Eight former Arizona Wildcats icons will be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame this fall.
The class is highlighted by former UA softball coach Mike Candrea and Fred Batiste, the university's first Black student-athlete of any sport. Cory Chitwood, Ben Grado, Brittany Lastrapes, Jim Livengood, Austen Thompson and Willie Williams complete UA's Hall of Fame class this year.
They will be inducted during a ceremony at the Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa on Thursday, Sept. 8. Here is a roundup of notable accomplishments by each of Arizona's newest Hall of Fame inductees:
Fred Batiste
Fred Batiste was a football and track star at Tucson High who went on to play running back at the UA.
Batiste is recognized as a trailblazer in UA sports history, becoming the school's first Black athlete. He served in the military during World War II prior to coming to Arizona.
In 1949, Batiste joined Arizona's football and track & field programs where he had an 87-yard punt return against Denver, a record that still stands as the third-longest punt return in UA football history.
It wasn't until 1954 that Arizona had a Black athlete join the men's basketball team. Batiste died in 1978 from complications related to diabetes at age 51.
Mike Candrea
Members of the United States softball team, including pitcher Jennie Finch, put coach Mike Candrea on their shoulders as they celebrate their gold medal victory against Australia at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Candrea retired in 2021 as the all-time wins leader in NCAA softball history with 1,674 victories. He led Arizona to eight national titles over 36 years of coaching and got the program to its 24th Women's College World Series in his final season.
'Coach', as players simply referred to him as, was a pioneer of the sport and helped grow the game of softball nationally. Candrea coached Team USA in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, earning gold and silver medals.
Prior to the 2022 season, Arizona announced that the field at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium would be named "Mike Candrea Field".
Cory Chitwood
UA's Cory Chitwood, celebrating his NCAA title in the 200 backstroke.
Chitwood was a 14-time All-American swimmer (2008-2014) and won three consecutive NCAA championships in the backstroke. He was also a member of Arizona's 2008 national championship team.
In 2012, Chitwood had the fastest times in the NCAA in the 200-meter breaststroke and the 200-meter individual medley. He still holds the school record in both of those events, as well as the 100-meter backstroke.
Ben Grado
Grado is the first Arizona diver to sweep all three events at the Pac-12 championships.
Grado also competed on the UA's men's swim and dive team from 2008-2012 and capped off his senior year as the individual national champion in the platform dive.
The same year, he was the Pac-12 Diver of the Year while also sweeping the conference championships in the 1-meter, 3-meter and platform dives. He still hold the school record in the platform dive with a score of 487.25.
Brittany Lastrapes
Arizona's Brittany Lastrapes celebrates after catching a pop-up to left field and getting the last out to knock Washington out of the Softball Women's College World Series at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. WIldcats won 4-3 on Saturday, June 5, 2010. Photo by Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
Lastrapes is a decorated Arizona softball player (2008-2011) with four All-American distinctions to her name. An outfielder for the Cats, Lastrapes finished her career in the top 10 in Pac-10 history in runs, doubles and hits.
She made the WCWS three-straight seasons as a member of the Wildcats and had three First Team All-Pac-10 selections.
Her standout 2009 season remains one of the best in UA history where she led the NCAA in runs, hits and total bases.
Jim Livengood
Jim Livengood was UA's athletic director from 1994-2009.
Livengood is recognized as one of the most successful athletic directors in the university's history. He was the AD from 1994-2009 and the Wildcats won 11 team national championships during his tenure, including the 1997 men's basketball national championship.
The Cats had several dominant sports programs during the time as UA teams combined to win 36 Pac-10 titles.
Livengood was also instrumental in helping launch numerous athletic facilities, including the Eddie Lynch Athletics Pavilion, Richard Jefferson Gymnasium and Bill Estes Jr. Family Strength & Conditioning Center, among others.
Austen Thompson
Thompson was another swimmer who earned four All-American honors (2009-2012), both coming during his prestigious 2011 and 2012 seasons. He won the 2012 NCAA title in the 400-meter individual medley at 3:39.15, a mark that ranks second all-time at Arizona.
Thompson ranks in UA's top 10 all-time list in the 200-meter individual medley and 200-meter breaststroke.
Willie Williams
Willie Williams, left, was a star sprinter at San Jose State who went on to become a groundbreaking coach at the UA. He poses with Bob Hayes, center, and John Gilbert, right, after the 1963 AAU track and field meet.
Williams was hired Arizona's track & field head coach in 1969 and was recognized as the first Black head coach in major college sports history.
During his coaching career coaching career, which lasted over 10 years, Williams coached student-athletes to All-American honors on two dozen different occasions. Just months after his death in 1982, two of Williams' athletes, Vance Johnson and Meg Ritchie, won NCAA national championships.
The university named a track & field meet in his honor, the Willie Williams Classic. It's hosted at UA's track & field stadium every year in the spring.
