Two legendary football teammates, the greatest golfer in school history, an Olympic bronze medalist and the first-ever team to be honored are part of a stellar class of former Rams athletes being inducted into the CSU Sports Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2017 includes women’s basketball star Ashley Augspurger Davis, volleyball standout Melissa Courtney-McKennon, track and field Olympian Janay DeLoach, golfer Martin Laird, swimmer Valerie Lang-McComb, track and field pioneer Barb Lawson-Alm, football legends David Anderson and Cecil Sapp and the 1997 football team that finished 11-2, beat Missouri in the Holiday Bowl and ranked 17th in the nation.
Ceremony Oct. 27 at new stadium
The Ram legends will be enshrined Friday, Oct. 27 during a banquet at the new stadium sponsored by CSU Athletics and the Rams Alumni Athletes Association. The 5:30 p.m. event is open to the public; RAAA member tickets are $35 and non-member tickets are $50. Tickets are available online or by calling (970) 491-4666.
Former CSU and Denver Broncos tight end Joel Dreessen will co-host with alumnae and Denver sports media personality Susie Wargin.
Championship teammates
Anderson played four seasons (2002-05) for the Rams and left with pretty much every CSU receiving record. He still ranks second in career catches and yards, and helped the Rams win their most recent conference title in 2002. He played six seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Houston Texans.
Sapp, a running back, played with Anderson in 2002 as a senior, helping the Rams to a 10-4 record, Mountain West title and Liberty Bowl berth. He was part of three league titles from 1999-02 and was the MVP of the 2000 Liberty Bowl while leading the Rams to a 22-17 win over Louisville. He played six seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Broncos.
Laird was CSU’s first golf All-American, earning that honor in 2003 and ’04. The native of Scotland won a school-record six tournaments from 2000-04, and led the Rams to regional berths all four seasons. He has been a PGA Tour regular since 2007 and has won three PGA events while earning more than $15 million.
DeLoach won the bronze medal in the long jump at the 2012 London Games, becoming CSU’s only female track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal. She earned a second Olympic berth in 2016 and hopes to return in 2020. She was a four-time All-American at CSU.
True student-athlete
Augspurger Davis was a three-time all-conference selection at forward and led the women’s basketball team to four consecutive postseason appearances from 1999-03. A four-time academic all-conference selection, Augspurger Davis is a noted surgeon in Birmingham, Ala.
Courtney-McKennon, considered one of CSU’s greatest setters, was a two-time MWC player of the year in volleyball and three-time all-league honoree. She led the Rams to four conference titles from 2001-04 and to NCAA Sweet 16 berths in 2001 and ‘03.
Lang-McComb won nine conference titles – six individual and three on relay teams – from 1984-88 in swimming She was an All-American in 1988 and was named Collegiate Swimmer of the Year in 1987 and ’88 by Sportswomen of Colorado.
Pioneer with lasting impact
Lawson-Alm was an early pioneer in CSU’s women’s track program, winning the national 1,500-meter title in 1970 while becoming CSU’s first female national champion. Her 1,500 time of 4:23.8 still ranks second all-time at CSU, 47 years after she graduated.
The CSU Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1988 and includes more than 150 CSU athletes, coaches and administrators.
