Sept. 8, 2006

Pocatello, ID --- Jim Potter, one of ISU's best basketball players ever, joins Brad Humphreys, Pauline (Semons) Thiros, and Courtney Davis as the 2006 inductees in to the Idaho State Sports Hall of Fame. Sandra Noakes, who spent 36 years with Idaho State University and served in a variety of capacities in the athletic department joins the class as the Sports Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Humphreys starred for the Bengals in tennis, and Thiros and Davis were volleyball teammates in the early and mid 1990s.

With the five new inductees into the ISU Sports Hall of Fame, the total number of members in the Hall is 195. The 2006 class will be inducted at halftime of this Saturday's football game vs. Ft. Lewis. The ISU Hall of Fame is located in the ISU Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center, adjacent to Holt Arena.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted in 2003 to honor significant members or contributors to the athletic department who might not have attended Idaho State University. Sam Bennion was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, Mel Morgan was honored in 2004, and Colonel David V.S. Kirkpatrick was so honored last year.

In order to be eligible for selection to the Hall, a candidate must have attended Idaho State for at least one year and excelled in at least one intercollegiate sport. Preference is given to those who have been out of school for at least 10 years. Voting is restricted to Hall of Fame members who are on the Selection Committee.

Sandra D. Noakes (Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient): Noakes served Idaho State from 1966-2002, and between 1966-76, she served as the head coach for ISU's field hockey, basketball, softball, volleyball, swimming and badminton teams. She also served as the supervisor of the women's sports programs. Noakes, who moved towards teaching after 1976, has been honored several times, including the Pathfinder Award from the National Association for Girls & Women in Sports, and the Woman of Achievement Award from the ISU Professional Women's organization.

Courtney Davis (Volleyball, 1993-96): Davis was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference selection, including a first team pick in 1996 a year in which she was both team captain and team MVP. Davis holds several records at Idaho State, including career assists with 5,038, and assists in a game, with 78. Davis finished her career as the Big Sky career record holder for assists, and she currently ranks fourth. Davis also ranks second in career aces with 136, fifth in career digs with 1,238, fifth in career games played with 447, and seventh with 120 career matches. Davis holds three spots in the single season top 10 lists for assists as well, and from 1997-99, she served as an assistant coach at Idaho State. Davis was also a three-time All-Big Sky Academic selection and the 1996 team MVP.

Brad Humphreys (Tennis, 1962-65): Humphreys was a four-year letterwinner, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament and leading the Bengals to the first two Big Sky Conference tournament titles. Humphreys, who played at #2 singles for three years behind his doubles partner and fellow Hall of Famer Don Axtell, also won a four Big Sky titles, two in singles and two in doubles. After leaving ISU, Humphreys won the Idaho State Open Championship three times, and he was ranked as high as #17 by the United State Professional Tennis Association. He has also been published several times in Tennis Magazine.

Jim Potter (Men's Basketball, 1991-95): Potter is one of just two Bengals to ever earn First Team All-Big Sky Conference honors three times, and he is just one of 18 Big Sky players to accomplish that feat. Potter led ISU to their last conference title back in 1994, and he ended his career with 1,810 points, fourth in school history and 11th in Big Sky history. He is second in school history in rebounds with 863, fifth in steals with 110, and sixth in blocks with 85. He is also second in ISU history in field goals and field goal attempts, and fourth in free throws and free throw attempts. As a senior, he led the Big Sky in conference scoring with a 21.1 average. Potter currently plays professionally in one of the top leagues in Belgium.

Pauline (Semons) Thiros (Volleyball, 1992-95): Thiros served as a three-year captain for the volleyball program, helping ISU to the National Invitation Tournament in 1994. Thiros was a two-time All-Big Sky Academic selection as well. After her playing days, she served as an assistant coach for three years before serving the university's administration as the Director of Development, and the Director of Alumni Relations.