SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – The Texas State University "T" Association has announced its 2020 Athletics Alumni Hall of Honor Class, as voted on by the "T" Association Board of Directors. This year's five-member class features the first-ever soccer inductee Reta Derouin, women's basketball star Joyce Ekworomadu, legendary athletic trainer David Gish, and men's basketball standouts Donte Mathis and James Patrick. Induction into the Hall of Honor is the highest athletic accolade to be bestowed upon Texas State athletics alumni.
 
The 2020 Induction Ceremony, typically held in the fall, will now take place in the spring of 2021 on the weekend of February 26 and 27. On Friday, February 26, Texas State will have a special Hall of Honor plaque unveiling at the University Events Center before the 6 p.m. men's basketball game vs. ULM. 
 
On Saturday, February 27, the 2020 Hall of Honor class will be recognized during the men's basketball game against ULM at 4 p.m. After the game, the 2020 Hall of Honor Inductee banquet will be held on the floor of Strahan Arena at approximately 7 p.m.
 
To attend the Hall of Honor banquet, please contact the Texas State Athletics Department at 512-245-2114. Seating will be limited, and social distancing will be required. 
 
Texas State University Athletics would like to congratulate the 2020 Hall of Honor inductees:
 
Reta Derouin
Reta Derouin was a two-year letter winner for the Texas State soccer program from 2000-2001. A dominating attacking forward and center midfielder, Derouin was the Southland Conference Player of the Year in 2001 and is the first Texas State soccer player ever to be inducted into the Hall of Honor.
 
Hailing from British Columbia, Canada, Derouin adjusted quickly to her new home in San Marcos and is one of the Bobcats' most decorated soccer players. During her first season as a Bobcat, Derouin was named the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year, earned Southland Conference Second Team All-Conference honors, and was named to the Southland Conference All-Tournament team. Additionally, she was awarded the Bobcat Perseverance Award by her teammates and head coach Kat Conner while helping guide the Bobcats to a 12-8 overall record and an impressive 9-3 SLC mark.
 
As a senior, Derouin led the Bobcats to the SLC Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships and the school's second NCAA Tournament appearance.  The Bobcats finished the season 14-7 and 10-2 in SLC play. Derouin led the team in scoring with nine goals and total points (goals and assists) with 20.  She was named the SLC Player of the Year and first-team All-Conference. Her impressive effort in the conference tournament resulted in her being named Tournament MVP and first-team All-Tournament. She was on the SLC All-Academic Team and was recognized by her teammates and coaches as both the team and offensive most valuable player. She finished her career tied for 10th all-time in shots in a single game with eight.
 
Derouin graduated from Texas State in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science, before completing her master's degree in Healthcare Administration in 2005. Following her playing career, Derouin began a three-year stint as an assistant soccer coach at Texas State. As an assistant coach, she helped the Bobcats win the 2002 Regular Season Championship and the 2004 SLC Tournament Championship en route to the school's third NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
In 2005, Derouin returned to Canada, where she continued playing soccer. She was a member of the Canadian Women's Soccer Team when it won the Nation's Cup Championship each year from 2007-09 and competed in the Pacific Coast Soccer League — considered British Columbia's premier summer league. Derouin also played for the Coquitlam Metro-Ford Women's team and later played for the Port Coquitlam Gunners Women's Soccer team that won the Div. 1 Cup and Championship in 2012.
 
Since 2005, Derouin has worked at Community Living British Columbia (CLBC), where she has held many roles. She is currently a project and change management specialist. 
 
Joyce Ekworomadu
Joyce Ekworomadu was a four-year letterwinner as a guard for the women's basketball team from 2004-2008. She was unanimously voted as the 2008 Southland Conference Player of the Year after leading the Bobcats to a 2007-2008 Southland Conference Regular Season Championship and the program's first-ever postseason tournament victory.  
 
Ekworomadu is currently eighth all-time on the Bobcats' career scoring list with 1,573 points and is one of only 18 players to score over 1,000 points in their careers. She is sixth all-time in career three-pointers made with 154 and fourth in career free-throws made with 347. She is also one of just five players in Texas State history to record 1,500 career points and 600 career rebounds. She is fourth on the single-season scoring list with 597 points. She is third in school history in three-pointers made in a single season with 82 and both sixth and eighth, respectively, in free throws made in a single season with 112 and 113.
 
Under the direction of head coach Suzanne Fox, the Bobcats finished the 2005-2006 season with a 17-11 record. Ekworomadu, then a sophomore, led her team in steals and was voted the team's most valuable player, and was named Second-Team All-Southland Conference.  She continued developing as a leader for the program and helped guide the Bobcats to an 18-12 record during her junior season. That season, she led the Bobcats in both scoring and three-point shooting with 13.9 points per game. She was named the team's most valuable player and second-team All-Southland Conference. Her senior season, considered one of the finest in program history, was the best of her career as the Bobcats finished the season 21-11 and 14-2 in conference play en route to winning the SLC Regular Season Championship. Ekworomadu dominated in league play as the team captain led the Bobcats in scoring with an average of 18.7 points per game and was named Southland Conference Player of the Year, first-team All-Southland Conference, and team most valuable player for a third time. The Bobcats finished the year with a victory in the first round of the WNIT in an 84-83 thriller over Prairie View A&M. The win was the first postseason win in the history of Texas State Women's basketball.
 
After her senior season, the accolades continued to roll in for Ekworomadu. She was named the 2008 Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year and the recipient of the 2008 Dr. Jean Smith Outstanding Female Athlete Scholarship Award, which is given to the top female athlete at Texas State. She was named on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VI Second Team and the First-Team Capital One All-Academic Team. Ekworomadu was named to the Dean's List three times and was a Southland Conference All-Academic Team member all four years of her career. In 2013, she was selected to the Southland Conference 2000's All-Decade Team.
 
Ekworomadu graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing. After graduating, she signed a contract to play for the San Antonio Silver Stars, becoming the first player in team and Southland Conference history to sign a WNBA contract. Her professional basketball career included stops in Europe, where she played in Poland and for Vomero Napoli in Naples, Italy. She was a member of the Nigerian National Team from 2007-2018, leading Nigeria to a second-place finish in the 2008 All-Africa Cup Olympic Qualifier, where she was named to the All-Tournament team. In 2016, she led Nigeria with 14 points in an upset win over South Korea, the world's 12-ranked team, in the Olympic Qualifiers. In 2013, she became just the 12th female to be a member of the Harlem Globetrotters.
 
Ekworomadu has played basketball in over 40 countries and made appearances on Showtime, The Queen Latifah Show, The Jimmy Fallon Show, Nickelodeon, Disney XD, and ESPN.
 
Ekworomadu is currently the CEO/Director of BallFX, where she is committed to inspiring people's desire for personal development through "dedication, determination, and discipline." She is also a motivational speaker in having spoken to over 50,000 kids through the WNBA Dallas Wings to push the Anti-Bullying Campaign "ABCs of Bullying Prevention" in collaboration with the NCSV (National Campaign to Stop Violence). She speaks about diversity, leadership, women empowerment, and bullying prevention. She has also done various volunteer work aiding the homeless population in the Dallas area and coaching underprivileged youth in collaboration with the Grand Prairie Police Department.
 
In 2017, Ekworomadu completed her master's degree in educational leadership from the American College of Education. 
 
David Gish
David Gish served as head athletic trainer at Texas State from 1998-2014, establishing a legacy of caring for and treating thousands of student-athletes during his career while also mentoring hundreds of athletic trainers.
 
After graduating from North Texas in 1984 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology, Gish began his 30-year profession in athletic training as an assistant athletic trainer at Louisiana University. In 1986, he moved to San Marcos to take over as the head athletic trainer for San Marcos High School, beginning a storied career in the San Marcos community.  Gish served at San Marcos High School from 1986 to 1990. During that time, he completed his master's degree in education at Texas State, becoming a proud Bobcat alumnus.
 
Gish began his employment with the Bobcats while studying for his masters, working as a graduate assistant under Dr. Bobby Patton. Upon graduation, he accepted a full-time position as the assistant athletic trainer at Texas State, where he was a Bobcat faculty and staff member for the next 24 years. He served as assistant athletic trainer from 1990-98, working with a multitude of different sports, including men's basketball, track and field, men's golf, and assisting with football.
 
Gish was named head athletic trainer by athletic director Jim Wacker in 1998. Throughout his time at Texas State, he supervised and mentored all assistant athletic trainers and graduate assistants. He also had direct responsibility for all Bobcat football and men's and women's golf student-athletes' health and wellness.
 
Gish's contributions to his field were numerous, and his involvement and accolades within the athletic training community were highly respected. During his Texas State career, Gish served on medical staff teams for some of the most prominent sporting organizations worldwide. The U.S. Sports Committee selected Gish to be on the medical staff at the Olympic Training Center for the 1995 US Olympic Festival in Colorado. In 2004, USA Track and Field selected him to be training staff at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Grosseto, Italy. He was a member of the medical team at the 2007 NACAC Championships in the Dominican Republic. 
 
Gish was deeply involved with the National Athletic Trainers Association and served in numerous roles representing the Southwest Region (SWATA), including president and vice president of the Executive Board. He was the NCAA Division I FCS District VI representative for the University Athletic Training Committee and received the National Athletic Trainers Association Service Award in 2010.  The SWATA awarded Gish with the Eddie Wojecki Service Award and inducted him in the SWATA Hall of Fame in 2015 after his passing in September 2014.
 
In the State of Texas, Gish left an indelible mark. He was involved in the founding of the State of Texas Athletic Trainers Association in 2000.  He served as the Texas Region 8 director from 2001-04, helped develop and write sports medicine courses for high school athletic trainers, and later taught athletic trainers how to teach those same courses. He was inducted into the Alamo Area Athletic Trainers' Association Hall of Fame in 2014 after serving as the Alamo Area president in 1999.
 
Gish was also very active in the Boy Scouts of America, serving as the adult leader for Cub Scout Pack 18 and Troop 18 from 2007 to 2014. He also served as an Adult Troop Committee member and adult training coordinator, responsible for the planning and leading scout programs and activities, including providing training opportunities for adult leaders and evaluating scouts for advancement. In 1980, he earned the distinguished Eagle Scout ranking, awarded to only four percent of all Boy Scouts nationally. 
 
Gish volunteered in the Central Texas Area with several organizations, including the United Methodist Church, Sunshine Kids, the Special Olympics, and the San Marcos Youth Baseball and Softball Association.
 
He taught several courses at Texas State during his career, including University Seminar, Clinical Experience in Athletic Training III and IV, Organizational and Administration in Athletic Training, Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries, and Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Exercise. He also provided care and support to University faculty, staff, and athletic alumni whenever needed. Before Athletic Trainers were recognized as members of the "T" Association, he was awarded an honorary membership to the "T" Association in 1992.
 
Gish's legacy lives on through The David Gish Endowed Scholarship, founded in 2014 to provide annual scholarship support to promising athletic training students. The annual David Gish "Got Your Back" 5K raises money for cancer research and provides financial support to Bobcat family members battling cancer.
 
Donte Mathis
Donte Mathis was a four-year letter winner for the Bobcat basketball team from 1995-1999. The Bobcat guard is the program's fourth all-time leading scorer and the only Bobcat men's basketball player named the Southland Conference MVP after helping lead the Bobcats to the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
 
Under the direction of head coach Mike Miller, Mathis was a four-year starter and a member of two Bobcat Southland Conference Championship teams in 1996-97 and 1998-99.  The 1996-97 squad also won the Southland Conference Tournament Championship and played in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.  The 1996-97 team is one of two Bobcat basketball teams to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Mathis was a dominant player at Texas State. He was named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year Runner-Up after his first season. During his sophomore campaign, Mathis was an All-Southland Conference Second-Team selection and recognized as Texas State's Most Valuable Player after the Bobcats went 16-13 and won the Southland Conference Tournament. He also was named the Chevrolet Player of the Game in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament for his play against the University of Minnesota.
 
During his junior season of 1997-98, the Bobcats finished with a 17-11 record, and Mathis was named the team's MVP for the second straight year and a First team All-Southland Conference selection after leading Texas State with 18.6 points per game.
 
During his senior year in 1998-99, Mathis' team won its second Southland Conference Championship and finished with an impressive 19-9 record. Mathis led the team in scoring again with 17.6 points per game, was named first-team All-Southland Conference, a member of the SLC all-tournament team, and the coveted Southland Conference MVP. He also was named the team's MVP for the third consecutive year.
 
Mathis is a proud member of the 1,300-point, 500-rebound, and 100-steals club at Texas State, one of only four players in program history to do so.  His career statistics are at the top in many different categories, and his career point total of 1,622 ranks fourth all-time in the history of the program. Mathis is third all-time in steals with 161, 10th all-time in assists with 259, fifth all-time in free throws made with 352, fourth all-time in field goals made with 596, and 16th all-time in rebounds with 567. He is among the top five players in both field goal and free throw attempts. Tied for second all-time with 99 career starts, he ranks ninth in career minutes played per game with 30.6 and second in career minutes played with a total of 3,402.
 
His single-season statistics are also some of the best in program history. He led his team in steals from 1996-99 and in free throw percentage his senior year. He ranks fifth for most steals in a season with 55 (1998-99), is sixth in minutes played per game in a season with 35.0 (1998-99), and is 15th for most points in a season with 522. In 2013, Mathis was named to the Southland Conference 90's All-Decade Team.
 
In 1999, Mathis transitioned into a decorated 13-year professional basketball career, playing for some of the top programs in European basketball.  His résumé includes two years as an all-star player, three years as a league champion, five years as a league finalist, five years as a team captain, and nine total seasons where he led his team to postseason play. Mathis had a short stint in the United States Basketball League (USBL) immediately following his Bobcat playing career as a member of the Dodge City Legends for two seasons.  He helped the Legends win a 1999 USBL Championship and was the team's leading scorer in 2000. Mathis played in several different European countries, including stops in Germany and Slovenia, where he was a member of a Euro Cup Finalist and Slovenian League Championship teams. Mathis spent 11 years of his professional career in Italy, where he played for some of the country's best organizations in some of the continent's premier basketball leagues.
 
After his professional basketball career, Mathis returned to Texas State and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications studies. From 2017-18, he served as head basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Texas Christian School, where he coached three nationally-ranked top-15 high school basketball players on one of the top private school teams in the country. Mathis also served as the head director and recruiter for Adidas and Under Armor sponsored AAU basketball programs. His focus on securing athletic and academic scholarships for his elite high school basketball athletes has translated into 35 of his players receiving college scholarships since 2015.  He moved to Austin in the summer of 2020 to accept the position as head men's basketball coach at Brentwood Christian High School.
 
Mathis served as a board member for Cypress Fairbanks ISD Hoops and coordinated and organized the annual CyFair Invitational Tournament. The proceeds from the tournament go towards the Cypress Fairbanks ISD Educational Foundation.  Internationally, he has served as a clinician. He has successfully provided and organized annual coaching clinics and camps for athletes in Asia, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom while collaborating with former NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon. He also partnered with Olajuwon and former NBA player Mengke Bateer to enhance basketball growth in China, Africa, and the UK by developing youth sports academies attached to the communities around the country's professional basketball teams.
 
James Patrick
James Patrick was a three-year letter winner for the Bobcat basketball team from 1977-80. The program's ninth all-time career scoring leader, Patrick was instrumental in the success of Texas State basketball, including helping the Bobcats finish in third place in the 1979 NAIA National Tournament.
 
Patrick had a storied career for the Bobcats while playing both the guard and forward positions under the direction of Head Coach Dan Wall.
 
During his sophomore year of 1977-78, Patrick helped lead the Bobcats to an impressive 20-6 overall record and an 11-3 mark in the Lone Star Conference. He led the team in scoring and was named All-Lone Star Conference. He followed up his sophomore campaign with one of Bobcat basketball's most memorable seasons during 1978-79.
 
Patrick led the Bobcats to a Lone Star Conference Championship and a semifinal game of the NAIA National Championship Tournament.  The Bobcats went on to finish third in the country that season, defeating Midwestern State, after a heartbreaking one-point loss to Henderson State.  The Bobcats finished that year with a 29-7 overall record. Patrick was named the team's MVP, an All-Lone Star Conference selection, and an NAIA All-American.
 
During his senior season, he led his team in scoring for the third consecutive year and helped the Bobcats win their second straight Lone Star Conference championship with a record of 19-12.
 
Patrick's accomplishments are currently ranked throughout the Bobcat basketball record books. His 1,306 career total points are ninth all-time, and his 529 made field goals ranks seventh.  He has the ninth-highest career scoring average with 16.3 points per game and is tied for first in games played.
 
He ranks sixth all-time in most points in a season with 603 (1978-79) and is one of only five Texas State players to score more than 600 points in a single season. He is fifth all-time in field goals made in a season with 247 (1978-79).  Patrick led his team in free throw percentage every season he played and is 10th all-time in free throw percentage in a single year shooting .882 from the line during the 1979-1980 season.
 
In 1980, the Denver Nuggets selected James in the NBA Draft's fifth round after he was invited to the World University Games tryouts in 1979.  
 
Patrick later attended Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice in 1984. Since graduating from Washburn, he has worked at the Topeka Juvenile Correctional Facility, where he was promoted from supervisor to deputy superintendent. He has also been President of JPJ & Associates, Inc. since 2001.
 
Patrick serves on the Board of Directors for Court Appointed Special Advocates, a national association supporting abused or neglected children's advocates. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Shawnee County Hall of Fame, recommending past athletes for induction.  He is an active member of Love Fellowship Church in Topeka, Kansas, where he serves as the church's finance chairman and deacon.
 
Patrick is an inductee in the Topeka Highland Park High School's Hall of Fame after winning the Class 4A State Championship and the first and only Kansas Grand State Championship, the Shawnee County Kansas Hall of Fame, and the Independence Kansas Junior College Hall of Fame after winning a National Junior College Championship.