ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T has announced its 2024 Miner Athletic Hall of Fame class and for the first time since the Hall of Fame was started in 1987, the induction class will feature an entire class of women in conjunction with the 50^th anniversary of the beginning of women's athletics at the university.

This year's class includes two multi-sport standouts, one of the top players in the history of the women's basketball program who played on an NCAA Division II Tournament team that will also be inducted, a long-time coach and athletic administrator at Missouri S&T, a major contributor to the S&T program and a group of individuals that were the foundation for the women's intercollegiate athletic program.
 
The Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be inducted on Saturday, Oct. 5 with an early afternoon induction ceremony on campus and additional recognition of the class during halftime of the Miners' football game that evening against Southwest Baptist University.  Tickets for the induction ceremony are available at the attached link. 

The 2024 Miner Hall of Fame inductees are as follows:

CECILIA GUTIERREZ ELMORE
Women's Basketball, Softball (Class of 1986)
Gutierrez Elmore (1981-85) made a significant impact as a Miner student-athlete demonstrating exceptional talent in both softball and basketball.  Her four-year career in softball (1982-85) was particularly distinguished, as she emerged as one of the program's top home run hitters during her time.  In her freshman season, she led the team with five home runs, 26 runs scored, and was named the team's most valuable player.  All four seasons, she garnered all-conference honors in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association and in 1984 led the conference in hitting.

Beyond her achievements in softball, Gutierrez Elmore played three seasons for the basketball team, making notable contributions by finishing with a career average of 5.9 points per game across 59 contests (1981-84).

REBECCA (KUENY) MURRAY
Women's Basketball, Softball, Track & Field (Class of 2008)
Murray (2003-08) was a remarkable three-sport student-athlete for the Miners leaving a legacy in track & field, basketball, and softball.  Her most notable achievements came in track & field (2003-07), where she earned All-America honors in 2006 with an impressive eighth-place finish in the javelin at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Outdoor Championship.  Murray's dominance in the javelin was further demonstrated by her two Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) championships and her placement among the top five throws in program history.
In addition to her track & field success, Murray played four seasons for the basketball team finishing with a career average of 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game across 105 contests (2003-07).  Murray also contributed to the softball team for one season (2008), where she batted .257 with four home runs in 39 games.
Murray's achievements extended beyond the athletic arena.  She was recognized for her academic excellence, earning numerous honors during her time as a Miner.  She was selected to the Academic All-America first team in track & field in both 2006 and 2007 and named the GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in track & field in 2006.

HAILEE (PARKS) TAYLOR
Women's Basketball (Class of 2013)
Taylor (2009-13) was a standout student-athlete for the Miners on the basketball court playing a crucial role during a successful era for the team.  Over this period, the Miners achieved a record of 68-43 overall and 45-27 in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play.  Notably, the team shared the GLVC West Division championship in the 2010-11 season earning a berth to the NCAA Division II tournament.

Taylor's exceptional career was highlighted by her three-time All-GLVC selections.  She amassed an impressive 1,388 points and 733 rebounds, shooting a remarkable 51.6 percent from the field. Her impact was particularly significant in her final three seasons, where she led the Miners in scoring each year.  Taylor ranked among the GLVC leaders in rebounding during her junior and senior years. Her consistency was evident with 75 games scoring in double figures and 18 double-doubles across 111 career contests.

SARAH MOORE
Coach
Moore (1979-2013) is a pivotal figure in the history of athletics at Missouri S&T, leaving an indelible mark over her distinguished 34-year career as both coach and administrator.

Her tenure for the Miners began in 1979 when she was named the first head coach for the softball program, a position she held until 1983.  Impressively, she would go on to become the first head coach of two additional teams:  women's cross country (1982-2003) and women's track & field (1986-2003).  Her head coaching career expanded to include the women's tennis program (1983-86) and she became the first female named head coach of a men's program, when she led both the cross country and track & field programs (1990-2003).  Moore was awarded S&T coach of the year in 1982 and 1997.

In her administrative roles, Moore excelled as assistant director of athletics (2003-13), senior woman administrator (1981–2013), chair for physical education and recreation (1990-2013), intramural director (2003-13), was M Club advisor, and the inaugural advisor to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

She served on the NCAA national committee for cross country and track & field (1992-98) during a transformative period when several women's events were added to the national championship meet.

PATRICIA BAILEY
Contributor
Bailey's impact elevated Miner athletics and profoundly enriched generations of student-athletes. Together with her husband Keith, a 1964 mechanical engineering graduate and Miner Athletic Hall of Fame dual sport student-athlete, Bailey established an endowed scholarship to provide financial assistance to selected student-athletes.  Bailey's contributions also funded the major renovation of the football and track & field facility, now named Allgood-Bailey Stadium, and created an endowment for its ongoing preservation and maintenance. 

In addition, Bailey's philanthropy included the construction of Miner Dome and upgraded other athletic facilities, which greatly enhanced the athletic infrastructure and improved the student-athlete experience.

Bailey is remembered for her kindness and unwavering commitment to Miner athletics.  Her legacy will continue to significantly influence and shape the lives of student-athletes.  

2010-11 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
The 2010-11 Miner women's basketball team achieved a significant milestone in the program's history.  This team, under the direction of Alan Eads, was the third in school history to reach the NCAA Division II tournament, the third team to win at least 20 games in a single season and the second to capture a regular-season conference championship.  The Miners shared the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) West Division title with a 14-4 record in conference play and finished the season with an impressive 20-8 overall record.

The team achieved critical victories over several NCAA tournament qualifiers, including Drury, Quincy, Kentucky Wesleyan University.  Hailee Parks and Julie Meyer led the Miners with a balanced scoring attack, averaging 11.4 and 11 points per game, respectively.

The Miners excelled defensively, holding opponents to an average of 60.9 points per game, shooting just over 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from the three-point line. The team dominated the boards, outrebounding opponents by nearly seven rebounds per game.

PIONEERS OF MINER WOMEN'S ATHLETICS
1974-75 through 1977-78 Basketball and Volleyball Teams
The Pioneers of Miner Women's Athletics hold a special place in the history of Missouri S&T as the university's first intercollegiate female student-athletes.  Under the leadership of head coach Annette Caruso, these courageous women came together and broke ground to lay the foundation for women's athletics at the university.

Their journey began in 1974-75, when the university sponsored basketball and volleyball fielding a roster of eight and 14, respectfully. Dual-sport student-athletes Joy Ewens, Debbie Gower, and Carol Russell earned varsity letters for the inaugural teams.

During the formative years from 1974 through 1978, the volleyball team achieved notable success by winning 14 matches in just its third season, while the basketball team reached 12 victories in its fourth season.  The dedication and perseverance of these women, at a time when women's athletics were marginalized, established the foundation that eventually expanded to nine intercollegiate female teams sponsored by the university.

Following a memorable reunion in 2017, which included awarding long overdue letterman jackets, the Pioneers of Miner Women's Athletics received the 2017-18 McGowan Visionary Award from the Great Lakes Valley Conference and were finalists for the prestigious NCAA Division II Award of Excellence.