Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame
1955-56 Men's Basketball Team
The 1955-56 Gorilla men’s basketball team took home third-place honors at the 32-team NAIA National Tournament to culminate a 27-2 season under head coach John Lance. Pittsburg State, then known as Kansas State Teachers College, won its first 20 games en route to capturing the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) crown. The Gorillas posted wins over Elon (77-55), Georgia State (99-72) and Western Illinois (83-76) before falling to eventual national champion McNeese State (78-72) in thenational semifinals. Pittsburg State bounced back the next day – March 17, 1956 – to defeat Wheaton College (77-70) in the national consolation game to claim the national third-place trophy.
Larry Basky, 1963-65
Ottawa, Illinois
Football Legacy Athlete
Larry Basky became just the second Pittsburg State football player to earn All-America honors in multiple seasons. Basky earned honorable mention All-America honors at defensive guard as a sophomore in 1963 and again as a linebacker in 1965. He earned All-Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) honors in each of his final three seasons, including first-team recognition his final two years. Basky was named the Gorillas’ W.G. Parrott Award winner as the Team MVP as a senior in 1965.
Jermaine Carpenter, 2003-06
Waco, Texas
Football/Track & Field Athlete
Jermaine Carpenter finished an amazing two-sport career in track & field and football as one of the most decorated athletes in school history. Carpenter earned NCAA Division II All-America honors nine times in track, including national runner-up finishes in the 100m in 2005 and the 200m in 2006. He was a 21-time All-MIAA track performer, setting PSU records in the 60m (6.77) and the 100m (10.25). In football, he earned third-team All-America honors as a wide receiver in 2004. He caught 69 passes for 1,671 yards and 23 TDs during his two-year career (2003-04), ranking third all-time in career yards.
David C. Kendall
Kansas City, Kansas
Meritorious Achievement
David Kendall enjoyed a 30-year career as a trainer in the Kansas City Chiefs organization (1977-2007), serving as the franchise’s head athletic trainer from 1984-2005. During his tenure with the Chiefs, Kendall established himself as one of the most respected trainers in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Medicine Hall of Fame in 2005. Kendall served as a student trainer in the mid 1970s for legendary Pittsburg State trainer Al Ortolani.
Andrew Poling
Saint Francis, Kansas
Football Athlete
Andrew Poling finished his career at Pittsburg State as a two-time NCAA Division II All-American. He earned consensus first-team All-America accolades as a senior in 1999. Poling was a four-time All-MIAA performer, earning MIAA Freshman of the Year honors in 1996 and first-team All-MIAA his final three seasons (1997-99). He compiled 359 career tackles to rank fourth on the Gorillas all-time tackle chart at the time of his graduation. Following his career, Poling was selected to PSU’s 100th Anniversary Football Team in 2003.
Germaine Race, 2003-06
Warrensburg, Missouri
Football Athlete
Germaine Race finished his decorated career at Pittsburg State as one of the elite running backs in NCAA Division II history. Race garnered first-team All-America honors in each of his final three seasons for the Gorillas (2004-06) and he was named MIAA Offensive MVP his last two seasons. As a junior in 2005, he set a Division II record with 33 touchdowns and finished fourth in the Harlon Hill Trophy race. In 2006, he rushed for 1,944 yards and 31 TDs, finishing third in the Harlon Hill Trophy vote. Race set the Division II all-time rushing record with 6,985 yards as well as the NCAA all division touchdowns record with 107.
Walter S. Smith, Jr., 1965-68
Kansas City, Kansas
Track & Field Athlete
Walter Smith twice earned NAIA All-America honors in the 880 yard run as a senior at Pittsburg State in 1968. Smith placed fifth in the discipline at the NAIA Indoors and added a third-place finish to cap his career at the NAIA Outdoors. He earned All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in the 880 in each of his final three seasons, claiming back-to-back RMAC crowns from 1967-68. Smith also helped Pitt State’s 4x880 relay to multiple accolades and he guided the Gorillas’ sprint medley relay to the school record. He also posted a school record time of 1:50.4 in the 880 in 1968 – a mark that still stands at the time of his induction.
Chuck Sturdevant, 1961-62
Neosho, Missouri
Football Legacy Athlete
Chuck Sturdevant earned honorable mention NAIA All-America honors as a defensive back as a junior in 1961. Sturdevant made eight tackles and a key interception in the Camellia Bowl, helping Pittsburg State capture the NAIA National Championship. Sturdevant played football two seasons for the Gorillas (1961-62), and he was selected as the Most Valuable Player of Pitt State's inaugural baseball team in the spring of 1962. He then served as the program’s first pitching coach in 1963.
