Elgin Baylor headlines College of Idaho Hall of Fame Class
(Courtesy photo) Elgin Baylor scores two while playing for the College of Idaho in 1955, where he averaged 33 points and 19 boards a game. The NBA Hall of Famer highlights the Coyotes newest Hall of Fame class. There was a previous stipulation that athletes had to graduate to gain enshrinement, but the bylaw was removed last year, allowing for Baylor and host of other great athletes to be honored. Note the old-school ropes hanging from the roof.
CALDWELL — The College of Idaho is proud to announce the 12th induction class of its Athletic Hall of Fame — the first since the 2011-12 athletic season.
The three individuals, one team and three Meritorious Service award winners, will be celebrated in the C of I Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, presented by the Caldwell Night Rodeo, June 2 at 6 p.m. inside Simplot Dining Hall.
Legendary basketball player Elgin Baylor, along with All-America baseball player Greg Schelhaas and All-America volleyball player Kristyn Price will be joined by the NAIA Division II national runner-up 2000-01 women’s basketball team as the newest members of the Hall of Fame.
The three individual athletes will join 35 current members of the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1989. The women’s basketball team join five other teams in the “who’s who” of Coyote Athletics. The ceremony is presented by the Caldwell Night Rodeo, “Where the Cowboys are the Stars.”
“We are excited to welcome the new class of Hall of Fame members back to the College of Idaho this June,” said Director of Athletics, Reagan Rossi. “To induct a women’s team to the Hall of Fame is a big achievement and I am grateful for Todd Corman introducing me to the College in 1995. It will also be special to welcome Elgin Baylor back to campus, not only for what he did for Coyote Basketball during the 1954-55 season, but what he did to promote the game of basketball over the last half century.”
n Elgin Baylor (Men’s Basketball, 1954-55) — Arguably the greatest athlete in C of I history, earning first-team All-America honors in his only season at C of I. Averaged 32.8 points and 18.9 rebounds per game, helping the Coyotes go a perfect 15-0 in Northwest Conference play and advance to the NAIA District 1 title game. Baylor had six games of 40 or more points, including a 53-point outburst vs. Whitman that is still the C of I school record. His scoring average, field goals made (352) and attempted (651) are still school records. He was the first overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft by the Minneapolis Lakers and played 13 seasons in the NBA – earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1959 and was an 11-time NBA All-Star. Baylor was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977.
n Greg Schelhaas (Baseball, 1996-99) — The top power hitter in program history, the two-time All-American helped the Coyotes win the 1998 NAIA World Series title and a runner-up finish in 1999. Schelhaas was a three-time All-Cascade Conference selection – earning CCC Player of the Year honors in 1997 and 1999. He currently holds C of I’s single-season records for games played (69) and games started (68), along with a school-record 19 home runs in 1999. For his career, Schelhaas had a career .365 batting average in 222 games, with a school-record 65 doubles, 39 home runs and 204 RBI.
n Kristyn Price (Volleyball, 1999-02) — The greatest outside hitter in program history, Price was a mainstay in the Lady Yotes lineup for four seasons, helping C of I to their first-ever berth to the NAIA Championships. A four-time All-CCC and All-NAIA Region I selection, she earned second-team All-America honors in 2002. Price holds the school record with 37 kills in a match, one of five matches with 30 or more kills; she holds the top three kill marks for a season – including 626 kills in 2000; and holds the school record with 2,061 kills and 208 aces, while adding 1,600 digs.
Ticket information for the ceremony will be released later this month.