Category: Hall of Fame

Mildred Gwinn (North Carolina) | At the time of nomination, Mildred already boasted 27 total NMRA medals, 18 of them Gold, with no slow-down in sight. Given both her demonstrated ability and continued prospects (!), the pool of voters had no qualms about voting her into the NMRA Hall of Fame as an athlete. Mildred rarely misses an NMRA event, where she and fellow Hall of Famer, Marquita Molina, often pair up for Women’s 75+ Doubles. She continues to work hard to improve by taking lessons for her game and her serve. Mike Hiles (Minnesota) | Like his father before him, Mike Hiles is a major contributor to the NMRA and was very emotional when he inducted into the Hall of Fame in Denver. Mike is a recent board member and, while most retirees fade into the background, he has continued to be our source for medals and awards, including his own! His father, Cap Hiles, is very proud of his...

In ceremonies at the 2017 International Championships in West Allis, Gladys Leonard was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Athlete category. From Eclectic, Alabama, she spent many years in the Washington, DC area playing with the Fort Myer military base group. They introduced her to the NMRA about a decade ago and she earned a medal whenever she competed since then. Her regular Mixed Doubles partner, Scott Kraemer, delivered her HOF introduction with a delightful presentation featuring pictures from her past. Everyone asks to play with Gladys — who is a great competitor and so worthy of the Hall of Fame.  Mike Martin from Golden, Colorado, was also inducted for his amazing contributions to the organization and specifically on behalf of the 75+ players. At 90, Mike has been a dues-paying Member for over 15 years, entered almost 30 NMRA tournaments, and won 34 medals in Singles and Doubles. He's also been an active participant in the annual Man of...

Andy Gomer of Arlington, Virginia, has never been to an NMRA event and yet, he is one of our staunchest supporters and fans. Over the years, Andy grew to admire the work of Carmen Alatorre-Martin and the NMRA so much that he made numerous contributions to assure that the tournaments became even better for the players.  He regularly plays high-level racquetball at the Fort Myer military base, where he first heard about the NMRA and its round-robin, social style of tournament play. All of the players in the group raved about their experiences and Andy stepped right up to make sure the events remained top-quality. To induct Andy into the Hall of Fame, we traveled to Fort Myers in June to surprise him with a mini-ceremony and enjoy a great weekend of celebration and gratitude! Andy is a racquetball player, but his substantial financial contributions to NMRA have totalled more than any company or individual in our history.  He has owned several...

Each year, a Hall of Fame election is conducted under the direction of program chair and former Board Member Leonard Sonnenberg, who begins by reviewing the competitive record of every member of the NMRA. He identifies those that meet the requirements and prepares a series of election ballots for review by a selected group of NMRA members who are tasked to vote on the qualified candidates. If someone is selected, they are honored at the July International Championship banquet and inducted into the NMRA Hall of Fame. Want to make a nomination, or ask a question? Email [email protected] for details....