Story Links CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Champions Selection Committee is proud to announce the Class of 2025 as the newest inductees into the Hall. Legacy Award Recipients: BritKare Home Medical and Ed & Jeanne Wright. The Legacy Award, established in 2008, recognizes individuals and organizations who have made significant lifetime contributions […]
CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Champions Selection Committee is proud to announce the Class of 2025 as the newest inductees into the Hall.
Legacy Award Recipients: BritKare Home Medical and Ed & Jeanne Wright. The Legacy Award, established in 2008, recognizes individuals and organizations who have made significant lifetime contributions to the success and legacy of West Texas A&M Athletics.
The Class of 2025: Fatim Affessi (Track & Field), Don Carthel (Football), Joe Corbett (Baseball), Brett Hall (Tennis), Kristen Jacobson (Equestrian), Duke Kicinski (Track & Field), Ryan Quaid (Men’s Basketball), Eva Rogers (Women’s Golf).
The Athletic Hall of Champions, established in 1987, recognizes outstanding student-athletes, coaches and administrators for their significant achievements. The Selection Committee is comprised of 23 voting members that includes previous Inductees, coaches, Buffalo Club members, university faculty and staff and athletics staff.
The Class of 2025 will be inducted during the Hall of Champions Reception scheduled for Friday, October 3rd as well as being recognized during WT Football’s homecoming contest against Sul Ross State on Saturday, October 4th.
LEGACY AWARD
BritKare Home Medical
BritKare Home Medical has been a long-time supporter of Lady Buff Volleyball, sponsoring the BritKare Lady Buff Classic for the better part of two decades. In 2021, the company provided additional support that allowed West Texas A&M to install a world-class volleyball surface inside “The Box”. BritKare Court is one of only five Olympic-caliber volleyball courts in NCAA Division II. BritKare now has three locations with over 60 employees.
Ed & Jeanne Wright
Ed & Jeanne Wright are the epitome of a Buff fan, not only supporting the athletes, but coaches as well. Ed and Jeanne have fed numerous athletes over the years and helped Buff Nations in many intangible ways. They have given generously to WT Athletics for decades, as well as he has been a season ticket holder for numerous sports as well.
CLASS OF 2025
Fatim Affessi
One of the most decorated track & field athletes in West Texas A&M history takes her rightful spot in the Hall of Champions. Affessi was the first person in Division II history to win the USTFCCCA Women’s Field Athlete of the Year Award on three different occasions, winning the NCAA DII Outdoor National Title in the long jump in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Affessi also added National Titles in the indoor triple jump (2018) and the outdoor 4x100m relay (2017). The Geneva, Switzerland native still holds the indoor and outdoor school record in the long jump.
Affessi, an 11-time All-American, helped the Lady Buffs claim NCAA Division II National Championships in 2017 (outdoor) and 2018 (indoor). She was the first athlete in school history to win multiple National Titles in a single event, claiming the long jump and 4x100m relay crown in 2017. Affessi was dominant at the Lone Star Conference Championships, winning nine conference titles during her career to be named the Lone Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year in 2019. Affessi currently works as a Clinical Counselor Associate in Oregon.
Don Carthel
Don Carthel brought the West Texas A&M Football program into prominence during his time on the sidelines from 2005-12. The four-time Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year led the Buffs to four LSC Championships (2005, 2006, 2007, 2012) and an overall record of 79-22 including a record of 60-11 during LSC contests. Carthel was named the AFCA Region Four Coach of the Year in 2007 as the Buffs registered just the second undefeated regular season in school history.
The Buffs made six trips to the NCAA Playoffs under Carthel including a run to the NCAA Division II National Semifinals in 2012. Following his time in Canyon he served as an assistant coach at East Texas A&M and Stephen F. Austin, winning the 2017 NCAA DII National Championship with the Lions. Carthel was inducted into the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 as well as the Eastern New Mexico Hall of Fame in 2001.
Joe Corbett
The all-time strikeout leader for West Texas A&M Baseball enters the Hall of Champions, Joe Corbett became one of the most dominant pitchers in Lone Star Conference history during his two seasons in Canyon in 2018-19. The Edmond, Oklahoma product went 22-3 for the Buffs with a 2.75 ERA as he tossed nine complete games with 236 strikeouts in 189.2 innings of work.
Corbett was named the 2019 Division II National Pitcher of the Year by the NCBWA and D2CCA, claiming First Team All-American honors. He became the highest drafted player in WT history when he was selected in the 10th round by the Texas Rangers, also becoming just the fifth LSC player ever selected inside of the Top-10 rounds of the MLB Draft. Corbett continues to pitch professionally as he was a member of the 2025 Caribbean Series Championship squad as well as the 2025 LIDOM Finals Champions.
Brett Hall
Hall registered a standout tennis career at West Texas State from 1973-77. The Houston native registered a singles record of 90-30 during his collegiate career for the most victories in school history. Hall was a member of three Missouri Valley Conference Championship teams.
Hall won the MVC Singles Championship in 1974 and 1976 while also claiming the doubles crows in 1975 and 1976. Brett is currently the Tennis Professional at Freestone Park in Gilbert, Arizona. Hall is an advocate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, raising money for the group whenever possible.
Kristen Jacobson
Jacobson put together one of the most impressive equestrian careers in West Texas A&M history from 1999-03. She won the IHSA Advanced Horsemanship National Championship in 2001 followed by an IHSA Open Western Reserve Title and a NCEA Western Championship in 2002.
2003 saw Jacobson win the NCEA Reigning Reserve Championship as well as the NCEA Western National Title. Following her career Jacobson served as an Assistant Coach and Event Manager at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Kristen is also a founding member of the Panhandle Reined Cow Horse Association. Jacobson is currently a Strategic Account Manager at Semex.
Duke Kicinski
Two-time NCAA National Champion Duke Kicinski takes his rightful place in the WT Hall of Champions. He became the first men’s individual National Champion in 2016, winning the Discus Title at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Kicinski was a two-time All-American for the Buffs before transferring to Texas Tech.
Kicinski continued to impress during his time in Lubbock as the Red Raiders won the 2019 NCAA Division I Track & Field National Championship, Duke picked up a victory in the discus to become just the second athlete to ever win a discus national championship at the DI and DII level. Kicinski won a pair of Big 12 Championships and qualified for the 2021 U.S Olympic Trials. Following his senior campaign Kicinski was named the USTFCCCA Men’s Outdoor Field Scholar Athlete of the Year, Duke is currently the Head Coach of Cross Country and Track at Texas Wesleyan University.
Ryan Quaid
West Texas A&M’s all-time leading rebounder Ryan Quaid joins the Hall of Champions Class of 2025. The Buffs registered an incredible record of 113-27 during Quaid’s time in Canyon, winning a pair of NCAA South Central Regional Championships. Quaid was named the D2CCA South Central Region Player of the Year as well as the Lone Star Conference Player of the Year in 2019.
The Fort Collins, Colorado product scored 1,705 career points for the Buffs to average 12.2 points per game as he is the only player in program history with 1,700+ points, 1,000+ rebounds and 100+ blocks. Quaid grabbed a school record 1,004 rebounds during his career. Ryan also excelled in the classroom, being named the LSC Academic Player of the Year in 2018. Quaid played professionally overseas with the RASTA Vechta in Germany, he is currently a Multifamily Investment Sales Associate in Dallas.
Eva Rogers
Lady Buff Golf’s Eva Rogers was a three-time National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-American Scholar that captained the Lady Buffs to three team tournament championships in 2011-12. Eva claimed a pair of individual tournament victories during her time in Maroon & White as the Florida native finished ninth at the 2010 NCAA West Regionals.
Rogers has become one of the top golf instructors in the country following her playing career as she has earned numerous recognitions including Golf Digest Best Young Instructor in America as well as US Kids Top-50 Instructor in America. She is a published writer for PGA Magazine, CDGA and Daily Herald News. Eva is currently the PGA Teaching Professional at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois.
