Five individuals were inducted into the University of New Mexico athletic Hall of Honors this fall. Alumni we honored for their success as UNM athletes and service to the University after graduating.
The University established the UNM Athletic Hall of Honors 1986 to celebrate and recognize Alumni Lettermen and promote current student-athletes. This year UNM is awarded two Distinguished Service Awards in addition to the inductions of this year’s Hall of Honors class, as well as honored two current student-athletes for athlete of the year and Joe Franklin as coach of the year.
The celebration took place last Thursday, Nov. 7, at the Sandia Golf Club.
The Hall of Honors recognized 2019 inductee Amy Beggin for her time as a Lobo basketball player and coach.
Amy Beggin — a UNM alumna — was honored for her involvement and achievements in the basketball program both during and after her undergraduate studies.
Before coming to the University, she played in the Ametuer Athletic Union for basketball in Minnesota, her homestate. During this time, UNM coaches began scouting her for Lobo women’s basketball.
“Through the recruiting process, I loved the coaching staff, I loved hearing about the Pit,” Beggin said. “Then I came down for a visit and there was 12,000 fans at the game. I just fell in love with the atmosphere and with the players and with the team.”
Looking back on her time as a point guard for the Lobos from 2006-2010, Beggin only has positive things to say about her experience.
“I loved playing for Coach Don Flanagan, who’s just a legend in the state and an amazing teacher of the game,'' Beggin said. “It was absolutely incredible.”
Beggin was the sixth person in UNM history to reach a 1,000 point career by her junior year. She finished off her time at UNM with 1,423 points under her belt. While in college, she was also a three-time Academic All-Mountain West and Mountain West Conference Scholar Athlete.
After graduating Beggin began working alongside the Lobo women’s basketball coaching staff. For two years she worked as video coordinator for the team. This entailed her obtaining and breaking down game footage, along with helping to run the summer camps.
In 2013, she became the director of operations. In this position she had to run booster clubs, organize team travel and continue to help with the summer camps.
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A year later she became the assistant coach — next to Coach Yvonne Sanchez — before landing her current position as a UNM director of compliance.
Her job entails her to work with potential UNM athletic recruits.
She said that once they become student athletes, her office begins to monitor their academics, their degree progress and their graduation status. Beggin also monitors student athlete’s social media and whatever else they need to remain eligible.
Many other women who made their mark in Lobo history have been recognized and inducted into the Hall of Honors over the course of the past 33 years.
The first female inductee was Marie Jenson Hays. She played every intramural sport she could during her time at UNM from 1932-1936. She was also the first woman selected to be in the New Mexico Activities Association Hall of Fame.
In 1989, Cathy Carr West was the second female inducted from her time on the swim team, doing various swim events. She was the first UNM athlete and the first New Mexican resident to win a gold medal in the 1972 Munich, Germany Olympics.
Frances McGill was the third woman inducted into the Hall of Honors. McGill was a professor at UNM for health and physical education and worked her way to the director of women’s sports. Her work eventually formed the High Country Athletic Conference, which later became the Western Athletic Conference.
“It’s just an extremely unbelievable honor.” Beggin said about her feelings toward being recognized along with the rest of the women in UNM sports who have come before her.
The four other inductees are Sam Arkell and Joe Powdrell for participating in track and field, Ryley Hendrey for playing golf, and Brandon Moss for playing soccer.
For more information on the 2019 Hall of Honors inductees and those who have been inducted in the years before, you can visit golobos.com.
Angelina Pompeo is a sports reporter at the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @PompeoAngelina
