The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation's oldest historically Black athletic conference, is proud to announce the 2023 John B. McLendon Hall of Fame Class. 
 
The CIAA recognizes inductees for their excellence in the conference, significant contributions in the community, leadership within CIAA athletics, and commitment to the conference mission. This year's class, which features all women in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Title IX, includes Allyson Dobbins (Bowie State University), Jessica Hawkins (Shaw University), Elorine Hill (Fayetteville State University), Barbara Pierre (St. Augustine's University) and the 1988 Hampton University Women's Basketball Team. 

"In this Title IX 50th year of acknowledging the women and trailblazers who have advanced women in CIAA sports, it's an honor to recognize and celebrate the women of the class of 2023," said Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams. "Each one of these recipients and their teams has made a significant impact in their respective sport. They have left a legacy and developed leaders who have also made significant impact in their communities as well. I salute you all, I could not be prouder, it is a privilege to share in this momentous occasion!" 
 
The 2023 John B. McLendon CIAA Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted at the CIAA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, February 24. The event will be a part of the week-long schedule of events encompassing the 2023 CIAA Basketball Tournament, being held February 21-25 in Baltimore, Maryland. Ticket packages and information about the induction ceremony are available on the John B. McLendon CIAA Hall of Fame page at www.theciaa.com, also at https://ciaatournament.org, or by clicking HERE.  
 
Since its inception in 1967, the CIAA Hall of Fame has enshrined 304 honorees. It was renamed after legendary coach and administrator John B. McLendon in 2000. A 1978 Hall of Fame inductee, McLendon is also credited as one of the founding fathers of the CIAA Basketball Tournament, which began in 1946. 
 
For more information about the CIAA and the John B. McLendon Hall of Fame, visit www.theciaa.com. You can also like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and on Twitch. 

Barbara Pierre | St. Augustine's University | Track & Field and Cross Country | Student-Athlete 
Pierre attended St. Augustine's College (now-University) from 2006 to 2010, where she had an illustrious career in track & field and cross country, graduating as a four-time All-CIAA selection in track & field and a one-time selection in cross country. In 2007, her freshman season, Pierre helped the Falcons earn a national championship in indoor track & field and a runner-up finish in 2008. Pierre is a four-time NCAA Division II Indoor Champion in the 60-meter dash (2007, 2008, & 2009) and the 200-meter dash (2008), and a two-time Outdoor Champion (2007 & 2008) in the 100-meter. Additionally, she is a three-time NCAA Division II Outdoor runner-up in the 100-meter (2009) and 200-meter (2009 & 2010). In relays, Pierre earned an outdoor title in the 4x100-meter (2007) and a bronze medal in the 4x400-meter (2010). 

At the preliminaries of the 2009 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Pierre set a DII national record in the women's 100-meter dash with a time of 11.18 seconds. She holds another DII national record with a time of 7.20 seconds in the women's 60-meter dash in the preliminary round of the 2010 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships. Those marks still stand today as DII national records. In 2017, Pierre was inducted into the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame. 

Professionally, Pierre was a two-time U.S. Champion in the indoor 60-meter dash, winning in 2013 and 2016. In 2013, Pierre ranked as the fourth fastest sprinter in the world (her highest ranking) in the 100-meter dash. She won a World Indoor Championship in the 60-meter dash in 2016. She was a four-time medalist at the Pan American Games, where she ran for the United States, including a gold medal in the 2015 4x100 relay and two silvers in 2011. She currently holds the Pan American Games 100-meter record that she set in 2015. While still attending St. Augustine's, Pierre represented her native country of Haiti at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. 

About John B. McLendon, Jr. 

John B. McLendon, Jr. was a true pioneer in the field of athletics with a long list of remarkable achievements. McLendon was hired by Cleveland State University in 1966, becoming the first African-American head basketball coach at a predominantly white institution. Today, there are more than 250 African-American coaches at predominantly white institutions. McLendon left his coaching post at CSU in 1969, but would later return to the university in 1991 as an athletics department advisor, a position he held until his death in October 1999. During that span, McLendon taught a course on the role of minorities in sports, "History of Sports and the Role of Minorities in its Development." 

McLendon is the person responsible for the integration of college basketball. Throughout the years, he was the head basketball coach at North Carolina Central College (1940-52), Hampton Institute (1952-54), Tennessee State University (1954-59), Kentucky State University (1963-66) and Cleveland State University (1966-69).

As successful McLendon was as a coach, his administrative responsibilities were equally as impressive. While serving as the basketball coach at North Carolina Central, McLendon was also the athletics director, a post he held for 12 years. At Hampton, he had additional positions as the assistant director of athletics and physical education. At Tennessee State, McLendon was appointed director of basketball operations from 1954-59 and director of the department of health, physical education, recreation and athletics from 1962-63. However, it was his service on the National Athletic Steering Committee, which McLendon founded in 1949, which had a large impact on the integration of basketball, and eventually, all sports. McLendon also served as director of international promotions for Converse Inc. from 1969-89.