 43 homeruns. The 1997 First Team Freshman All-American was a two-time preseason All-American and postseason all-conference honoree. After overcoming various injuries, Ludwick became a starting outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2007 and remains one of the top hitters in the National League. In 2008 he played in the MLB All-Star Game and won the Silver Slugger Award after finishing fourth in the Majors with 37 homers to go with 113 runs batted in.
The late Dr. Larry Easley, who passed away from illness in 2005 at the age of 57, coached the UNLV men's tennis team longer than anyone in history and produced sometimes-spectacular results over his dozen seasons. Named conference coach of the year three times, he was also twice named Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2001. His all-time record of 141-120 included leading UNLV to three Big West Conference championships. Easley produced four of UNLV's five all-time men's All-Americans, including two individual national champions when Luke Smith won the NCAA singles championship and then teamed with Tim Blenkiron to capture the NCAA doubles title in 1997. Easley received his master's degree from UNLV in 1993 and then earned his doctorate from the school in 1998 where he later taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. In 1999 he served as chairman of the NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Committee.
The 1994 UNLV football team was one of two in school history to win a conference championship and head coach Jeff Horton's squad did it in style with a stunning 32-27 upset of arch-rival Nevada, Reno at Sam Boyd Stadium that broke a five-game losing streak to the Wolf Pack. The Rebels, who at 5-1 shared the league title with UNR and Louisiana-Lafayette, earned the Big West's lone postseason bid via tie-breaker and went on to rout Central Michigan 52-24 in Las Vegas Bowl III to finish with an overall record of 7-5 and post the program's most wins in 10 years. UNLV's high-flying offense, which set more than a dozen NCAA and conference records in a shootout with Idaho during the regular season, was led by future NFL player Henry Bailey and Arena League star Randy Gatewood, who still holds the NCAA record for most receptions in a game with 23. Future Super Bowl Champion defensive lineman Keith Washington highlighted a ferocious pass rush that also included Mark "The Terminator" Byers, who led the nation that fall with 20.5 sacks. Overall, eight Rebels received either first or second team All-BWC honors with another seven earning honorable mention while Horton was voted Co-Coach of the Year.
The winningest group in program history, the 1985 UNLV Men's Soccer Team set multiple school records, including most wins and fewest losses as head coach Barry Barto's squad finished 18-2-2. The Rebels, who also reeled off a record 18-game unbeaten streak during the campaign, finished the season ranked fourth in the nation by Soccer America after rising as high as second that fall. The squad boasted a program-best seven first or second team All-Big West Conference honorees, including UNLV's current head coach, Rich Ryerson, as a second team selection; and his brother, Hall of Famer Robbie Ryerson, who became Rebel soccer's only first team All-American that season. The team, which outscored its opponents 54-18, completed a perfect 6-0 run through the conference and hosted the first round of the NCAA tournament where UNLV downed Fresno State 2-1. The Rebels advanced to the regional final where they lost 1-0 in overtime to eventual national champion UCLA.
Also entering the hall will be Distinguished Contributor Robert "Bob" Mendenhall, who is the owner and chief executive officer of the Las Vegas Paving Corporation. A longtime supporter of the UNLV program, Mendenhall most recently became a major part of a group that is building and donating a new multi-million dollar practice facility for the Runnin' Rebels. The Mendenhall Center will be attached to the south side of the Cox Pavilion and will have a total of 38,000 square feet of space on three levels. Mendenhall invented and patented the Asphalt Recycling Process, as well as numerous other inventions that benefit the construction industry and help conserve natural resources. Las Vegas Paving was named 2005 Contractor of the Year for its work on projects such as the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Las Vegas Beltway, and U.S. Highway 95.

2010 SILVER REBEL AWARD WINNER The Silver Rebel Award was recently instituted by the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Board in order to honor former members of the school's athletics family, such as student-athletes, coaches or staff members, whose primary accomplishments took place after leaving campus but have brought positive recognition to the University. Former Rebel football player George Maloof Jr. was a unanimous choice as the inaugural recipient of the Silver Rebel. After lettering two seasons as a defensive back for the UNLV football team in 1986-87, Maloof earned his bachelor's degree from the University and soon became president of Maloof Hotels. He has since overseen the operation of properties throughout the Southwest and California, including the Fiesta Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, the Central Palace Casino in Colorado, and now the world-famous Palms.