The Sentinel-Record

Oaklawn honors state HOF members

- BOB WISENER

Clyde Hart is known for other things, as befits him, but being Michael Johnson’s only track coach is a good place to start.

The 400-meter dash winner at the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics learned under Hart at Baylor University, where the Hot Springs native spent 42 years with the track program and received a bachelor’s degree. Hart later got a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas.

Hart, now in his 80s, retired in June 2005. He was the first Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame honoree recognized Saturday on the Azeri Day undercard at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.

Others included University of Arkansas basketball stars Corey Beck and Scotty Thurman, teammates on the Nolan Richardson-coached 1994 NCAA championsh­ip team, Thurman making a late 3-pointer that carried the Hogs to a 76-72 victory in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thurman succeeded Al Flanigan as boys basketball coach at Little Rock Parkview. Also present with Razorback ties were Lawson Pilgrim, who played high school basketball at Conway and later for Eddie Sutton at Arkansas; and Jimmy Walker, a defensive tackle on the 1978 Orange Bowl champions that capped an 11-1 first UA season for coach Lou Holtz with a 31-6 conquest of favored Oklahoma. Walker played in high school at Little Rock Central.

Also honored Saturday were Paula Juels Jones, a state tennis champion from North Little Rock who played at the former Northeast High School. She and basketball player Shekinna Stricklen, of Morrilton, played in college at Tennessee. The late Pat Summitt, then coaching the Lady Vols, watched Stricklen play in a state-championsh­ip game at what is now Bank OZK Arena.

Freddie Scott, a Pine Bluff native who played college football at Amherst and in 10 NFL seasons, also was present as was retired Arkansas high school football coach Kevin Kelley, a Glenwood native who won numerous state titles at Pulaski Academy.

The 65th ASHOF class will be inducted April 14 at the shrine’s North Little Rock headquarte­rs inside Simmons Bank Arena. A reception is scheduled the previous day. Honorees will include the late Glen Ray Hines, an offensive tackle who played for Frank Broyles on the Razorbacks’ 11-0 Cotton Bowl championsh­ip team.

 ?? Arkansas Democrat-gazette/thomas Metthe ?? ■ Little Rock Parkview head basketball coach Scotty Thurman talks to his players during practice on Nov. 13, 2019.
Arkansas Democrat-gazette/thomas Metthe ■ Little Rock Parkview head basketball coach Scotty Thurman talks to his players during practice on Nov. 13, 2019.

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