In conjunction with the Rams Alumni Athletes Association (RAAA), Colorado State University will induct eight individuals and the 1997 football team in its 2017 Hall of Fame class, the Athletic Department announced Thursday.

The 2017 individual inductees – David Anderson (football), Ashley Augspurger (women’s basketball), Melissa Courtney-McKennon (volleyball), Janay DeLoach (women’s track & field), Martin Laird (men’s golf), Valerie Lang-McComb (women’s swimming), Barb Lawson-Alm (women’s track & field) and Cecil Sapp (football) – will be recognized as part of the official Hall of Fame induction ceremony on the evening of Friday, Oct. 27 at the new on-campus football stadium.

Football:

Of the individual inductees, former CSU football stars, Cecil Sapp (running back) and David Anderson (wide receiver) highlight fond memories of the Sonny Lubick days for the Ram faithful.

Sapp was a two-time All-Mountain West honoree and starter in the CSU backfield for three conference championships (1999, 2000, 2002). The MVP of the 2000 Liberty Bowl, Sapp rushed for 160 yards and a touchdown in CSU’s 22-17 win over Louisville. 

After missing the 2001 season with a broken leg, Sapp bounced back with a monster year in 2002, recording 1,601 rushing yards, setting a single-season record that stood until 2013 (Kapri Bibbs). Sapp still ranks third in career rushing touchdowns (29).  

The Miami native went on to spend six years in the NFL, including five seasons with the Denver Broncos. Sapp also played one season with the New York Sentinels (2009) in the United Football League.

Anderson set the standard for wide receivers in the modern passing era at CSU, finishing his career in 2005 as the program’s all-time leader in receptions (223) and had single-season records for receptions (86) and receiving yards (1,293). Rashard Higgins has since broken all three records.

Anderson still holds two of the top three single-season yards marks, including 1,293 as a sophomore in 2003. One of the hardest workers during his playing days, the California native received two university awards in 2006 – the Fum McGraw Award and the Nye Award).

Drafted in the seventh round by the Houston Texans in 2006, the former CSU wideout spent six seasons in the NFL before retiring from pro football in 2011.

Golf:

Martin Laird was one of the most successful individual athletes in CSU men’s golf history and the the program’s first All-American (2003 and 2004). A three-time all-conference honoree and four-time Academic All-Mountain West selection, Laird still holds the school record for wins (six), single-season scoring average, national ranking and the top career counting percentage mark. 

The Glasgow, Scotland native began his professional career in 2004 and has been a regular on the PGA Tour since 2007. He holds three wins on the PGA Tour, including a two-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy at the 2013 Valero Texas Open.  

Basketball:

Ashley Augspurger was a Kodak Honorable Mention All-American as a senior in 2002-03 and the three-time all-conference honoree.

Playing a major role in an extremely successful era for the women’s hoops program, Augspurger led the Rams to the postseason in all four of her seasons, including a pair of NCAA Tournament berths and a league title in 2001-02.

She was also an academic all-conference recipient all four years, and was the 2003 winner of both the Virginia K. Frank Award and the Fum McGraw Award.

Volleyball:

Melissa Courtney-McKennon, formerly Melissa Courtney was a two-time MW Player of the Year and standout setter for CSU volleyball from 2001-2004. Courtney earned first-team all-conference honors in three of her four seasons at CSU and also was recognized with AVCA Honorable Mention All-America status twice.

Courtney ranks sixth in CSU history in career assists (4,566) and third in assists per set (12.37). She owns three of the top-10 single-season assists marks in program history, including 13.66 in 2004.

Track & Field:

Janay DeLoach is the only female track athlete in CSU history to medal at an Olympic Games, taking home bronze in the long jump in London in 2012. She followed up with another trip to the Summer Olympics in 2016 in Rio De Janeiro.

DeLoach holds five school records and finished in the top six in the nation three times during her collegiate career, earning four All-America selections in the process. DeLoach is also a two-time recipient of the Virginia K. Frank Award, which honors the most outstanding female athlete at CSU. 

Lawson-Alm was the first woman to win a national championship at CSU, reigning victorious in the 1,500 meters in 1970. Lawson still ranks second in CSU track & field history in the 1,500 meters (4:23.8).

The two-time All-American was also a two-time champion at the prestigious Drake Relays (1971 and 1973, and won the Kansas Relays three straight times (1969-71).

In addition, Lawson won a Mt. SAC Relays championship in the 880 in 1970 and multiple top-five finishes in the mile and 1,500 meters at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) outdoor championships over her career.

Swimming:

Valerie Lang-McComb, formerly Valerie Lang won six individual conference titles and helped earn three additional relay titles during her extremely successful swimming career at CSU. She was an All-American in 1986 after placing eighth in the nation in the 100 meter breaststroke.

Lang was an eight-time All-HCAC honoree and was named the Collegiate Swimmer of the Year by the Sportswomen of Colorado in 1987 and 1988.

Collegian sports director Justin Michael can be reached by email at jmichael@collegian.com or Twitter @JustinTMichael.