Nevada Athletics announces 2023 Hall of Fame class

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Nevada Athletics announced its 2023 Hall of Fame class.

Those inducted into this year’s class include:

Joel Bitonio:

Bitonio played offensive line at the University of Nevada from 2009 to 2013, starting 39 consecutive games over his final four years at the school.

He earned first-team All-Mountain West as an offensive tackle as a senior, as well as honorable-mention all-conference honors as a junior.

Bitonio was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2017 and two Pro Bowl nods since.

Dick Dorworth:

Dorworth was a skier at UNR from 1958 to 1962. He earned All-American honors in 1962 after finishing second in the slalom and combined events at the NCAA Championships.

He also won the Skimeister event and the downhill at the 1958 Nevada Winter Carnival and was named to the U.S. National Ski Team in 1970-1971.

Dorworth was inducted into the United State Ski and Snowboard Association Hall of Fame in 2013.

Michelle Gardner:

Gardner was UNR’s softball coach from 2001 to 2008, amassing a record of 187-179.

UNR restored softball as a varsity sport at the start of the 2003 season, with Nevada playing in the WAC conference. Gardner lead the team to 22 overall wins, the first of what would become six consecutive seasons with 20 plus wins.

She would coach 34 Academic All-WAC selections, 13 preseason All-WAC selections, 21 postseason All-WAC honorees, 21 WAC players of the week, eight WAC All-Toronto selections, one WAC Tournament MVP, and 2009 WAC Player of the Year Vanessa Briones.

Javale McGee:

McGee played basketball at UNR from 2006 to 2008, where he earned second-team All-WAC honors in 2008 as well as being named to the WAC All-Defensive team.

By the end of his career with the Wolfpack, McGee would finish his career fourth on Nevada’s block list with 122 in two seasons and seventh in career field goal percentage at 54%.

He would be drafted by the Washington Wizards 18th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, playing 15 seasons for eight teams, and winning three NBA championships.

Mengjiao “Jo-Jo” Mi:

Mi is one the most decorated swimmers in UNR Swimming’s history, having won a total of 49 individual events in four events.

Eight of those wins were gold medals at the WAC championships, and three at the Mountain West Championships.

She set all-time records at Nevada at the time of 200, 500, 1,000, and 1,650-yard freestyle, as well as the 800-yard freestyle relay, and is also second in the 200 free and is tied for eighth in the 100 freestyle.