Rice University Athletics
Six Named to 2011 Hall of Fame Class
6/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | General
June 29, 2011
Rodrigo Barnes, Kenny Baugh, Bryan Bronson, Candace Leissmeister, Mandy Mularz and Greg Williams, who provided Rice fans with countless memorable moments during their careers on South Main, will be inducted into the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 21 as well as honored at halftime of the Rice-Tulsa football game the following day.
Along with the induction of the six newest members of the Hall of Fame, the R Association will also honor Ralph O'Connor with the Distinguished R Award, as well as present Audrey Ley with their Honorary R Award.
Additional information regarding tickets and related activities surrounding the induction ceremonies will be released at a later date.
Barnes was a three-year letterman for the Owls from 1969-72 who dominated from his linebacker position with his unique blend of speed and strength. Barnes was a two-time All SWC selection and was named UPI's Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 1971 while earning consensus All SWC honors. He was tabbed the SWC Sophomore Defensive Player of the Year in 1969 while splitting time between defensive end and linebacker. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1973 NFL Draft and played in the league for four seasons. The highlight of his NFL career came when he played for the victorious Oakland Raiders in their Super Bowl XI victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Baugh was a three-time All-America selection and was twice named the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. From 1998 to 2001, the Houston native compiled a 41-8 collegiate won-loss record with a 2.72 career ERA. He won at least 12 games in each of his final three seasons and set the Rice single-season record with 163 strikeouts in 2001. He helped Rice reach NCAA regionals four-straight years with four-consecutive WAC titles. He was the winning pitcher in the program's first win at the College World Series in 1999. He finished as Rice's career record holder for games started (67), innings pitched (460.0) and strikeouts (447), and was second in career wins (41).
Bronson is considered to be one of the greatest 400m hurdlers of all-time. The Jasper, Texas, native set a meet record while winning the 1998 US Outdoor 400m hurdles (47.03) and that time currently ranks third all-time. At the IAAF World Outdoor Championship that same year, Bronson finished third in the 400m hurdles with a time of 47.88. Bronson competed collegiately in the 200m as well as the 400m hurdles. He holds the school's indoor (20.90) and outdoor (20.28) records for the 200m. His 49.07 in the 400m hurdles is a Rice record, which he set while winning the NCAA title in 1993 as a sophomore to complete an undefeated season. Bronson won five Southwest Conference titles during his time at Rice.
Lessmeister was a middle distance runner from Lake Lenore, Saskatchewan, who ranks sixth in the 800m (2:06.91) and fourth in the 1500m (4:19.42) on the Rice outdoor performer list. Lessmeister won three Southwest Conference 1500m outdoor titles (1993, 1994, and 1995). During the indoor campaign, Lessmeister won the 800m and mile events in 1993, and 1994, and captured the 3000m title in 1995. She earned All-America status in 1993, as a member of the Owls' 4x800m relay team. In 1994 and 1995, Lessmeister was an indoor All-America in the mile event.
Mularz rewrote the Rice record books in her four years with the swim team, earning All-America honors, and leading the Owls to a Top 25 national finish. After earning All-America recognition as a member of the Owls' 200-yard freestyle relay team that finished eighth in the nation as a sophomore in 2001, Mularz set two individual school records by reaching the event finals of both the 50- and 100-freestyle at the NCAA championships as a junior in 2002. The sprinter from Mobile, Ala., won the silver medal at the 2002 NCAA championships in the 50-free with a Rice record time of 22.17. She also finished 11th in the nation in the 100-free at the NCAAs. With Mularz accounting for all 23 points of Rice's final NCAA total, the Owls finished 25th in the nation at the 2002 NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving championships. She was a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2003. went on to earn All-America honors for a third time in as many years by taking seventh in the nation in the 50-free at the NCAA championships held in her home state of Alabama. Mularz won the swim program's Catherine Hannah Award as the Rice Swimmer of the Year in each of her last two collegiate seasons. She was named a Rice Scholar Athlete and an earned academic honors from the College Swim Coaches Association in 2003. In 2003 was the recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. In 2004 she was named the recipient of the "R" Association/Fred Stancliff Postgraduate Scholarship.
Long before he became identified as the head coach of Rice's women's basketball team, Williams was no mystery to opposing Southwest Conference coaches as a star guard for the Owls. As a senior, Williams was named the Southwest Conference Player of the Year after averaging 21.2 points while shooting 50.6 percent from the field (202-399) and 83.2 percent at the free throw line (104-125). He scored 30+ points on four occasions. He closed out his career during the 1968-69 season by scoring 24 points in back-to-back victories a home against TCU (95-88) and on the road at SMU (96-90). Williams was a second-team, All-Southwest Conference selection as a junior when he averaged 16.5 points per game. His season was highlighted by a pair of buzzer-beating shots in both games of the Owls' conference series with SMU as Rice swept both games over the SWC rival for the first time since 1946. He remains the Rice career record holder for free throw percentage at 85.8 percent (289-337). Williams began his coaching career as an assistant to Don Knodel at Rice as the Owls captured the 1970 SWC title. He went on to coach both at the collegiate and professional level. He enters his seventh season as the head coach of the Rice women's team.
O'Connor, graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1951, and became a devoted supporter of the Owls when he moved to Houston to begin his business career. A former member of the Rice Board of Trustees, he has been a tireless contributor to programs and projects at Rice, including Reckling Park and the renovation of Tudor Fieldhouse.
Ley, who graduated from Rice in 1935 and her husband, the late Wendel Ley ('32), have contributed to a number of Rice capital campaigns, including the construction of Reckling Park, improvements to the track/soccer stadium and most recently the Audrey Moody Ley Plaza which serves and the entrance to Reckling Park.
