Scranton is this year\u2019s winner of the Don Payton Award. Payton, who died in 2014 at 87,<\/a> was former director of information and publications for MSU. He retired from MSU in 1987. Payton also wrote over 75 plays that were published and worked as a local sports reporter on TV and in print. The award that bears his name was created in 2017. It is given to someone who is neither a coach nor an athlete.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s Hall of Fame ceremonies will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 with a brunch at The Old Glass Place, 521 E. St. Louis St., Springfield. <\/p>\n Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through the Bears Fund by phone at (417) 836-5427\u00a0or be email at paigegrisham@missouristate.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 50th\u00a0Missouri State Athletics Hall of Fame class will also be honored at halftime of the Bears 2 p.m. basketball game versus Delaware, also on Feb. 14. Tickets are available at\u00a0MissouriStateBears.com\/tickets<\/a>\u00a0or by calling\u00a0(417) 836-7678\u00a0during regular box office hours.<\/p>\n 1963 men\u2019s golf team<\/p>\n This year\u2019s team inductee is the 1963 men\u2019s golf team under head coach Andy McDonald. The Bears won the first-ever NCAA College Division (now Division II) national championship with team members Bill Lucas, Larry Gooch, John Henage, Dick Baxter, Jim Wheeler and Bruce Hollowell. <\/p>\n The Bears hosted the national meet at Grandview Golf Course in Springfield, and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association champions beat out Aquinas College of Michigan by 11 strokes.<\/p>\n The rest of the 2025-26 Hall of Fame class includes the following standout athletes: basketball stars\u00a0Alize Johnson\u00a0(Williamsport, Pennsylvania); Tyonna Snow\u00a0(Blue Springs); and\u00a0Kyle Weems\u00a0(Topeka, Kan.); volleyball setter\u00a0Chenille Bayless Gaumer\u00a0(Springfield); track and field standout\u00a0Curt Brand\u00a0(Springfield); swimmer\u00a0Andi Rojas\u00a0(Maracay, Venezuela); and baseball relief pitcher\u00a0Bob Zimmermann\u00a0(St. Louis).<\/p>\n Profiles (alphabetically) are as follows:<\/p>\n Chenille Bayless Gaumer, volleyball, 2000-2003<\/p>\n The standout setter was a four-year All-MVC performer and MSU career assists leader (5,431). At the conclusion of her career, she ranked No. 3 all-time in Missouri Valley Conference history in assists, while her 1,469 assists in 2000 is still a Bears freshman record. <\/p>\n Her career accolades include conference All-Region (2003), conference All-Newcomer Team and conference All-Tournament Team, conference Player of the Week (three times) and conference Freshman of the Week (two times). <\/p>\n Gaumer helped lead the Bears to a 27-6 record, conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003. In addition to holding MSU\u2019s career assist record, she ranks 10th all-time in attack percentage (.293), 14th in sets (459) and 16th in digs (1,213).<\/p>\n Curt Brand, men\u2019s track & field, 1985-1987<\/p>\n Brand is the Missouri State men\u2019s track and field record holder in the indoor (6-foot-10) and outdoor (7-foot-0) high jump. He was a two-time conference high jump champion in 1986 and 1987 indoors. He also claimed the conference outdoor high jump title in 1986 and finished third in the triple jump that same year. He earned the Bears Team MVP Award in 1987 from coach Richard Clark.<\/p>\n Alize Johnson, men\u2019s basketball, 2016-2018<\/p>\n Johnson was a two-time all-district and all-conference first-team selection for coach Paul Lusk. He finished second in the 2018 conference Player of the Year voting and led the conference in rebounding and double-doubles in both seasons. <\/p>\n Johnson finished his two-year career with 982 points and 735 rebounds in 66 games (14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg) with 37 double-doubles. His 384 season rebounds in 2017-18 ranks No. 3 in school history. He also earned conference Newcomer of the Year and conference All-Tournament Team laurels in 2016-17.<\/p>\n The NBA\u2019s Indiana Pacers drafted Johnson in 2018.<\/p>\n Andi Rojas, women\u2019s swimming and diving, 2004-2008<\/p>\n Rojas, from Venezuela, was a four-time all conference honoree for coach Jack Steck. She was the 2005-06 conference swimmer of the year. She won seven individual conference championships, including three in the 200-yard individual medley (2006-07-08); two in the 100-yard butterfly (2005-06); and two in the 200-yard butterfly (2005-06). She was part of conference championship runs by the Bears in 2005, 2006 and 2008 and was also a four-time conference Scholar-Athlete Team honoree.<\/p>\n Tyonna Snow, women\u2019s basketball, 2012-2016<\/p>\n Snow became just the third player in Missouri Valley Conference history to earn Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season (2015-16.) She did that her senior season enroute to an NCAA Tournament run under coach Kellie Harper. She was a three-time all-conference player and three-time member of the all-conference defensive team. <\/p>\n She also led the Lady Bears to a 2015 appearance in the Women\u2019s National Invitational Tournament and set club records for steals in a season (109) and career (352). She was named conference freshman of the year in 2013 and was a four-time conference player of the week.<\/p>\n Kyle Weems, men\u2019s basketball, 2008-2012<\/p>\n Weems was an Associated Press All-America honorable mention selection in 2012 and a two-time all-conference first team selection under coaches Cuonzo Martin and Paul Lusk. <\/p>\n Weems was named the 2011 Larry Bird Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference after leading Martin\u2019s Bears to a 28-9 record, the conference regular-season title and an appearance in the National Invitation Tournament.<\/p>\n He led the Bears in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots each of his last three seasons and is Missouri State\u2019s all-time leader in games played (134). Weems currently ranks No. 2 all-time in program history in scoring (1,868) and No. 4 in rebounds (844) and is also the Great Southern Bank Arena all-time leader in both categories.<\/p>\n He enjoyed a 14-year professional career after his remarkable collegiate career at MSU.<\/p>\n (Scranton wrote about Weems<\/a> for the Springfield Daily Citizen in 2023.)<\/p>\n Bob Zimmerman, baseball, 2001-2003<\/p>\n Zimmerman was a mainstay for coach Keith Guttin\u2019s baseball Bears. He played a significant role in the team\u2019s 2003 NCAA College World Series run. He earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America, American Baseball Coaches Association all-region and conference freshman of the year honors in 2001 after going 7-3 with 6 saves and a 2.28 ERA. <\/p>\n In his junior season, Zimmerman earned NCAA All-Regional Tournament honors to go with his 90 strikeouts, a season total that ranked 7th on MSU\u2019s single-season list at the time. <\/p>\n Likewise, his 13 career saves (2nd) and 183 strikeouts (9th) both ranked among the Bears all-time top 10 when he concluded his career. Zimmermann was selected by the Angels in the fourth round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/KyleWeemsFarewell2.jpg\")
Just like at Missouri State, Kyle Weems became a crowd favorite for Virtus Bologna during his four seasons with the team. He points skyward in tribute to his late father, Kevin Weems, after helping the team win the Euro Cup Championship in 2022. (Photo: Virtus Bologna, Kyle Weems)<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSteve Pokin\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n