All-Time Greats Headline ACU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026
7/14/2026 11:30:00 AM | Baseball, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Women's Basketball, Track & Field
ABILENE – The coach who led ACU to the greatest team victory in the history of Wildcat athletics, one of the greatest golfers in program history, the pitcher at the forefront of ACU's baseball revival in the early 1990s, two of ACU's great track and field standouts, one of the great women's basketball players of the last two decades and a Lifetime Achievement Award winner who has dedicated his life to ACU and public service will take their place among the university's athletics greats later this fall when they are inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame.
This year's inductees are Joe Golding ('99) from men's basketball, Mike Campbell ('91) from men's golf, Mike Morgan ('95) from baseball, Suzanne Dickenson ('99) and Charles Christmas Jr. ('67) from track and field and Renata Marquez ('15) from women's basketball. Also being inducted is former director of athletics Stan Lambert ('75) as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
In addition to this year's inductees, former track and field standout Wendell Edwards ('92) is this year's winner of the Womack Award, signifying excellence in competition, in the classroom and in one's chosen profession. Edwards is an award-winning TV news anchor, currently co-anchoring the local news for WTVO in Rockford, Illinois.
The award is named for the late Dr. James Womack ('65), who played basketball at ACU and spent his career as a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University, conducting pioneering research in the cattle genome.
The Class of 2026 will be celebrated during the hall's induction ceremony on Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. in ACU's McCaleb Conference Center in the Hunter Welcome Center. With the addition of the seven members of this year's class, the ACU Sports Hall of Fame now includes 271 men and women. Ticket information will be made public later this summer.
Here's a brief look at each of this year's honorees:
MEN'S GOLF
Mike Campbell – made an immediate impact on the ACU men's golf program after transferring from South Plains College, becoming one of the top players in school history. A two-time All-American in 1990 and 1991, Campbell earned Lone Star Conference medalist honors in 1991 after finishing 13-under par and leading the Wildcats to the conference championship. He also won medalist honors at the 1990 Abilene Intercollegiate and helped ACU to NCAA Division II national tournament finishes of seventh in 1990 and third in 1991. Campbell later returned to ACU as head men's golf coach, leading the program for 11 seasons. His teams earned eight consecutive NCAA regional appearances, while the 2011 Wildcats finished third at the NCAA Division II Championships. Campbell was named South Central Region Coach of the Year and coached multiple All-Americans, including 2010 NCAA Division II national champion Cyril Bouniol.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Charles Christmas Jr. – Charles Christmas Jr. was one of the most accomplished middle-distance runners in ACU history and a key contributor to three consecutive Southland Conference championship teams from 1964-66. A 1966 NCAA Division I All-American, Christmas set three Southland Conference records in the same meet in the 880-yard, mile and 2-mile events while helping lead the Wildcats to a conference title. He earned the John C. Sasport Award as ACU's outstanding track athlete in 1966 and set a school record in the 880-yard run with a time of 1:48.4. That same year, he established a Texas state record in the mile run at 4:03.2 and served as captain of the Wildcats' track team. Throughout his career, Christmas earned numerous individual victories and played a pivotal role on championship relay teams, cementing his place among the program's all-time greats.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Suzanne Dickenson – Suzanne Dickenson made an immediate impact after arriving at ACU in 1998, establishing herself as one of the premier hurdlers in NCAA Division II. The Kingston, Jamaica, native earned five All-America honors in two seasons and helped lead the Wildcats to four national team championships. Dickenson finished as the national runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles four times and remains one of the most accomplished hurdlers in program history. Following her competitive career, Dickenson returned to ACU as an assistant track and field coach and helped the Wildcats win nine national championships from 2001-06. She later built a distinguished career in athletics administration, serving in leadership roles at ACU, Texas Tech and the University of North Texas. Dickenson currently serves as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services at North Texas, where she oversees academic support programs for student-athletes.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Joe Golding – Joe Golding coached ACU to the greatest team victory in Wildcat athletics history, a 53-52 upset of Texas in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. The victory capped a transformative 10-year tenure in which Golding elevated ACU from a struggling program to a nationally respected Division I contender. Golding compiled a 158-144 record as head coach and led the Wildcats to Southland Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2019 and 2021. His 2018-19 team finished 27-7 and earned the program's first Southland title and NCAA Tournament berth. After the 2019-20 postseason was canceled, Golding's final ACU team went 24-5, captured a second conference championship in three seasons and stunned Texas on the national stage. Golding inherited a program that had won just nine games the season before his arrival and guided ACU through its transition to Division I while building one of the nation's premier mid-major programs. His teams became known for their relentless defense, toughness and championship culture, producing multiple all-conference players and earning national recognition. A former Wildcat player from 1994-98, Golding remains one of the most influential figures in ACU basketball history.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Renata Marquez – Renata Marquez helped bridge one of the most significant transitions in ACU women's basketball history, excelling at both the NCAA Division II and Division I levels while emerging as one of the Wildcats' most dependable leaders. A second team All-Lone Star Conference selection in 2012-13, Marquez helped lead ACU to a conference championship and an NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament appearance. She followed that by earning honorable mention All-Southland Conference and second team Southland Conference All-Academic honors during ACU's first season of Division I competition in 2013-14. Marquez ranked among the Southland Conference leaders in scoring, assists and steals as a senior, averaging 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. During her career, she surpassed 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists while appearing in 66 consecutive games to close her career. Beyond the numbers, Marquez became known for her consistency, versatility and knack for making critical plays in pivotal moments, providing leadership and stability during a transformational era for the Wildcats.
BASEBALL
Mike Morgan – Mike Morgan ranks among the greatest pitchers in ACU baseball history and played a central role in some of the program's most significant milestones. Morgan finished his career with a 22-11 record, ranking among the top five in school history in victories while also finishing third in strikeouts (263), fourth in innings pitched (278) and seventh in earned run average (3.21). Morgan was a key figure in the return of ACU baseball after the program was discontinued following the 1979 season and reinstated in 1991. A first team All-Lone Star Conference and first team All-South Central Region selection in the program's first season back, he posted a 6-4 record with a 2.92 ERA. He followed that with a 9-3 record and 2.39 ERA in 1992, helping the Wildcats record their first 30-win season and first winning season since 1969. As a senior in 1993, he helped lead ACU to a Lone Star Conference championship. One of the most memorable performances of his career came in the first game played at Crutcher Scott Field on Feb. 23, 1991. With the stadium still under construction and fans packed onto flatbed trailers positioned around the backstop and along the first and third base lines, Morgan threw 10 innings of five-hit baseball, striking out seven and allowing just one walk in a 2-1 victory over Tarleton State. Two years later, he delivered a complete-game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in ACU's title-clinching 1-0 win over Central Oklahoma, cementing his place among the program's all-time greats.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Stan Lambert – Stan Lambert helped lead one of the most successful eras in ACU athletics history during his seven-year tenure as director of athletics from 1995-2002. A 1975 ACU graduate, Lambert returned to his alma mater with a vision centered on competitive excellence, student-athlete development and strong support for coaches and programs. During Lambert's leadership, ACU teams won 34 Lone Star Conference championships and 17 NCAA Division II national championships while compiling a combined winning percentage of 61 percent. Wildcats teams produced more than 200 all-conference selections, more than 50 All-Americans and more than 25 conference and national Coach of the Year honorees. Multiple programs ranked among the nation's elite during a period widely considered one of the most successful in university athletics history. Lambert's connection to ACU spans a lifetime of leadership and service. A former Wildcat baseball and basketball student-athlete, he pitched a no-hitter in his final collegiate baseball game before embarking on a distinguished career in banking, education and public service. He spent more than 35 years in community banking, served on the Abilene ISD Board of Trustees, including a term as board president, and later represented West Texas in the Texas House of Representatives. Through his work in athletics, business, education and government, Lambert has spent decades helping shape the institutions and communities that have defined his hometown.
WOMACK AWARD
Wendell Edwards – Wendell Edwards embodied the qualities recognized by the Jim Womack Award through his excellence as a student-athlete, scholar and professional. As a standout hurdler for ACU, Edwards won Lone Star Conference championships in the 110-meter hurdles in 1990 and 1991 and helped lead the Wildcats to conference and national success under legendary coach Wes Kittley. He also captured NCAA Division II indoor national championships in the 55-meter hurdles in 1990 and 1992 and ranked among the top collegiate hurdlers in the United States in 1991 with a time of 13.64. Edwards matched his athletic accomplishments with success in the classroom, earning Academic All-Lone Star Conference honors three times during his ACU career. He later built a distinguished career in broadcast journalism and was recognized with the Gutenberg Award, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni of ACU's journalism program. Edwards currently serves as co-anchor of the evening newscasts for WTVO and FOX 39 in Rockford, Illinois. His accomplishments on the track, in the classroom and throughout his professional career embody the qualities the Jim Womack Award was created to recognize.
This year's inductees are Joe Golding ('99) from men's basketball, Mike Campbell ('91) from men's golf, Mike Morgan ('95) from baseball, Suzanne Dickenson ('99) and Charles Christmas Jr. ('67) from track and field and Renata Marquez ('15) from women's basketball. Also being inducted is former director of athletics Stan Lambert ('75) as the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
In addition to this year's inductees, former track and field standout Wendell Edwards ('92) is this year's winner of the Womack Award, signifying excellence in competition, in the classroom and in one's chosen profession. Edwards is an award-winning TV news anchor, currently co-anchoring the local news for WTVO in Rockford, Illinois.
The award is named for the late Dr. James Womack ('65), who played basketball at ACU and spent his career as a distinguished professor at Texas A&M University, conducting pioneering research in the cattle genome.
The Class of 2026 will be celebrated during the hall's induction ceremony on Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 p.m. in ACU's McCaleb Conference Center in the Hunter Welcome Center. With the addition of the seven members of this year's class, the ACU Sports Hall of Fame now includes 271 men and women. Ticket information will be made public later this summer.
Here's a brief look at each of this year's honorees:
MEN'S GOLF
Mike Campbell – made an immediate impact on the ACU men's golf program after transferring from South Plains College, becoming one of the top players in school history. A two-time All-American in 1990 and 1991, Campbell earned Lone Star Conference medalist honors in 1991 after finishing 13-under par and leading the Wildcats to the conference championship. He also won medalist honors at the 1990 Abilene Intercollegiate and helped ACU to NCAA Division II national tournament finishes of seventh in 1990 and third in 1991. Campbell later returned to ACU as head men's golf coach, leading the program for 11 seasons. His teams earned eight consecutive NCAA regional appearances, while the 2011 Wildcats finished third at the NCAA Division II Championships. Campbell was named South Central Region Coach of the Year and coached multiple All-Americans, including 2010 NCAA Division II national champion Cyril Bouniol.
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Charles Christmas Jr. – Charles Christmas Jr. was one of the most accomplished middle-distance runners in ACU history and a key contributor to three consecutive Southland Conference championship teams from 1964-66. A 1966 NCAA Division I All-American, Christmas set three Southland Conference records in the same meet in the 880-yard, mile and 2-mile events while helping lead the Wildcats to a conference title. He earned the John C. Sasport Award as ACU's outstanding track athlete in 1966 and set a school record in the 880-yard run with a time of 1:48.4. That same year, he established a Texas state record in the mile run at 4:03.2 and served as captain of the Wildcats' track team. Throughout his career, Christmas earned numerous individual victories and played a pivotal role on championship relay teams, cementing his place among the program's all-time greats.
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Suzanne Dickenson – Suzanne Dickenson made an immediate impact after arriving at ACU in 1998, establishing herself as one of the premier hurdlers in NCAA Division II. The Kingston, Jamaica, native earned five All-America honors in two seasons and helped lead the Wildcats to four national team championships. Dickenson finished as the national runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles four times and remains one of the most accomplished hurdlers in program history. Following her competitive career, Dickenson returned to ACU as an assistant track and field coach and helped the Wildcats win nine national championships from 2001-06. She later built a distinguished career in athletics administration, serving in leadership roles at ACU, Texas Tech and the University of North Texas. Dickenson currently serves as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services at North Texas, where she oversees academic support programs for student-athletes.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Joe Golding – Joe Golding coached ACU to the greatest team victory in Wildcat athletics history, a 53-52 upset of Texas in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. The victory capped a transformative 10-year tenure in which Golding elevated ACU from a struggling program to a nationally respected Division I contender. Golding compiled a 158-144 record as head coach and led the Wildcats to Southland Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2019 and 2021. His 2018-19 team finished 27-7 and earned the program's first Southland title and NCAA Tournament berth. After the 2019-20 postseason was canceled, Golding's final ACU team went 24-5, captured a second conference championship in three seasons and stunned Texas on the national stage. Golding inherited a program that had won just nine games the season before his arrival and guided ACU through its transition to Division I while building one of the nation's premier mid-major programs. His teams became known for their relentless defense, toughness and championship culture, producing multiple all-conference players and earning national recognition. A former Wildcat player from 1994-98, Golding remains one of the most influential figures in ACU basketball history.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Renata Marquez – Renata Marquez helped bridge one of the most significant transitions in ACU women's basketball history, excelling at both the NCAA Division II and Division I levels while emerging as one of the Wildcats' most dependable leaders. A second team All-Lone Star Conference selection in 2012-13, Marquez helped lead ACU to a conference championship and an NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament appearance. She followed that by earning honorable mention All-Southland Conference and second team Southland Conference All-Academic honors during ACU's first season of Division I competition in 2013-14. Marquez ranked among the Southland Conference leaders in scoring, assists and steals as a senior, averaging 14.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. During her career, she surpassed 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists while appearing in 66 consecutive games to close her career. Beyond the numbers, Marquez became known for her consistency, versatility and knack for making critical plays in pivotal moments, providing leadership and stability during a transformational era for the Wildcats.
BASEBALL
Mike Morgan – Mike Morgan ranks among the greatest pitchers in ACU baseball history and played a central role in some of the program's most significant milestones. Morgan finished his career with a 22-11 record, ranking among the top five in school history in victories while also finishing third in strikeouts (263), fourth in innings pitched (278) and seventh in earned run average (3.21). Morgan was a key figure in the return of ACU baseball after the program was discontinued following the 1979 season and reinstated in 1991. A first team All-Lone Star Conference and first team All-South Central Region selection in the program's first season back, he posted a 6-4 record with a 2.92 ERA. He followed that with a 9-3 record and 2.39 ERA in 1992, helping the Wildcats record their first 30-win season and first winning season since 1969. As a senior in 1993, he helped lead ACU to a Lone Star Conference championship. One of the most memorable performances of his career came in the first game played at Crutcher Scott Field on Feb. 23, 1991. With the stadium still under construction and fans packed onto flatbed trailers positioned around the backstop and along the first and third base lines, Morgan threw 10 innings of five-hit baseball, striking out seven and allowing just one walk in a 2-1 victory over Tarleton State. Two years later, he delivered a complete-game three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in ACU's title-clinching 1-0 win over Central Oklahoma, cementing his place among the program's all-time greats.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Stan Lambert – Stan Lambert helped lead one of the most successful eras in ACU athletics history during his seven-year tenure as director of athletics from 1995-2002. A 1975 ACU graduate, Lambert returned to his alma mater with a vision centered on competitive excellence, student-athlete development and strong support for coaches and programs. During Lambert's leadership, ACU teams won 34 Lone Star Conference championships and 17 NCAA Division II national championships while compiling a combined winning percentage of 61 percent. Wildcats teams produced more than 200 all-conference selections, more than 50 All-Americans and more than 25 conference and national Coach of the Year honorees. Multiple programs ranked among the nation's elite during a period widely considered one of the most successful in university athletics history. Lambert's connection to ACU spans a lifetime of leadership and service. A former Wildcat baseball and basketball student-athlete, he pitched a no-hitter in his final collegiate baseball game before embarking on a distinguished career in banking, education and public service. He spent more than 35 years in community banking, served on the Abilene ISD Board of Trustees, including a term as board president, and later represented West Texas in the Texas House of Representatives. Through his work in athletics, business, education and government, Lambert has spent decades helping shape the institutions and communities that have defined his hometown.
WOMACK AWARD
Wendell Edwards – Wendell Edwards embodied the qualities recognized by the Jim Womack Award through his excellence as a student-athlete, scholar and professional. As a standout hurdler for ACU, Edwards won Lone Star Conference championships in the 110-meter hurdles in 1990 and 1991 and helped lead the Wildcats to conference and national success under legendary coach Wes Kittley. He also captured NCAA Division II indoor national championships in the 55-meter hurdles in 1990 and 1992 and ranked among the top collegiate hurdlers in the United States in 1991 with a time of 13.64. Edwards matched his athletic accomplishments with success in the classroom, earning Academic All-Lone Star Conference honors three times during his ACU career. He later built a distinguished career in broadcast journalism and was recognized with the Gutenberg Award, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni of ACU's journalism program. Edwards currently serves as co-anchor of the evening newscasts for WTVO and FOX 39 in Rockford, Illinois. His accomplishments on the track, in the classroom and throughout his professional career embody the qualities the Jim Womack Award was created to recognize.
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