This year’s Cullman County Sports Hall of Fame banquet is slated for Saturday, July 20 at Stone Bridge Farms.

The annual induction ceremony — scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. — will usher in the 24th class of the CCSHOF.

Inductees for 2024 include: Amanda Patrick (Cullman), Hilary Stiefelmeyer (Cullman), Robin Conn (Cullman), Dewayne Hill (Holly Pond), Ray Dyer (Hanceville), Perry Hicks (Hanceville), Joey Graves (Cold Springs), Donnie Rice (Cold Springs), Regina Bagwell Jones (West Point), Joseph Winford Smith (Fairview), Taft Dillashaw (Good Hope) and Todd Lindsey (Vinemont).

The Times will highlight each honoree prior to the banquet.

Let’s take a closer look at Regina Bagwell Jones, Amanda Patrick and Perry Hicks. 

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Regina Bagwell Jones (West Point)

West Point High School — Class of 1989

— Won county and area titles (1987-89) as player | Final Four | All-County | All-Area (x2) | Bill Shelton Award | All-State Honorable Mention

— Coached West Point’s varsity girls basketball team (1993-2014) | County champions (x4) | Area champions (x5) | Five regional berths | Two Elite Eights | Handed 1999 Cold Springs and 2001 Hanceville — both state champions — their lone loss of the season

— Coached West Point’s volleyball team (1997-2021) | County champions (x2) | Area champions (x2) | Nine regional appearances | 2020 Class 5A state runner-up

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Inductee Speak

“It’s an honor to be thought of like that and chosen. The biggest thing for me is the relationships with the players. I’m still in contact with several of the players and that means the most to me — that I had an impact on them and they still care about me like I care about them.”

“It was a lot of fun playing basketball. We made the Final Four my sophomore year and that was a very memorable experience. At that time, we were one of the few Cullman County teams that had ever made it that far. Winning the Bill Shelton Award — that was also a highlight. My daughter won it, too, and my two boys won the Joe Shults Award. Those were proud moments.”

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Amanda Patrick (Cullman)

Cullman High School — Class of 1994

— Lettered in basketball, volleyball, indoor/outdoor track and field and cross country

— Racked up 11 individual state championships and seven relay state championships

— Helped Cullman notch state titles in cross country (1990 and 1993), indoor track and field (1992, 1993 and 1994) and outdoor track and field (1994) as well as three runner-up finishes

— Set six state records | State meet MVP in 1993 (outdoor) and 1994 (indoor)

— Helped Cullman win sectional titles in outdoor track and field (1991-94)

— All-State (cross country | 1990-93)

— All-Area (basketball) | All-Area (volleyball)

— Lettered in cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field at Auburn University

— All-SEC | NCAA provisional qualifier | Academic All-American (x3) | Academic All-SEC (x3)

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Inductee Speak

“I’m appreciative of the hall of fame board for putting me in. I was very surprised, but I’m very grateful. I thank God for the talent that He gave me. My parents were great. They supported me and sacrificed so much for their children. We don’t get to pick our parents, so I’m just so thankful that I was blessed with the parents I had growing up. I’m thankful for all the great coaches that I had who pushed me. I am just very grateful for everything God has given me.”

“Gosh, there are so many (memories). I loved all the people and coaches I got to meet. I loved to travel — I would have never had the opportunity to travel to so many places if I never ran track. Of course, when we won, those memories were pretty great, too.”

“It’s awesome (to be in the same class as former teammate Hilary Stiefelmeyer). We were best friends on and off the field. I know that she pushed me to be the best that I could be and I can only hope that I did the same for her. We were always competing against each other and that made us better. We are still friends to this day — she is like my ride-or-die. We remained friends, even in the competitive sports world where she went to Alabama and I went to Auburn. She’s a part of our family and it is just amazing that we came up at the same time. Almost every sports memory that I have is with her, so I don’t know if I would have liked being in the hall of fame if she was not.”

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Perry Hicks (Hanceville)

Hanceville High School — Class of 1971

— Lettered in baseball, basketball, football and track and field

— Started all four years in baseball | East-West All-Star Game

— All-County (football) | Voted most valuable back (1970) | Co-captain

— Led basketball team in assists (1970-1971)

— Basketball official for 10 years

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Inductee Speak

 “I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve had a lot of friends inducted, so I’m just happy to join them. I just enjoyed playing. My dad was a really big sports person, so I guess I just took after him. I had a lot of really good coaches who expected a lot out of you. I always looked up to the older players in Hanceville. They paved paths for us that I’m sure they never even recognized. I had a bunch of good guys and a bunch of good coaches that led me to this honor.”

“I was kind of prone to injuries, so I was always shaking off injuries my four years in high school. I was fortunate enough to score a couple of touchdowns every now and then in football, but I was just fortunate I had a lot of good teammates around me. I made All-County football my senior year after playing just seven games. Pitching a winning game in the county championship against Holly Pond my senior year was also a highlight for me.” 

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▶ The News Courier’s Justin Travis contributed to this report.