Two key figures in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's most glorious basketball seasons are among the 20 newly elected members of the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame.
They will be honored along with six special award winners at the annual induction banquet March 11 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Tickets will go on sale in late January.
Johnny Taylor led the Mocs to the NCAA Division I tournament's Sweet 16 in 1997, 20 years after Ron Shumate coached UTC to the Division II national championship in its second consecutive NCAA final.
Those two will be inducted along with high school coaches Tommy Jewell and Jason Reuter for women's basketball, Cotton Perry for auto racing, Sal Rende and Van Shumaker for baseball, Eric Westmoreland and Robert Akins for football, Heather Randolph and the late Doug Moser for softball, Brandon Deal for soccer, Bonny List for swimming, Lamonte Vaughn Jr. for track and field, Connie Caldwell-Rogan for volleyball and Gary Drinnon and Terrence Lee Derrick for weightlifting.
Ted Broyles and Kirk Lewis are going in as officials/administrators, and Lindsey Young will be the sports media inductee.
Patrick Johnson and Piper Fowler are the hall's athletes of the year, Vernon Holtcamp and Laura Herron will be honored for lifetime service and Jamarie Ballard will get the award for overcoming adversity.
Bobby Dunn will receive the hall's most prestigious annual honor, the Presidents Award.
Compiled by Stephen Hargis. Contact him at shargis@timesfreepress.com.