E-Club Hall of Fame alumni
Meet the Newest E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame Members
T
he Eastern Michigan University E-Club Alumni Chapter, a group of former EMU varsity athletic letterwinners, welcomed seven
new members into the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame in February: Dennis Betts (men’s swimming); Earl Boykins (men’s basketball); Joyann Clarke (women’s track and field); Wondella Devers (women’s basketball/track); Derrick Dial (men’s basketball); Eugene Smith (administrator); and Don Stewart (men’s basketball/football).
The E-Club also presented Ken Behmer with the Ron Oestrike Distinguished Service Award, named after EMU baseball coaching legend Ron Oestrike. The award was developed to reward outstanding service to the Athletic Department, E-Club and Athletic Club.
National Champion 400-yard medley relay team, setting an EMU and a NAIA record. Then in 1969, he set an EMU and a NAIA record in the 200- yard breaststroke as well as an EMU Record in the 100-yard breaststroke. He was also a member of the 1970 NAIA National Championship Team as an assistant coach under EMU Hall of Fame Coach Mike Jones. After graduating from EMU in
Dennis O. Betts -
Men's Swimming Dennis Betts was a four-year letter
winner for the EMU men’s swim team and earned NAIA All-American honors three times (1967-1969). A former record holder in the
100- and 200-yard breaststroke and the 200- and 400-yard medley relay team, Betts was a member of the 1966-67 team that finished third at the NAIA National Championship. He also helped lead the men’s team to the NAIA National Championship in both 1967-68 and 1968-69. In 1967, he was among the first
NAIA All-American swimmers at EMU as a member of the 400-yard medley relay team. Betts also helped lead the team to a four-year record of 42-14. In 1969, he was a member of the NAIA
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1971, Betts spent 26 years in law enforcement, retiring from the Michigan State Police in 2001. He represented the Michigan State Police at several state and international Police & Fire Olympics, winning gold, silver and bronze medals in swimming competitions. Betts is also a member of the EMU
Arm of Honor Fraternity. Earl Boykins -
Men's Basketball Earl Boykins was a four-year starter
on the EMU men’s basketball team. He led EMU to a four-year record of 87-36, two NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT post-season tournament. In 1997, Boykins was named
USA Basketball’s Male Athlete of the Year after leading the U.S. team to the Gold Medal at the 1997 World University Games. In 1998, he won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award
as the nation’s outstanding senior male basketball player under six-feet tall. Also that season, he received honorable mention Division I All- American accolades. Boykins finished the 1998 season
second in the nation in scoring at 25.7 points per game. He was selected the Most Valuable Player in the Mid- American Conference Tournament, after scoring a record 89 points in three games. A First-Team All-MAC selection in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons, he also earned second team honors in 1995-96 and was named to the All-Freshman Team in 1994-95. Boykins finished his career with
2,211 points, 512 free throws, 759 field goals, 181 three points baskets, and the EMU all-time record of 624 assists. In 2011, his EMU jersey, No. 11, was retired. Despite being the second shortest
player in NBA history, Boykins went on to play 13 seasons with the New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets.
Joyann Clarke -
Women's Track Joyann Clarke was an outstanding
EMU women’s track athlete. She won five MAC individual titles and ran on relay teams that won four championships. In 1982, Clarke won the MAC Championship individual titles for the 60-meter dash and 200-meter run. She also ran on the first place MAC
Wondella Devers -
Basketball and Track A pioneer in EMU women’s
athletics, Wondella Devers was a women’s basketball and track & field athlete from 1971-73. At EMU, she claimed two first-place honors in the high jump and played on a third place women’s basketball team. In 2000, she received a varsity letter from EMU honoring her years as an EMU athlete before women’s teams were
Championship 4x200-meter relay team, the 4x100-meter relay team, and the 4x100-meter shuttle hurdle relay team. Two years later in 1984, she ran
on the MAC Championship 4x100- meter relay team and won the MAC Championship individual title for the 55-meter dash. In 1985, Clarke won both MAC
Championship individual titles for the 100- and 200-meter races and ran on the first place 4x100-meter relay team. Clarke graduated from EMU in
1989.
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