The time has come for Bentonville High to recognize former athletes for their past accomplishments.

A group of school administrators and former Tiger athletes have come together to organize the Bentonville High School Athletics Hall of Honor, with hopes that the first group of inductees to be named and honored some time this fall.

"The idea was out there, but it had never been prioritized, I guess," Bentonville athletic director Chris Hutchens said. "When I took over my new role last August, there had been some groundwork started by (district athletic director) Scott Passmore and (former assistant athletic director) Jeff McGee. It was a matter of taking some of their ideas and running with it."

Hutchens picked up a big assist in getting things started from a former Bentonville basketball and softball standout. Robin Alpe Wright, a 1994 graduate who went on to play basketball and softball at Arkansas, also had the incentive to get something like this started.

Wright said she received the inspiration after seeing her former Arkansas softball teammate Tammy Kincaid Dustin be nominated to the UA Sports Hall of Honor in 2016. She later met with her husband Dan in Philadelphia, and a discussion made her think about it more.

"He said he couldn't believe the Bentonville Tigers don't have that," Wright said. "And I told him we don't. The Rogers Mounties do. He said y'all need this."

Wright then called Passmore about it and expressed her desire to get it started, which led to a request for approval from the school board. That led to a number of meetings with Passmore, Hutchens and school principal Jack Loyd, and everybody had the same thoughts about it.

The result was the formation of a board that included those four people, as well as longtime Bentonville athletic supporters Amber Morey, Martha Cowgur, Shane Red, Gene Rodney, John McElroy and Todd Hook. It was then that the parameters were set for induction: anybody in Bentonville's graduation class of 2013 or earlier was eligible to be nominated, and anyone inducted into the Athletics Hall of Honor must receive a two-thirds vote from board members.

"One of the first things the smaller group did was look at a lot of hall of fame and hall or honor bylaws," Hutchens said. "We picked and chose what we liked and what we didn't like, then put together those articles. Then we put together the first board.

"At the first board meeting, we went through the bylaws, and one of the first discussions was what would be the criteria for entrance into the hall of honor. Some school athletic departments do five years, and some do 10 years. Some don't do any at all. The board settled on seven years as the right time."

Hutchens said nominations will be accepted through mid-June, then the board will get together after that to name the inductees, with eight people being the maximum number of nominees each year. The original plan was to incorporate the induction into a Friday night game this fall, but the coronavirus pandemic may delay those plans.

"I am thrilled with the process so far," Wright said. "I love seeing this, and it brings back memories when we see the people that are being nominated. These board members are generating ideas about athletes and students in Bentonville that were way before me, like in the 70s. They would see these people being nominated, and that's a learning process."

At a glance

BENTONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS HALL OF HONOR

Nominees continue to be accepted for the inaugural Hall of Honor through mid-June. Nominees must have a Bentonville graduate from 2013 or earlier. Those wishing to nominate a former athlete may do so online at www.bentonvillek12.org/Page/24240. Hard copies are also available at the Tiger Athletic Complex.


