Meehan, Mims, Pappano, Smith Named to JSU Athletic Hall of Fame
8/30/2017 9:08:00 AM | Football, General, Softball, Track and Field
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State athletics department announced the 2016-17 Class of its Hall of Fame on Saturday, honoring greats from the field and in administration.
The class, which will be formally inducted in the biennial Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, Oct. 13, will feature JSU's 11th President Dr. William A. Meehan, football All-American Eric Mims, softball slugger Daniela Pappano and track star Bill Smith. The class will also be honored during the Oct. 14 football gave vs. Eastern Kentucky.
Meehan served Jacksonville State University for more than 40 years including 16 years as President before retiring on June 30, 2015. He completed both bachelor's and master's degrees in biology at Jacksonville State and in January 1977 became an instructor in the Department of Biology. Meehan served in numerous administrative and teaching positions at the University and later completed a Doctorate of Education and began his role of President on July 1, 1999.
In August 2009 he began a five-year term on the prestigious NCAA Board of Directors, the primary decision-making body of Division I which drives policy and the strategic plan for the NCAA. In 2011 he began a two-year term on the NCAA Executive Committee and was one of just four non-FBS Presidents selected for the prestigious honor. As part of that committee he played a part in the final approval and oversight of the NCAA's budget as well as adopting and implementing policies to resolve core issues and other NCAA matters. He was later selected by his Presidential peers to serve as chairman of the NCAA President's Advisory Group for two years (2012 and 2013) and during the 2014-15 academic year was a member of the NCAA's Committee of Academic Performance.
During the final Board of Trustees meeting of his presidency the Stadium Towers residence hall was renamed "William A. Meehan Hall" and the board also established a scholarship in his name. He was inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2016.
Mims was a defensive back for the Gamecocks from 1994-97 and is still today the school's record holder for career tackles with 378, one of just two players in school history with at least 300 tackles. He is also the school's single-season record holder for tackles with 145 in 1997, while his 129 in 1996 are second on that list. His 104 in 1995 are ninth.
On Sept. 14, 1996 at Nicholls State, Mims racked up a school-record 33 tackles, 12 more than any other Gamecocks has recorded in a single game. That performance earned him National Defensive Player of the Week honors. The NCAA's FCS record book only dates back to 2000, and it lists the FCS record for tackles in a game at 30. During his career, he also notched single-game totals of 21, 20 and 18 twice, all among the Top 10 single-game efforts in JSU's illustrious football history.
In that 1996 season, Mims had only one game where he didn't record at least 10 tackles and he ended up on several NCAA Div. I-AA All-America teams. In his career, the native of Wellborn, Ala., also notched six fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles, 17 pass breakups and one blocked kick. He remains the school's career leader in assisted tackles with 151 and is second all-time with 227 solo tackles.
Pappano was a four-time First-Team All-OVC selection on the softball diamond from 2004-07 and rewrote the Gamecocks offensive records during her time in Jacksonville. She led JSU to its first OVC title in 2005 as a sophomore and saw the Gamecocks finish in the top two in each of her last two seasons. Over her career, she helped JSU post 161 wins, including a 73-25 record in OVC play. She also performed on the international level, competing with Team Canada.
The Gamecocks won 40-or-more games three times in her four seasons after posting just two 40-win seasons in program history to that point. She was named the school's female Eagle Owl Award winner for the 2006-07 academic year, recognizing her as the top student-athlete of that season in all sports. She was named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll multiple times for her work in the classroom, complimenting a stellar career in right field for JSU.
That playing career saw her earn multiple honors while breaking numerous school records. The Bolton, Ontario, Canada, native was named the 2006 OVC Player of the Year and was then named to the NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-Region Team. She still holds the school's career records in five offensive categories: hits (287), home runs (53), doubles (65), RBI (196) and runs scored (205). Her .387 career batting average is fourth-best in school history. As a freshman in 2004, she ranked sixth nationally in RBI per game, while her junior season saw her rank ninth nationally in doubles per game. She joins Ann Shelton (2009) as the only two Gamecock softball players in the JSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Smith was an outstanding track athlete from 1970-72. He came to JSU after graduating from Calhoun College in Decatur, where he was the AJCC State High Jump Champion in 1969 and 1970. In his junior season on 1971 in NAIA Regional Championship Competition, Smith won the gold in the High Jump at the West Georgia Championships in 1971 and then repeated in 1972. He also won the gold in High Jump at the Berry College Championships, the Rome (Ga.) Relays, won the Gold in 1971 & 1972 and broke the Stadium record he set in 1971. He won the bronze at his first NAIA District in 1971 and the silver in 1972, where he was the only JSU athlete named to the NAIA All-District Track Team.
He was undefeated in the High Jump in regular dual meet competition in 1971 and 1972. He won the Gold in the High Jump at the SEC Indoor in 1972 and was one of only two athletes from the state of Alabama to win an individual event. He won The Bronze in the High Jump at The Auburn Invitational in 1971 and went on to win the gold in the High Jump at the very prestigious Auburn Invitational Indoor Track & Field Championships where he tied Auburn's Steve Bear's Stadium Record. He becomes the first Gamecock track star to be inducted into the JSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Following his JSU career, Smith continued to compete in USA Track & Field. He won Gold in the High Jump at the 1982 National MastersTrack & Field Championships and won back-to-back titles in the 600-yard dash at the USA Championships in 1987 and 1988 defeating Mark Winzenried, former World Holder. In 1991, he was captain of the Team at the World Masters Championships in Turku, Finland, where he earned gold in the 4x400 Relay, silver in the 100 Meters and bronze in the 4x100 Relays. He was inducted into the United States Corporate Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 in ceremonies at the University of Washington with UCLA Sprinter Benny Brown.
The class, which will be formally inducted in the biennial Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, Oct. 13, will feature JSU's 11th President Dr. William A. Meehan, football All-American Eric Mims, softball slugger Daniela Pappano and track star Bill Smith. The class will also be honored during the Oct. 14 football gave vs. Eastern Kentucky.
Meehan served Jacksonville State University for more than 40 years including 16 years as President before retiring on June 30, 2015. He completed both bachelor's and master's degrees in biology at Jacksonville State and in January 1977 became an instructor in the Department of Biology. Meehan served in numerous administrative and teaching positions at the University and later completed a Doctorate of Education and began his role of President on July 1, 1999.
In August 2009 he began a five-year term on the prestigious NCAA Board of Directors, the primary decision-making body of Division I which drives policy and the strategic plan for the NCAA. In 2011 he began a two-year term on the NCAA Executive Committee and was one of just four non-FBS Presidents selected for the prestigious honor. As part of that committee he played a part in the final approval and oversight of the NCAA's budget as well as adopting and implementing policies to resolve core issues and other NCAA matters. He was later selected by his Presidential peers to serve as chairman of the NCAA President's Advisory Group for two years (2012 and 2013) and during the 2014-15 academic year was a member of the NCAA's Committee of Academic Performance.
During the final Board of Trustees meeting of his presidency the Stadium Towers residence hall was renamed "William A. Meehan Hall" and the board also established a scholarship in his name. He was inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame in 2016.
Mims was a defensive back for the Gamecocks from 1994-97 and is still today the school's record holder for career tackles with 378, one of just two players in school history with at least 300 tackles. He is also the school's single-season record holder for tackles with 145 in 1997, while his 129 in 1996 are second on that list. His 104 in 1995 are ninth.
On Sept. 14, 1996 at Nicholls State, Mims racked up a school-record 33 tackles, 12 more than any other Gamecocks has recorded in a single game. That performance earned him National Defensive Player of the Week honors. The NCAA's FCS record book only dates back to 2000, and it lists the FCS record for tackles in a game at 30. During his career, he also notched single-game totals of 21, 20 and 18 twice, all among the Top 10 single-game efforts in JSU's illustrious football history.
In that 1996 season, Mims had only one game where he didn't record at least 10 tackles and he ended up on several NCAA Div. I-AA All-America teams. In his career, the native of Wellborn, Ala., also notched six fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles, 17 pass breakups and one blocked kick. He remains the school's career leader in assisted tackles with 151 and is second all-time with 227 solo tackles.
Pappano was a four-time First-Team All-OVC selection on the softball diamond from 2004-07 and rewrote the Gamecocks offensive records during her time in Jacksonville. She led JSU to its first OVC title in 2005 as a sophomore and saw the Gamecocks finish in the top two in each of her last two seasons. Over her career, she helped JSU post 161 wins, including a 73-25 record in OVC play. She also performed on the international level, competing with Team Canada.
The Gamecocks won 40-or-more games three times in her four seasons after posting just two 40-win seasons in program history to that point. She was named the school's female Eagle Owl Award winner for the 2006-07 academic year, recognizing her as the top student-athlete of that season in all sports. She was named to the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll multiple times for her work in the classroom, complimenting a stellar career in right field for JSU.
That playing career saw her earn multiple honors while breaking numerous school records. The Bolton, Ontario, Canada, native was named the 2006 OVC Player of the Year and was then named to the NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-Region Team. She still holds the school's career records in five offensive categories: hits (287), home runs (53), doubles (65), RBI (196) and runs scored (205). Her .387 career batting average is fourth-best in school history. As a freshman in 2004, she ranked sixth nationally in RBI per game, while her junior season saw her rank ninth nationally in doubles per game. She joins Ann Shelton (2009) as the only two Gamecock softball players in the JSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Smith was an outstanding track athlete from 1970-72. He came to JSU after graduating from Calhoun College in Decatur, where he was the AJCC State High Jump Champion in 1969 and 1970. In his junior season on 1971 in NAIA Regional Championship Competition, Smith won the gold in the High Jump at the West Georgia Championships in 1971 and then repeated in 1972. He also won the gold in High Jump at the Berry College Championships, the Rome (Ga.) Relays, won the Gold in 1971 & 1972 and broke the Stadium record he set in 1971. He won the bronze at his first NAIA District in 1971 and the silver in 1972, where he was the only JSU athlete named to the NAIA All-District Track Team.
He was undefeated in the High Jump in regular dual meet competition in 1971 and 1972. He won the Gold in the High Jump at the SEC Indoor in 1972 and was one of only two athletes from the state of Alabama to win an individual event. He won The Bronze in the High Jump at The Auburn Invitational in 1971 and went on to win the gold in the High Jump at the very prestigious Auburn Invitational Indoor Track & Field Championships where he tied Auburn's Steve Bear's Stadium Record. He becomes the first Gamecock track star to be inducted into the JSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Following his JSU career, Smith continued to compete in USA Track & Field. He won Gold in the High Jump at the 1982 National MastersTrack & Field Championships and won back-to-back titles in the 600-yard dash at the USA Championships in 1987 and 1988 defeating Mark Winzenried, former World Holder. In 1991, he was captain of the Team at the World Masters Championships in Turku, Finland, where he earned gold in the 4x400 Relay, silver in the 100 Meters and bronze in the 4x100 Relays. He was inducted into the United States Corporate Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992 in ceremonies at the University of Washington with UCLA Sprinter Benny Brown.
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