T-Birds to induct Five into Athletics Hall of Fame

Published: February 20, 2014 | Read Time: 2 minutes

SUU Athletics will induct five individuals into its Athletic Hall of Fame, in a banquet Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Sharwan Smith Center Ballroom.

Included in the group are Julie Aguirre Firestone (gymnastics, 1990-93), Richard Barton (men's basketball, 1986-87/1990-93), Lacee LePrey (softball, 2001-04), Davor Marcelic (men's basketball, 1988-92) and Jim Robinson (sports information director, 1967-1993, SUU Director of Communications, 1967-2000).

Firestone was the first SUU gymnast to qualify for post-season competition at the NCAA Division I level. She qualified for NCAA regional competition all four years she was at SUU and upon graduation she held school records on vault, bars and in the all-around. During her years at SUU, Firestone was SUU’s top bars worker three times, its top all-arounder and vaulter twice and its top beam worker once.

Barton, an academic All-American in 1993, is the only player to currently rank among the school’s top-five in both career scoring and rebounding. His 1,419 career points rank third in SUU’s record book, while his 557 rebounds rank fourth. He scored 549 points during the 1992-93 season, the eighth-most in a season in SUU history and his 42 points vs. Denver in 1991 are still the fourth-most in a game at SUU.

LePrey was a three-time all-Mid Continent Conference selection and a two time Mid-Con player of the year after excelling both as a pitcher and as a hitter. She led the Thunderbirds to regular-season conference championships in 2003 and 2004 and earned all-Mid-Con tournament team honors both years. She holds the SUU career strikeouts record and has two of the school’s top-three single-season strikeout totals, as well as the career record for RBI, doubles, total bases and runs scored.

Marcelic is the school’s career scoring leader with 1,710 points as well as its single-season record holder with 659 points during the 1991-92 season. He led the team in scoring twice, in 91-92 and in 1990-91, but he also ranks among the school’s top rebounders and assists men, ranking 11^th and sixth in those two categories, respectively.  He went on to play for the Croatian Olympic team and played professionally in Europe until 2010.

Robinson served in the dual roles of the University’s Director of Communications and as its Sports Information Director from 1967 until 1993, and as Director of Communications until his retirement in 2000. During his time at SUU he promoted countless SUU athletes who went on to earn all-conference and all-American recognition as well as overseeing game operations for all of the Thunderbirds athletic teams throughout his tenure. He also served as an Iron County Commissioner and following his retirement spent a term as Mayor of Parowan before serving an LDS church mission.

Marcelic will be honored in absentia as he resides in Croatia and is unable to travel to the ceremony.

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