Metro State College of Denver's 2010 Hall of Fame class

DENVER, Colo. - Metro State athletic director Joan McDermott announced the College’s 2010 Hall of Fame class on Tuesday. Five individuals and one team will make up the ninth Hall of Fame class in Roadrunner athletics history and the first since 2007. The 1989-90 men’s basketball team, former men’s basketball player Lee Barlow, former volleyball player Devon Herron, former women’s soccer player Amy Leichliter (pronounced “leck-lighter”), former women’s soccer coach Ed Montojo (pronounced “mon-ta-joe”) and former assistant athletic director Joel R. (J.R.) Smith will all be inducted on Saturday, Feb. 20.

The Hall of Fame ceremony and lunch will take place at 11 a.m. in the lobby of the Auraria Event Center on campus. The Roadrunners host Nebraska-Kearney for a basketball doubleheader following the ceremony. The men’s game is slated for 3 p.m. and the women will tip off at 5 p.m.

“We are very proud of our 2010 Hall of Fame class,” McDermott said. “The accomplishments of this group played a pivotal role in the success we continue to experience today with our programs.

“Our men’s basketball team had a phenomenal season in 1989-90 and really put Metro State on the map. Coach Montojo laid a strong foundation for women’s soccer and took us to our first NCAA Tournament. Amy and Lee were both integral in Metro State’s first national championships in soccer and basketball. Devon helped lead our volleyball team to three straight conference championships, and J.R. (Smith) showed great leadership with Metro State and that’s continuing today with the RMAC.”

Metro State’s Hall of Fame currently includes 31 individuals and three teams.
1989-90 Men’s Basketball Team

The 1989-90 men’s basketball team marked the beginning of a dynasty at Metro State with the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Roadrunners went 28-4 that season and won the Great Northwest Conference championship with an 8-2 mark, the first conference championship in school history. Coached by Bob Hull (Hall of Fame class of 1998), Metro State posted winning streaks of 11 and 10 games during the season. Hull went on to earn GNC Coach of the Year honors and led the team to an NCAA Tournament first round win over the University of South Dakota.

Led by a pair of All-America teammates in Shun Tillman and Gene Edwards, Metro State was ranked as high as No. 2 during the season and finished the year ranked third in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II top-25 poll. The Roadrunners knocked off NCAA Division I opponent University of Mississippi at the Illini Classic hosted by the University of Illinois, where they made the school’s first national television appearance on WGN-TV Chicago. Two other future All-Americans, Adrian Hutt and Ralph Rivers, were also key parts of the 1989-90 team.

A number of records were set by the 1989-90 men’s basketball team. Its 28 wins were a school record at the time, though that record has since been topped by a pair of national championship teams. However, many records still stand, including Edwards’ single game record of 38 points, a record that has been tied twice. His records for points in a season and points per game still hold, as does Tillman’s record for total rebounds.

See tomorrow's post for more information on the Hall of Famers