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Monday. Most had been nominated before. A familiar name was Gene Semko, a UTEP graduate who
has become one of the top football officials in the country. Nominated for the first time was Steve Kaplowitz, one of the most versatile journalists in El Paso sports media history.
There were three nominees for the coach-administrator category, two for the media category and one each for the officials category and the posthumous category. Strangely, no athletes were nominated at the first meeting.
More nominations are expected at the next two nomination meetings. They’ll be held at 5:15 p.m. on Feb. 18 and March 4 at First Christian Church, 901 Arizona Avenue. Each resume must consist of 60 copies which will be distributed to members of the board of directors.
Following are last Monday’s nominees:
COACHES/ADMINISTRATORS
Russ Vandenburg, who played football one year under UTEP coach Bobby Dobbs before a second concussion ended his playing days. He then went on to coach football and track at Burges High School before turning to business and becoming one of the city’s and UTEP’s biggest backers of sports both financially and otherwise.
Roy Culberson, a former Bel Air High School three-sport star who played football at New Mexico Highlands University but graduated from UTEP in 1971. He went on to coach at Andress and Eastwood High Schools and be an assistant coach at UTEP. He also coached at University of North Texas before becoming associate athletic director there then athletic director at Montevallo University and Jackson State University.
Jimmy Melendez, the successful baseball coach at Riverside High School where he won four bi-district championships, seven area titles, seven region quarterfinals, one region semi-final, one region final and is one of only four El Paso coaches ever to make the Final Four at the state tournament.
OFFICIALS
Gene Semko, a Burges High School and UTEP graduate who went on to become one of the top football officials in the country. He worked in the Western Athletic Conference for seven years and has worked in the Big 12 Conference since 2004. While in the WAC, he worked in the 1997 WAC championship game, the 1998 Cotton Bowl and the 2001 Motor City Bowl. And while in the Big 12 he has worked 10 Bowls, including the 2008 BAC national championship game between Ohio State and LSU and the 2012 BCS national championship game between LSU and Alabama.
MEDIA
Steve Kaplowitz, one of the most versatile journalists in the history of El Paso. His daily weekday KROD sports talk show has been a great asset to the El Paso sports scene and he’s also done play by play of both football and basketball games, worked in television, writes a weekly sports column, hosts the El Paso Sports Expo and has hosted various other major local sports events.
Eric Alwan, the director of publicity at Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino who has become one of New Mexico’s race callers. He gained national fame early in life when his father, Dick Alwan, taught him to handicap horses races. He showed such an unusual talent that by the age of eight he was appearing on national television shows.
POSTHUMOUS
Robert Rapanut, one of the most popular equipment managers at UTEP who passed away in 2003 while on the job. He was such a big booster of the Miners and so inspirational Rapanut was awarded the game ball from football coach Charlie Bailey after UTEP beat Brigham Young University one year.