CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
WILLIAMSON — The Williamson High School Athletic Hall of Fame Board of Directors has announced its inductees for the Class of 2026.
The 2026 class, which will be the 29th group enshrined alongside other Wolfpack greats, will induct four new members. The four members of the WHS Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026 are as follows:
TONY AUSTIN: Austin was a 1985 graduate of WHS, where he was a 3-year letterman in football and baseball and a 1-year letterman in track and field. Austin served as the team captain for the Wolfpack on the gridiron in his junior and senior seasons. He was a two-time selection for the All-Area Football Team and played in the 1985 Kiwanis Senior Bowl.
Austin was also a standout on the baseball diamond, earning Honorable Mention All-State as a senior. He was named to the All-Area Baseball Team in both 11th and 12th grade. After graduating from WHS, Austin played two seasons at West Liberty State College and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1985.
CHRIS HATCHER: Hatcher was a three-sport athlete for the ‘Pack, where he was a 4-year letterman in football and basketball and a 3-year letterman in baseball. In his senior season in 2010, Hatcher finished in the Top 10 in state scoring and was named a Special Honorable Mention on the Class A All-State Team.
Hatcher helped lead WHS to the state basketball tournament in their final year of existence (2011) and as a result, was named Honorable Mention on the All-State Basketball squad.
JIM LEFTWICH: Leftwich was a standout lineman for the Williamson High football team in both the 1975 and 1976 gridiron seasons. He was a captain on the squad in his senior season and was named Honorable Mention on the All-Tri-State Team by the Herald-Dispatch. Leftwich won the 1976 Virginia Brown Award at WHS, which went to the Christian Athlete of the Year.
After graduating from WHS, Leftwich had a 4-year collegiate career. He played two years of junior college at Monterey College, where he helped the team to the NorCal Championship and was named MC Lineman of the Year. He then transferred to Liberty University for his final two seasons and was a co-captain for the Flames during his senior campaign.
RENÉE JACKSON ROBISON: Renée Jackson Robison was a 1987 graduate of Williamson High School. A multisport athlete, she excelled in basketball, softball, and track while also serving as an active member of Williamson High School’s marching band.
Robison’s most significant achievement came during her junior year, when she played a pivotal role in leading the Lady Wolves basketball team to the West Virginia State Basketball Tournament—marking the program’s first appearance since 1979. As one of the team’s leading scorers that season, Robison earned a spot on the West Virginia State All-Tournament Honorable Mention team. She was also named Honorable Mention All-State as a senior. Today, Robison continues to make an impact in education as an elementary school teacher in Kanawha County.
The 2026 class will be officially inducted at the annual induction ceremony and banquet, to be held Saturday, Aug. 1, inside the Williamson Community Center in West Williamson.
A meet-and-greet will be held from 3 p.m., with the dinner and induction ceremony beginning at 4 p.m.
Aside from inducting the 29th HOF Class, the Board of Directors will also recognize the 1985-1986 Williamson High School boys’ basketball squad, which brought home the Class AA state championship with a 48-46 win over Wheeling Central Catholic.
Additionally, the HOF will also be honoring worthy individuals with its newest HOF honor, “The Friend of the Pack” Award, during the induction ceremony.
This is a new award created in 2022 by the Athletic Hall of Fame Board and will be awarded at the discretion of the Hall’s Board of Directors to those individuals the board believes to have made exceptional contributions to the success of Williamson High School’s athletics program during the school’s 101-year history.
The 2026 “Friend of the Pack” honorees will be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the induction weekend will be $40 per person and $25 for children 12 and under. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased by contacting Athletic Hall of Fame Board Treasurer Cecilia Lynn Hatfield Barker at 606-625-0085 or [email protected] or by contacting Board President Harold Hickok at 423-316-0355.
For more information on the Williamson Athletic Hall of Fame and its 29th Annual Hall of Fame Weekend, you may contact the HOF through its Facebook page at Williamson High School Athletic Hall of Fame.