ENMU Athletics Hall of Honors Class of 2004
Set for Induction during Homecoming Game

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University will induct six individuals into the ENMU Athletics Hall of Honors during ceremonies at Eastern’s Homecoming game against West Texas A&M University on Saturday, Oct. 9. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. (MDT), with the Hall of Honors ceremony set for halftime. ENMU’s Hall of Honors Class of 2004 consists of Col. C. Wayne Calhoun, Dr. Thurman Elder, Brenda (Worley) Gomez, Conrad Hamilton, Dr. W. Firman Haynie and Stacy (Tapper) Sparks. Calhoun, Gomez, Hamilton, Haynie and Sparks are being inducted as athletes. Elder is being inducted in the support category.

Col. C. Wayne Calhoun played football at ENMU from 1948 through 1950 and competed in track and field in 1950. He began his college career as a football walk-on, but received a scholarship at the start of the 1950 season. He helped Eastern win its first New Mexico Athletic Conference (NMAC) title that season, and scored six touchdowns, while earning Second Team All-NMAC recognition.

Earlier in 1950, Calhoun lettered on the ENMU track and field team. He contributed to ENMU winning the NMAC team championship, and was a member of the mile relay team that also won a conference title.

Calhoun enlisted in the Air Force on Dec. 27, 1950 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1952. He served in Korea in 1954 and went on six tours of duty in Southeast Asia from 1968 through 1975. He was a commander of a large B-52 unit in Thailand, and completed 108 combat missions. His military honors included the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medal (twice).
He returned to ENMU in 1955 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. He also received a teaching certificate while attending ENMU.

After retiring from the Air Force, he worked for American Airlines as a DC-10 systems instructor, and later served as Director of Training for the American Airlines Training Corporation. He also worked for McDonnell-Douglas.

Calhoun proudly stated that he was guided in his career and personal life by motivational words from Sir Winston Churchill. The Prime Minister of England, serving during the Battle of Britain, said “Never give up. Never, never, never, never.”

Dr. Thurman Elder was Eastern’s Faculty Athletic Representative for 13 years from 1991-92 through 2003-04. In his role as F.A.R., Elder was the liaison between the ENMU faculty and the NCAA, the Lone Star Conference and the University in assuring the welfare of student-athletes.

Elder also served on the Hall of Honors nomination and selection committee during his years as F.A.R. He has been a member of the ENMU faculty since 1969 and has been a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science since 1983.

He graduated from Eastern in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and received a Master of Arts in Mathematics from ENMU in 1966. He earned a Doctorate in Applied Mathematics from Texas Tech University in 1979.

Elder has been the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ENMU since April, 1997. He chaired Eastern’s Department of Mathematical Sciences from 1981 through 1997. His professional memberships include the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America. He has been published in various academic journals and has participated in the Air Force Summer Faculty Research Program.

Elder has made presentations at the SIAM National Meetings, the Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the Institute for Numerical Transport Theory. At ENMU, he was the chair of the Athletic Committee for 13 years and also chaired the Student Outcomes and Assessment Committee. He was a member of the Faculty Senate, Research Committee, Who’s Who Committee, Curriculum Committee, Program Review Committee and Computer Committee. He chaired ENMU search committees for the Vice President of Student Affairs, Athletic Director and Head Coach of Men’s Basketball. He served on the search Committee for the Head Football Coach.

Brenda (Worley) Gomez was a guard on the Eastern women’s basketball team from 1977-78 through 1980-81. She concluded her career with 1,248 points and ranks fourth all-time in scoring at ENMU. She is one of 10 ENMU women’s basketball players with more than 1,000 points. She averaged 12.4 points per game as a senior to lead the Zias in scoring. She averaged 10.4 points per game as a junior to rank third on the team and provided 13.9 points per game as a sophomore to rank second on the team.

She received the Silver Pride Award at ENMU during her freshman season, and was named Most Valuable Player as a sophomore in 1978-79. Gomez was on the team when the Zias set the ENMU single game scoring record with 117 points against Sul Ross State University on Dec. 1, 1979. She recorded 188 assists during her final three seasons, including 75 in 1979-80.

Gomez graduated from Eastern in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical
Education. She then coached at Melrose High School for two years, and was the junior varsity and junior high coach in the Portales School District for one season. She is currently entering her 19th season as the head coach of girls’ basketball at Portales High School.

Her first season as the head coach at PHS was 1986-87. She has led the Lady Rams to four State Championships, with the first title earned in 1991. The other three State Championships were achieved in 2001, 2003 and 2004. Her squads have participated in the ENMU Team Camps during the summer. Several of her players have also played women’s basketball at Eastern.

Conrad Hamilton played strong safety on the ENMU football team from 1993-95. He was named First Team All-American in 1994 and 1995, and was selected by the New York Giants in the seventh round of the 1996 National Football League draft.

He played in the NFL with the Giants from 1996 through 1999, but missed the 1999 regular season due to an injury. During his seasons in New York, Hamilton recorded 151 career tackles. He was credited with 34 passes defended and three interceptions in 48 games with the Giants. Hamilton concluded his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2001.

At Eastern, Hamilton registered 281 tackles, with 142 unassisted stops and 139 assists. He achieved 90 tackles in 1993, 110 tackles in 1994 and 81 tackles in 1995. During his ENMU career, he also recorded 15 tackles for losses, seven quarterback sacks, five fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, seven blocked kicks (4 in 1995) and six interceptions (4 in 1994).

He was chosen First Team All-West Region, and was a First Team All-Lone Star Conference selection in 1994 and 1995. He was named LSC Defensive Back-of-the-Year in 1994. He received Honorable Mention All-LSC and Second Team All-West Region honors in 1993.

Hamilton has nearly completed work at Eastern New Mexico University on a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education. He returned to continue his studies on a part-time basis at the end of his NFL career.

Dr. W. Firman Haynie played offensive tackle and defensive tackle on the Eastern football team from 1938 through 1941. During his junior and senior seasons, he was a team captain and was named to the All-New Mexico Athletic Conference team.

He was the ENMU Student Body President in 1940-41, and was selected for Who’s Who on the Campus from 1938-42 and was included in Who’s Who in American College and Universities from 1940-42. He was later selected for Who’s Who in American Education from 1956-70.

Haynie received an Associate of Arts degree in Science and Agriculture from Eastern New Mexico Junior College in 1940 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Science and Education from Eastern New Mexico University in 1942. He served in the U.S. Army Field Artillery during World War II (1942-45), and later completed a Master of Education in School Administration and Guidance at Texas Tech University in 1949. He earned a Doctorate in Public School Administration, Curriculum and Guidance at the University of Denver in 1956.

He taught social studies, science and industrial arts in Loving, N.M., in 1941-42. He also
coached football, basketball and track at Loving. Haynie held various teaching and administrative positions in the Borger Independent School District in Borger, Texas, from 1942-64. His jobs included football coach, basketball coach, elementary principal, high school guidance director, elementary school supervising principal and junior high principal.

He was the superintendent of schools for the Portales Municipal School District from 1964 through 1968. In 1969, he moved to the University of Texas at Austin, where he was associate dean of students and director of housing and food service until 1972. He served as assistant vice president for student affairs from 1972 through 1980.

He also was involved in the administration of the Texas Boys State program, and served as the Boys State director or director emeritus for 46 years, starting in 1948. He was active in the Lions Club for 19 years and in the Rotary Club for 23 years. He was president of the Borger Lions Club in 1956-57. His activities also have included significant church and community work.

Stacy (Tapper) Sparks played outside hitter on the ENMU volleyball team from the 1988 season through 1991. She was named Second Team All-Lone Star Conference as a senior in 1991, and was an Honorable Mention All-LSC selection in 1988 and 1989.

She was named Greatest Zia for the entire ENMU Athletic Department in 1991-92 and was chosen Rookie-of-the-Year for the volleyball team in 1988. She was an outstanding defensive player and continues to be Eastern’s all-time career digs leader with 1,703. She recorded 635 digs in 1989 to rank second in single season digs for the Zias.

Sparks also recorded 393 total blocked during her career, and is currently fifth at ENMU in career digs. She also earned 934 carer kills (5th at ENMU) and 98 career service aces (6th at ENMU). She ranks fourth in career hitting percentage at .323 and owns Eastern’s fifth best single-season hitting percentage of .346, which she recorded as a senior in 1991. She graduated from Eastern in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication.

She played volleyball on a club team in Colorado Springs, Colo., for two years after graduating, and coached volleyball for two years at Manitou Springs High School in Colorado Springs. Sparks is a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym and coaches her two sons on their soccer teams.