Courtesy: SMU Athletics
DALLAS (SMU) – SMU and SMU Athletics, in conjunction with the SMU Lettermen’s Association, have announced the newest class of the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame. The inductees are Avery Acker, Nic Moore, John Ross, Dave Wollman and the late Eddie Sinnott. The inductees will be recognized at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony presented by Westdale Asset Management on Friday, Sept. 20 in Armstrong Fieldhouse.
Avery Acker – Volleyball 2012-2015
Avery Acker was a three-time All-American setter for SMU from 2012-15. She was the AAC Player of the Year in 2015, AAC Setter of the Year in 2013 and 2015, and was selected First-Team All-AAC each of her last three seasons on the Hilltop. As a senior, she led the Mustangs to the program’s first conference title and first NCAA Tournament appearance. She was also the 2015 AAC Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and named the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. During her SMU career, Acker climbed to second in assists with 4,321. She guided SMU to a 75-21 record over her last three seasons, including a 46-12 record in league matches. As a senior, she led the NCAA with 12.45 assists per set and finished sixth in the nation with an SMU and AAC single-season record 1,482 assists. Dr. Acker is a physician in Houston. She received her medical degree from the McGovern Medical School at UT Health after a residency at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Nic Moore – Men’s Basketball 2013-2016
Nic Moore was a two-time AAC Player of the Year, two-time honorable mention All-American and three-time All-AAC First-Team selection while playing for the Mustangs from 2013-16. He led the Mustangs to the 2015 AAC regular season and tournament titles. SMU was ranked in the Top 25 all three seasons, reaching as high as No. 8. He was a candidate for the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Lute Olson Award and Senior CLASS Award. The Mustangs went 79-22 in his three seasons, including a 50-4 home record. In 2014, the Mustangs reached the NIT title game. In 2015, he was a starter for the Gold-Medal winning Team USA at the 2015 World University Games. He finished his SMU career No. 2 in assists (508), No. 3 in threes made (225), No. 4 in assists per game (5.1), No. 4 on free-throw percentage (83.8), No. 6 in 3-point percentage (42.1), tied at No. 9 in steals (136), tied No. 10 in steals per game (1.4) and No. 11 in points (1,462). He went on to play professionally in Italy and Spain from 2016-23.
John Ross – Men’s Tennis 1983-1986
John Ross was a three-time All-American from 1983-86. He helped the Mustangs to three Southwest Conference titles (1983, 1985, 1986). SMU finished in the top six nationally each season, including an NCAA runner-up finish in 1983. He advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1985 NCAA singles championship, finishing the season ranked No. 4 nationally in singles and No. 9 in doubles (with Monte Oppenheim). The 1986 SMU Senior Male Athlete of the Year partnered with Richey Reneberg (SMU HOF 2012) to win that season’s SWC No. 2 doubles championship. He finished his career on the Hilltop in the top 10 for singles victories (79) and doubles triumphs (62). In 1982, he reached the Wimbledon boys’ singles quarterfinal and was runner-up in doubles. He made the second round of the U.S Open and Wimbledon in singles in 1988 and made the second round in doubles at the U.S. Open (1981, 1987) and Australian Open (1988).
Eddie Sinnott – Men’s Swimming Head Coach 1989-2019
Eddie Sinnott was a 16-time conference Coach of the Year and led the Mustangs to 16 league crowns as head coach at his alma mater from 1989-2019. Under Sinnott, SMU recorded 11 NCAA top-15 finishes, 80 individual All-America honors and 59 relay honors and 288 conference championships. Sinnott coached 11 student-athletes who competed in seven different Olympic Games, including gold medalists Ryan Berube (SMU HOF 2015) and Lars Frolander (SMU HOF 2013). Under Sinnott, both Berube and Frolander were named NCAA Swimmer of the Year. Sinnott served on the Olympic International Organizing Committee from 1984-92, and served United States Swimming at international events in 1987, 1993 and 2008. He was also the head coach for Haiti at the 1996 Olympic Games. Beyond the college teams, Sinnott helped teach in the SMU swim lesson program for most of his 40 years on the Hilltop, and was a leader in the Dallas swimming community. In 2019, he was selected by his peers for the National Collegiate Scholastic Trophy, which is presented to the coach who has made the greatest contribution to swimming as a competitive sport, and as a healthful, recreational activity in the province of undergraduate and scholastic education. Sinnott was also instrumental in fundraising for the Robson & Lindley Aquatics Center and Barr–McMillion Natatorium. A four-year letterwinner at SMU from 1973-76, Sinnott was an All-American in 1973 and 1974 and the SWC champion in the 400 IM in 1973.
Dave Wollman – Track & Field Head Coach 1988-2015
Dave Wollman built and sustained one of the top collegiate track & field programs in the country from 1988-2015. The Mustangs recorded a combined 69 NCAA Championship appearances, including 16 NCAA Top-10 finishes, among these teams were eight teams who made the podium and earned top-four NCAA Championship trophies. His Mustang athletes earned hundreds of All-American awards, won 34 NCAA Individual titles and broke seven Collegiate records. He coached 20 Olympians that represented 12 different countries. Several of these athletes went on to win Olympic, World Championship and World Cup medals. In his final two seasons at SMU, the Mustangs won an AAC Indoor title and both AAC Outdoor championships. For his career accomplishments, Wollman received the title of “Master Coach,” the highest level a coach can earn from both the U.S. Track & Field Coaches Association – and the European Coaches association, was only the third U.S. Coach to receive both honors. Wollman came to SMU after previous stints at Stanford University and Purdue University and he has also been enshrined into the University of Indianapolis Hall of Fame, Indiana Track and Field Hall of Fame and the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame.
For additional information on purchasing tickets to the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet, click here, call 214-768-4314 or email Jeff Lockhart at [email protected].
Yeah Buddy!
Sam Freas and Donnie Crane are smiling down you. Congratulation on your induction from an X-Razorback.
One of our very best coaches. Congrats Eddie
While Eddie Sinnott had a great run @ SMU, the last ten (?) years were pretty much a sad, slow slump into oblivion. I had a former student of mine who was a ‘star’ at SMU during that period, and the lack of recruitment talent was just painful to watch. I went to many meets in the “old” facility and it was painful to sit there and watch the Mustangs get clobbered. His glory days were great, but the ending was a whimper, sadly.
Maybe, just maybe, weeks after his passing and on the announcement of his HoF induction isn’t the best moment to tell us how bummed you were watching swimming on The Hilltop.
You’re missed Eddie.
Mike in Dallas, this is Eddie’s daughter here. Have you considered the fact the last 6 years my dad was coaching, the team only had outdoor facilities? And that he was still recruiting kids to come AND kept the team alive along with Steve even though there was an extreme lack of facilities. I think this comment is not only tasteless but doesn’t consider all the facts about those last years coaching. Rody has done an incredible job since and with new facility is able to continue the legacy of elite swimming that my dad continued for Coach Mac.
As my dad would say to me often, and you probably need to hear this… if you can’t say something… Read more »
Well deserved!
Amen to that! That’s great news.