Pam Shriver - Professional Tennis Player

Ms. Shriver is currently a television analyst, on the board of directors of the United States Tennis Association.

American Pam Shriver captured 21 singles titles and 112 doubles titles throughout her career. She is one of only five women to have won more than 100 career titles (Evert, Graf, Navratilova and Novotna are the others) during the Open Era. Throughout the 1980's, Shriver was ranked among the World's Top 10 in women's singles, and with Martina Navratilova, she was part of one of the greatest women's doubles teams of all time.

Shriver captured an incredible 22 career doubles titles in Grand Slam events (7 Australian, 5 French, 5 Wimbledon and 5 US Championships). She won 20 of those championships with Martina Navratilova, 1 with Natasha Zvereva and 1 in mixed doubles with Emilio Sanchez. In 1984, with partner Martina Navratilova, Shriver captured the first ever Grand Slam in women's doubles. The duo holds a record 109 consecutive doubles match wins, dating from April 1983 to July 1985. They were named the WTA Tour Doubles Team of the Year for nine consecutive years (1981-1989).

Shriver was named the 1991 WTA tour's comeback player of the year. She swept all three Gold Medals (Singles, Doubles, and Mixed) at the 1991 Pan American games in Havana. In 1988, Shriver was a member of the United States Olympic team and captured the Gold Medal in doubles with partner Zina Garrison in Seoul, Korea. Shriver was a member of the victorious 1986, '87, and '89 U.S. Fed Cup teams. In 1978, at age 16, Shriver was the only amateur in the Open Era to reach a US Open singles final.

An accomplished commentator, Shriver is a tennis analyst for ABC, CBS, the BBC, ESPN and 7-Sport in Australia. Shriver is also currently serving her second term as a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Tennis Association, is President of the USA Tennis Foundation and is a Vice-President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. (from the  International Tennis Hall of Fame)

 

Willie Banks - Athletics, Triple Jump

Now living in San Diego county and owns a sports consulting and marketing business. He has four children and still competes in Masters competitions.

One of the greatest triple jumpers ever produced by the United States, Willie Banks had his best moment on June 16, 1985 when he set a world record of 58' 11 1/2" at the national championships in Indianapolis, Ind. That was the highlight of a career that started in Oceanside, Calif. After graduating from high school, Banks attended UCLA and was twice runner-up in the NCAA Championships. It was after college that he achieved his greatest success, setting his first American record in 1981 by jumping 56' 7 3/4" and improving that record six more times -- by more than 2 feet -- before he was through. A four-time AAU champion, Banks represented the U.S. in 18 international competitions and was a member of the 1984 and 1988 Olympic teams. He captured a silver medal as a member of the U.S. team at the 1983 World Championships and was also a member of the 1987 World Championship team. After graduating from UCLA, Banks went on to the university's law school. During this period, he became known as the "Bouncing Barrister." He popularized the triple jump by encouraging the crowd to clap as he prepared for his run-up and by engaging spectators during a meet. In 1985, Banks was the Track & Field News and U.S. Olympic Committee Athlete of the Year. He also served USATF as chair of the Athletes Advisory Committee in addition to serving as organization vice president. (from  USA Track & Field)

 

Larry James - Athletics, 400 Meters

Mr. James is  currently the Director of Athletics, Stockton College, Pomona, New Jersey and chairman of the International Medalist Association.

A double medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Larry James also set world records and won NCAA titles during his track career. James won the silver medal in the 400 meters with his time of 43.97 seconds at the 1968 Olympics, bettering the existing world record but placing him second behind teammate (and fellow Hall of Famer) Lee Evans (43.86). James added a gold medal at the Mexico City Games by running the third leg on the U.S. 4x400m relay team, which set a world record of 2:56.16 seconds, which lasted until 1992. James set the 400m world record of 44.1 seconds in placing second to Evans at the 1968 Olympic Trials at Echo Summit, Calif., when Evans' winning time of 44.0 was disallowed by the IAAF because he wore illegal brush spike shoes. James was a double gold medalist at the 1970 World University Games, winning the 400m hurdles and running the anchor leg on Team USA's 4x400m relay team (3:03.33). As a collegian at Villanova under Hall of Fame coach Jumbo Elliott, James won the NCAA 440 title in 1970 and NCAA indoor crowns at that distance in 1968, 1969 and 1970. At the 1968 Penn Relays, his anchor leg of 43.9 was the fastest ever run in the history of the relay carnival and sparked Villanova's scintillating comeback victory over Rice University. The head manager for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships, James is chair of USATF's budget committee and currently is the Dean of Athletics and Recreational Programs and Services at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

World Record: 1,600 m relay - 2:56.16

Championships
1968 Olympics: 400 m - 43.97 (2nd)
1968 Olympics: 1,600 m relay - 2:56.16 (1st)
1970 World University Games: 400 m hurdles (1st)
1970 World University Games: 1,600 m relay - 3:03.33 (1st)
1968 NCAA Indoors: 440 yd. (1st)
1969 NCAA Indoors: 440 yd. (1st)
1970 NCAA Indoors: 440 yd. (1st)
1970 NCAA Outdoors: 440 yd. (1st)
(from  USA Track & Field)

 

Milt Campbell -  Athletics, Decathlon, 120 Yard, 110 Meter High Hurdles

Mr. Campbell is currently a motivational speaker.

When you mention top all-around male athletes in our nation's history, certainly the name of Milt Campbell has to be up there with Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson, Bruce Jenner and Dan O'Brien. Like them, Campbell was an Olympic decathlon champion but track and field wasn't the only sport in which he excelled. He was also outstanding in football, eventually playing in the National Football and Canadian Leagues. He was an All-American swimmer while in high school and was also national class in karate. While still at Plainfield High School, Campbell finished fifth in the Olympic Trials in the 110m hurdles but made the Olympic team in the decathlon. He gained national prominence by finishing second to Mathias in the Olympic decathlon. The 1953 national decathlon champion, Campbell later won the Olympic decathlon title in 1956. Also a national champion in the high hurdles, he set a 120-yard high hurdles record of 13.4 in 1957 and held the world indoor best of 7.0 for the 60-yard high hurdles. After attending Indiana University where he excelled in both track and football, he played pro football with the Cleveland Browns and the Montreal Alouettes. He has received numerous honors, including being named the world's greatest high school athlete in 1952. The Newark Star-Ledger selected him as the greatest athlete of the 20th century, not only for his sports accomplishments but also for the strength of his character. Campbell is also a member of the Black Athletes' Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

World Record: 120 yd. hurdles - 13.40 (May 31, 1957)

Championships
1952 Olympics: Decathlon (2nd)
1956 Olympics: Decathlon - 7708.00 m (1st)
1953 National Championships: Decathlon (1st)
(from  USA Track & Field)


Lee Evans - Athletics, 400 Meters

Mr. Evans is currently head coach at the University of South Alabama. Prior to his current position, he had an extensive and successful coaching career in several African countries. To read a recent interview click here.

On October 18, 1968, Lee Evans was one of two Americans to set astonishing world records at the Mexico City Olympics. Within an hour of Bob Beamon's titanic achievement in the long jump, Evans became the first person to break 44 seconds in the 400 meters. His world-record time of 43.86 would endure for 20 years. He also ran on the winning 1968 Olympic 4x400m relay team that clocked 2:56.1, once again a time that stood as a world record for 20 years. Evans was undefeated during his track career at Overfelt High School in San Jose, Calif., improving his 440-yard time from 48.2 in 1964 to 46.9 in 1965. He attended San Jose State, where he was coached by Hall of Famer Bud Winter. As a freshman, he won his first AAU championship in 1966 and improved his 400m time to an impressive 45.2. For several years, he was the world's top runner at 400 meters and 440 yards, losing only to fellow Hall of Famer Tommie Smith in 1967. He was AAU champion from 1966 to 1969 and again in 1972. Evans also was the 1967 Pan American Games champion. He finished fourth in the 400 meters at the 1972 Olympic Trials, but was included on the 4x400m relay team. He became a professional in 1973 but was reinstated in 1980. Following his graduation, he served as head cross country and assistant track coach at San Jose State before beginning an international coaching career. Between 1975 and 1997 Evans directed the national track and field programs of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia and trained athletes in 18 other countries. In 1977, he was the sprint coach for the All-African team at the first World Cup and earned coach of the year honors in Nigeria that year. In 2002, Evans joined the coaching staff of the University of Washington, working primarily with the men's and women's sprinters and relay team members.

Records Held
World Record: 400 m - 43.86 (October 18, 1968  )
World Record: 1,600 m relay - 2:56.10

Championships
1968 Olympics: 400 m - 43.86 (1st)
1968 Olympics: 1,600 m relay (1st)
1966 AAU: 400 m (1st)
1967 AAU: 400 m (1st)
1968 AAU: 400 m (1st)
1969 AAU: 400 m (1st)
1972 Olympic Trials: 400 m (4th)
1967 Pan-Am Games: 400 m (1st)
(from  USA Track & Field)

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