RENO, Nev. – Nevada announced the five-member Class of 2023 which will be inducted into the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame this October.

The Class of 2023 features Joel Bitonio (Football; 2009-13), Dick Dorworth (Skiing; 1958-62), Michelle Gardner (Softball, 2001-08), JaVale McGee (Men's Basketball; 2006-08), and Mengjiao "JoJo" Mi (Women's Swimming & Diving; 2009-13).

The quintet will be inducted during Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 27-29), and honored at Nevada's Homecoming football game Oct. 28 against New Mexico. Single-game tickets are now available at MyNevadaTickets.com.

Laurie Beck, who served as an academic advisor at Nevada from 1984-90, and again from 2003-18, will be honored as the recipient of the 2023 Silver & Blue Service Award.

"We are thrilled to unveil our 2023 Hall of Fame class, and look forward to honoring them this fall," said Nevada Athletic Director Stephanie Rempe. "From pioneers of sport to conference and professional league champions, and an Olympic Gold Medalist, this year's class represents the elite level of success and fame achieved by Nevada student-athletes."

More information on the 2023 Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame induction event will come at a later date.

Since its inception in 1973, the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame has inducted 233 individuals and five teams.

2023 Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame Class
Joel Bitonio – Football (2009-13)
One of the top offensive lineman in school history and in the Mountain West Conference… started 39 consecutive games over his final four years at Nevada… earned first-team All-Mountain West honors at tackle as a senior… honorable-mention all-conference honoree as a junior… was named the team's Basalite Big Blocker of the Year in 2013… also earned three of the team's Big Blocker Awards for best performance by a lineman in a victory in 2012 ... paved the way for the seventh-best rushing attack in the nation at 271.0 yards per game and the nation's second-leading rusher in Stefphon Jefferson (144.85) in 2012 ... also part of a total offensive attach that was eighth in the nation at 514.85 that year ... stepped in and started all 13 games at one of the tackle positions for the Union in 2011 ...was a key force in leading the way for the fifth-best offense in the nation and earned Basalite Big Blocker honors for his performance against UNLV that season… won the Offense's Full-Speed, Effort and Habit Award as the Scout Team Player of the Year as a freshman… was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round (35th overall) in the 2014 NFL… after battling injuries his first two seasons, broke out in 2017 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection after starting 16 games at left guard in 2017… a three-time Pro Bowl selection… has started every game he has played in the NFL… he and his wife, Courtney (also a Nevada alumna), recently gave a $1 million gift to Nevada Athletics to fund The Bitonio Family Strength & Conditioning Center.

Dick Dorworth – Skiing (1958-62)
Earned All-America honors in 1962 after finishing second in the slalom and combined events at the NCAA Championships… also finished third in Skimeister (a combined event in the four disciplines of slalom, downhill, ski jumping and cross country)… won the Skimeister event and downhill at the 1958 Nevada Winter Carnival… was named to the first U.S. National Training Team… set the speed skiing world record in Chile in 1963, the first American to hold the title… coached the U.S. National Ski Team in 1970-71… was inducted into the United States Ski and Snowboard Association Hall of Fame in 2013… has established himself as one of America's most famed ski adventurers and authors… has written for virtually every ski/recreation publication… has written several books, including Night Driving, The Joy of Skiing and The Only Path II… received recognition by the International Skiing History Association with an Ullr Award in 2012 for the best book on skiing… has also appeared in a Warren Miller movie and was the director of the Aspen Mountain Ski School from 1988-92.

Michelle Gardner – Softball Coach (2001-08)
Turned in an overall record of 187-176 and 60-56 in WAC play in six seasons as Nevada's head softball coach… was hired by Nevada in December of 2001 when the university decided to bring softball back a varsity sport following a 14-year hiatus… the Wolf Pack began competing in the WAC with the start of the 2003 season and Gardner led the team to 22 overall wins, the first of six consecutive seasons with 20-plus wins… coached 34 Academic All-WAC selections, 13 preseason All-WAC selections, 21 postseason All-WAC honorees, 21 WAC Players of the Week, eight WAC All-Tournament selections, one WAC Tournament MVP and 2008 WAC Player of the Year, Vanessa Briones… three Wolf Pack players on the 2008 roster received NFCA All-West Region honors… led Nevada to the WAC tournament title and the first-ever appearance in the NCAA Regionals in 2006… led the Wolf Pack to an appearance in the NCAA Regional in 2008 and was named WAC Coach of the Year and her coaching staff was named NFCA West Region Staff of the Year following a school-best 44-18 overall record… also posted a 16-2 record in conference play to claim the WAC regular season title, also the first in program history… left Nevada for Indiana following the 2008 season.

JaVale McGee – Men's Basketball (2006-08)
Spent two seasons with the Wolf Pack men's basketball team… earned second-team All-WAC honors in 2008… was also named to the WAC All-Defensive Team that year…. Was Nevada's leading scorer off the bench his freshman year… led the team and was second in the WAC in rebounding (7.2 rpg) in 2008… also paced the conference and ranked 14^th in the country with 2.79 blocks per game that season… finished his career fourth on Nevada's blocked shots list with 122 in just two seasons… also ended up seventh in career field goal percentage (.542)… was drafted 18th overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 draft… has played 15 seasons (2008-present) in the NBA for eight teams… three-time NBA Champion (Golden State Warriors, 2018-19; Los Angeles Lakers, 2020)… Olympic Gold Medalist (Tokyo Games)… Part of the first mother-son gold medal duo in Olympics history, winning gold in 2021 to add to the gold medal his mother, Pamela McGee, won with USA Basketball in 1984… finished second in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk contest… was the first player to use three balls at one time in a dunk contest, which was later cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most basketballs dunked in a single jump… In 2013, started the Juglife Foundation, an organization that brings awareness of drinking water and hydration… Juglife has partnered with Hope 4 Kids International in building wells in Uganda… has also hosted celebrity softball games involving his NBA colleagues.

Mengjiao "JoJo" Mi – Women's Swimming (2009-13)
One of the most decorated swimmers in the history of the program… won a total of 49 individual events in four seasons… eight of those wins were gold medals at the Western Athletic Conference championships, including three (the maximum number of individual events a swimmer is allowed to compete in at a meet) at the Mountain West Championships… competed in the NCAA championships in three straight years… in 2013, became the first Nevada swimmer to compete in the NCAA Championships in three events since 2009… won a total of 13 events as an individual in her senior season… set all-time records at Nevada at the time in the 200, 500, 1,000 and 1,650-yard freestyle, as well as the 800-yard freestyle relay… is now second in the 200 free and tied for eighth in the 100 free… set two MW Championships records in 2013, including a time of 4:43.10 to win the 500-yard freestyle and a time of 1:46.36 to win the 200… two-time All-WAC Academic selection and a 2013 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete… was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2010…won the 2013 Ruth I. Russell Award, which recognizes the top Nevada female athlete as selected by the Wolf Pack coaches… swam on three relays that rank in the top five in school history… 800-yard relay is the third fastest in Pack history, while the 400-yard medley is fourth and the 400-yard freestyle ranks fifth… competed on China's National team from 2003-09… in 2007, won the 200 freestyle at the China National University Games… placed first in the 400 freestyle Competing in the 2006 Sydney World Youth Championships… was a triple winner at the ASEM Youth Games held in Bangkok, swimming to first-place finishes in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle events… captured the 400 and 800 freestyle events at the 2004 World Cup Championships hosted by Daejeon, Korea… came back to Nevada to spend eight seasons on the Wolf Pack coaching staff.

2023 Silver & Blue Service Award
Laurie Beck – Academic Advisor (1984-90, 2003-18)

Developed and implemented the first academic counseling program for student-athletes at the University of Nevada… increased the graduation rate eight-fold in seven years… designed and taught the inaugural first-year experience class for Nevada student-athletes… also implemented both the grade check system with academic faculty and a 1-on-1 mentoring program for at-risk student-athletes… worked in a volunteer position with the Nevada Ski Team from 1986-90, overseeing the program in all areas including recruitment, training, coaching staff, scheduling, competition, travel, press relations and fundraising… also worked at the University of Utah as well as with the U.S. Ski Team and the Salt Lake Olympics Local Organizing Committee… returned to the University in 2003 and worked in academic advising until she retired with emerita status in 2018… one of Nevada's former football student-athletes, Austin Corbett, wore a dedication to her work at the 2022 Super Bowl… named Nevada undergraduate advisor of the year in 2008… advised numerous student-athletes every year during her time on campus.