A new class of hall of famers were inducted Saturday night at the University of Tulsa.

Olympic rower Michelle Sechser, National Champion miler Chris O’Hare, All-America soccer player Ryan Pore, MVC Football Offensive Player of the Year Jeb Blount, legendary basketball coach Tubby Smith and the 1971 College World Series Baseball Team were inducted in the TU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Following an impressive collegiate career, Michelle Sechser (2004-08) has become one of the top rowers in the lightweight division. Sechser finished in fifth-place at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics in the Lightweight Double Sculls. Since graduating, Sechser has been on the US National Team three times competing in the Lightweight 2X. She placed seventh at the World competition in the Lightweight 1x in 2013 and fourth at the World’s in the Lightweight 4x in 2012.

Jeb Blount (1972-75) was the quarterback on two Missouri Valley Conference Championship teams in 1974 and 1975. A two-time Honorable Mention All-American, Blount threw for a career 4,343 yards and 35 touchdowns. As a junior, Blount passed for 1,831 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading the Golden Hurricane to an overall 8-3 record, 6-0 conference record and final national ranking of No. 19 in the UPI poll.

Blount returned for his senior season and completed passes for 1,663 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading Tulsa to a 7-4 mark and first-place 4-0 MVC record, while earning all-conference honors for the second straight year.

In the post-season, Blount was named to the 1976 College All-Star Team that faced the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers in the final College All-Star Game. He was a second-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 1976 and was a member of Super Bowl XI Champions.

Orlando “Tubby” Smith (1991-95) led Tulsa basketball to where the program had never been before; the NCAA Tournament “Sweet Sixteen.” Smith posted a 74-43 record, won two conference titles and made two NCAA tournament appearances in his four years.

Smith took over the Tulsa basketball program in 1991 and led his first team to an overall 17-13 mark and a season later finished 15-14, as both teams placed fourth in the MVC. In years three and four, Smith’s teams combined for a 47-16 record, won two Valley titles, advanced to the NCAA “Sweet Sixteen” twice, ending with a 4-2 NCAA Tournament record.

Tulsa was the Cinderella story of the 1994 NCAA tournament when the Hurricane defeated #17 UCLA, 112-102 in the first round. Tulsa then handed #19 Oklahoma State an 82-80 defeat in second round action, before falling to #1 Arkansas in the “Sweet Sixteen.”

Tulsa returned to the NCAA Tournament the following year, defeating Illinois and Old Dominion before falling to #7 UMass in the “Sweet Sixteen.”

After leaving Tulsa, Smith went on to coach at Georgia and later Kentucky, where his Wildcat team won the 1998 national championship. He recently retired as head coach at High Point University.

Ryan Pore (2002-04) was an integral part of Tulsa’s success on the soccer pitch for three seasons. He was named the 2004 Soccer America National Player of the Year and was a finalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy that year. He earned first-team All-America honors in 2004 and was a second-team selection in the 2003 season, becoming the only two-time soccer All-American in school history.

Pore completed his career as the school’s second-leading scorer in just three years with 123 points on 51 goal and 21 assists. In his final season, Pore set Tulsa’s single season record for goals (22) and points (55). He left school following his junior season and was drafted by Kansas City in the MLS Draft as the 16th overall pick.

Chris O’Hare (2009-13) was a cross country and track & field star for the Golden Hurricane. He later returned to Tulsa as an assistant coach. O’Hare became Tulsa’s first track & field national champion when he won the Mile Run at the 2012 NCAA Division 1 Indoor Track & Field Championships. He won the race in a time of 4:01.66, thus earning USTFCCCA first-team All-America honors. Following his collegiate career, O’Hare qualified in the 1,500-meter run for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The 1971 College World Series Baseball Team is this year’s Athletic Hall of Fame Honor Team. The 1971 team compiled a 35-13 overall record, won its third of seven straight Missouri Valley Conference Championships, won the NCAA District 5 Championship and finished third at the NCAA College World Series.

The Hurricane had four players hit over .300 for the season, including two over .400 –– Jerry Tabb (.413) and Phil Honeycutt (.411). On the mound, Steve Rogers had a 12-2 record and 1.48 ERA, while Cliff Butcher turned in an overall 10-6 record and 2.60 ERA