Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be Held Feb. 9th
Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to be Held Feb. 9th
Monday, February 9th, 2015
Dixie State University will induct three individuals and one team into the Dixie State Athletics Hall of Fame on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Ralph Brinton (Football), Barry Sims (Football), Brandon Lyon (Baseball) and the 2000 women's soccer team will be formally inducted at a ceremony at the Cox Auditorium at 7 p.m. MT.
The ceremony is free and welcome to all members of the community, students, athletes and Dixie State staff. Light refreshments will be served following the ceremony on the concourse of the west side of the Burns Arena.
The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the men's basketball game vs. Chaminade on Thursday, Feb. 12.
"We are so fortunate to have such a rich athletic tradition at Dixie State," athletic director Jason Boothe said. "This Hall of Fame class is a great example of that. We are proud to honor them with their inclusion as the newest members of the Dixie State Athletics Hall of Fame."
Since its inception seven years ago, Dixie State has inducted 25 individuals, including coaches, players, administrators, staff and volunteers, along with two championship teams for their contributions to the athletic program.
Ralph Brinton (Football, 1956-57)
Ralph Brinton is one of the early success stories of Dixie State football.
Brinton was named an NJCAA All-American following the 1957 season, just the second All-American from Dixie State. He played two seasons under legendary Hall of Fame coach Sark Arslanian, and played in the 1957 East-West All-American game.
A two-way player, Brinton was on the field just about every down of every game at both the defensive and offensive end positions during his time. He also served on the National Advisory Council as a student.
Following his 1957 season he had nine different full-ride scholarship offers and went on to play at Utah State for two more seasons. He met his wife Bonnie at Utah State and together they have six children and started a successful business, Ralph D. Brinton and Associates.
Barry Sims (Football, 1995-96)
Sims is one of the most successful professional athletes to come out of Dixie State as a 12-year veteran in the NFL.
He played two seasons at Dixie State before transferring to the University of Utah. He was named the "Most Improved Player" as a member of the 1996 squad.
He helped Dixie State win the Dixie Rotary Bowl in each of his two seasons before departing for the University of Utah where he started for two seasons for the Utes and earned a degree in Sociology.
Sims was drafted in the 17th round of the NFL European League Draft by the Scottish Claymores in the spring of 1999 but went on to sign as a free agent by the Oakland Raiders during the 1999 season's training camp. He was also inducted into the Claymores Hall of Fame in 2004.
He broke into the starting lineup in his fifth game, facing off against All-Pro Bruce Smith. Sims went on to start eight games the following year and continued to be a perennial starter at left tackle for the next decade for the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
He played in a total of 181 NFL contests, including 149 starts. Sims started seven playoff games in his career and played in Super Bowl XXXVII. In 2004 he was co-recipient of the 2004 Commitment to Excellence Award for the Oakland Raiders.
Brandon Lyon (Baseball, 1999-2000)
Brandon Lyon pitched two seasons at Dixie State, totaling 21 complete games in 29 starts over two seasons. Lyon recorded a career ERA at Dixie State of 1.59 and a record of 24-3. In 193 innings pitched he allowed just 34 earned runs, striking out 245 batters.
He was drafted in the 37th round by the New York Mets in 1997 out of Taylorsville High School but decided to play two seasons at Dixie State. In June of 1999, the Toronto Blue Jays drafted Lyon in the 14th round where he went on to sign.
He made his Major League debut on August 4, 2001, starting for the Toronto Blue Jays. Lyon pitched 7.1 innings in his debut, allowing just one earned run on four hits, striking out five to win his first MLB decision 2-1 over the Baltimore Orioles.
Over his 12-year MLB career, Lyon pitched for seven different organizations, including Toronto , Boston, Arizona, Detroit, Houston, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
He pitched in 572 major league games, transitioning to a reliever after his first few years in the pros. He won 42 games, struck out 465 batters and posted an ERA of 4.17 over 680 innings of work.
2000 Women's Soccer – 2000 NJCAA National Champions
The 2000 women's soccer team is one of the great programs in Dixie State Athletics' history, winning the school's first national title in any sport in 15 years at that time. The 2000 squad was the first women's team to win a national title at Dixie State, finishing with an 18-1-1 record.
Dixie State beat Monroe Community College out of New York 3-2 in sudden-death double-overtime in St. Louis.
Karrie Broderick knocked in the game-winner for Dixie State while Annalisa Banks scored a pair of goals earlier.
The team also brought home the tournament sportsmanship award and Tennille Bennett was named outstanding forward, Shaylee Hogge was named outstanding defender and Annalisa Banks was named to the All-Tournament Team. Head coach Rob Dahl was named Coach of the Tournament and the NSCAA JC Coach of the Year.
The St. George City Council officially proclaimed December 7, 2000 as Dixie State College Women's Soccer Day.
Members of the team include: Morgan Kunz (Bracken), Tiffany Ellis (Anderson), Amanda Hafen (Halligan), Tennille Bennett (Vance), Amy Gustaveson (Zollinger), Annalisa Banks (Noe), Stephanie Conrad, Lindsay Johnson (Brown), Candice Barwick (Fowler), Angela Profancik, Lisa Stevens (Stubbs), Lindsay Mulliner (Little), Krista Davis (Funk), Jennifer Henry (Fielding), Karrie Broderick, Shaylee Hogge (Wilson), Chaysie Call (Christensen), Kat Huddleston, Denise Lindley, LynDee Russell (Barney), Alisha Provstgaard along with assistant coaches Trent Chapman, Kiley Heideman and head coach Rob Dahl.
