Pittsburg State Gorillas

Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame

1929-30 & 1930-31 Undefeated Men’s Basketball Teams
The 1929-30 & 1930-31 Gorilla men’s basketball teams, comprised of several core players for both years, posted back-to-back undefeated seasons. The Gorillas posted a 20-0 record in 1930 and a 21-0 mark in 1931. Pitt State set a school record for consecutive victories (47) between Dec. 14, 1929 and Jan. 5, 1932. The 47 straight wins stood as the nation's longest winning streak at the time. Both the 1930 & 1931 Pitt State squads captured Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) crowns.
 

1992 NCAA Division II National Runer-up Football Team
The 1992 Gorilla football team finished as the NCAA Division II National Runner-up as the squad made its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The Gorillas dropped a 17-13 decision to Jacksonville State University on Dec. 12 at Florence, Ala., in the title game to finish the season with a 14-1 record under Head Coach Chuck Broyles. The loss snapped a school record 25-game winning streak between 1991 & 1992. The Gorillas captured the MIAA title in 1992.
 
 
Brian Allen, 2006-10
Joplin, Missouri
Track & Field Athlete
Brian Allen finished his stellar career as one of the most decorated track & field athletes in Pitt State history. Allen earned NCAA Division II All-America honors nine times as a thrower, including a national runner-up finish in the shot put in 2009. He was selected the 2010 South Central Region Field Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA and Allen was the High Point Scorer at both the 2009 and 2010 MIAA Outdoor Championships. He set school records in the indoor (60-1.75) and outdoor (61-9.75) shot put, the weight throw (67-7), hammer throw (215-9) and the discus (182-8).
 
 
Steve Bever
Farlington, Kansas
Baseball Coach, 1991-2012
Steve Bever served as head baseball coach at Pittsburg State for 22 years from 1991 to 2012. Bever was the architect for the baseball program when it was restarted in 1991 after a two-decade absence from campus. He is the longest-tenured and winningest coach in program history, compiling 565 career victories. Bever led the Gorillas to the program’s first MIAA title in 1999 and he directed Pitt State to the school’s first four berths in the NCAA Division II National Tournament (1997-99, 2002). He also served three years as the Pitt State men’s golf coach (1988-90); and he served as an Assistant Athletic Director for Game Administration throughout his tenure.
 
 
Pamela Cartagena, 2006-09
Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Volleyball Athlete
Pamela Cartagena finished her career as the most decorated volleyball player in Pitt State history. Cartagena earned NCAA Division II All-America honors in each of her final three seasons (2007-09) including first-team All-America accolades in 2009. She garnered first-team All-MIAA honors in all four seasons; and she was named the 2009 MIAA Player of the Year. Cartagena set school records for career kills (1836), attacks (4809) and sets played (500). She finished her career ranked second in career digs (2259) and fifth in career service aces (109).
 
 
Lisa Cropper
Berryton, Kansas
Women’s Basketball Athlete, 1993-96
Lisa Cropper finished her decorated basketball career as a three-time All-MIAA performer for the Gorillas. Cropper set Pitt State records for career assists (382) and career steals (260). She also set the school record for single season steals (84) in 1995. Cropper scored 1,399 points in 110 games, averaging 12.7 points per game for her career. She helped the Gorillas to a pair of NCAA-II National Tournament appearances as  well as the 1995-96 MIAA Regular Season Championship.
 
 
Joe Taylor, 2002-05
Miami, Oklahoma
Football Athlete
Joe Taylor earned second-team NCAA Division II All-America honors at fullback as a senior for the Gorillas in 2005. Taylor garnered All-MIAA recognition in three of four years in the Pitt State backfield, including first-team All-MIAA accolades in 2005. Originally a tailback, Taylor moved to fullback in 2003 and helped teammate Germaine Race ultimately set the NCAA Division II rushing record. For his career, Taylor carried the ball 208 times for 1,243 yards (5.98 ypc) and 21 touchdowns.

 
Max V. Wilson
Fredonia, Kansas
Meritorious Achievement Legacy
Max Wilson was a two-year member of the Pittsburg State football team from 1949-50. Following graduation, he enjoyed a 35-year career as a teacher and coach, junior high school principal and ultimately superintendent (1975-91) in the Fredonia USD 484 school district. Wilson was a founding member of the Greenbush Educational Service Center. He served on the Kansas State Department of Education; and he served as a national delegate to the National Rural Schools Convention. Wilson was inducted into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame in 1991. He also served two terms as mayor of Fredonia. PSU honored him with the Clyde U. Phillips Distinguished Service Award in 1987.