ATHLETICS Weber to join Razorback Foundation
Dean Weber will begin work with the Razorback Foundation in July, the school announced Sunday after he spent 42 years with the University of Arkansas athletic department, including 35 as the head athletic trainer.
As an assistant director with the Razorback Foundation, Weber will work with current players’ involvement in the A Club and the Razorback Foundation Century Circle Program, while also organizing some Razorback Foundation events.
Weber has spent most of his time at Arkansas as its head athletic trainer. During his 35 years he won numerous awards and honors, and in 1998 was inducted into the Arkansas Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Honor. He is a member of the Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Honor.
In 1984, Weber served as an athletic trainer for the United States Olympic team.
FOOTBALL Templeton, former ASU player, assistant, dies
Bill Templeton, who spent 53 years at Arkansas State as an player, coach or administrator, died Sunday in Jonesboro, the school announced. He was 80.
In a university statement, ASU Athletic Director Terry Mohajir called Templeton “one of the greatest Indians and Red Wolves who ever lived.”
“My deepest sympathies go out to the Templeton family,” Terry Mohajir said. “We lost a great Indian and Red Wolf this weekend. Bill was a staple of our program for over 50 years, and not only will our university miss him, but our whole community will miss him too.”
Templeton transferred to ASU in 1954 after one year at Arkansas and lettered as a running back in 1954-1956. After four years as a high school assistant coach in Arkansas and Missouri, Templeton joined Bennie Ellender’s staff as an assistant football coach in 1965. He served 13 seasons as an assistant coach before, in 1978, joining what was then known as the Indian Club.
There, he served as director and coordinator, director of major gifts and, most recently, director of planned giving. During his time as director and coordinator of the Indian Club, he developed an endownment scholarship fund of over $1.5 million.
Templeton was inducted into the Arkansas State Athletics Hall of Honor in 1987 and the A-State Ring of Honor in 1997. Also, the Bill Templeton recruiting room is located inside the Red Wolves’ football facility at Centennial Bank Stadium.
Visitation and funeral arrangements are pending, the school said.
BASEBALL Arkansas Tech, SAU, Harding win
One day after seeing its 22-game winning streak come to an end with a loss to Ouachita Baptist, Arkansas Tech pounded Southwestern Oklahoma State 16-3 on Sunday in the Great American Conference Tournament in Enid, Okla.
The Wonder Boys (42-9) scored seven runs in the first three innings highlighted by a grand slam by No. 9 hitter James Sharp. Arkansas Tech added another five-run inning in the fifth. Mason Reynolds improved to 8-0 with a 132-pitch, complete-game victory.
In the second game, Tyler Cameron and Trevor Rucker each hit home runs to help Southern Arkansas to a 15-10 victory over OBU. The Muleriders (35-17) took an 11-1 lead after the fifth inning, but the Tigers (25-27) stayed in it with home runs from Keegan Ghidotti, Jace Melby and Landon Moore.
In the final game, Harding scored all of its runs in the seventh and eighth innings and Collin Campbell and Andrew Fiddler combined for a shutout in a 5-0 victory over Arkansas-Monticello.
OBU will play UAM at noon today, with the winner playing Harding at 7 p.m. Tech will play SAU at 3:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 19 on 05/05/2014