Dayton Moore, Negro Leaguers highlight large 2026 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame class

The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame will induct the largest class in its 60-plus-year history this summer.

Negro Leagues players, high school/college standout athletes and coaches and a few former pro athletes, coaches and executives make up the organization’s 32-person class of 2026.

This year’s list of inductees will be highlighted by four members of the Kansas City Monarchs — including National Baseball Hall of Famer Charles Wilber “Bullet Joe” Rogan — as well as former Royals general manager Dayton Moore, former NBA player/coach Earl Watson and former Bishop Miege girls high school basketball coach Terry English.

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame spotlights Negro Leagues royalty

The seven Negro Leagues players will be inducted during a special Kansas City Monarchs game on July 18 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas. They are:

• Chester “Chet” Brewer (Jan. 14, 1907-March 26, 1990): Considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Born in Leavenworth, Kansas, Brewer played 19 non-consecutive seasons of pro baseball at various levels between 1925 and 1953, most notably for the KC Monarchs. He was an all-star pitcher with 100-plus shutouts in his career. After his playing days, he was a Pittsburgh Pirates scout from 1957-74.
• Edward Dwight Sr. (Feb. 25, 1905-Nov. 27, 1975): An outfielder and second baseman in the Negro Leagues, Dwight made his home in Kansas City, Kansas. He was a graduate of Sumner High in KCK, where he also played football. He led the Negro American League in stolen bases in 1923 and walks in 1937 and was a starter in the 1936 East-West All-Star Game. His speed was sometimes compared to that of the legendary Cool Papa Bell.
• George Giles (May 2, 1909-March 3, 1992): A Negro Leagues All-Star first baseman (12 years) and manager, Giles was a starter at age 17 and signed with the Monarchs at 18. His last known team was the 1939 Satchel Paige All-Stars. Born in Junction City, he grew up and made his summer home in Manhattan. He managed the Brooklyn Eagles of the Negro Major League in 1935, and Giles’ grandson, Brian Giles, was a second baseman for the New York Mets in the early 1980s.
• Carroll Ray “Dink” Mothell (Aug. 13, 1897-April 24, 1980): This Topeka native played at least one game at every position during his 15 seasons as a player and manager in the Negro Leagues. He helped the Monarchs win the World Series in 1924 and is considered the greatest utility player in the history of the Negro Leagues.

• Charles Wilber Rogan (July 28, 1893-March 4, 1967): Nicknamed “Bullet Joe”, Rogan was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998. He was a pitcher, outfielder, second baseman and player-manager for the Monarchs from 1920-38. He was a two-way player who won the most games as a pitcher in Negro Leagues history and ranks fourth all-time in career batting average. He also led the Monarchs to a World Series title in 1924.
• Diego Segui (Aug. 17, 1937-July 24, 2025): Born in Holguin, Cuba, Segui signed with Cincinnati in 1958. But his first big-league experience came as a pitcher with the Kansas City A’s in 1962. He played his final MLB season in 1977 with the Seattle Mariners and then played in the Mexican League until 1985. Later, he was a minor-league coach in the Giants organization. For his career, he was 92-111 in the majors. He was also baseball’s ERA king in 1970, with a 2.56 earned-run average. Segui raised his family in KCK; son David Segui was a 15-year MLB veteran from 1990 to 2004. Diego Segui is also in the Venezuelan Baseball and Hispanic Heritage Baseball halls of fame.
• Frank Wickware (March 18, 1889-Nov. 2, 1967): Considered for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, Wickware was born in Girard and later moved to Coffeyville. He was a Negro Leagues standout from 1910-25 with an outstanding curveball. He was considered the game’s fastest pitcher until the emergence of Satchel Paige.

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame ceremony in Wichita

Ten Wichita-area coaches, athletes and broadcasters will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame on July 25 at Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane.

The voice of Wichita State athletics, Mike Kennedy, as well as former Wichita South star basketball star Ricky Ross and Olympic sprinter Judy Dyer, are among the top names. The list:

• Bob Barratti: Seven-time state high school champion in track and two-time state cross-country champ (1966-67) at Wichita North. Had fastest times in nation (880, mile, 2-mile) as senior; broke Jim Ryun’s prep half-mile record of 1:50.6. Later was on K-State’s world record 2-mile relay team.
• Greg Brummett: Wichita State’s 1989 College World Series MVP from Wichita Northwest led Shockers to their first national championship. Later played professionally and coached Cloud County C.C.
• Steve Crosby: Was 8-Man Player of the Year at Pawnee Rock High. Played freshman year at K-State, then finished at Fort Hays State. Enjoyed a 33-year tenure in NFL as a player and assistant coach. Was NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year in 2007.
• Judy Dyer: Topeka High and Texas Southern University grad who qualified for 1968 Olympics in 80-meter hurdles. Semifinal time of 10.5 seconds was an American record. NAIA Indoor Champion in the 60-yard dash and 80-meter hurdles.
• DeAngelo Evans: Holds Kansas high school record with 8,472 career rushing yards at Wichita Collegiate. Was 1996 Big 12 Championship Game MVP for Nebraska (130 yards, 3 TDs). Notably, he’s cousins with fellow inductee Maurice Evans.
• Maurice Evans: Led Wichita Collegiate to 1996 3A state hoops title. Started college at Wichita State, finished at Texas. Averaged 22.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as WSU sophomore. Went undrafted but played in NBA for nine seasons.
• C.J. Hamilton: He’s the state’s all-time winningest high school football coach. Went 447-98 in 47 seasons at Silver Lake. Led Eagles to 39 league titles, 40 playoff appearances, 18 state-title games and eight state championships.
• Mike Kennedy: Retiring after 46 years as “Voice of the Shockers.” A two-time Kansas Broadcaster of the Year, he graduated from Wichita Southeast and Wichita State.
• Nathan Leeper: Two-time state high jump champ who also won a triple jump title at Protection High School. Competed for Dodge City C.C. and K-State. The two-time NJCAA national champ later competed in 2000 Olympics, finishing 11th,
• Ricky Ross: One of best hoops players to ever come out of Wichita. Played at Wichita South, then KU and Tulsa. Was a McDonald’s All-American who led Wichita’s City League in scoring at 32.1 points per game. Was actually elected to KSHOF in 2023 but until this year has been unable to attend an induction ceremony.

Kansas Sports Hall of Fame lineup at Sporting Park

On Aug. 16 at Sporting Park in KCK, 10 more people will be inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, including:

• Ray Bechard: A Grinnell native, Bechard coached Kansas Jayhawks volleyball for 27 seasons. He was a five-time Big 12 Coach of the Year and national coach of the year in 2015. His teams made 13 NCAA appearances, advancing to the regional round three times and to the championship semifinals in 2015. He is also member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Before coaching, Bechard played basketball at Barton County Community College. and graduated from Fort Hays State. He coached volleyball at Lewis High School and then at Barton County for 13 years. At the latter stop, he was a two-time national coach of the year.
• Matt Besler: The Blue Valley West alum is widely recognized as one of the best defenders in Major League Soccer history. A five-time MLS All-Star and the 2012 MLS Defender of the Year, Besler was a fixture on Sporting KC’s back line for 12 seasons. He also played on the U.S. Men’s National Team that competed in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He played four seasons at Notre Dame, earning All-America and Academic All-America honors as a senior. In high school he led Blue Valley West to the Kansas 5A State championship as a senior.
• Cliff Illig: Graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School and the University of Kansas. Brought outdoor stadium pro soccer to the state as the principal owner of Sporting Kansas City. Has been a driving force in positioning KC as a premier soccer city in North America, including having a hand in landing the 2026 World Cup. He’s the 2026 Kansas Citian of the Year and co-chairs the KC2026 board of directors.
• John Martin: Ottawa High and KU grad whose art can be viewed all over the world. Became known for his works depicting KU sports, as well as the Chiefs, Royals, and legendary athletics Buck O’Neil, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. He even had a hand in the creation of KC Wolf and created the distinct West Virginia University logo.
• Dayton Moore: A sixth-generation Kansan, Moore — the former Royals GM — was born in Wichita and also lived in Coldwater, playing baseball at Garden City C.C. and George Mason. He joined the Royals organization in 2006 as GM and president, helping transform the franchise from cellar-dweller to 2015 World Series champion. Started the “C You in the Major Leagues Foundation” in January 2014 as a donor-advised fund supporting youth baseball, education, faith-based events, and families in crisis in the greater KC area and beyond.
• Tracy Rietzke: A Smith Center native, Rietzke was an NAIA All-American basketball player at Kansas Wesleyan who led the nation in field goal percentage in 1976. Recorded 1,277 victories in 38 years as volleyball coach at Kansas Wesleyan and Rockhurst University. Had an .818 winning percentage at Rockhurst and in 2019 was named NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. Had 206-45 record as women’s basketball coach at Rockhurst, with five NAIA national tournament appearances. Member of American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
• Cassie (Wait) Valentine: 2013 Kansas City Star Scholar-Athlete, Kansas Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year and three-time Kansas State Class 6A pole vault champion at Gardner Edgerton High. A former KC Star Scholar-Athlete, Wait was a three-year starter and 2016 Big 12 Libero of the Year at KU. Started for the Jayhawks in their 2015 championship-semifinals appearance, a first in program history. Was the 2016 Big 12 Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and honorable mention All-America as a senior.
• Earl Watson: A hoops standout at Washington High in KCK, he averaged 23.4 points, 8.3 assists and 14 rebounds per game. Then he was a four-year starter at UCLA who played the most consecutive games as starter in Bruins history. After that he played 13 seasons in the NBA with seven teams, then started coaching in 2014. He was head coach for the Phoenix Suns from 2016-17 and is currently a Big Ten Network analyst.
• Larry Wilcox: Benedictine College’s head football coach from 1979 to 2020 (42 years), he was also athletic director there from 1982 to 2006. Compiled a record of 305-153 (.666) as coach. That’s the second-most NAIA wins all-time and 13th most ever in college football. He ranks first in career wins among coaches from Kansas’ four-year colleges and universities. His teams appeared in 14 NAIA playoffs, three final fours and 2 bowls, and he was a four-time AFCA Regional Coach of the Year.
• Zach Roberson: Holds the all-time best record — 153-0 — for Kansas high school wrestling. Won four state titles (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) at Blue Valley Northwest. His four-year record at Iowa State was 106-35, including 82-20 in his last three seasons. Was a three-time NCAA All-America and as a senior was the NCAA champion at 133 pounds (1999).

English is one of five who will be inducted posthumously in Kansas City. He oversaw a dynasty at Bishop Miege in girls basketball. In 44 seasons (1975 to 2021), he won 910 games and 22 state championships. In 2020-21 he was named the MaxPreps National Coach of the Year.

Another of the five, former NFL player Derrick Jensen from Osawatomie, died in 2017 from complications of ALS. He was a third-round pick in 1978 out of Texas-Arlington, drafted by the Oakland Raiders. He played in 106 games, making 22 starts, and appeared in Super Bowls XV and XVIII. At UT Arlington, he was a two-time Southland Conference MVP and was the player in the league to rush for 3,000 yards (3,346).

A state high school football champion in 1973, Jensen was a Seattle Seahawks scout for 22 years after his playing days were through.

This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 2:49 PM.

PJ Green

The Kansas City Star

PJ Green is a breaking news reporter for The Star. He previously was a sports reporter for Fox’s Kansas City affiliate and a news reporter for NBC’s Wichita Falls, Texas affiliate. He studied English with a concentration in journalism and played football at Tusculum University. You can reach him at pgreen@kcstar.com or follow him on Twitter and Bluesky - @ByPJGreen