D.C.
Reeves • dcreevespnj.com • February 12, 2009 The University of West Florida is ready for a hectic sports weekend. Call it a weekend of hall-of-fame proportions. Adding six people to its athletic hall of fame, UWF begins festivities Friday with a golf tournament and dinner banquet at Scenic Hills. That will lead into five games in four sports and the unveiling of the Argo Athletic Club on Saturday at the UWF Field House. “This is just a great opportunity as a university to have exposure,” said UWF interim athletic director Dave Scott. “Hopefully we are establishing new traditions and enhancing our old ones. We hope it’s a celebration of the athletic and academic success we have here at UWF.” The class is headlined by the late Jim Spooner, who served as the head baseball coach for 23 seasons. Spooner, a staple in the local baseball community, won 688 games during his tenure (1983-2006) as head coach, ranking him 31st in Division II history. UWF renamed the school’s baseball field in Spooner’s honor last summer, shortly before Spooner died of leukemia Sept. 13. Spooner and former pitcher Wayne Giddings also will have their numbers retired on Saturday before the baseball team’s doubleheader against Delta State.
“I’m real pleased that we’re retiring Coach Spooner’s jersey,” said Bill Healey, executive director for student life at UWF. “Not only was he a good friend of mine, he was great for the university and touched a lot of lives.”