UAM Names Five To Sports Hall Of Fame

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Photo courtesy of Media Relations Ronnie Higgins

   Joining Higgins are career basketball scoring leader Danny Reed, two-time women’s basketball All-American Carol Harrington, All-American offensive tackler Dannie Barker, and the late Mike Nichols, a three-time all-conference lineman from 1957 to 1959.

   Higgins was an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 1963, ’64 and ’65 while leading UAM to a pair of Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference championships in ’63 and ’65. A bruising runner who also doubled as a place kicker, Higgins finished his career with 2,061 rushing yards, a school record at the time and still eighth on the UAM rushing charts. Higgins had seven 100-yard rushing games, topped by a 169-yard effort against Henderson State in 1965.

   Higgins combined a nose for the goal line with a talented right foot to score 187 points, a UAM career record at the time and still fourth on the school’s all-time scoring charts. He finished his career with 15 touchdowns, 55 extra points and 10 field goals.

Photo courtesy of Media Relations Danny Reed

   Danny Reed electrified UAM basketball fans from 1988 to 1992, scoring a UAM record of 2,210 points, 440 more than the previous record holder, Ikie Corbin. Reed became the first men’s basketball player in school history to be named to a recognized All-America team above the level of honorable mention when he was named a second team NAIA All-American in 1992.

   Reed earned All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference honors four times, the only player in school history to accomplish such a feat, and finished his UAM career with 23 individual records including career, season, and single-game scoring - career and season scoring average, career and season steals, career and season free throws made, and career and season field goals made and attempted, all records he still holds. He scored 35 points or more in a game six times, topped by a school-record 50-point outburst against Hendrix on Feb. 24, 1992.

Photo courtesy of Media Relations Carol Harrington

   Carol Harrington led the UAM Cotton Blossoms to the final AIC women’s basketball championship in 1994 and the school’s first Gulf South Conference West Division title in 1995. A high-scoring center, Harrington was a second team NAIA All-American in 1994 and earned first team honors from both the NAIA and Kodak in 1995.

    Harrington is fourth in career scoring with 2,141 points, third in career rebounding with 1,457, and has the two best single-game rebounding performances in school history with 31 boards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 30 against Ouachita Baptist. She finished her career with averages of 18.1 points and 12.3 rebounds.

   Harrington ranks third in career field goal attempts, fourth in career field goals made, and fourth in career free throws made.

Photo courtesy of Media Relations Dannie Barker

   Dannie Barker was the leader of one of the best offensive lines in school history in 1978-79, a unit which led the Boll Weevils to two of the top four rushing seasons in school annals. The 1978 Weevils rushed for 2,736 yards while the 1979 team rolled up 2,655 yards, and UAM won the AIC championship with a 9-2 record.

   Barker earned All-AIC and second team NAIA All-America honors in 1979 at offensive tackle and also doubled as one of the top place kickers in the nation. Barker is still second on the UAM career field goal charts with 25 made. He set the school record (since broken) for longest field goal when he nailed a 47-yarder against Harding in 1977 and matched it with another 47-yarder against Henderson State in 1979.

Photo courtesy of Media Relations Mike Nichols

   The late Mike Nichols is one of only four football players from the post-war era to earn All-AIC honors three times. Considered one of the best two-way linemen of the Convoy Leslie era, Nichols excelled at both offensive guard and middle linebacker. UAM won AIC titles in Nichols’ sophomore and junior seasons with records of 9-2 in 1957 and 7-2 in 1958.

    Higgins, Reed, Harrington, Barker, and Nichols will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a banquet Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the John F. Gibson University Center. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased by calling (870) 460-1074.

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