Four student-athletes, including a national champion on the track, and one of the school’s most successful head coaches will be inducted into the Cardinal Hall of Honor during Homecoming weekend. That includes West Orange-Stark grad Travessa Gant. The list of inductees includes the late Gary Crockett (football, 1969-71), Gant (women’s basketball, 1991-94), the late Joe LeBlanc (Track and Field, 1962-64), Brad McMakin (men’s head golf coach, 1996-2006) and Mike Saurbaugh (baseball, 1986-89). This group of standouts will be enshrined during a ceremony on the morning Saturday, Oct. 18th.
The induction ceremony will take place in the Live Oak Ballroom of the Setzer Center and will coincide with Lamar’s football game against Southland Conference newcomer UT Rio Grande Valley. The five inductees will also be recognized on the field during halftime of the football game.
The current installment of a tradition that began 52 years ago will see a class that includes five different sports and covers five different decades of Cardinal athletics. The group also dates back to the mid 1960s. The class consists of nine all-conference selections, three school record holders, two athletes who continued their careers at the professional level and one national champion.
2025 Cardinal Hall of Honor Induction Class
Travessa Gant (Women’s Basketball, 1991-94)
A four-year letterwinner … Two-time first-team All-Sun Belt Conference … Averaged 18.3 points and 11.4 rebounds per game during collegiate career … Scored 1,372 points, pulled down 856 rebounds, dished out 128 assists and recorded 143 steals to go along with 68 blocks … Still ranks among the school’s all-time top 10 in scoring (7th), scoring average (2nd), rebounds (5th), rebound average (2nd), blocks (9th), field goals (7th), field goal percentage (5th), and is one of just 10 Cardinals to score 1,000 points and pull down at least 500 rebounds in a career.
Gary Crockett (Football, 1969-71)
A three-time All-Southland Conference selection … Remains the only defensive tackle in school history to earn all-conference honors three times in his career … Helped guide the Cardinals to a share of the 1971 Southland Conference Championship … Was selected in the 14th round of the 1972 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers.
Joe LeBlanc (Track & Field, 1962-64)
Guided Lamar to a 1963 Lone Star Conference title … Won the 1964 NCAA College Division title in the 880-yard dash … 1964 SLC Champion in the 880-yard run … 1963 SLC Champion in the 440-yard dash … A member of the 1964 conference champion one-mile relay team … Finished his career with the top two 880-yard dash times in school history … Also finished his career as a part of a school record distance medley relay team … Also, a member of the sprint medley relay team that owns the second and third fastest times in school history.
Brad McMakin (Men’s Golf Coach, 1996-2006)
Coached the LU men’s golf team for 10 seasons … A five-time SLC Coach of the Year selection … During his time as head coach, McMakin guided the Cardinals to five Southland Conference Championship titles and six-straight NCAA Regional appearances … During his final six seasons on staff, he produced three All-Americans, three SLC individual champions, 21 All-SLC performers, 3 SLC Freshmen of the Year, an SLC Newcomer of the Year and the league’s only four-time player of the year … He was named the NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year after leading Big Red to a ninth-place national finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships (the best finish of any Lone Star State school that season) … Although not with the team in 2007, McMakin solidified the recruiting class that would go on the following year to finish third nationally just missing out on an NCAA Championship by a mere 16 strokes.
Mike Sarbaugh (Baseball, 1986-89)
A 1989 first-team all-conference selection, hitting .369, Sarbaugh graduated among the school’s all-time leaders with 223 hits … Third all-time with 55 doubles … Ranks among the school’s all-time top 10 in total bases … Following his collegiate career advanced all the up to Triple A ball with the Columbus Clippers … Also served as the manager of the Clippers … Spent 11 seasons on staff with the Cleveland Indians before taking a job with the New York Mets in 2024.
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