WICHITA, Kan. — The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame announced its largest induction class ever on Wednesday, selecting 32 individuals, including 12 posthumous honorees, for the 2026 class.
The class includes American record-holders, collegiate All-Americans, a World Series champion, Negro Leagues standouts, NFL players and coaches, college and high school champions and a world-renowned portrait artist.
“The practice has been to honor 10-12 people each year, but we have a considerable backlog of outstanding nominees,” KSHOF chair Jeff Bollig said. “The hall of fame board of directors, which oversees the selection of honorees annually, thought it was important to rightfully recognize outstanding representatives of the Sunflower State who may have missed out when the selections were dormant for 10 years.”
The 32 inductees will be recognized at three ceremonies this summer.
- July 18 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas, where seven Kansas baseball legends will be inducted in conjunction with a Kansas City Monarchs game.
- July 25 at Kansas Star Casino near Wichita, sponsored by Kansas Star Casino. Retired Wichita Eagle columnist and KFH radio host Bob Lutz will interview honorees.
- Aug. 16 in the Huhtamaki Shield Club at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, sponsored by Sporting Kansas City. Broadcaster Nate Bukaty will interview inductees.
The seven baseball legends to be honored July 18, along with three other Negro Major Leaguers previously announced for the Kansas City ceremony, are:
- Chester “Chet” Brewer, an All-Star Negro Leagues pitcher from Leavenworth who played 19 professional seasons and later scouted for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Edward Dwight Sr., an outfielder and second baseman in the Negro Leagues who made Kansas City, Kansas, his home and starred in the 1936 East-West All-Star Game.
- George Giles, an All-Star first baseman and manager who was born in Junction City and later lived in Manhattan.
- Carroll Ray “Dink” Mothell, a Topeka native considered one of the greatest utility players in Negro Leagues history and a member of the 1924 Kansas City Monarchs World Series team.
- Charles Wilber Rogan, known as “Bullet Joe,” a Hall of Famer and two-way Negro Leagues star who helped lead the Monarchs to a World Series title in 1924.
- Diego Segui, a former major league pitcher and 1970 ERA champion who later made Kansas City, Kansas, his home.
- Frank Wickware, a Girard-born Negro Leagues pitcher regarded as one of the hardest throwers of his era.
The Wichita ceremony on July 25 will include:
- Bob Barratti, a Wichita North graduate and seven-time Kansas state track champion who later helped Kansas State set a two-mile relay world record.
- Greg Brummett, the 1989 College World Series MVP who led Wichita State to its first national championship.
- Steve Crosby, a Pawnee Rock product who went on to a 33-year NFL career as a player, scout and assistant coach.
- Judy Dyer, a Topeka High graduate and 1968 Olympian in the 80-meter hurdles.
- DeAngelo Evans, the former Wichita Collegiate and Nebraska standout who still holds the Kansas high school record for career rushing yards.
- Maurice Evans, a Wichita Collegiate graduate who later played nine NBA seasons after standout college careers at Wichita State and Texas.
- C.J. Hamilton, the all-time winningest high school football coach in Kansas with 447 victories at Silver Lake.
- Mike Kennedy, the retiring “Voice of the Shockers” and two-time Kansas Broadcaster of the Year.
- Nathan Leeper, a Protection High graduate, NCAA champion and 2000 U.S. Olympian in the high jump.
- Ricky Ross, a Wichita South product and one of the city’s most decorated prep basketball players.
The Kansas City ceremony on Aug. 16 will honor:
- Ray Bechard, a longtime volleyball coach at Barton County and Kansas who led KU to 13 NCAA appearances.
- Matt Besler, a Blue Valley West graduate, former Sporting Kansas City star and U.S. national team defender.
- Cliff Illig, a principal owner of Sporting Kansas City and a major force in bringing the 2026 World Cup to Kansas City.
- John Martin, a noted artist whose sports-related work has been seen across Kansas and around the world.
- Dayton Moore, the former Kansas City Royals general manager who built the club’s 2015 World Series champion.
- Tracy Rietzke, a Smith Center native and Hall of Fame volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan and Rockhurst.
- Cassie Wait Valentine, a Gardner-Edgerton graduate, former Kansas libero and Big 12 scholar-athlete of the year.
- Earl Watson, a Kansas City Washington graduate who played 13 NBA seasons and later became an NBA head coach.
- Larry Wilcox, Benedictine’s longtime football coach and the winningest four-year college football coach in Kansas history.
- Zach Roberson, the former Blue Valley Northwest wrestler who finished his high school career 153-0 with four state titles.
Five posthumous inductees also will be honored:
- Terry English, the longtime Bishop Miege girls basketball coach who won 910 games and 22 state titles. He will be recognized in Kansas City.
- Derrick Jensen, the former Osawatomie High standout who played in the NFL and later worked as a scout. He will be recognized in Kansas City.
- Richard Metz, an Arkansas City High graduate and accomplished professional golfer with 14 career victories. He will be recognized in Wichita.
- Nino Samuel, the former Salina Central basketball star and two-time Kansas high school player of the year. He will be recognized in Wichita.
- Everett Shelton, a Cunningham and Little River product who became a Hall of Fame college basketball coach. He will be recognized in Kansas City.
The 2026 class brings total hall of fame membership to 379 inductees. The first class in 1961 included Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was created by the Kansas Legislature in 1961 during the state’s centennial celebration.
Ticket information for the three events is available through the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
- Tickets for the July 18 Kansas Baseball Legends induction at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Tickets for the July 25 induction ceremony at Kansas Star Casino near Wichita.
- Tickets for the Aug. 16 induction ceremony at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
Those interested in sponsoring an event can contact KSHOF executive director Richard Konzem at 785-331-6607 or richard@kshof.org.
For more information on the Kansas Baseball Legends, contact Phil Dixon, a National Advisory Board member for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, at philsdixon@aol.com.
The mission of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is to honor those who contributed to the history of sports in Kansas and to educate and inspire the public regarding the value of athletics and Kansas athletic history.