Photos: 2016 Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame inductees

 

Note: This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 27.

The inductees of the Class of 2016 Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame were recognized at halftime Friday during the Oak Ridge-Sevier County football game.

They are pictured above in a photo by Mike Kelly, and they are Eric Menefee, Howie Moss, Phillip Boatner, and Don Stephens.

Here is more information about the athletes from Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame with photos by Luther Simmons:

 

Philip Boatner: Philip Boatner has a long history of competitive swimming. He joined the Oak Ridge City Aquatics swim team in 1978 and later joined the Atomic City Aquatics Club, where he was coached by Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame member Lois Weir for more than 20 years. Boatner was also captain of the Oak Ridge High School Wildcatfish in 1993.

Most notable is Boatner’s involvement in the Special Olympics for more than 30 years. It has earned him a total of 68 gold, silver, and bronze medals. His greatest swimming accomplishment was in 1991 when he won gold for the state of Tennessee in the 50-meter and 25-meter backstroke at the International Special Olympics. For this, Boatner received the Tennessee State Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.

Retired from the pool, he keeps his competitive spirits alive by participating in bowling, track and field, golf, and basketball in Tennessee Special Olympics.

 

Eric Menefee: Menefee graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1985. He was captain of the football team, which had a 10-0 regular-season record. Menefee was all-state running back and named to the Tennessee all-star team in 1985. During his senior season, he rushed for 1,800 yards and 23 touchdowns. Menefee was a four-year letterman, Academic All Conference, and a three-year defensive starter. He received a full football scholarship to Appalachian State University. During that time, ASU was Southern Conference Champions for three of his four years. Menefee still holds several top 10 records at Oak Ridge High School.

 

Howie Moss: Moss was a two-sport star athlete at Oak Ridge High School and later at the University of Tennessee. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1958 and was awarded a basketball scholarship to UT. At Oak Ridge, Moss was co-captain of the 1957-1958 basketball team that was rated number two in the state before being upset in the state tournament. He was also an outstanding track athlete, helping to lead the track teams to state championships from 1956 to 1958. He was a standout long jumper and high jumper. His record in the long jump stood for more than 20 years. Moss went on to become a starter at Tennessee for the basketball Vols. In track and field, he also won the SEC crown in the high jump in 1961 with a jump of 6’ 7”—just missing the SEC record by 1/2″.

 

Don Stephens: Stephens was a starter in both football and basketball at Jefferson Junior High School in 1952-53. At Oak Ridge High School, he was a three-year letterman in football and basketball. Stephens was captain of the 1956 undefeated and state championship football team. The three combined teams that he played on at Oak Ridge won 26 games while losing only two. As a member of the basketball team in 1957-1958, Don led the team as a starting guard to a 27-3 record. He was named to the all-state and All-America teams in football. Stephens signed to play football at the University of Tennessee in 1957 and lettered on the 1958 team as a wingback.

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