PEMBROKE — Student-athletes representing five different sports, as well as five different decades, and a former chancellor that was a vital supporter during the department’s unprecedented growth in 2006 and 2007, will be officially inducted into the UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming Week in late October, athletics department officials announced Sunday.

Bernice (Brooks) Lowry, one of the pioneers of women’s athletics on campus in the early 1950s, will join baseball player Greg Allen, track & field/cross country standout Rod Lattie, soccer star Jamie Clarke and football all-American Travis “T.D.” Daniels in comprising UNCP’s 43rd Athletics Hall of Fame class. Allen Meadors, who served as the University’s chancellor for 10 years, will join the quintet as a special inductee.

“I feel like the Hall of Fame committee’s work continues to get more difficult, and I’m very appreciative for the time that it invests in sorting through the many worthy candidates,” said Dick Christy, UNCP athletic director. “Each year, it seems to become a greater and greater honor as more and more worthy candidates come forward for consideration.”

Lowry, who served the town of Pembroke and Robeson County as an educator for 30 years, proved to be a dominant figure and pioneer of women’s athletics during the pre-Title IX era at then-Pembroke State College. A hard-nosed guard, she was a key player on James T. Sampson’s women’s basketball squads from 1950-54.

“Bernice was a strong player in her time here,” said former teammate and fellow Pembroke State graduate Dorothy Blue. “We played 6-on-6, half-court basketball in those days, and Bernice would be assigned to guard the best forward on the other team. She was tough on the basketball court.”

Allen was a stalwart behind the plate for head coach Ray Pennington’s squads from 1966-69, and earned all-district honors from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as a senior after hitting .324 with seven extra-base hits (3 HR) and 15 RBI in just 37 games. A key cog in the Black & Gold’s run to a 107-23 mark across four seasons, as well as an NAIA district crown in 1969, Allen was selected in the 33rd round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the New York Mets.

“Greg was strong, durable, athletic and a master at getting the most out of our pitching staff,” said former Pembroke State pitcher and 1995 Hall of Fame inductee Preston Douglas. “Greg was like having an on-field coach, and he was a leader that made our pitchers pitch and not just throw. All of our pitchers benefited from his leadership and defensive abilities.”

Lattie raked in 11 NAIA All-District awards from 1970-74 as a member of Dr. Ed Crain’s cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field squads, but also picked up NAIA All-America honors in 1974 as a member of the four-mile relay squad which established a school record (17:45.60) that still stands today. Across his four-year stay in Pembroke, the Braves captured four-straight NAIA district cross country titles, four NAIA outdoor track & field district crowns in outdoor track & field and a trio of top-25 finishes at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

“Rod was a dedicated athlete that gave 100% effort at every practice, as well as in each competition,” said former teammate and hall of famer Larry Rodgers, who headed up the track & field and cross country programs at UNCP from 1981-2011. “He would always encourage his teammates to do their best at all time, and his level of commitment to the programs were best exemplified in the competitive performances he had throughout his career.”

Clarke played in 64 games (60 starts) across her four-year career (2003-05, 2007) in the Black & Gold, and amassed 175 shots to go along with 24 goals (seven game-winners) and 19 assists on the way to playing a part in 50 victories for the club. The talented midfielder earned all-region laurels from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) following both her sophomore and junior campaigns, as well as a trio of All-Peach Belt Conference honors. She was named the PBC Freshman of the Year in 2003 after logging seven goals and three assists.

“Jamie’s commitment to our team positively impacted our success on the pitch, as well as our recruiting success in the Onslow County area for years to come,” said UNCP soccer head coach Lars Andersson. “She was technically gifted, a tremendous athlete and a fierce competitor. She is, without a doubt, one of the best midfielders I have ever seen in the Peach Belt Conference, the NCAA Southeast Region and beyond.”

Daniels, the football program’s all-time leading rusher, galloped for 3,356 yards and 32 touchdowns on 571 carries for the Braves from 2008-11, while also hauling in 39 receptions for 474 yards and one additional score. A region finalist for the 2011 Harlon Hill Trophy, he earned All-America nods from three different organizations following a senior campaign that saw him rack up 1,865 all-purpose yards, including a 1,631-yard, 15-touchdown effort on the ground. That senior-year exhibition included a record 247 rushing yards (24 carries) in UNCP’s win at Chowan.

“Travis had a great balance of having supreme mobility while also being a bigger back, and his vision was outstanding,” said UNCP football head coach Shane Richardson, who served as defensive coordinator for the Braves from 2007-13. “He was a team player and very humble in the way that he carried himself. The team rallied around him not only for his ability, but also because he was a great teammate.”

Meadors served as UNC Pembroke’s eighth chancellor from 1999-2009, and was at the forefront of major progressions for the athletics department, including the additions of women’s soccer, women’s golf and football to the varsity program. Across his 10 years in Lumbee Hall, new facilities were constructed on campus for football, soccer, softball and track & field, while the English E. Jones Center also underwent a comprehensive renovation that included the addition of athletic training, office and lobby spaces. Campus enrollment more than doubled under the leadership of Meadors as well.

“Dr. Meadors was a tremendous supporter and leader for UNC Pembroke Athletics,” said former athletics director Dan Kenney. “During his 10-year tenure, he helped establish three new sports at UNCP, and his support led all three sports to advance to the NCAA postseason during his time on campus.”