Published: May 04, 2008 11:58 pm            

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Mary Lou Retton, Earl Lloyd latest to enter WV Sports Hall of Fame

MORGANTOWN — Olympic goal-medalist Mary Lou Retton and legendary basketball star Earl Lloyd were inducted into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Sunday evening at the 62nd annual Victory Awards Dinner.

Both drew standing ovations from some 500 people from throughout the state at the Lakeview Resort fete sponsored by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association.

Gov. Joe Manchin, who presented Retton, praised her as one of several Marion County natives who have gone on to national and international fame. He said she is somebody special, having been the first American female to win a gold medal in gymnastics in the 1984 Olympic Games.

Mary Lou said she’s small in stature but standing tall on this occasion. She was surrounded by more than 30 family members and relatives.

“It’s such a great honor to be here,” she said. “Thank you, Gov. Manchin. I’m proud I was an American (at the Olympics). But deep in my heart I was a West Virginian.”

Lloyd, who starred at West Virginia State College in the 1940s and then became the first black player in the NBA, was presented by Betty Cardwell Spencer, the daughter of the late Mark Cardwell, who coached him in college.

While she was a little girl when he played, she became aware of the numerous “firsts” and recited those.

“It was a perfect fit,” he said of his years at West Virginia State. “All of my classmates felt we were where we belonged. I will cherish this always. (Hall of Fame) induction is the greatest honor you can bestow on an athlete.”

Bob Huggins, whose West Virginia University men’s basketball team went 26-11 and earned No. 17 national ranking, was presented the state College Coach of the Year Award. He also received a standing ovation, as did WVU quarterback Patrick White as state Amateur Athlete of the Year for the second time.

“I thank the sports writers, and I thank my high school coach, my father (Charlie) who’s here, and my wife June,” Huggins said. “And I thank the great people of West Virginia for letting me come home.”

Huggins was born in Morgantown and was a three-year basketball player at WVU in the mid-1970s.

White expressed his appreciation to the sports writers and also thanked Mountaineer fans for their support. He also thanked coach Bill Stewart, who presented him, as well as his teammates, other coaches and his father and mother.

Tony Caridi, who served as master of ceremonies, said “Just look at the wins (with White as quarterback).”

In presenting the Gene Morehouse Memorial Award, Doug Huff of Wheeling praised Cliff Nichols of the Fairmont Times West Virginian. He said Nichols has assisted with staging of the VAD for 25 years.

A former longtime sports editor, Nichols now is news editor.

The legendary Sam Huff presented the award named for him to Rodney Hudson of George Washington High, the High School Football Defensive Player of the Year.

Huff recalled that he played tackle at WVU in the early 1950s, but switched to linebacker in the NFL because it paid more money.

Ron Kidd, who guided Beckley Woodrow Wilson to the state Class AAA basketball championship, received his High School Coach of the Year Award from Dave Morrison, sports editor of the Beckley Register-Herald.

“It’s an honor to win this award,” said Kidd, who battled cancer during the past season but now is believed to be cancer-free. “It’s been a humbling experience.”

Morrison noted that Kidd’s team won the tournament with wins over teams seeded third, second and first.

Jordan Roberts of Scott High received the Kennedy Award, given annually to the state’s Football Player of the Year. Bryan Irwin of Bridgeport got the Bill Evans Award as the state’s High School Basketball Player of the Year.

Other award winners included:

Josh Jenkins of Parkersburg, Hunt Award as the state’s top football lineman; Seth Easter of Nitro, Bob Dutton Award as High School Wrestler of the Year; Jolysa Brown of Summers County, Thom Award as High School Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year; Chelsea Carrier of Buckhannon-Upshur, McCoy Award as Trackperson of the Year; and Arik Sikula of Hurricane, High School Baseball Player of the Year.

All-State football and boys’ and girls’ basketball players received certificates, as did state championship coaches in all sports.

        

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