Seven individuals were inducted into Cardinal Hall of Fame at Trinity Valley Community College in a ceremony Saturday at Athens Country Club.
"It was a great day and ceremony, said Eddie Kite, Associate Vice President of Athletics and a member of the selection committee. "Each year our inductees remind us how special The Valley is with their remarks. This year was no different.
"It was an honor to have this class back on campus and recognize them for their contributions."
The hall of fame's 13th class brings the number of individuals in the Cardinal Hall of Fame to 79. The Cardinal Cheer squad in 1989 was inducted as a team in 2012.
Inductees this year were:
Wenceslao "Lightning" Aguilera
Rodeo
(2012-14)
When Aguilera was recruited by longtime TVCC rodeo coach Brent Bratton, there is no way he could have imagined the impact it would have. Athens was his home and the college the place he laid down the foundation for life as a professional cowboy.
Aguilera quickly made a name for himself in the Southern Region of the collegiate rodeo world, all while branding the nickname "Lightning."
He enjoyed a banner year in 2013 as a member of the college's rodeo team. In team roping, along with partner Kolby Miller, he became the champion header of the Southern Region and advanced to the College National Finals Rodeo.
Aguilera took sixth in the first round at the event and finished 31st nationally.
Upon leaving TVCC, he became a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. In 2022 he finished 12th at the NFR and has since pocketed more than $400,000 in career earnings.
Aguilera has established arena records and won multiple rodeos.
Bratton is not surprised of Aguilera's success.
"He was never one to complain and worked very hard to achieve his goals," Bratton said.
Shlonte Allen
Women's Basketball
(2012-14)
As a two-time NJCAA champion, Allen knows a thing or two about putting on a show.
That's exactly what she did on a February night at Cardinal Gym. With the clock winding down to its final second, Allen pulled up and drained a shot as the buzzer sounded, giving her 52 points and the Lady Cardinals' single-game scoring record. The previous best of 50 had been set by Portia Hill, a member of the Cardinal Hall of Fame, in 1988.
There were many shining moments in Allen's two years at the college. In addition to the back-to-back national championships, the Lady Cardinals were a combined 72-2 and won two regional and conference titles. In fact, the Lady Cardinals never lost a conference game during her career.
Allen averaged 15.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman and 18.5 points per game as a sophomore. She was named an NJCAA All-American both years.
She was also named to the all-NJCAA tournament team as a freshman and was once named NJCAA national player of the week as a sophomore.
Upon the conclusion of her Lady Cardinal career, was rated the top junior college guard in the country and No. 2 overall player.
Allen, one of eight players in college history to leave with two national titles, went on to play at Texas A&M and Louisiana Tech before injuries ended her career. She played in 19 games at A&M.
She was recruited out of Arcadia, Louisiana, by Cardinal Hall of Fame coach Elena Lovato.
Roosevelt Fuller Jr.
Men's Basketball
(1970-72)
Fuller came to the college known as a prolific scorer. He did not do anything in his two-year career as a Cardinal to tarnish his reputation.
Signed out of Valencia High School in Shreveport, La., by NJCAA and Cardinal Hall of Fame coach Leon Spencer, Fuller brought with him a 44.0 scoring average as a senior. He owned the single-game city scoring record with a 64-point performance and had six times scored 50 or more points in game.
In 1972 as a sophomore, Fuller authored two Cardinal records that still stand. He lit up Navarro for 53 points to establish the single-game scoring record, hitting 22 shots – also a record.
Fuller was an all-conference performer as a sophomore and received the team's Outstanding Player Award, having averaged 26.9 points and 15.0 rebounds per game.
As a freshman, Fuller had averaged 17.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game as the Cardinals won a conference championship with a 15-1 record.
Fuller went on to play one year at Centenary College in Shreveport, playing in 25 games and averaging 4.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
He married an Athens native (Karen) and their son, Trae, played for Spencer and the Cardinals from 2000-02.
Football
(1993-94)
As a two-time all-conference defensive back for the Cardinals, Harris left a lasting impression.
In two seasons, Harris and the Cardinals went 20-1-2, claiming a pair of conference championships and bowl wins. Also on his resume was the program's first-ever 12-0 season and NJCAA championship as a sophomore in 1994.
Taking the Cardinals to the top of the NJCAA football world was just the beginning for Harris. He went on to play two years at Texas A&M-Kingsville, where he was an All-Lone Star Conference selection in 1996.
Still, there was more football to come.
Harris was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft by Tampa Bay. Over the next 14 seasons, he would play there, as well as for Philadelphia, Green Bay, Miami and St. Louis.
The bulk of his career was in Green Bay (2003-10). He was twice selected for the Pro Bowl and was once named All-Pro for the Packers.
For his career, he had 470 tackles and 21 interceptions, also scoring three touchdowns.
In 2021, he was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
Since 2012, starting at Miami, he has been coaching in the NFL. He has also coached at Kansas City and Dallas and is currently the defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator at Chicago.
He was recruited out of Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla., by Cardinal Hall of Fame coach Randy Pippin.
Darla Mansfield
Special Contributor
(1989-91, 2000-22)
When Mansfield left the college after two years as a student and member of the Cardettes in 1991, it is likely she never thought she would return. With a love for the place deep in her heart, she did. The rest is history.
She returned in 2000 as director of the same group of which she proudly had performed and represented and would spend the next 21 years touching lives and contributing to the college experience for all students.
Mansfield re-established many Cardette traditions, such as the "Cardette bounce" and began other events like "Dance Your Heart Out Camp" that would become traditions.
Her tenure also saw the Cardette Showgirls evolve into a competitive dance team, resulting in national championships in 2017 and 2019 and two in 2021.
Mansfield was also committed to giving the Cardettes a prominent presence at Cardinal Gym during basketball season and other special events on campus.
The Cardettes also performed at events across the state and country during Mansfield's two decades as director.
While a member of the Cardettes as a student, she served as Freshman Representative, Captain as a sophomore and was recipient of the President's Award at commencement following her sophomore year.
She served the college in the Alumni Association Office as Alumni Coordinator for one year after her service as director of the Cardettes. She moved to the metroplex in 2022.
Upon receiving her associate degree at the college, the native of Rockwall continued her education at Louisiana Tech, earning a Bachelor of General Studies degree and Master of Arts degree.
Benny Rogers
Special Contributor
(2009-current)
Rogers, a student at the college in the late 1970s, has been associated with the college for almost 45 years in his professional career.
For 27 years, the last 25 as sports editor, he covered the college at the Athens Daily Review. In 2009, he came to the college as assistant public information officer, assume the role of sports information officer in 2012.
In addition to promoting the college and its athletes, Rogers has also played a big role in the overall junior college sports scene. He helped organize Region XIV Conference Basketball Media Tipoff, which is in 27th year this year.
Rogers was named a Region XIV legend in 2024 at the regional basketball tournament.
In 2006, Rogers was presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the college's homecoming. He received the same award at Malakoff High School in 2018. Two years later, he was inducted into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame.
As a journalist, Rogers received numerous NETPA, TPA and APME awards. He was also co-creator of Fanfare at the Review in 1992.
Rogers also has been associated with the Cardinal Sports Network as announcer since its inception.
He has chaired or co-chaired the Cardinal Hall of Fame selection committee since 2009, having also served on the first selection committee the year before.
Tosha Spain
Volleyball
(2010-19)
Spain was given the responsibility of starting the volleyball program at the college. She did more – much more – than that.
By the time she left the college in the summer of 2019 after nine seasons, she had taken the program into the national spotlight. Her last team in 2018 finished fifth at the national tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., including back-to-back wins against Region XIV rivals Navarro and Tyler.
In her tenure, she guided the program to a 185-119 record, going 75-19 the last three seasons. Spain's 2014 team, which achieved the program's first NJCAA ranking, set a school record for wins in a season with 31, which stood until the 2024 team won 32. Her 2017 team still holds the record for fewest losses in a season with four.
Spain had five teams qualify for the regional tournament (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018).
The program was ranked 24 times in the NJCAA in her tenure, the highest being sixth in 2018.
She recruited the program's first two NJCAA All-Americans (Diana Giordani in 2017 and Juliana Vaz in 2018).
Before starting the program at the college, Spain had three successful seasons as head coach at Athens High School, where she won 65 games and made two playoff appearances, including one trip to the regional semifinals. In six seasons at Eustace High School, her alma mater, as head coach since leaving TVCC, she has led her teams to six playoff appearances and one district championship. Spain, also the athletic director at Eustace, is closing in on 400 career wins.
