The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Announces Two More Inductees into Hall of Fame Class of 2017
8/16/2017 3:56:00 PM | Blazer Boosters
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As a continuation of this week's UAB Hall of Fame inductee reveal, two former Blazers have been announced as members of the Hall of Fame class of 2017 - men's basketball standout Jerome Mincy and decorated women's tennis star Mirela Vladulescu Booker.
"UAB has a rich history of student-athletes who have excelled at the highest level, and we are honored to have such well-rounded individuals in Jerome Mincy and Mirela Vladulescu Booker inducted into this class," UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram said. "These former student-athletes exemplified the UAB spirit in their athletic endeavors and continue to do so in their respective communities."
The men's basketball career leader in starts (124), games played (136) and rebounds (933) over a career that spanned from 1982-1986, a glimpse into Jerome Mincy's career stats epitomizes the toughness that the Blazer's played with under legendary coach Gene Bartow (class of 2009).
In addition to the aforementioned records, Mincy is also the career leader in free throws made (459), eighth on the all-time scoring list at 1,473 points, ninth in career field goals made with 507, and fifth in career blocks (131). Mincy was peppered with honors throughout his career, which included a spot on the Basketball Weekly Freshman All-American team following the 1982-83 season.
He was subsequently named to the Sun Belt All-Conference first team during the 1983-84 and 1985-86 campaigns. A member of the Sun Belt's 30th Anniversary Team, Mincy's jersey is retired at UAB.
""I'm truly excited about being inducted into the UAB Hall of Fame, considering I'm a graduate of the university nearly three decades ago. To be a part of this prestigious group, noting all the student-athletes left an impact on this program, the fact I was chosen is tremendous," Mincy said.
The list of Mirela Vladulescu Booker's accolades and accomplishments as a Blazer are vast and extensive. Booker was a four-time All-Conference USA selection from 1997-2001 and was awarded the Most Valuable Player in Conference USA following the 1998 and 2000 seasons.
Due to her overwhelming success and skill, Booker was a participant in the 1999 Rolex National Indoors singles event. She was crowned the winner in 1997 as the Riviera Women's All-America singles champion and advanced to the second round of the same tournament the following year. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recognized her as the ITA National Rookie of the Month in October 1997. Ranked No. 1 nationally among singles during the 1997-98 season, Vladulescu Booker was an ITA All-American, a NCAA All-American, and the ITA National Rookie of the Year in 1998.
She also was a Honda Award nominee during the same season, which coincided with Conference USA MVP and Freshman of the Year honors. Vladulescu Booker was an annual participant in the NCAA tournament, reaching the second round of doubles play in 1998 in addition to the quarterfinals of singles play during the same season. She was a participant in the NCAA tournament again in 1999, and advanced to the third round of singles play in 2001. Lastly, Vladulescu Booker was tabbed as the Conference USA Player of the Month in October of 2001. She was named to the Conference USA All-Decade team in 2005.
"I want to thank the Hall of Fame committee for recognizing me as an athlete worthy of being inducted into the UAB Hall of Fame. I am humbled and honored to be in the company of such accomplished alumni," Vladulescu Booker said. "I will be forever grateful for the privilege to not only play and excel at the sport I love, but just as important, for the high quality education I was afforded at UAB."
The Class of 2017 was selected by a committee of former student-athletes and current UAB administrators based on criteria from the Hall of Fame Bylaws. The five selected recipients will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 13, prior to UAB's home football game vs. Middle Tennessee on Oct. 14.
The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at The Club on 1 Robert S Smith Drive and is open to the public. Individual tickets are $100, while former student-athletes are $75. The option to purchase a table is also available for $800. Contact Blazer Boosters for more information about the banquet at 205-996-9969.
The final inductee of the 2017 class will be announced Thursday, rounding out the five-member group. To keep up with the latest in UAB sports, follow @UAB_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram.
"UAB has a rich history of student-athletes who have excelled at the highest level, and we are honored to have such well-rounded individuals in Jerome Mincy and Mirela Vladulescu Booker inducted into this class," UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram said. "These former student-athletes exemplified the UAB spirit in their athletic endeavors and continue to do so in their respective communities."
The men's basketball career leader in starts (124), games played (136) and rebounds (933) over a career that spanned from 1982-1986, a glimpse into Jerome Mincy's career stats epitomizes the toughness that the Blazer's played with under legendary coach Gene Bartow (class of 2009).
In addition to the aforementioned records, Mincy is also the career leader in free throws made (459), eighth on the all-time scoring list at 1,473 points, ninth in career field goals made with 507, and fifth in career blocks (131). Mincy was peppered with honors throughout his career, which included a spot on the Basketball Weekly Freshman All-American team following the 1982-83 season.
He was subsequently named to the Sun Belt All-Conference first team during the 1983-84 and 1985-86 campaigns. A member of the Sun Belt's 30th Anniversary Team, Mincy's jersey is retired at UAB.
""I'm truly excited about being inducted into the UAB Hall of Fame, considering I'm a graduate of the university nearly three decades ago. To be a part of this prestigious group, noting all the student-athletes left an impact on this program, the fact I was chosen is tremendous," Mincy said.
The list of Mirela Vladulescu Booker's accolades and accomplishments as a Blazer are vast and extensive. Booker was a four-time All-Conference USA selection from 1997-2001 and was awarded the Most Valuable Player in Conference USA following the 1998 and 2000 seasons.
Due to her overwhelming success and skill, Booker was a participant in the 1999 Rolex National Indoors singles event. She was crowned the winner in 1997 as the Riviera Women's All-America singles champion and advanced to the second round of the same tournament the following year. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) recognized her as the ITA National Rookie of the Month in October 1997. Ranked No. 1 nationally among singles during the 1997-98 season, Vladulescu Booker was an ITA All-American, a NCAA All-American, and the ITA National Rookie of the Year in 1998.
She also was a Honda Award nominee during the same season, which coincided with Conference USA MVP and Freshman of the Year honors. Vladulescu Booker was an annual participant in the NCAA tournament, reaching the second round of doubles play in 1998 in addition to the quarterfinals of singles play during the same season. She was a participant in the NCAA tournament again in 1999, and advanced to the third round of singles play in 2001. Lastly, Vladulescu Booker was tabbed as the Conference USA Player of the Month in October of 2001. She was named to the Conference USA All-Decade team in 2005.
"I want to thank the Hall of Fame committee for recognizing me as an athlete worthy of being inducted into the UAB Hall of Fame. I am humbled and honored to be in the company of such accomplished alumni," Vladulescu Booker said. "I will be forever grateful for the privilege to not only play and excel at the sport I love, but just as important, for the high quality education I was afforded at UAB."
The Class of 2017 was selected by a committee of former student-athletes and current UAB administrators based on criteria from the Hall of Fame Bylaws. The five selected recipients will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 13, prior to UAB's home football game vs. Middle Tennessee on Oct. 14.
The Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at The Club on 1 Robert S Smith Drive and is open to the public. Individual tickets are $100, while former student-athletes are $75. The option to purchase a table is also available for $800. Contact Blazer Boosters for more information about the banquet at 205-996-9969.
The final inductee of the 2017 class will be announced Thursday, rounding out the five-member group. To keep up with the latest in UAB sports, follow @UAB_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram.
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