BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will be inducting eight individuals into to the Cardinal Hall of Honor Saturday, Oct. 28^th. The 2023 Cardinal Hall of Honor Class will include Uirannah Jackson (women's basketball, 1988-92), Philip Jonas (men's golf, 1983-86), Ramona Jones (women's basketball, 1989-93), the 1984 men's 1,600-meter relay team (Jerry Nichols, Troy Amboree, Kymond Guiton and Jackie Harris) as well as Dr. Curtis Thorpe (1997-2023) who is being inducted with the Big Red Award for his nearly three decades of service as the team physician.
                                                                 
"We're extremely honored to announce the 2023 Hall of Honor class," said LU director of Athletics Jeff O'Malley. "This incredible group covers five decades of Lamar athletics, seven former athletes and a well-respected physician. I would like to congratulate each of one of them on this prestigious honor and I look forward to having them back on campus."
 
The 2023 induction class includes five decades of LU athletics from the 1980s all the way through the 2020s and represents three different sports.
 
The induction ceremony will be held Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, at 11 a.m. in the Setzer Center Ballroom. Tickets for the event will be $35 and can be purchased through the LU ticket off by calling (409) 880-2278.
 
Uirannah Jackson (Women's Basketball)
Jackson was a two-time first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection who finished her career as the all-time leading scorer with 1,730 points – a mark which still ranks second all-time (15.2 ppg). Named the 1989 American South New Newcomer of the Year, Jackson become one of just 16 Cardinals to score 1,000 points and one of just five to score 1,000 points and pull down 800 rebounds in a career. A key figure in the Cardinals run to the 1991 Elite Eight, Jackson graduated as the school's all-time leading scorer and was second in rebounds (863) and second in steals, and she remains the school's all-time leader in field goals made.
 
Ramona Jones (Women's Basketball)
A four-year starter for the Red and White, Jones graduated as the school's all-time leader in assists (653/5.9 apg) and steals (333/3.0 spg), marks which still rank second all-time in program history. Jones left LU with the top-two single season marks in both categories, numbers which still rank among the school's top 10 three decades later. Jones captured her own piece of Lamar history on Jan. 14, 1991, which she became the first Cardinal – male or female – to record a quadruple-double, scoring 10 points, pulling down 10 rebounds, dishing out 10 assists and recorded a school-read 12 steals against Central Florida. Despite her pass first, shoot second mentality, Jones still managed to score 986 points and graduated among the NCAA's all-time top 10 in steals.
 
Philip Jonas (Men's Golf, 1983-86)
A golf program with a history of great players, Philip Jonas was one of the first who help set a standard for those who followed. A two-time All-American, and a 1986 PING First-Team All-American, Jonas led the Red and White to consecutive NCAA Championship appearances and two top-20 national rankings, including a seventh-place finish nationally as a senior. Jonas put together one of the best seasons of any individual athlete in 1986 when he fired a three-round 71-67-73 – 211 to win the Southland Conference individual title. Jonas carried the momentum into the NCAA Championships where he finished 14^th overall recording one of the best finishes ever by a Cardinal at the NCAA Championships.
 
 
1984 Men's 1,600-Meter Relay Team (Nichols, Amboree, Guiton and Harris)
One of the finest relay teams in the history of the NCAA Championships, team Cardinals' team of Jerry Nichols, Troy Amboree, Kymond Guiton and Jackie Harris putg Lamar on the national map throughout the 1984 season, but it was in Eugene, Ore., that the team served notice that they had their sights set on the nation's top prize. Each individual, a standout athlete in his own right, came together to record a school record in qualifying for the finals. The Cardinal four stepped on the track against the likes of Oklahoma, Alabama, Southern Illinois, Baylor, TCU, SMU and Oklahoma State. By the end of the race, the Cardinals clocked a time of 3:03.72 – just missing their school record set earlier in the meet – to finish second only to Oklahoma. When the times were made official the Sooners edged out Lamar by a mere 66-hundreths of a second to claim the National Championship. This team's school-record time still stands to this day.
 
Dr. Curtis Thorpe (Team Physician)
A renowned physician for 40 years affiliated with several hospitals in the area, Thorpe donated his time to the Lamar athletics department serving as team physician from 1997-2022. Thorpe was one the sidelines for Lamar football from the moment it was brought back to varsity status traveling with the team to away events. During that time, Thorpe put the health and well-being of our student-athletes first ensuring their ability to stay on the field competing, as well as overseeing a path for their safe return to competition after surgery. In addition, his work with student-athletes, Thorpe also played a key role in advocating for the athletic training profession in the Golden Triangle and hired numerous LU students – including former athletes – as interns. He also served as the vital part of the athletics department's response to the COVID pandemic creating policies for LU student-athletes and staff.