January 28, 2013
Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association Release
The 2013 Northwestern Oklahoma State University Sports Hall of Fame class will be honored at a luncheon in the Student Center Ballroom at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, and formally inducted during halftime of the men’s basketball game vs. Arkansas Tech University that afternoon in Percefull Fieldhouse. Past inductees will be recognized during halftime of the women’s game, which is scheduled to tip off at 2 p.m. with the men’s game to follow at approximately 4 p.m.
The 2013 inductees include Lynette Clark-Brown, women’s basketball; Patrick J. Crayton, football; Daryl K. Richardson, football; and Stephani Bontrager Yunker, women’s basketball.
For more information, contact Lizabeth Richey, Northwestern Alumni Association director of alumni relations, at 580-327-8594 or lrrichey@nwosu.edu.
Inductees
Lynette Clark-Brown
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An Alva native, Brown earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern in 1993. She played forward and center for the Lady Rangers basketball team from 1989 to 1993 and graduated as the third leading scorer in team history with 1,191 points.
During her collegiate career, Brown averaged 11.2 points per game. She earned all-conference honors as a sophomore, leading the team in both scoring (14.3 points) and rebounding (8.4). As a senior, Brown averaged 12.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. That year, she also led the team in steals and blocks with 48 and seven, respectively.
With Brown and a talented cast of players, the Northwestern women emerged as contenders on the national level. They made their first-ever NAIA Tournament appearance in 1992, finishing 24-7 with a number seven national ranking. Brown lists a road win over second-ranked Southwestern Oklahoma State University as one of the highlights of her career.
“Playing basketball for four years at Northwestern produced some of my greatest memories and successes,” Brown said. “I’ll always remember my teammates and coaches.”
Brown’s time at Northwestern kicked off what has become a lifetime of learning. She received a second bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1995 and went on to earn a master’s in education administration from UCO in 2009. She also remained actively involved in athletics for a number of years as a basketball and track coach for Yukon High School, where she taught computer classes. She later taught English for Boulevard Academy Alternative School in Edmond. Currently, Brown serves as assistant principal of Central Middle School in Edmond.
She and her husband, Jimmy, have two children, Brendan and Raegan.
Patrick J. Crayton
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Originally from DeSoto, Texas, Crayton graduated from Northwestern in 2004 with his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology.
A four-time all-conference selection, Crayton was used as a weapon all over the field, playing quarterback and wide receiver on offense. He also returned punts and kickoffs on special teams and still holds several Ranger return records. During Crayton’s time at Northwestern, the Rangers went unbeaten in conference play and advanced to the national title game three times, winning it all in 1999.
Crayton set Northwestern single-season and career touchdown records with 46 total touchdowns (21 of them as a senior) and scored them in a variety of ways. Crayton became the first and only player in NAIA history to score a touchdown as a passer, rusher, receiver, punt returner and kickoff returner in a single season. He ended his career second on the all-time NAIA list with 10 punt returns for touchdowns and amassed more than 5,600 yards. He was named Honorable Mention NAIA All-American in 2000 and 2002 and First Team NAIA All-American in 2001 and 2003. He lists his favorite Northwestern moment as the last-second field goal that sent the Rangers past Sioux Falls in the 2003 NAIA semifinals.
Crayton was drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He was a wide receiver and return specialist for the Cowboys from 2004 to 2009 before being traded to San Diego for the 2010 season. He finished his career with the Chargers in 2011.
Crayton enjoyed a productive NFL career as a receiver and was remarkably consistent. He topped 500 receiving yards in five straight seasons between 2006 and 2010 and averaged a strong 14.8 yards per catch. He finished with 3,650 career receiving yards and 25 touchdown catches. He also returned two punts for touchdown.
In 2008, Crayton was honored by the Northwestern Alumni Association with the Outstanding Graduate Recognition Award. He and his wife, Najiyyah, live in Lewisville, Texas, with their children Patrick Jr., Kennedy and Preston.
Daryl K. Richardson
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A native of Jackson, Miss., Richardson earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Northwestern in 2007. Before joining the Rangers for the 1998 and 1999 football seasons, Richardson attended Hinds Junior College in Mississippi, where he helped the Eagles to back-to-back state championship wins in 1996 and 1997.
In 1998, the linebacker joined forces with the Rangers, helping the team finish the season as the NAIA’s top-ranked defense. The following year, “Unc,” as some knew him, lead the nation’s second-ranked defense. During his career, Richardson amassed 172 tackles, collected 12 sacks, recovered six fumbles, intercepted two passes and scored two touchdowns.
A team captain of the 1999 NAIA National Championship football team, Richardson was selected as the Defensive MVP of the National Championship game and earned similar honors in the 1998 Wheat Bowl. For his accomplishments on the field, Richardson was named Second Team NAIA All-American in 1998. In 1999, he took home First Team All-Conference and First Team NAIA All-American honors.
Richardson says his greatest memory as a Ranger was when the 1999 team was inducted into the Northwestern Sports Hall of Fame.
Following his days as a Ranger athlete, Richardson coached Northwestern linebackers and defensive ends for the 2000 and 2001 seasons and played arena football from 2001 to 2004. Since leaving Northwestern, Richardson has worked for Robert Jones Roofing and UPS and is now a firefighter with the Jackson Fire Department. He lives in Jackson and has four children, Jontario, Jasmine, Darrell and Keagan.
Stephani Bontrager Yunker
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Originally from Cherokee, Yunker received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Northwestern in 1993. She played guard as a four-year starter for the Lady Rangers basketball team from 1989 to 1993.
Averaging nine points per game, Yunker ended her career with four Northwestern records. Her career three-point record (188) was recently surpassed, and her record seven steals in a game was later broken by her sister, Keli Bontrager Woods.
Yunker’s two other marks will be much tougher to beat. She made 74 of 79 free throws during her senior season and holds the Northwestern and NAIA single-season free throw percentage record of 93.7 percent, a mark that has held strong for 20 years. She also holds the record for highest free throw percentage in a game, shooting a perfect 10 of 10.
Like Brown – her former teammate and fellow 2013 inductee – Yunker’s career highlights involve leading the Lady Ranger to their first NAIA National Tournament appearance and a big victory over second-ranked Southwestern in Weatherford. Yunker supplied one of the game’s signature moments, completing a four-point play to help spark the win.
“I am honored to have been a Lady Ranger,” Yunker said. “My greatest memory is the time shared with my amazing teammates and coaches.”
Yunker was named to the OIC Second Team in 1992 and 1993 and to the All-District 9 Academic Team in 1991 and 1992. She was recognized for her achievements on campus and in the classroom and was selected a NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete in 1992 and 1993 and an OIC Scholar-Athlete in 1993. The 1992 Ranger Queen received the Marge Bohlen Award in 1990 and 1991 and the NWOSU Outstanding Senior Award in 1993.
After graduating, Yunker obtained her master’s degree in education from Southwestern. She previously taught math and coached at Clinton Middle School and Chisholm Middle School in Enid before taking a math position at Enid’s Waller Middle School in 2002. She was named a National Board Certified Teacher in 2007. Yunker and her husband, Lawrence, live in Enid with their two children, Britton and Briley.