SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 class was honored Thursday night at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in front of the inductees’ friends and family.
The class includes world champion hurdler and Holmes High School alum Anjanette Kirkland, Mildred Whittier, former Judson head football coach Jim Rackley, and volleyball and basketball player at Texas A&M and Churchill High School alumnus Andrea Williams.
Whittier is the sister of Julius Whittier. Julius, a Highlands High School alum, was the first Black football player to play at the University of Texas in 1970.
Rackley said this wasn’t an environment he was comfortable in, but he enjoyed the night.
“To be honest with you, I’d rather be out there on that practice field getting after it,” Rackley said. “I’m not much of a coat and tie guy, but this is a great honor and the other people being honored tonight — great athletes, great people — and I just feel blessed to be here.”
For Anjanette Kirkland and Andrea Williams, their bond as athletes started as competitors in their high school days. They both attended Texas A&M at the same time and are now San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame inductees in the same class.
“It was incredible to learn that Anjanette Kirkland and I were going in at the same time,” Williams said. “And to see her at the press conference back in January, to know that this is someone I used to play basketball against in high school and then we went on to classmates at (Texas) A&M and then roommates, it even makes this honor so much more special.”
“I am just elated, as you can see,” Kirkland said. “I can’t stop grinning and smiling thinking about what’s happening.”
The ceremony included an auction. One prize up for bid was a game of Texas Hold ‘Em with UTSA head football coach Jeff Traylor.