COLUMBUS — The Lowndes County Sports Hall of Fame continued its efforts to raise awareness and encourage participation in its ongoing nomination process at the Columbus Rotary Club’s weekly meeting on Tuesday.
Board members Glenn Lautzenhiser, Trip Hairston, and Colin Kreiger each spoke at the luncheon at Lion Hills, giving an update on the process that will culminate in a spring 2025 banquet to induct the inaugural Hall of Fame class. The three have promoted the organization since the website went live, hoping to encourage more engagement from the community as they seek nominations and input on how to shape the organization’s future.
The organization is former Dispatch sports editor Henry Matuszak’s brainchild, and his collection of notes on over 160 potential nominees is what got the idea rolling with the organization’s founding members. The comprehensive list doesn’t even include everyone who has been nominated so far.
“Why have all these things that we know about people, what they’ve done, what their accomplishments are, and not be able to recognize them?” Hairston said after seeing Matuszak’s list.
That initial meeting was what brought Hairston on board and he quickly realized that this was a project that could unite the community while celebrating some of its finest members.
“The passion around the room is what started this, and I think it’s what will carry us throughout more than anything else,” he said. “These things bring communities together. This is a time where we can all sit in the same room and celebrate the accomplishments of people regardless of our backgrounds or anything else.”
The organization’s website currently lists over 30 nominees for the inaugural class, including Super Bowl champion player and current NFL coach Leslie Frazier, Mississippi University for Women legend Emma Ody Pohl, and former Ole Miss player and head coach Billy Brewer among many others.
A point of contention when the organization unveiled its plans was the absence of any women from the board or founding members, though there is no shortage of women who have been nominated
Many who will eventually be in the Hall of Fame, or even in the inaugural class, are now deceased, which creates some issues around prioritizing who will go in. Along with individuals, the organization will also consider the induction of teams. This could include any team from a school in the area to a team representing the area in competition. The W’s national championship-winning basketball teams were specifically mentioned as one example.
There is still no decision on a permanent location for the Hall of Fame, but there is a hope to commemorate inductees across the county with specific markers either at sports facilities or schools. One idea was for schools to have a permanent plaque with room to add names as more alumni are inducted.
Nominees will be selected by a selection committee of members appointed by the board members
Anyone can complete the nomination form and review the criteria for induction on the organization’s website: https://lowndescountysportshalloffame.com/nominate/
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