The late Floyd B. “Doc” Buchanan will be the first inductee into the new Clovis Unified School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

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Buchanan, the founding superintendent of the school district, set the standard that competition would be a critical component in Clovis Unified, according to a press release issued by the district.

“The world is competitive, Doc said, and he charged his employees to teach students how to compete with themselves, with others and with exceeding the standards,” the release stated. “Whether athletically or academically, Doc said competition helped students and teachers strive to greater heights. It is his high expectations and standards that set the stage for CUSD’s rich legacy in athletics.”

In addition to Buchanan, eight other CUSD athletes, teams and coaches were announced as part of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.

A special Night of Champions celebrating the inductees will be held Nov. 5 in the Shaghoian Concert Hall. A display showcasing the Hall of Fame will initially be in the district’s Professional Development Building, but plans are in the works to create a permanent location at one of the district’s athletic facilities.

Other inductees in the inaugural class include Clovis High football and baseball player Daryle Lamonica, who was an All-American quarterback at Notre Dame and led the Oakland Raiders to the Super Bowl; Clovis High wrestling coach Dennis DeLiddo, who had a 145-7-1 record at Clovis High, five CIF section and three CIF state championships, and directed Fresno State to eight conference championships; Clovis West three-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball and track and field) Ruth Lawanson, who was the first female athlete at Fresno State to have her jersey retired and who was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team; and Clovis High’s softball player Amanda Scott, who was Fresno State’s first four-time 1st Team All-American and was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Softball Team that won a gold medal.

Clovis West basketball player Chris Hernandez and Clovis High/Clovis North legendary football coach Tim Simons will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with members of the 1968 Clovis High School Boys Basketball Team, which won Clovis Unified’s first-ever North Yosemite League Championship and the 1970 Clovis High School Football Team, which won Clovis Unified’s first Yosemite Division CIF Section Championship.

A selection committee made up of community members and area coaches considered more than 2,000 potential inductees for the Hall of Fame.