NMSHOF: 50th anniversary is coming up

Sep. 25—Plans already are being made for next year's 50th New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet, scheduled for June 23.

Big plans.

Marty Saiz, a past NMSHOF president, is returning to that post after the death of president Theo Barela last June.

He and the NMSHOF board of directors intend to make the 50th event a proper celebration.

"We want to bring back as many past inductees as we can," Saiz said. "... Our goal is to make this one the best ever."

Beginning with the inaugural class in 1974, when the Hall of Fame was limited to Albuquerque — it was expanded to include the entire state in 2005 — the NMSHOF has 172 listed members.

That number includes one team, the 1934 football New Mexico Lobos, and one family, the Henrys of Albuquerque.

But there's always room for more, which is why the nomination process continues.

So, is there someone you believe deserves to be in the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame that (as far as you know) hasn't been inducted, or (as far as you know) hasn't even been nominated?

Here's what you do about that — and should do by Saturday, if you want to get your candidate nominated and eligible for induction in 2024:

Go to nmshof.org.Click on "Inductees" and scroll through the list to make sure your candidate isn't already in the Hall.Click on "Nominate," then on "Hall of Fame Candidates" and make sure your candidate hasn't already been nominated. Be aware that, because the NMSHOF is in the process of redesigning and updating its website, there are people already nominated who don't appear on the site. A list of those people is available below.Go back to "Nominate" and click on "Past Nominees." This is a list of people nominated between 1984-2013 who now must be re-nominated to become eligible. See if your candidate is on this list.Go back to "Nominate" and click on "Nomination Criteria." Make sure your candidate qualifies. If so,Go back to "Nominate" and click on "Nomination Form." You'll note that this will require a certain investment of time and effort on your part.Good luck to your candidate. Remember, the deadline is Saturday. Nominations submitted after Saturday will be considered for the following year.

ALREADY NOMINATED, NOT ON WEBSITE

Dick Johnson; Willie Banks III; Roger Staubach; Larry Hays; Wayne Moore; Rosita Ellis; Michael Walton; Greg Hyder; Buster Quist; Mike Sinclair; Terry McDermott; Brittany Cooper Toppert; Chito Reyes; Cindy McCoya; Frank Giddens; Ed Burch; Tim Van Hecke; Tom Forni; Tommy Cordova; Pat Romero; Quint Seckler; Delia Gonzalez; James Economides; Alan and Loren Dils; Charlie Criss; Lenny Roybal.