Meet the 2024 RecSports Hall of Honor Inductees
Established in 2017 as part of the department’s Centennial Celebration, the RecSports Hall of Honor recognizes influential alumni, staff, supporters, and athletes who have had a significant impact on Recreational Sports throughout its long history.
Shirley Hoffman Quincy
When Shirley Hoffman Quincy began working at RecSports in 1979, the department was only six years old. She was hired to support the department’s first director, Betty Thompson, and would go on to stay for over 25 years. Throughout Shirley’s time at RecSports, budgets didn’t always keep up with the department’s aspirations. However, that all changed in the mid-1980s when a project for a new building on campus came together: the Recreational Sports Center. This facility became the catalyst for more growth at RecSports, and Shirley was there to witness it all.
She quickly became an integral part of the department, serving on committees and internal facility design groups that assisted with milestone construction projects. Some of those projects include the design and construction of the Recreational Sports Center, the renovation of the Gregory Gym, and the construction of the Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex.
As her role expanded, Shirley became the executive assistant to then Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and RecSports Director Tom Dison. In that position, she led the business services area, where she was a guiding force in establishing many of the organizational practices still in use by the department today.
Former Director of Programs and 2020 Hall of Honor inductee Eric Stoutner reflected on Shirley’s contributions, saying, “She was a gifted organizer and multitasker and possessed a remarkable memory.” Shirley was an extremely dedicated and conscientious worker who served as a key resource to all staff and the organization’s many programs, services, and operations.
Former colleague Bev Wehmeier remembered that “Shirley was someone you wanted in that foxhole with you!” Sarah Bubolz, former Senior Human Resource Coordinator at RecSports, reflected on Shirley’s legacy as a teammate, sharing, “Not only was she an expert on all things UT, but she was also known for her big laugh and for being someone who cared about you as an individual.”
After retiring in 2006, Shirley became a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and moved to San Angelo, Texas, where she helped rehabilitate several homes. Shirley and her spouse, Roger, now reside in Colorado.
William E. (Ed) Junell, Jr. (BBA ’68, JD ‘71)
The 1960s saw fierce competition among many fraternities with the Delts, Fijis, and Kappa Sigmas competing for the unofficial title of best Greek organization in intramural sports.
The decade also produced some fantastic athletes who competed for points that would earn them All-Intramural Team honors, including Ed Junell, Jr. There was little doubt that Ed would attend UT because the Longhorn connection was strong in his family. His father graduated in 1942 with degrees in business and law. Ed recalled discussing college with his father, saying that “it was pretty much pre-determined that he was to be a Longhorn.” Ed Junell, Sr. told him that “he could go to school somewhere else, but he was only paying for him to go to Texas.”
Ed grew up in the Houston area, where he excelled in baseball and basketball and was an outstanding student leader at the newly-opened Lee High School. Phi Gamma Delta had strong alumni connections in that area, so after he arrived on the Forty Acres, Ed joined the Fijis.
As a Fiji, he continued to showcase his athletic ability, helping his teams win intramural championships in basketball, football, and softball. In the 1964–65 academic year, Ed’s organizational skills earned him the Fiji junior manager role and he was promoted to senior manager soon after. During that time, he received the Berry M. Whitaker Leadership Award and also worked as an intramural official, where he earned the 1967–68 Best Official of the Year award.
While at Texas Law, he played for the legendary Legal Eagles, capping off his career by receiving All-Intramural Team honors in three sports — volleyball, football, and softball, making him one of only 26 men to receive All-Intramural Team honors in three sports during the same year. He credits many of his outstanding teammates for much of the Fijis’s success during his time, as well as the organization’s determination to be the best in each sport they played.
Ed met his now wife, Carol, while at the University. He earned his Bachelor in Business Administration in Accounting in 1968 and completed his law degree in 1971. Carol earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1970.
The Junell family remains closely tied to the University. All three of their children — Liz, Harris, and Mark — attended UT, and their granddaughter, Georgia, is currently a freshman.
His late father established Texas Law’s Judge Bill Junell Endowed Presidential Scholarship. Ed himself was a principal donor to the Phi Gamma Delta Endowed Scholarship, recognizing RecSports student employees annually since 2010.
Cathy Purcell (BS ’92) & Cindy Purcell (BS ‘92)
The dynamic duo of twin sisters Cathy and Cindy Purcell arrived at UT in the fall of 1987. Coming from Allen, Texas, the pair quickly established themselves as two of the best athletes of their era, beginning a four-year run that dominated the fields and courts.
Cindy and Cathy Purcell were introduced to RecSports when they found that Gregory Gym was the perfect place for playing pick-up basketball games. Like many intramural sports participants, the Purcells were very active in high school and sought a competitive outlet to continue playing.
They met fellow student Suzanne Reddie who suggested they form an intramural team. The three invited more students from those pickup basketball games, and a winning tradition was born. Both Cindy and Cathy recalled a favorite story from their first women’s basketball season: Their team, the Shooting Stars, finished undefeated, beating the mighty Thumpers in the championship game. They recalled, “The Thumpers were shocked that they had lost to a bunch of freshmen after dominating the women’s league for several years.” After that first intramural basketball championship, Cindy and Cathy formed and played on softball, flag football, soccer, and volleyball teams.
The Purcell sisters appear on the Intramural Wall of Fame 55 times, making them the most decorated sisters in the 108-year history of the Intramural Sports program. Suzanne (Reddie) recalled “having telepathic twin point guards was their secret sauce to success” and said Cindy and Cathy are “two of the best athletes I have ever known.”
Cindy and Cathy also worked as intramural officials and supervisors. They both received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1992 and now live across the street from each other in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area where they own separate pharmacy businesses.
Ricardo Treviño (BS ‘04)
Ricardo Treviño came to UT in the fall of 1998 from Mission, Texas, where he was a multi-sport letter winner in high school and played basketball and baseball.
He first connected with RecSports when he became an intramural basketball official. He remembers walking into the RecSports offices in Gregory Gym and meeting Darci Doll (retired Associate Director of Intramural Sports). “Her big smile welcomed me into the program,” recalled Ricardo. Once he began officiating, Ricardo quickly jumped in as a player. He met a group of older students during his first semester playing pick-up basketball, and they entered a holiday intramural tournament, winning the championship. He asked his teammates, “What do we get for winning?” When they told him the prize was a T-shirt, Ricardo was confused. He quickly realized, however, that the Intramural Champion T-shirt was the ultimate prize on the Forty Acres, and he began to look forward to each new competition.
Ricardo’s intramural sports résumé is impressive, and he appears on the Intramural Wall of Fame 27 times — including six flag football championships, eight basketball titles, and three softball trophies. Former teammate Sarah Rushing said this about playing with Ricardo: “He was more than just a talented athlete — he was a powerhouse of determination and accountability. Rick’s relentless energy set the tone for our intramural teams. Beyond the stats and scores, it was his leadership that truly made him a standout teammate.”
Ricardo became an intramural supervisor during his second year at UT and a program assistant in his third year. He shared the lasting impact of his student employment with RecSports: “The intramural program has really helped me in my high school coaching career. Knowing the language of officiating benefits my teams, and speaking [the officials’] language often gives us a real advantage.”
Ricardo graduated in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and has been coaching for 21 years. He is currently the head basketball coach at McAllen Memorial High School. Ricardo’s wife, Nelly, is also a UT alum and is on the Intramural Sports Wall of Fame five times. She also coaches and is currently the head coach for the Mission Veterans High School girls basketball team. The couple has two children, Rudy and Savanna.
Deb Workman (BS ‘83)
Deb Workman was an outstanding player for The Trainers’ teams during the early 1980s. Born in Borup, Minnesota, she played volleyball and basketball and ran track in high school. Deb first attended Temple Junior College where her basketball coach, Marti Fuquay, recommended that she attend UT because of its outstanding athletic training program. When she arrived on the Forty Acres, Deb worked as a student athletic trainer with Becky Marshall (a 2018 Hall of Honor inductee), with whom she developed a strong bond. Deb recalled, “Becky organized all of our teams — and it turns out that a bunch of athletic trainers were also pretty darn good athletes.”
Playing with The Trainers always positively impacted Deb’s college experience. “Bailey Marshall (a 2018 Hall of Honor inductee) coached all of our teams with only one rule — we never practiced! But he had our plays drawn up on index cards for each game. The only pressure we felt was what we put on ourselves. The team loved to compete, and it gave us something to talk about in the training room, and the family atmosphere was the key to our longevity,” she reflected. “Intramurals taught the team to work together, pride in their accomplishments, and it turned into a great professional network. It also really helped relieve stress and provided a social connection outside of academics.”
When asked what she remembered about playing alongside Deb, Becky Marshall shared, “She participated in every sport — teams for women’s and co-ed basketball, softball, and flag football — and was always someone you could count on to be there. She was a great teammate, displayed good sportsmanship, and hated losing! She was a steady performer and a solid player in all our sports.”
Deb earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 1985 and went on to pursue a 29-year career in teaching, from which she retired in 2014. She still does contract athletic training work and is a part-time massage therapist. Deb and her partner, Connie, now live in Kyle, Texas.
The Trainers
The Trainers dominated intramural sports from 1978 to 1986. They were led by 2018 Hall of Honor inductees Becky and Bailey Marshall, who met while playing intramurals. The couple played many roles in intramural sports, participating as players, sports officials, and coaches. Together, they were part of many intramural championships.
Becky was UT’s first women’s athletic trainer, and Bailey was the executive director of the University Interscholastic League from 1977 to 1995, where he led one of the largest high school activity associations in the country.
Becky recruited other student athletics trainers to play on an intramural team, adding a mix of varsity athletes. She recalled, “many of the trainers were former competitive high school players who missed the competition and loved the outlet that intramurals provided — and the games gave them plenty to talk about the next day in the training room.”
During their dominating run, The Trainers captured three consecutive women’s softball championships, three basketball titles, and three football trophies. They were also three-time coed basketball champions and finished as the football runners-up in the fall of 1982. Marcy Word, who played for The Trainers in three sports, recalled the great friendships that developed during that time.
Laura Groff, a three-time All-Southwest Conference volleyball player, was one of the “off-sport” varsity athletes. She recalled how “she loved playing intramurals as much as she loved playing volleyball. It was a great way for her to keep playing the other sports that she missed so much.”
“[Intramurals] was a chance for us to forget about school and work and to play instead of sitting on the sidelines watching,” reflected Jamie Schleuter, a student trainer, graduate assistant, and then a full-time assistant to Becky in the athletic training program. This sentiment truly embodies the competitive spirit of The Trainers.
Whiz Kids
Over its 108-year history, the Intramural Sports program has offered a wide variety of sports and activities for UT students, such as baseball, boxing, tackle football, fast-pitch softball, water basketball, and horseshoes. The sports trivia bowl, a unique quiz show offering, first appeared on the schedule in the early 1980s and stayed there for over 20 years. The event, complete with lights and buzzers, consisted of four-person teams. Long-time intramural sports director Bob Childress (also a 2019 Hall of Honor inductee) spent many hours collecting questions that ended up on thousands of index cards. An announcer read those questions from the cards as two teams competed for the most points.
A group of particularly talented individuals came together to dominate the intramural sports trivia scene from 1987 to 1996, and their team was known as Whiz Kids. They captured five championships, including four from 1992 to 1996. Along with two runner-up finishes, Whiz Kids competed against very strong teams throughout their run. They were so dominant that Bob challenged his student staff to “go out and find questions that these guys cannot answer!”
Greg Dwyer and Lewis Knisley led Whiz Kids. They lived and worked at Madison House, as did other team members. Lewis fondly recalled the endless pickup basketball games and the late-night trivia sessions the group held to hone their craft. They also found a weekly trivia game at the Holiday Inn on Lady Bird Lake where they won so often that each of them had a Sony Watchman miniature television — which was always the top prize.
All members of Whiz Kids agreed on one thing — Greg was the group’s leader and a trivia guru. Some members shared that they were intimidated to buzz in to answer a question, fearing that they might be wrong and that Greg would not invite them back for the next round. And they were right to hesitate — future Greg became a two-time Jeopardy champion in 2000.
Many Whiz Kid members played “regular” stick and ball sports while also working for RecSports. Patrick Summers, Greg, and Lewis served as intramural officials, activity supervisors, and program assistants. Michael Rychlik and Gene Menez spent time as sports editors and sports writers for The Daily Texan, respectively. They were also intramural champions in tennis, table tennis, softball, and basketball.
Unfortunately, Greg passed away in 2021. Lewis and other team members shared that induction to the Hall of Honor is an excellent tribute to their great friend and fellow trivia expert.
