University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Sheila Ford Duncan, Pete McDaniel Named in Mountain Athletic Amateur Committee 2026 Hall of Fame Class
08.07.2026 | General, Athletics News
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame Members Shelia Ford Duncan '84 and Pete McDaniel '74 have been named in the Mountain Athletic Amateur Committee's 2026 Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted on Sunday, October 4th at the Omni Grove Park Inn starting at 5 p.m. Tickets for the event cost $75 and can be purchased at www.wncsportsawards.org.
This year's Hall of Fame Class includes Scott Conner, former football coach at A.C. Reynolds, former Mars Hill football coach Tim Clifton, former Brevard College cross country coach Norm Witek, former Clemson women's basketball player Annette Wise and former UNC Asheville women's basketball player Sheila Ford Duncan.
This year's lifetime achievement honorees are longtime Western Carolina football and basketball play-by-play announcer Gary Ayers, sportswriter Pete McDaniel and former Western Carolina and Cherokee football coach Kent Briggs, who will be inducted posthumously after passing away in June.
Sheila Ford Duncan led the UNC Asheville women's basketball team to the 1984 NAIA national championship. She averaged more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs and was named the tournament MVP. Sheila completed her career as college basketball's all-time leading rebounder with 2,200 rebounds. That figure still stands today. She was an inaugural member of the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the North Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
Arden native Pete McDaniel was a dual-sport athlete at UNC Asheville, playing on both the golf and basketball teams. After graduating in 1974, Pete became one of the world's most well-known golf journalists. He began his career at the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Hendersonville Times-News before spending more than 15 years in various roles, including senior writer, with Golf Digest and Golf World. He is most known for his coverage of golf great Tiger Woods. Pete co-authored a book titled Training a Tiger with the late Earl Woods, Tiger's father. In addition, he co-authored Tiger Woods' best-selling golf instruction book How I Play Golf. His work has earned him an induction into the African American Golfers Hall of Fame and the National Black Golf Hall of Fame. Pete has also been named Publisher of the Year for his work, was awarded the Denzel Washington community service award by the White Plains (NY) Boys and Girls Club and was the recipient of the Harlem YMCA's Black Achiever in Industry Award.
This year's Hall of Fame Class includes Scott Conner, former football coach at A.C. Reynolds, former Mars Hill football coach Tim Clifton, former Brevard College cross country coach Norm Witek, former Clemson women's basketball player Annette Wise and former UNC Asheville women's basketball player Sheila Ford Duncan.
This year's lifetime achievement honorees are longtime Western Carolina football and basketball play-by-play announcer Gary Ayers, sportswriter Pete McDaniel and former Western Carolina and Cherokee football coach Kent Briggs, who will be inducted posthumously after passing away in June.
Sheila Ford Duncan led the UNC Asheville women's basketball team to the 1984 NAIA national championship. She averaged more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs and was named the tournament MVP. Sheila completed her career as college basketball's all-time leading rebounder with 2,200 rebounds. That figure still stands today. She was an inaugural member of the UNC Asheville Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the North Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
Arden native Pete McDaniel was a dual-sport athlete at UNC Asheville, playing on both the golf and basketball teams. After graduating in 1974, Pete became one of the world's most well-known golf journalists. He began his career at the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Hendersonville Times-News before spending more than 15 years in various roles, including senior writer, with Golf Digest and Golf World. He is most known for his coverage of golf great Tiger Woods. Pete co-authored a book titled Training a Tiger with the late Earl Woods, Tiger's father. In addition, he co-authored Tiger Woods' best-selling golf instruction book How I Play Golf. His work has earned him an induction into the African American Golfers Hall of Fame and the National Black Golf Hall of Fame. Pete has also been named Publisher of the Year for his work, was awarded the Denzel Washington community service award by the White Plains (NY) Boys and Girls Club and was the recipient of the Harlem YMCA's Black Achiever in Industry Award.
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