A group of record-setting individuals were honored Thursday, Oct. 2, during the 37th induction banquet of the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame as Justin Alford, Rena Brown, Stephanie Faith and Slug Hefner became the newest members.

The dinner at the Black River Coliseum featured the four honorees, who were later introduced during the Mules Football Homecoming game the following evening at Mules Stadium.

“This is a unique class in that every person being honored holds a record in their discipline and we’re honoring individuals in sports that have not previously been included,” said Brian Rosener, president of the Sports Hall of Fame.

Alford is the first soccer player to be honored while Hefner, owner and driver of Dirty Duck Racing, becomes the first person recognized for motorsports. Brown and Faith, who were both multi-sport athletes that helped the Poplar Bluff girls basketball program reach a final four, will bring the total number of women in the Hall to 13.

There are now 104 individuals and 12 teams honored in the Sports Hall of Fame room located in the Poplar Bluff Museum, in the original Mark Twain School on Main Street. It features uniforms, pictures, trophies and related sports memorabilia.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Mules becoming the mascot of Poplar Bluff High School. The Mules first appeared in the 1925 Thanksgiving Day football game, which PBHS won 13-0 over Paragould after the student-athletes voted to honor Coach E.T. Peters, who was among the inaugural class of the Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.

To be eligible for election into the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, a person must have reached the age of 35, be a native of Poplar Bluff who has participated in or contributed to sports locally or elsewhere, or, a person who came to Poplar Bluff and distinguished themselves here. A person must clear a preliminary ballot of selectors from the community before receiving a minimum of 75 percent of votes by the Board of Directors in order to be elected.

In advance of last week’s inauguration, the E.E. “Bus” Carr Memorial Golf Tournament was held at the Ozark Ridge Golf Course. The event raises funds for the banquet.

The Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Inc. is supported entirely by contributions received from individuals, businesses, service organizations and memorials. Anyone desiring to make a contribution may mail it to: Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Inc., P.O. Box 1022, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902-1022.

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Cutline: (Clockwise, top left) Justin Alford, Rena Brown, Slug Hefner and Stephanie Faith of the Poplar Bluff Hall of Fame Class of 2025 all attended PBHS.