PEMBROKE – Student-athletes representing five different sports, including the first football player from the modern day era of the program, will be officially inducted into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming Week in late October, athletics department officials announced.
 
All-American punter Justin Hinson (2007-10) will be the first football player since 1986 to be inducted into the distinguished listing of former student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Two-sport athlete Lisa Mason (1980-84), wrestling's Curry Pickard (2000-05), track & field's Jerry Stancil (1972-76), and basketball's Dwayne Watson (1986-91) will also be highlighted in UNCP's 40^th Hall of Fame induction class.
 
The 2018 UNCP Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 19 at 6 p.m. in the University Center Annex. Attendees must RSVP or purchase tickets (while supplies last) by calling (910) 521-6252.
 
Members of the 2018 Athletics Hall of Fame Committee include Whitney Beverly, Ronnie Chavis, Wandre Elkins, Dr. Jamie Litty and Jordan Sampson.
 
"We are so appreciative for the contributions of these inductees and excited that the committee has brought them into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame," said director of athletics Dick Christy. "This is a diverse class in many ways, and I'm very pleased and thankful for the committee's work in identifying the most deserving candidates among a deep list of nominees."
 
The starting punter for the Braves when football made its return to UNC Pembroke in 2007, Hinson played in 31 games for the Black & Gold and averaged 39.1 yards on a program-best 132 punt attempts for the Braves from 2007-09. A two-time All-Independents selection by D2Football.com, he would go on to earn all-America nods from three different organizations, including first team recognition by the Associated Press, following a senior campaign that watched him average a school record 43.05 yards per punt as the Black & Gold posted a 9-2 record and its first trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
 
A two-sport star for the Braves, Mason played in 111 games for the women's basketball team from 1980-84, but also made a name for herself on the softball diamond where she helped lead the Black & Gold to 86 victories on the softball diamond as well. An all-Carolinas Conference basketball player as a senior in 1983-84, Mason averaged 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds over her illustrious career on the hardwood, and established a school record with 158 assists (4.9/game) as a junior. She was a two-time all-conference performer in slow pitch softball, and earned NAIA all-district accolades as a senior after leading the Braves to a 34-8 clip.
 
A four-time qualifier for the NCAA Division II National Championships, Pickard tacked up 116 victories on the mat for the Braves from 2001-05, including a junior campaign that watched him collect 36 wins. Pickard captured his first of two all-American honors with an eighth place finish at the 2002-03 NCAA National Championships, and then led the Braves to a program-best seventh place finish after coming away with runner-up honors at the 2004-05 event. Pickard, who perched himself atop the national rankings at 133 pounds over the course of his senior campaign, also took home the NCAA East Region title twice in his career, including the 2003 tournament that also saw him take home Most Outstanding Wrestler notoriety.
 
Stancil picked a quintet of all-district accolades during his collegiate career in Pembroke, including a junior campaign that saw him earn the laurel in both the indoor and outdoor seasons for the Braves. He earned all-America recognition as a member of Pembroke State's 440-relay team as a sophomore in 1974, and helped lead the Black & Gold to four-straight top-25 finishes at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, as well as a 12^th-place showing at the 1976 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He logged a pair of school records as a senior, running a time of 10.15 seconds in the 100-meter Dash, while also matching a 4-year-old school record with a time of 20.90 seconds in the 200-meter Dash.
 
Watson averaged 15.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game over a storied career from 1986-91, while also connecting on better than 53 percent (700-of-1316) of his field goal attempts. A native of Rowland, he earned the nickname "Sup" (short for Superman) from his teammates for his play on the court that resulted in him being decorated with a pair of NAIA all-district accolades, as well as a two all-Carolinas Conference nods. Watson averaged 18.9 points and 8.0 rebounds as a junior in 1988-89 and, after opting for a redshirt the following year, returned to the court in 1990-91 to average 19.1 points and 8.7 boards per game as the Braves registered a 27-5 mark which still stands as the best record in program history.
 
Watson finished his collegiate career with 1,657 points – the fourth-most prolific scorer in the 78-year history of the men's basketball program in Pembroke.