BROWNWOOD, Texas – Dr. Edward Randle and the 1997 men’s 4×100 relay team have been selected as the 2022 inductees into the Howard Payne University Sports Hall of Fame.

After a vote of the Howard Payne sports hall of fame committee, Dr. Edward Randle ’97 and the 1997 NCAA III National Championship men’s 4×100 relay team (Marty Van Dyke ’99, Wilmer Ray ’99, JJ Davis ’00, Sedrick Medlock) will make up the 2022 induction class of the HPU Sports Hall of Fame.

Randle and the relay team will be recognized during this year’s 2021 Homecoming festivities and formally inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at the 2022 HPU Sports Alumni Banquet on May 14, 2022, in the Brownwood Coliseum.

Edward “Big” Randle – Men’s Basketball
A native of Brownwood, Texas, Dr. Edward Randle played for the Yellow Jackets from 1994-1997. Randle led the Jackets to three straight conference titles (1995, 1996, 1997) and three NAIA national tournament appearances (1995, 1996, 1997).

On his way to 1,562 career points, Randle was named the TIAA Player of the Year in 1996 and an All-American in 1996 and 1997, cementing himself as one of the best non-scholarship players to ever play for Howard Payne.

After graduation, his success continued completing a Master of Science in Social Work and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington.

He is currently an Assistant Professor and Director of the Social Work program at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas.

1997 HPU men’s 4X100 relay team (Marty Van Dyke, Wilmer Ray, JJ Davis, Sedrick Medlock)
This 4X100 meter relay team broke the stadium record at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, by running a 40.43 and winning the 1997 National Championship in the 4X100 meter relay. The time of 40.43 is still the third-best time run in NCAA DIII history and the HPU school record in the event.

Here are the members of that relay team, along with their accomplishments as a team and individual performances:

Marty Van Dyke – Thirteen-time National Qualifier…8 x All American including a 3rd place finish indoor championships… Member of the HPU 1997, 1998, and 1999 4X100 meter relay teams.

Wilmer Ray – Ten-time National Qualifier…6 X All American…National runner-up in the indoor 55m dash in 1997…Holds school record 100m at 10.24…Member of the HPU 1996, 1997, and 1998 4X100 meter relay teams.

JJ Davis – Four-time National Qualifier… Five-time All American…Member of HPU 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 4X100 meter relay teams.

Sedrick Medlock – Four-time National qualifier…Two-time All-American… Member of HPU 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 4X100 meter relay teams…1st team All-American defensive back football 1997 and 1998…Selected to Aztec Bowl in 1998…Selected to World Cup team in 1998.

(story courtesy Howard Payne website)