LARAMIE, Wyo. — The University of Wyoming Athletics Hall of Fame recently announced its Class of 2025, which includes newly-crowned NFL MVP Josh Allen, two more beloved football players, a trailblazing men’s basketball player, a record-setting baseball player, a versatile women’s basketball player and a star wrestler.
This year’s inductees are Josh Allen (football, 2015-17), Casey Bramlet (football, 2000-2003), Curt Jimerson (men’s basketball, 1961-63), Hugh Lowham (wrestling, 1962-64), Mike Mulvaney (baseball, 1985-88), Lori Kline Waddell (women’s basketball, 1979, 1981-83) and John Wendling (football, 2003-06).
A total of 196 individuals and 25 teams have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1993.
Members of the current committee are Casey Campbell (chairman), Tom Burman, Mike Hamel (vice chairman), Brett Hansen, Rob Jarosh, Kevin McKinney, Dale Ann Meeker, Pat Moran, Bill Schrage, Sally Ann Shurmur, Reggie Slater, and Taylor Stuemky.
Josh Allen
Football, 2015-2017
The most popular and dynamic player ever to play at UW, Allen brought the national spotlight to Wyoming football. He quarterbacked the Cowboys to two consecutive eight-win seasons, a berth in the Mountain West Championship game in 2016 and two bowl games.
Over his career at Wyoming, Allen accounted for 5,833 yards of total offense, with 5,066 passing yards and 767 rushing yards. He was responsible for 57 touchdowns during his career, 44 passing, 12 rushing, and one receiving.
Allen graduated in December 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in social science. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the seventh pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Wyoming’s highest-ever draft pick. He earned second team All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2016 and honorable mention in 2017.
While at Wyoming, Allen was the 2017 preseason Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and was on watchlists for the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award. He was also named the MVP of the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Casey Bramlet
Football, 2000-03
Wyoming’s all-time career leader in passing yards, with 9,684, Bramlet started at quarterback for three years. He earned Mountain West all-conference second-team honors in 2001 and honorable mention honors in 2002 and 2003. A team captain in 2002 and 2003, Bramlet started 40 games at quarterback for Wyoming, including every game from 2001 to 2003.
Bramlet still holds records at Wyoming for career pass attempts and career pass completions, and is second in career touchdown passes with 56. He played in the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Hula Bowl. He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and played in the NFL with the Bengals, the Washington Redskins, and the San Diego Chargers.
Playing in the NFL Europe league, Bramlet led Hamburg to a title and was named MVP in the World Bowl XV in 2007.
Curt Jimerson
Basketball, 1961-63
Jimerson came to Wyoming after a stellar junior college All-American career at the University of Colorado at Pueblo. He immediately became a star on the basketball court, and is also credited with helping to break the color barrier at Wyoming as the first man of color to earn a scholarship and all-conference honors.
He was named All-Skyline Conference both years. His senior year, Jimerson led the team in scoring and free throw percentage and was fourth in scoring in the conference. He is still 10th all-time in career free throw percentage, at 79.9%. He averaged 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds for his career.
Jimerson earned his bachelor’s degree in Education in 1963, while working with the basketball team as a student coach. He played for the Wyoming All-Stars in the Western Invitational Basketball Tournament in Lewiston, Montana, scoring 25 points in one game. In 1964, he enlisted in the Army and was honorably discharged in 1967 following 12 months in Vietnam in combat zones and receiving eight military decorations. He graduated from the FBI Academy in 1968 and went on to have a long career with the Bureau.
Hugh Lowham
Wrestling 1961-64
Hugh Lowham lettered four years for the UW Wrestling Team and helped the team to three conference titles in 1961, 1962 and 1964. He was scheduled to redshirt his freshman year but head coach Everett Lantz asked him to give up his redshirt and compete to help the team. He ended up as the runner-up Skyline Conference champion that year, and followed that up with three straight conference championships at three different weights.
His sophomore year, he was the Skyline Conference champion at 177 pounds, his junior year he won the WAC championship at 191 pounds, and followed that up by winning the WAC championship title at heavyweight as a senior.
Lowham left Wyoming with a degree in Engineering and began a distinguished career with the U.S. Geological Survey, later forming Lowham Engineering, a company specializing in water and environmental projects.
Mike Mulvaney
Baseball, 1985-88
An outstanding hitter and first baseman, Mulvaney earned all-Western Athletic Conference honors in 1986 and 1987, and was named a third-team All-American in 1987. A four-year letterwinner, Mulvaney posted a career batting average of .396 and holds the Cowboy career records for hits, runs batted in and runs scored. He is also listed in the top three in doubles and home runs.
Coached by Bill Kinneberg, the Cowboys finished first in the WAC Eastern Division in 1986 with a record of 29-19 and claimed third place in the Western Division in 1987 at 27-22. Mulvaney was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the MLB Draft.
He earned a degree in education from UW and went on to teach and coach at the college and high school levels for many years.
Lori Kline Waddell
Basketball, 1979, 1981-83
A trailblazer in women’s athletics, Waddell was a four-year letterwinner for the Cowgirl basketball team. She scored 1,521 points in her career, averaging 13.1 points per game. To this day, she holds the Cowgirl record for blocked shots, with 322. She had nine blocks in a game three times during her career. Waddell also holds four of the top six marks all-time for blocks in a season. She is still in the top five in the Cowgirl record book for career rebounds with 947 and ranks 10th in career scoring.
A versatile player, she had 36 double-doubles during her career.
After earning her degree from UW, she was a speech pathologist in Wyoming public schools for many years.
John Wendling
Football, 2003-06
Wendling concluded his Wyoming football career as one of the most decorated student athletes in school history. A hard-hitting safety, he earned honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference as a sophomore and a junior, and was named First Team All-Mountain West Conference as a senior in 2006. He was also named a second team All American by College Football News.
He finished his four-year career ranked No. 10 in school history in career tackles with 259. He led Wyoming in tackles his senior season, credited with 78. The Rock Springs native was also elected Wyoming’s defensive team captain as a senior.
He played in the East-West Shrine Game to conclude his college playing career and participated in the NFL Combine. Wendling was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the 10th pick in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He also played for the Detroit Lions.
Academically, Wendling earned a post-graduate scholarship by being named a finalist for the Draddy Trophy, which is presented annually by the National Football Foundation (NFF) to the top football scholar athlete in the country. He earned another of the nation’s top academic honors when he was named a Second Team Academic All American by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Wendling also earned Academic All-Conference honors all four years of his career at Wyoming.