LONDON, Ont.- On November 8, 2012, the London Hall of Fame will induct four Mustang alumni and contributors: Larry Haylor, Don Getty, Pete Lemon, and the 1991 Western Mustangs men’s basketball team, for their outstanding accomplishments in the London sports community.
 
Once a Mustang, always a Mustang, Western is extremely proud of its alumni coaches and athletes, and the inductees for the 2012 Hall of Fame Class are no exception, contributing their time, spirit and dedication to the Western Mustangs program, leading and inspiring the future graduating classes.
 
Larry Haylor is a name that is anything but alien to the Western Mustangs program, contributing 31 years to Western in a 36-year football career. The football legend is being inducted to the London Sports Hall of Fame as a builder and founder to modern football after leading the Western Mustangs football team for 22 consecutive seasons and eventually becoming the winningest coach in Canadian Interuniversity Sport football history.
 
Haylor racked up 169 wins breaking legendry Western football coach John P. Metras’ 119 win record, before Saskatchewan’s Brian Towriss broke Haylor’s record last season. A six time OUA and two time CIS Coach of the Year, Haylor led the Mustangs to eight Yates Cup victories (’85, ’86, ’88, ’89, 90, ’94, ’95, ’98), and two Vanier Cup wins (’89, ’94).
 
Starting as offensive co-ordinator in 1975 and taking the head coach position in 1984, Haylor walked the Western sidelines until his retirement in 2006, passing the torch to one of his former players, current head coach Greg Marshall.
 
Following his retirement Haylor was inducted into the Mustang football Wall of Champions in 2009 for his outstanding contributions to Western football. The team also created a scholarship in Haylor’s name available for first year players.
 
Haylor’s legacy extended further than the Western community, grabbing the attention of sports fans around the London community. Jim Kernaghan, a retired London Free Press sports columnist once wrote, “any coach can have a good season or two. Having good decades like Haylor is truly exceptional.”
 
Haylor’s dedication, passion, and sense of humour made him an exceptional mentor and brought Western football unprecedented levels of success. His legacy continues to echo throughout TD Waterhouse Stadium and the entire Western community.
 
Western University alumni Don Getty is being inducted to the 2012 Hall of Fame Class as a legendary football athlete. Getty served as quarterback for the Mustangs while attending Western and led the team to two consecutive Yates Cup victories in 1952 and 1953 before leading the team to the Eastern Collegiate Union Football Championships in 1954 and 1955. Football was not Getty’s only calling, playing basketball for the Mustangs as starting guard and winning the Senior Collegiate Championship of Ontario for three consecutive years in 1952, 1953, and 1954.  
 
Before graduating with a degree in Business Administration, Getty was awarded the Dr. Claude Brown Trophy for Western’s Most Outstanding Athlete of 1955. Years later he was inducted into Western’s “W Club” Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980.
 
Getty’s football career continued to a professional level playing for the Edmonton Eskimos for ten years, winning two Grey Cup Championships. He was also named Outstanding Canadian in the Western Conference in 1959, and was runner-up for the Schenley Award for Outstanding Player in the Canadian Football League. When Getty’s football career ended, he went on to found his own company, Baldonnel Oil and Gas company in 1964, and eventually became the Premier of Alberta serving from 1985-1992.
 
The 1991 Western Mustangs men’s basketball team will also be inducted as an outstanding team to the 2012 Hall of Fame class. The 1991 team marks a monumental moment for Mustangs basketball history claiming the CIAU (now CIS) Championship in Halifax on March 17, 1991. It was the first, and to date only,  national men’s basketball championship in Western history.
 
Coached by Craig Boydell, the team suffered only three losses and gained 29 wins in the OUA during their championship season. The 1991 team roster included: Craig Boydell (Head Coach), Jim Allen (Assistant Coach), Marli Pinnau (Manager), Terri Todd (Trainer), Cindy Mar (Manager), players, Glenn Eastland, Dave Ormerd, James Green, Aaron Czaja, Mike Yuhasaz, Peter Vandebovenkamp, John Stiefelmeyer, Brian Does, Michael Lynch, Carl Grindstaff, Steve King, Ryan Smith, Mike Partridge, and Brendan Noonan.
 
Western Mustang’s women’s softball coach, Pete Lemon, BA, BPE (McMaster), MHK (Windsor), PhD (Wisconsin-Madison), will also be honoured this week with a Spirit of Sport award as volunteer of the year. Lemon is currently a Health Sciences professor at Western University and a mentor to graduate students while researching the “health and performance effects of regular training and proper nutrition supplementation.”
 
A former university varsity athlete himself, Lemon was part of Ohio’s Kent State University for almost 20 years. Lemon has coach numerous sports including softball at different skills levels since 1993 and was named head coach for the Mustangs in 2002.  Pete Lemon continues to coach the women’s softball team and is greatly noted for his significant volunteer contributions.
 
The Mustang inductees will be honoured this Thursday, November 8 into the London Sports Hall of Fame at the Western Fair District’s Carousel Room.