Inside RecSports | Fall 2019

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Development team (from left): Caroline Coblar, Jennifer Speer, Randall Ford and Kari Terry

Inside RecSports is back!

We are proud to re-introduce you to Inside RecSports, your connection to all things UT Intramurals and Recreational Sports.

Since our last edition in the Fall of 2016, the department celebrated its 100th anniversary and started a new tradition, the Hall of Honor, which is featured in this edition. We’re proud to share more about our first three classes of inductees. To see more photos or learn more about anything in this edition, we invite you to visit UTRecSports.org/friends. This digital interactive version brings the stories to life with video and photos.

Our development team has picked up some new members! Please welcome Randall Ford, Caroline Coblar and Kari Terry. We look forward to hearing from you or seeing you at one of our events this fall.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 02 04 06

alumni spotlight andy lemons staff spotlight darci doll hall of honor: a new recsports tradition

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your recsports story calendar of events

Andy Lemons, ‘03, now works as Director of Recreation and Wellness at St. Edward’s University

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

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ANDY LEMONS

DIRECTOR, RECREATION & WELLNESS ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY AUSTIN, TEXAS

Andy Lemons, ’03, credits his student employment at RecSports with establishing his career path and helping him develop the skills he still uses today managing three full-time staff members and over 80 part-time employees, while overseeing a comprehensive Recreation and Wellness Department with seven functional areas.

During his time on the Forty Acres, Andy worked primarily for RecSports’ Intramural Sports Program as both a program assistant and official and also worked in Facility Operations as an activity supervisor. In these roles, he mentored multiple students and young professionals and, to this day, says he considers helping people thrive to be one of the best jobs in the world.

Of his experience working with RecSports, he says, “As an Intramural PA (Program Assistant), I was responsible for ensuring that all participants and staff had a positive experience. Managing a large number of supervisors,

game officials and teams gave me invaluable experience in decision making, customer service and accountability.”

He adds, “These are skills that I try to instill in the current generation of St. Edward’s students that I work with today.”

Andy remains true to his recreational sports profession through his active participation in the National IntramuralRecreational Sports Association (NIRSA), where he has volunteered on numerous committees and task forces. As a result of those efforts, NIRSA awarded him national service awards in 2018 and 2019. He stays connected to UT through his colleagues at UT RecSports and active participation in Friends of RecSports Young Alumni initiatives.

Andy’s wife, Denyse, also worked for RecSports while an undergrad and is currently a career counselor at the UT Law School. They live in Austin where they are raising their six-year-old son, Hank, and enjoy being physically active.

Darci Doll, Associate Director of Intramural Sports, has worked for Recreational Sports for 25 years.

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S TA F F S P OT L I G H T

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darci doll ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR-INTRAMURAL SPORTS

Darci Doll’s journey to The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Recreational Sports was paved with a myriad of life, family and educational experiences and milestones.

Born and raised in Sidney, Ohio, where her family still resides, Darci stayed close to home to earn a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University, a top-rated liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. She earned her master’s in Sports Studies from Miami University in 1994.

During her college years Darci played softball and in 1992 started a basketball officiating career, one that she’s maintained for 27 years, even as she began holding a fulltime position with RecSports as program coordinator for Intramural Sports. This career milestone commenced on Aug. 15, 1994, beginning a partnership with Bob Childress, the director of the Intramural Sports Program. Twenty-five years later, Darci now holds the reins of the Intramural Sports Program as associate director, overseeing what is arguably the largest intramural sports program in the nation.

What is Darci’s secret to her longevity in this career? She says, quite simply, “I love sports and sports officiating. And I love college students. To have the opportunity to blend all three makes me feel really lucky to come to work each day.”

Jerrod Jackson, a former student and current associate director of Programs and Outreach at Louisiana State University, says Darci is the key reason he is who he is today, because of the role she fulfilled as his mentor, friend, confidant and supporter. “I think I speak for all of her Rec kids and can say none of us would be where we are today without her.”

Another former student, Brian Mills, director of Campus Recreation and Wellness at The University of Houston– Clear Lake, says of Darci’s professional demeanor, “She has created a culture that transcends simply playing or officiating sports and instead uses sports as the vehicle to make people better and stronger than they would have been had they not participated.”

Outside of RecSports Darci has advanced as a collegiate basketball referee. Her basketball résumé includes officiating the UIL Girls State Tournament and maintaining an association with a number of collegiate conferences including the Big XII. Darci’s officiating résumé only adds to her credibility when it comes to working with students in a collegiate sports setting.

She holds a core belief in the essential role intramurals sports plays in teaching valuable life skills, noting, “Students who are involved in our program, either as participants or employees, gain a tremendous amount of transferrable skills including problem solving, communication, team work, attention to detail, and conflict resolution that they can apply to any career that they might choose after graduation.”

Whether it’s counseling one of her student employees, disciplining an errant participant or officiating at the highest level, Darci Doll has had a tremendous impact on thousands of young Longhorns and will continue that service as she begins her 26th year on the Forty Acres this fall. As former intramural staff member turned attorney Amber James so succinctly stated, “Darci was my first real mentor. For me she was very much the face of The University of Texas for the four years I was there.”

HALL OF HONOR: A NEW RECSPORTS TRADITION

THE hall of honor

A NEW RECSPORTS TRADITION To commemorate our 100th anniversary in 2016-17, the department started a new tradition by creating a Hall of Honor to recognize the program’s most influential individuals and groups.

These inductees have all made major contributions to Recreational Sports, whether as a student, employee, supporter, athlete or donor.

Since our last edition of Inside RecSports, three classes have been inducted. Let’s take a look at each class starting with the inaugural year:

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2017 Berry M. Whitaker

ANNA HISS

Founded the Men’s Intramural Program in 1916 to fulfill the dream of “a sport for every man and a man in every sport.” Left UT to serve in World War I and returned to the university in 1919 to resume his work in intramurals. Under his leadership the intramural program grew from a handful of sports the first year to over 5,000 male students competing in 23 sports when he retired in 1960. Coach Whitaker left behind the legacy of Fite Nite, spirited intramural competitions that drew standing-room only crowds, and the addition of lights to the intramural fields, becoming the only school in the country with lighted intramural fields. Today, the primary outdoor complex bears his name, the Charles Alan Wright Fields at the Berry M. Whitaker Sports Complex.

Launched a career in recreational sports in 1918 as an instructor in Physical Training for Women. During her career, she made it her mission to instill in young women the benefits of staying active and healthy. Her idea for a separate women’s gym came to fruition in 1931. She also inspired the legendary posture pageant as an intramural contest, as well as the annual “T” Night Banquet.

Professor Hiss retired from the university in 1957 and was named professor emeritus in 1969.

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Albert A. “Sonny” Rooker Arrived on the Forty Acres in 1942 but left soon after to serve in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. When Sonny Rooker returned and graduated, he was hired as the assistant director of Men’s Intramural Sports. One of his first assignments was to introduce a sport club program for male students.

Under his direction, the Gregory Gym Annex was constructed in 1961 and the intramural fields were relocated and expanded at their present off-campus location.

Betty A. Thompson

Joe Bill Watkins

Mark L. Hart, Jr.

Served as director of Women’s Intramurals from 1968–73. Proposed the creation of the Division of Recreational Sports to combine men’s and women’s intramurals and was named its director, becoming the first woman to hold such a position at any major college or university. Under Betty Thompson’s guidance, Recreational Sports grew tremendously and established a new outdoor adventure program, as well as separate recreational sports programming for faculty and staff.

Additionally, she is credited with having led the charge for the passage of a referendum that would establish a student fee to fund the construction of today’s Recreational Sports Center.

A fervent supporter of Recreational Sports since his days as an undergrad.

Joe Bill played intramurals with Delta Tau Delta where he won eight championships in football, basketball, water basketball and softball, as well as earning awards for all-intramural basketball and being named Best Athlete. In 2007 he became chair of the Recreational Sports Leadership Team during its inaugural year and has continued to serve in that capacity for over 12 years. He was instrumental in the creation of the RecSports endowed scholarship initiative and helped raise funds for the renovation of the WrightWhitaker Sports Complex. Joe Bill had a successful career in the legal field and after 40 years of practice is now retired from the law firm of Vinson & Elkins, LLP.

Began his athletic career at the university as a pitcher for the baseball team and after one year turned his focus to intramural sports. Mark played football, softball, volleyball and track with both the Kappa Sig fraternity and the Texas Cowboys.

He was named to all-intramural teams an astounding 11 times. Hart graduated with honors in 1968 from the UT School of Law and became the founder and managing partner of the Kelly, Hart & Hallman Law Firm.

His memory lives on with the Mark L. Hart, Jr. Endowed Scholarship that is awarded annually to two deserving RecSports student employees.

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2017 Dr. Jim Vick

Scott & Vivien Caven

Charles Alan & Custis Wright

Best known as a professor emeritus of mathematics and former Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Vick provided invaluable support for Recreational Sports by promoting participation among students whenever possible. He stepped forward to help facilitate the construction of the Recreational Sports Center, as well as the renovation of Gregory Gym. Beyond his unconditional support of RecSports, Dr. Vick has earned various accolades throughout the years including the Nowotny Medal for his contributions to student affairs, the Jean Holloway Teaching Excellence Award, the President’s Associates Teaching Award and the Amoco Teaching Excellence Award.

Scott, who served as chairman of the UT Board of Regents from 2007-09 and his wife, Vivien, initiated the Clark Field renovation project by contacting the university in 2006 about upgrading the field. The couple sought to make it more accessible to students and transform it into one of the premier lacrosse fields in the Southwest. They did so in memory of their son, Scotty, a 2004 incoming freshman lacrosse player whose life was tragically cut short. Funded largely by private gifts, the field officially reopened in 2011 as the Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center at Clark Field. Thanks to the Caven’s generosity, Recreational Sports now has a facility with artificial turf, digital scoreboard and a refurbished track that all RecSports participants can enjoy.

Professor Charles Alan Wright founded and coached the Legal Eagles, an intramural football team comprised of UT law students that dominated intramural leagues for 45 years. His wife, Custis, nurtured and supported the team, and often invited them to the Wright home for meals and victory celebrations. The team achieved an incredible record of 330 victories, 44 losses and 5 tied games during that time. Professor Wright was one of the most respected legal scholars in the country. He was a leading authority on federal courts and is credited for bringing nationwide prestige to the UT School of Law. In the fall of 2001 Recreational Sports created the Charles Alan Wright trophy to honor his memory. The trophy is awarded annually to the All-University Intramural flag football champion. In 2017 he was honored in the naming of the newly-renovated Charles Alan Wright Fields at the Berry M. Whitaker Sports Complex.

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Gary & Sylvie Crum

Ross & Fran Vick

René Garza

Instrumental in the renovation of Clark Field and generously supported the project while also creating the Crum Endowed Scholarship. These UT alumni also played a hand in helping with the renovation of the WrightWhitaker Sports Complex and have been recognized for their generosity by naming the Crum Family Fields after their legacy. Gary serves on the board of directors for the McCombs School of Business and Sylvie has been a member of the RecSports Leadership Team since its inception, and also served as the chair of the Longhorn Foundation Advisory Council.

Leaders and donors to the renovation of the Wright-Whitaker Sports Complex, which honors their support with the Ross W. Vick, Jr. Patio. Both have a long history with intramurals at UT, having met at a regional intramural softball tournament in 1953.

Ross was a six-time All-Intramural fast pitch softball player for Beta Theta Pi and Fran was featured on the Wall of Fame for a volleyball championship with her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. Fran Vick has served on the president’s Executive Council and the Development Board and was appointed to the UT Board of Regents in 1991. Ross is a former banking executive who founded his own toy sales company in Dallas.

One of the original members of the RecSports Leadership Team which formed in 2007 and an alumnus of the McCombs School of Business. René worked as a graduate assistant in RecSports and competed in intramural sports with Acacia fraternity. His picture appears on the Wall of Fame three times for volleyball and softball.

Garza was also a team manager and was named to an All-Intramural team three times. He is credited with the idea of awarding scholarships to deserving RecSports student employees. Soon after, he provided a gift to help establish the first RecSports scholarship, the Thomas W. Dison Endowed Scholarship. René also helped to found the Acacia Fraternity Endowed Scholarship.

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2017 Oak Grove Co-op

A boarding residence cooperative for male students that formed in the 1930s. In the fall of 1946, “The Grove” started a winning intramural legacy that lasted well into the 1950s. Members excelled on the intramural field as well as in the classroom, maintaining the highest scholastic average of any of the other men’s houses on campus at the time. The group began hosting an annual reunion during football weekend in 1993 to reunite “this band of brotherhood.”

Legal Eagles

The intramural football team comprised of UT law students which was founded in 1955 by law professor Charles Alan Wright. Under Coach Wright’s tutelage the team dominated the intramural football leagues for almost half a century, achieving an incredible record of 330 victories, 44 losses and 5 tied games. The team won 27 of the 35 Law-Grad Division championships and seven of the 14 All-University Championships. Today’s Legal Eagles, inspired by the past, carry on the values that Coach Wright imparted regarding pride, excellence and honor both on and off the field.

Our Gang

A women’s independent group that formed in the early 1970s and began making its presence known on the intramural fields and courts. This group of women won numerous championships in flag football, softball, badminton and track from 1974–78. The team also won the All-Intramural trophy twice and went on to earn the Jo Chapman Team Sportsmanship Award. This group of young women has been credited for paving the way for women to participate in intramural sports.

Delta Tau Delta

Dominated the intramural fields throughout the 1960s to eventually become the number one ranked fraternity of that era based upon overall participation and points earned through the intramural point system. Since 1921, the organization has appeared on the Intramural Wall of Fame over 250 times. Today, their legacy continues with the Delta Tau Delta Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded annually to deserving RecSports student staff.

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Scenes from the inaugural Hall of Honor induction ceremony.

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2018

After the inaugural year, the Hall of Honor went on to become its own event, and was held at downtown venue The Eleanor on April 25, 2018.

The inductee class consisted of 10 outstanding individuals and two groups selected by the RecSports Leadership Team and senior staff.

William Powers, Jr.

Michael M. Carnes

Mark & Linda Williams

First introduced to RecSports as a faculty member of the intramural law school team, Criminal Element.

He proudly displayed his intramural championship photo in his office during his tenure as the 28th president of the university. President Powers played a significant role in many RecSports endeavors, most notably in the renovation of Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center at Clark Field and the renovation of the Charles Alan Wright Fields at the Berry M. Whitaker Sports Complex. President Powers was an esteemed teacher, nationally recognized legal scholar and staunch UT supporter. He passed away in 2019 but will always be remembered by RecSports for his invaluable support and unwavering friendship.

Former RecSports student staff member hired in 1973. As a student, Mike worked as a supervisor at the intramural fields and filled in as a substitute official when needed.

Mike’s passion for intramurals inspired him to team up with his good friend and fellow inductee, René Garza, to create the first endowed scholarship in 2006. This endowment eventually led to the creation of 16 endowments that award over $35,000 annually to deserving RecSports students.

Former students who enjoyed playing intramural sports and long-time supporters of Recreational Sports. Both played multiple sports during their tenure at UT and met while playing coed intramural football during the intercollegiate intramural regionals.

Linda played on intramural teams for Pi Beta Phi and The Bombers.

Mark played football, water polo, basketball, volleyball and softball.

Mark has been involved in numerous civic, non-profit and educational activities, and currently serves on the Austin Community College Board of Trustees. He was also elected to the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees in 2004, serving as president from 2006-12. The pair served as co-chairs of RecSports’ Centennial Celebration and have also served on the Leadership Team.

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Scenes from the 2018 Hall of Honor Event.

Dr. Kenneth Ford, Jr.

Ann (Vandivier) Brodnax

Intramural Wall of Famer and longtime supporter of Recreational Sports.

As a student, Dr. Ford was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and was active in many different sports including basketball, football, softball, tennis, volleyball, handball and bowling.

He won six intramural championships and in 1963–64 he won the title of Best All-Around Athlete. His father, Kenny Ford, and his son, Casey, also won intramural championships and appear on the Wall of Fame, making them a unique family with three generations of intramural athletic excellence. With this in mind, Dr. Ford, Jr., established the Ford Family Endowed Scholarship in 2008 to honor his family’s involvement with Recreational Sports. Ken has also served on the Leadership Team and played a large part in the digitalization of the Wall of Fame.

Member of the RecSports Leadership Team since its inception and former intramural sports participant for Pi Beta Phi in the late 1970s. Ann possessed an innate athletic ability that led her to 15 intramural championships while also winning the C.J. Alderson Individual Sportsmanship Award and the Women’s Outstanding Athlete Award.

She notably won the softball homerun derby by one homerun on the final pitch of the game. She spearheaded the “Women in Intramurals” initiative to support the intramural endowment.

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2018 Rodney L. Schlosser

Dr. Bailey & Rebecca (Bludau) Marshall

Bennett Glazer

Instrumental in creating the Recreational Sports Center during his term as student government president. Rodney championed the first student-run referendum for a legislatively mandated fee to build the facility that was overwhelmingly approved by students. As one of the first referendum-funded recreation centers in the country, its funding model became the prototype for other universities across the country.

The Recreational Sports Center has served millions of participants since the 1990s thanks to Schlosser’s efforts.

Former students who wore many hats during their time at RecSports, participating as players, officials and coaches. The pair coached several teams together and Becky sometimes played on teams that Bailey coached.

An accomplished racquetball player, Becky won the faculty/staff singles tournament each year that she played.

She also served as the head athletic trainer for Women’s Athletics followed by a career officiating both high school and collegiate basketball. Bailey served as the director of the University Interscholastic League from 1977-95.

Member of the RecSports Leadership Team and first major supporter of the RecSports Excellence Fund. As a student, Bennett was an enthusiastic intramural athlete who competed in handball, volleyball, basketball and bowling with his fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau. He became a university handball champion in 1965, earning him a spot on the Wall of Fame. He has continued to support the growth and development of Recreational Sports throughout the years and has been a generous donor to the Hall of Honor event. Bennett is the Executive Vice Chairman of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.

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The Bombers Founded in 1978 as a coed football team by Kevin McCalla who recruited his sister, Linda, to play quarterback. After winning the coed football championship in 1978, the Bombers continued to enjoy success in football and basketball over the next several years.

In five seasons, The Bombers captured four regional flag football championships, four national championships and their win/loss record was an astounding 75-3.

Phi Gamma Delta Earned its first championship in 1919 resulting in its appearance on the Wall of Fame during the inaugural year of the famed picture boards. This historic basketball championship was followed by decades of intramural success. As one of the most successful fraternities in UT intramural history, Phi Gamma Delta appears over 200 times on the Wall of Fame. The fraternity team’s intramural championships hit its peak in the 1960s with 29 total championships. In 2010 the group established the Phi Gamma Delta Endowed Scholarship to recognize and honor the fraternity’s outstanding success and honor UT students who work diligently to make RecSports a cornerstone of the UT experience.

Scenes from the 2018 Hall of Honor Event.

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2019

Following the first two years of impactful Hall of Honor inductee classes, the third year came in strong with an equally excellent group of honorees. The event was held on April 25, 2019, on campus at the new Robert B. Rowling Hall, part of the McCombs School of Business. Nine individuals and two groups were honored during the event.

Michael Tomsu

Barbara Brimi

Robert G. Childress

Member of the Recreational Sports Leadership Team since its inception.

While an undergrad Mike was also a member of the Recreational Sports Committee and played an important role in securing approval of funds needed to build the Recreational Sports Center. Mike participated on six open-division championship teams and as a law student played on three national championship teams. During his college years he also officiated games and worked as a RecSports staff member. Mike was named Intramural Official of the Year in 1982. He is a partner at Vinson & Elkins Law Firm where he specializes in energy regulation.

Widely-known as a trailblazer for women in the profession of recreational sports. Barbara joined RecSports in 1970 to manage the Women’s Intramural Sports Program and was also appointed to the faculty of the Department of Physical Education. She became a full-time assistant director in 1977 and was promoted in 1990 to associate director for programs. Her work with intramurals and sport clubs had a profound influence on thousands of students. Barbara was one of the first women to join NIRSA (The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) and she served on various NIRSA boards and committees over the decades. Barbara passed away in 2015, but her legacy at UT remains strong.

Began his 47-year association with RecSports as an undergrad in 1969 when he began to officiate intramural games. Bob played a variety of intramural sports including football, basketball, baseball, track and softball. He was a member of several All-Intramural teams and was named the Best AllAround Athlete during his junior year. As a senior he won the Arno Nowotny Sportmanship Award.

After completing his master’s, Bob joined RecSports as a fulltime staff member, directing the intramural program for almost three decades before transitioning into development in the early 2000s.

During that time, he created the Friends of RecSports initiative for alumni and potential donors. His impact on RecSports has been immeasurable throughout the years.

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Scenes from the 2019 Hall of Honor Event.

Drs. William & Isabella Cunningham

Lewis Wright IV

Supporters of Recreational Sports for over 30 years. Dr. William Cunningham is a former president of the university and chancellor of the UT System. Dr. Isabella Cunningham is a professor of communications for the McCombs School of Business. Isabella was a member of the Recreational Sports Committee, a standing committee comprised of faculty, staff and students that advise the organization on policies, fees and new initiatives.

During his tenure as UT president, Dr. William Cunningham strongly supported the construction of the Recreational Sports Center and while Chancellor, he assisted in bringing the Gregory Gym renovation project to fruition. Thanks to their advocacy and support, UT Recreational Sports is considered one of the best programs of its kind in the country.

Best known for his jump shot on the basketball court which helped The Players team win three intramural championships during the 1980s.

Lewis also participated in softball, football and soccer. He helped the Sidewinders to win a softball title in 1982 and Quiet Storm win football championships in 1984 and 1985. After The Players’ loss in the 1983 playoffs, he helped its basketball team go undefeated for 30 games in a row over the next three seasons. Lewis now works for the Texas Department of Insurance after owning his own insurance agency for 19 years.

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2019 Gordon Appleman

Cindy Hopson Downs

Thomas McGarity

A member of Sigma Alpha Mu in the late 1950s who was well known in RecSports for his role as a senior manager. Gordon played several different intramural sports including football, basketball and softball. He earned a “T” Association letter sweater, which was awarded to a few select students who completed the team manager program each year. Gordon played an active role on the RecSports Leadership Team and was named one of UT’s “125 Extraordinary Exes” in 2010.

After earning his law degree from Harvard University, Gordon went on to a career in tax law and is currently Of Counsel at Fort Worth law firm Thompson & Knight.

First introduced to RecSports while playing intramurals with her sorority, Pi Beta Phi. Cindy was an athletic force who played volleyball, tennis, softball, table tennis, flag football, water polo and even competed in track and field. She served as a member of both the Intramural Sports Council and the Recreational Sports Committee. An intramural champion and winner of the C.J. Alderson Sportsmanship Award, this sports enthusiast continues to show a true passion and commitment to Recreational Sports at UT.

First began playing intramurals in the 1970s as a law student with the well-known Legal Eagles team.

During his first year of law school, Tom was named to the All-Intramural softball team. He also represented the UT School of Law in its national softball tournament on four separate occasions. Tom spent the majority of his time with the Legal Eagles football team, eventually becoming the head coach when Charles Alan Wright retired in the mid-1990s. He is also a member of the RecSports Leadership Team and led the effort to raise funds for the renovation of the WrightWhitaker Sports Complex. He currently holds the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair in Administrative Law at the UT School of Law.

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the elite A powerhouse intramural team of women in the 1970s and 1980s. Coached by Gene Vance, these women won titles in both coed and women’s sports, including football, basketball and volleyball. Many team members also worked for Recreational Sports as officials and intramural supervisors. The Elite’s alumni include a college volleyball coach, certified health coach, Physical Education teacher and the first female captain of the UT Police Department. This group helped to grow the presence of strong women in intramural sports at UT.

the players Three time, 6-foot and under, intramural basketball champions in the early 1980s. In the fall of 1982, two freshmen—Kevin “Slo” Williams and Jerome “Spider” Solomon– formed the basketball team for the new 6-foot and under division. Many of the original Players were also members of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. After going 7–1 in their first season and losing to the Kool Byrds in a controversial playoff game, The Players secured three consecutive championships. Due to strong recruitment by Kevin Williams, the team achieved an impressive 37–1 record from 1982–85.

Scenes from the 2019 Hall of Honor Event.

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let us tell your recsports story!

WHAT’S YOUR CONNECTION TO RECSPORTS? WHAT ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS? Let us know so we can share your story with other RecSports alumni.

Beth Johnson, B.A. ’08

Contact us online by visiting utrecsports.org/friends/ stay-connected or by email to friends@utrecsports.org.

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Sara (Beirne) Dorn, B.S. ’17 Sara, a RecSports endowed scholarship recipient, majored in architectural engineering and worked as an Outdoor Recreation program assistant and trip guide while also helping to staff the Outdoor Center and Climbing Wall. Having devoted so much time as a RecSports staff member it was no wonder that she met her future husband, another student staffer, on the job. Sara’s other notable on-the-job experience was reuniting a lost hiker with her hiking partner while leading a trip to the Grand Canyon. Sara and her husband currently reside in Phoenix, Ariz., where she works as a project engineer for DPR Construction. The couple loves hiking, camping and doing all the things they learned to do at RecSports.

Beth, a RecSports endowed scholarship recipient, majored in psychology and spent her four years at UT involved with RecSports as an activity supervisor, program assistant, Sport Clubs intern and member of the RecSports Alliance, an organization for students interested in pursuing a career in recreational sports management. Beth was on the job in February 2008 when the CNN Democratic presidential debate, featuring Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, was held at the Recreational Sports Center. She remembers working behind-the-scenes with CNN and the Secret Service.

After graduating from UT, Beth completed an M. Ed in educational administration and policy from the University of Georgia while working as a graduate assistant in its department of recreational sports and serving as the national student representative on the NIRSA board of directors. Professional career roles followed with Arizona State University and Ohio State University. She has transitioned from recreational sports to leadership development and programming leading to her current role as assistant director of the Buckeye Leadership Fellow Program, providing transformative experiences to undergraduate students. When not traveling for pleasure, Beth volunteers at the Ohio Food Bank and local Junior League and even finds time to post on her blog, The B Slant.

Mason Quintana, B.A. ‘00

Luke Dunn, B.J. ‘93

Mason, a Kinesiology major from Texarkana, Texas, worked at the Recreational Sports Center as an activity supervisor then as a building coordinator before moving on to Gregory Gym. His favorite RecSports memory is meeting his wife, Ariel, at an “after shift” party. He says they tried to keep the courtship secret but says, “When you wear each other’s t-shirts, it’s bound to get out!” He says they are “the quintessential REClationship story” with a house in Allandale and two sons, “living the Rec Sports Dream.” Following a career in fitness, Mason pivoted to real estate.

He secured his real estate license and now sells homes in neighborhoods he used to pass through while biking to class.

Amber James, B. S. ’01, M. Ed., ’02

Luke, a broadcast journalism major from Arlington, Texas, worked as a RecSports building coordinator and has remained tied to the Forty Acres in his current position as associate general manager for Learfield IMG College. He proudly notes that in the past eight years he has been fortunate enough to elicit sponsorship opportunities for the university across all of its marketing platforms, namely Athletics, Texas Exes, Texas Performing Arts and RecSports. Among his favorite memories of RecSports are being a part of the first RecSports Spirit of Sport All-Nighter event (the precursor to Party on the Plaza) and exploring old (prerenovated) Gregory Gym. Luke and his wife, Billie, have three children.

Amber, a sports management major from Nederland, Texas, estimates that she refereed over 500 intramural games for RecSports in various sports. This former intramural supervisor and program assistant was named Outstanding Softball Official during her senior year. Amber was not all-work and no-play, as she played volleyball, flag football, floor hockey and softball, including in many championship games. She also won an individual championship in track.

She fondly recalls “living” in Gregory Gym, “harassing” fellow student staff on walkie-talkies, driving around Whitaker Fields on the golf carts, and mainly enjoying sports and competition. A business lawyer by profession, Amber founded her own commercial litigation and transaction firm with offices in Fort Worth and Midland-Odessa. She’s married and raising two boys in Fort Worth.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

FRIENDS OF RECSPORTS

FALL 2019 EVENTS Recreational Sports is excited to announce the dates for the fall 2019 Alumni & Friends events. We’re bringing back the golf classic and tailgate, and introducing a putt-putt tournament for alumni. We hope to see you at these get togethers!

Oct. 18

Friends of RecSports Bob Childress Classic Golf Tournament 11am–6pm 11:30am Lunch and Check In 1pm Shotgun Start Avery Ranch Golf Club

Oct. 19 NOV. 14 INSIDE RECSPORTS FALL 2019

RecSports Tailgate Two hours prior to kickoff Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex

Alumni Putt-Putt Tournament 6pm–8pm Peter Pan Mini Golf

STAY IN TOUCH WEBSITE: UTRECSPORTS.ORG/FRIENDS EMAIL: FRIENDS@UTRECSPORTS.ORG PHONE: 512.471.4492 /UT RECSPORTS @TEXASRECSPORTS @UTRECSPORTS

Address Service Requested

The University of Texas at Austin Recreational Sports 2101 Speedway Stop D7500 Austin, Texas 78712-1401

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 391