Marilyn Hamilton and Quickie co-founder Don Helman with s prototype wheelchair frame. Photo courtesy of Marilyn Hamilton via The Smithsonian.

The Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its 2024 class of inductees, including Bulldog notables and a pioneering wheelchair athlete.

“This is such an inspiring group. We are excited to see them recognized for the remarkable achievements and great honor they brought to Fresno and our area,” said Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame President Gena Behrens in a news release.

The class includes:

— Pro Bowl running back Ryan Mathews

— Olympian and national javelin champion Nicole Carroll

— Pioneering wheelchair athlete and businesswoman Marilyn Hamilton

— Multi-Valley-championship-winning volleyball coach Vicki Samarin

 — Star of Fresno State’s 1964 NCAA track and field championship team Sid Nickolas

— The 1984 Fresno State volleyball team

Hamilton, who grew up in Dinuba, was paralyzed in a hang-gliding accident in 1978, which inspired her and two partners to invent a lightweight wheelchair called the Quickie that revolutionized and fueled the growth of disabled sports. Hamilton herself became a champion tennis player and skier. In 1982, she won the singles and doubles titles at the National Wheelchair Tennis Championships, then the singles title the following year. She represented the United States at the 1982 Paralympic Games, winning the silver medal and again representing her country in 1984.

Mathews was a Pro Bowl NFL running back and first-round selection in the 2010 NFL draft. Mathews is one of the greatest running backs in Fresno State history; as a Bulldog, he rushed for 3,280 yards and scored 39 touchdowns. Playing with the San Diego Chargers in 2011, Mathews rushed for 1,071 yards and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl. He spent five seasons with the Chargers and his last two with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Carroll was a two-time national champion (1996 and 1998) in the javelin who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Carroll competed for the United States in the 1995 IAAF World Championships. At Fresno State, she improved her personal best by 29 feet and was the 1990 Big West Conference champion in the javelin.

Nickolas was the leading point scorer who powered Fresno State to the 1964 NCAA track and field championship. He was also an NCAA champion in the long jump, high hurdles, and sprint relay, setting school records in the long jump and high hurdles and participating in two relay teams. In the late 1960s, Nickolas spent two years as a member of the popular singing group The Platters.

Samarin is one of the most impactful volleyball coaches in the region’s history. Winning three Valley and 12 league titles in 25 years as a head coach, she led Kerman High to the 1998 and 1999 Division IV Central Section championships and Clovis East to the Division I title in 2015. She was the two-time Fresno Bee Coach of the Year and played at Immanuel High and collegiately at Cal Baptist and Liberty University.

The 1984 Fresno State volleyball team produced one of the most remarkable seasons in school history. That season, the Bulldogs were picked during the pre-season to finish 5th in the conference, but they set a school record with 26 wins en route to a number 19 national ranking and the program’s first trip to the NCAA regional playoffs. 

The newest members of the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame will be honored at the 66th annual Enshrinement dinner on Nov. 21 at Pardini’s. Tickets will be available soon.