Six star athletes to be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2026

Several big names in Colorado sports history will be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame next year.

The six athletes, including Broncos all-time interceptions leader Steve Foley, along with former Denver Nuggets guard Lafayette "Fat" Lever, will be honored in a ceremony next year. Former CU and NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart, Olympic gold medalist Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández, track star Wendy Koenig Knudson, and DU all-time basketball scorer Harry Hollines are also among the 2026 inductees.

Foley played with the Broncos from 1976-86, and finished his NFL career with 44 interceptions, the most in the team's history. During that time, the Broncos won four AFC West Division titles and made the first two Super Bowl appearances in franchise history.

Lever was known as the king of the triple-doubles, with 43 during his six seasons with the Nuggets. He remains the franchise's steals leader and is third in assists. Lever helped lead the team to the NBA Western Conference Finals in his first season and earned NBA All-Star status in 1988 and 1990.

Stewart is still remembered for his 1994 "Miracle in Michigan" play when he threw a 64-yard touchdown pass as time expired, giving CU a 27-26 win over Michigan. Known as "Slash" due to his versatility, Stewart led the Buffs to a 27-5-1 record, two bowl victories, a No. 3 national ranking in 1994, and three runner-up finishes in the Big Eight. He went on to play with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist "Gigi" Fernández lived in Aspen during much of her career. She won 70 Women's Tennis Association titles, 17 Grand Slam titles, and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010. Fernández is a native of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and became the nation's first female professional athlete in 1983.

Colorado State University graduate Wendy Koenig Knudson became the second American woman to break the two-minute mark in the 800-meter run during the semifinals of the '76 Olympics. She earned All-America honors during her time at CSU and was a three-time national AAU champion. Knudson claimed two national titles in the 880-yard run and one in the 1,500 meters.

Denver native Harry Holliness still holds three of the top four scoring seasons in Pioneers history. He finished top 20 in the nation for his scoring average in 1966-1968 and earned All-America honors during his final two seasons with DU. Holliness is also known for giving back to his community, serving as the director of the Skyland Rec Center.

The banquet and ceremony to honor the inductees for their achievements will be held in the Hilton Denver City Center next April.