MARTIN, Tenn. –Four former student-athletes were inducted into the UT Martin Athletics Hall of Fame during the 2012 Homecoming Festivities: Nicole Davis(softball); Tessa Fields(women’s basketball); Larry Washington (football) and Tom Wride(men’s tennis).
The Letter Winners Breakfast and the Hall of Fame Induction was Saturday, Oct. 6, in the Elam Center Concourse.
Davis, the daughter of Jim and Marsha Davis of Alpine, Calif., played softball for head coach Donley Canary from 2002-05. She was named All-Ohio Valley Conference three consecutive years (2003-2005) and OVC All-Tournament in 2004.
She ranks in the top 10 in most all career offensive statistics categories, including games played, at bats, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, walks, extra base hits, home runs, victories, games started, ERA, winning percentage, strikeouts, saves and appearances.
Fields played women’s basketball from 1997-99 for co-head coaches Gary Van Atta and Kim Van Atta. She helped UT Martin reach the OVC Tournament championship game both years. Her senior season she helped the Skyhawks claim a berth in the WNIT and upset Ole Miss. Fields was also named All-OVC and OVC All-Tournament in 1998.
She still holds the career single-season record for free throws made (150) and the career single-season record for assists (161).
Fields said the reason she had so much success on the basketball court and the reason why she was inducted into the UT Martin hall of fame was because her grandfather and mother kept motivating her.
“I remember that first basketball game I ever played in,” Fields said. “I got to play about 10 seconds at the end of the game. I went to my grandfather and he tried to motivate me. Then I went to my mom and she had some stern advice for me. ‘If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.’
“That’s why I am here now,” Fields said.
Washington played football from 1974-76 for head coaches Bob Carroll and George MacIntyre. He rushed more than 1,700 yards, still among the top 10 in UT Martin history.
He had three of the top eight all-time best single-game rushing performances. He was named to the All-Gulf South Conference team in 1976. After UT Martin, Washington helped the Edmonton Eskimos (part of the Canadian Football League) reach the Grey Cup (CFL’s equivalent to the Super Bowl) in 1977 and won in 1978.
Wride played tennis from 1998-2001 for head coach Dennis Taylor. He was named to the All-OVC team his freshman and senior seasons, in addition to being named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll four consecutive years.
His most impressive victories occurred in in 2000, when he defeated Vanderbilt’s No. 1 player, Eddie Coats, and in 2001, when he defeated Mark Parsons, the No. 1 player at Tennessee and among the top-10 players in the nation.
Wride is one of the lead clinical research associates at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.