Olympians, Will Shields, Turgeon & Mangino headline Kansas Sports Hall of Fame class

An august 12-member group of 2024 inductees that includes seven with Olympic ties, as well as a former Kansas City Chief and former standouts at KU and K-State, was unveiled on Sunday by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

The 2024 class, which will be officially enshrined Oct. 13 in Topeka, boasts an Olympic gold medalist (former KSU standout high jumper Erik Kynard), a paralympic medalist and the only American to be named a head track and field starter for two Olympic Games (Kelly Rankin).

The group also includes former Chiefs lineman — and Pro Football and College Hall of Famer — Will Shields, national champion coaches, collegiate champions and All-Americans and American record-holders.

“This is an accomplished group and one the Hall of Fame is extremely proud to recognize,” Kansas Sports Hall of Fame chairman Jim Dunning Jr. said in a news release introducing the class. “They bring a considerable diversity of backgrounds and talents to the Hall.

“In this, an Olympic year, I believe it is wonderful to shine a light on seven inductees with Olympic connections.”

Here’s a rundown of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame’s class of 2024:

• Dave Bingham: NAIA national champion baseball coach at Emporia State and head coach for College World Series participant Kansas.

• Erik Kynard: Olympic gold medalist high jumper from Kansas State.

• Melvin Lister: National champion in the long jump at Leavenworth High, Butler County CC and Arkansas.

• Mark Mangino: National assistant football coach of the year at Oklahoma and head coach for Orange Bowl champion Kansas.

• Ron Neugent: Swimming gold medalist in World University Games and American record-holder at Kansas.

• Kelly Rankin: Only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games.

• Scott Russell: NCAA champion and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the javelin at Kansas.

• Kevin Saunders: Bronze medalist and record-holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games.

• Will Shields: Native Kansan was a 14-year NFL veteran, all with the Kansas City Chiefs. Member of College and NFL Halls of Fame.

• Sean Snyder: Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State.

• Mark Turgeon: All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden High; four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas; Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten champion (Maryland); coach and conference coach of the year.

• Annette Wiles: Two-time NAIA basketball All-America and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State.

This year’s class brings the total number of inductees in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame to 340. The first class, in 1961, included such legends as Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.

This year’s Oct. 13 reception (5 p.m.) and induction ceremony (6 p.m.) will be held in the Sunflower Ballroom of the Hotel Topeka City Center (1717 Southwest Topeka Blvd.).

Tickets for the reception and induction ceremony are $100 and go on sale Monday, July 15 at www.kshof.org.

The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame was created by the Kansas State legislature in 1961. The hall has operated for 63 years and is located at the Wichita Boathouse.