When it comes to Miami women’s basketball, few have been as impactful as Octavia Blue.

A former standout at Nova High, where she earned Broward County Player of the Year honors from both the Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel, Blue averaged double figures in all four of her seasons in orange and green.

She is just the third woman in school history to record 1,700 points and 600 rebounds in her career and her 1,724 points still ranks in the program’s top 10 for career scoring.

As a senior, she averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game which helped her earn First Team All-Big East honors, as well as third-team All-American recognition by the Women’s Basketball News service.

Blue became the first Hurricane drafted into the WNBA when she was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the 15^th overall pick in 1998. During her eight-year professional career, she also spent time with the Houston Comets and played internationally in Greece, Israel, France, Turkey and Poland.

After retiring, she began coaching and spent time with both St. John’s and Georgia Tech as an assistant before joining her alma mater’s staff in 2012. She stayed with the program for nine seasons before being named the head coach at Kennesaw State in 2021.

Blue became just the fourth Hurricane women’s basketball player to have her jersey retired when her No. 10 was hung in the rafters of the Watsco Center in 2016 and she was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

She is still a vocal supporter of the program and was among the Hurricanes alumni that made their way to Greenville, South Carolina when Miami made its first appearance in the Elite Eight in 2023.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

As a standout shortstop for the University of Miami baseball team in the mid-90s, Alex Cora carved out a legacy of excellence in Hurricanes history.

Known for his stellar defense and clutch plays, he earned spots on the All-College World Series teams in 1995 and 1996. His hallmark moment came in the 1996 CWS championship game against LSU, going 3-for-5 with a triple and three RBI, helping securing the title for Miami.

Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round of the 1996 MLB Draft, Cora launched a 14-year major league career that included time with Boston, Cleveland and the New York Mets.

He hit .246 across 1,278 games with Boston and won a World Series there in 2007, with his versatility and grit defining his time in the pros.

Cora’s legacy in the game didn’t end on the field.

Transitioning to leadership, he became the manager of the Red Sox in 2018, guiding them to a club-record 108 wins and a World Series title in his first season. He continues to serve as the Red Sox manager, shaping the next generation of MLB talent.

– Elliot Farr

One of the most storied and decorated players in Miami history, there’s no shortage of fame for “The Playmaker,” who’s lived and breathed Hurricane football his whole life.

A prolific wide receiver and South Florida native, Irvin’s flashy on-field flair, combined with his elite level of play, made him one of the most recognizable standouts during The U’s dominant run through the 1980s.

Irvin once held the school record for receiving yards with 2,423. That still ranks in the top five, and his 26 touchdowns are still a school record.

The Dallas Cowboys selected Irvin 11th overall in the 1988 NFL Draft – a decision that would be pivotal in their dominance of the 90s. Spending his entire career in Dallas, Irvin was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL All-Pro, helping lead the Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories.

After his final season in 1999, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

Irvin now enjoys a career as a television analyst, most recently as a co-host on Fox Sports 1’s weekly sports debate show, Speak, all while continuing to be a visible and vocal supporter of his alma mater.

– Elliot Farr

Lauryn Williams arrived at Miami a record-breaking high school sprinter.

She’s done nothing but continue making history since.

As a freshman in 2002, Williams was recognized as the Big East Indoor Most Outstanding Track Athlete after earning wins in both the 60-meters and 200-meters. She added a conference title in the 100m during the outdoor season and later won a gold medal in the 100m at the World Junior Championships.

Her resume – and medal collection – only kept growing with Williams winning both an NCAA title and Olympic medal in 2004.

That year, she posted a 10.97 in the 100m at the NCAA Championships to win the national championship. She later qualified for the U.S. Olympic team and won silver in the 100m at the Athens Games.

Williams finished her collegiate career as a nine-time All-American and eleven-time Big East Champion. She still holds school records in the indoor 55m (6.70), the indoor 200m (22.79), and the outdoor 100m (10.97).

After medaling in Athens, Williams went on to compete in three more Olympics – the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, the 2012 Summer Games in London – where she won gold as part of the 4x100m relay team – and the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, where she traded her track spikes for bobsleigh spikes.

In Sochi, Williams competed in the two-woman bobsled with Elana Meyers-Taylor and the pair won silver, a feat that made Williams the first American woman – and sixth person ever – to medal in different sports at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

Today, Williams, who graduated from Miami with a finance degree, owns Worth Winning, a financial planning firm for young professionals. She is also an author, podcaster and motivational speaker.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

National champion. Academic All-Star. Campus leader.

During her time at Miami, Michelle Atherley was a downright force.

The native of North Port, Florida joined the Hurricanes after a solid freshman season at Auburn where she was the only freshman in the nation to qualify for the 2016 NCAA Indoor Championships in the pentathlon.

Three years later, as a Hurricane, she won the national championship in that very same event, posting a score of 4,547 points to become the track and field program’s 17^th national champion.

That same year, she won the ACC Indoor Championship in the pentathlon, was named the ACC Indoor Field MVP, the ACC Women’s Field Performer of the Year and an indoor first-team All-American.

She also won the ACC outdoor title in the heptathlon and represented Team USA in the Thorpe Cup, a prestigious annual meet featuring some of the top decathletes and pentathletes from across both the United States and Germany.

By the time Atherley left Miami, she’d amassed six first-team All-American honors, was named the ACC Women’s Field Performer of the Year twice and, in 2018, helped the Hurricanes women track and field team win the ACC outdoor title.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, and master’s degrees in both public administration and international public administration, earning multiple ACC All-Academic Team honors in the process. Atherley also helped found Miami’s Black Student-Athlete Alliance and was a part of the athletic department’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to help advocate for student-athletes.

Atherley still trains on campus and remains a vocal supporter of Hurricanes athletics, even serving as a speaker at the department’s 10^th Annual Celebration of Women’s Athletics in 2024.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

His unorthodox, underhand free throw shooting technique might be what many basketball fans think of initially when they hear Rick Barry’s name. But the Hurricanes legend did plenty more for the University and basketball during his memorable career.

The only person to lead the NCAA, NBA and ABA in scoring, Barry remains one of the greatest to ever don orange and green. He was a consensus All-American during his three seasons at Miami and won the NCAA scoring title as a senior in 1965 when he averaged 37.4 points per game.

During Barry’s time at Miami, the Hurricanes posted three straight 20-win seasons for the first time in program history and his name still fills the school record book. Barry’s 2,298 career scoring total still stands as Miami’s best all time and the native of Elizabeth, New Jersey still holds eight of the top 10 single-game scoring efforts in program history, led by his 59 points against Rollins on Feb. 23, 1965.

Barry went on to be the second pick in the 1966 NBA Draft and that same year was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Barry went on to become an eight-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA first team selection. He won an NBA title with the Golden State Warriors in 1975 earning NBA Finals Most Valuable Player recognition in the process. He also won an ABA championship min 1969 and was a four-time ABA All-Star and four-time All-ABA first team selection.

Barry was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and in 2021, he was named to the NBA 75^th Anniversary Team.

Basketball most definitely proved to be the family business, with all four of Barry’s sons playing professionally. His son Brent won a pair of NBA titles with the San Antonio Spurs making the Barrys the second father-son duo to win NBA championships.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

Vinny Testaverde’s name, one of the most celebrated and honored in Miami history, is synonymous with Hurricane football greatness, an enduring legacy made through talent and toughness.

The dynamic quarterback from Brooklyn, New York – known for his pinpoint accuracy and leadership prowess – was both a feared and respected symbol of Miami football during the Hurricanes’ “Decade of Dominance” in the 1980s.

He became Miami’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1986, throwing for 3,238 yards and 21 touchdowns while leading the Canes to an undefeated regular season. He also captured the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien Awards. By the end of his collegiate career, Testaverde reached school records with 6,058 passing yards and 48 career touchdown passes.

In the 1987 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Testaverde first overall, kicking off a successful 21-year professional football career. Playing for seven teams, including the Jets, Browns and Ravens, he earned two Pro Bowl selections and threw for 46,233 career yards. After retiring in 2007, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

– Elliot Farr

When she signed the paperwork awarding her a scholarship to play golf at the University of Miami, Terry Williams Munz had no idea she was making history.

She just knew she had the opportunity to play the game she loved and get a degree.

Years later, though, she learned she was part of the answer to a Jeopardy question asking, “Golfer Terry Williams was the USA’s first woman to receive one of these from the University of Miami in 1973?”

The question, it turned out, was “What is a sports scholarship?”

It was then that Munz realized just how momentous her scholarship truly was.

“I never would have had the opportunity to go to college had it not been for that scholarship,” Munz said in 2022 during the University’s celebration of the 50^th anniversary of Title IX. “From that perspective, it’s just amazing. I have no doubt there’s many, many athletes out there today that could say the same thing.”

Munz, a Homestead native who competed on the boys’ golf team at South Dade High School before coming to Miami, was part of the Hurricanes’ 1977 national championship golf team and earned an accounting degree during her time in Coral Gables.

Her legacy has paved the way for countless young women at Miami and beyond.

Since Munz signed that scholarship, women’s athletics at Miami have grown to include nine sports that compete at the NCAA level. The women’s golf team has won five national titles, while the women’s swimming and diving program has won two national titles. And more than 40 women – including most recently diver Chiara Pellacani and tennis player Alexa Noel – have won individual national championships.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

His father played professional baseball in Cuba, and it didn’t take long after his family defected to the United States for Yonder Alonso’s own baseball journey to take shape in South Florida.

A two-time All-State selection at Coral Gables High, he opted to attend Miami despite being drafted in 2005. As a freshman, he hit .295, had a team-high 10 home runs and 69 RBI to help the Hurricanes earn a berth in the College World Series.

His numbers only improved after that. In 2007, led the Hurricanes in batting average (.376), home runs (18) and RBI (74) and in 2008, he was named a consensus All-American after helping the Hurricanes win their first ACC Championship and earn another trip to Omaha.

His 24 home runs that season are tied with Alex Toral (2019) and Daniel Cuvet (2024) for second-most in a single season and his 52 career home runs are third-most in program history. He totaled 215 RBI in his Miami career, a number that also ranks third all time.

The Cincinnati Reds selected Alonso seventh overall in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft and he went on to play for San Diego, Oakland, Seattle and Cleveland before retiring in 2020.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

As the first Black athlete given a scholarship to a major college in the Southeast, Ray Bellamy represents a number of milestones and accomplishments in the rich history of Miami football.

The All-American wide receiver out of Palmetto, Florida started his career setting a number of records during his freshman year.

That continued during his second year with a sophomore-record 37 receptions for 549 yards and two touchdowns, including a 78-yard touchdown catch against No. 4 Penn State. At the time, it tied the third-longest catch in Miami history. Bellamy’s junior season saw him register eight catches for 163 yards, with his sole touchdown being a 66-yard catch against Wake Forest.

His budding career was sadly cut short in a car accident in 1970. Ultimately, he finished in the top eight in career receptions and receiving yards, most yards and receptions in a season, and most total receptions in a game.

The end of his playing days didn’t mean Ray’s impact on The U was over. In 1971, he became the first Black Student Body President and went on to graduate with degrees in Education, Business Management, and College Student Personnel.

A member of Iron Arrow and the UM Sports Hall of Fame, his legacy represents a watershed moment in both civil rights and Hurricane athletics.

– Elliot Farr

Her resume as a member of Miami’s volleyball team is as dazzling as it gets.

Her accomplishments away from the sport are just as impressive.

Savanah Leaf earned recognition as the 2014 ACC Volleyball Player of the Year during her senior season at Miami. But she’s also an Olympian, a Grammy nominee and an award-making filmmaker.

Not a bad list of accomplishments to put together before one’s 30^th birthday.

Before coming to Miami, Leaf had the opportunity of a lifetime: to suit up for Great Britain’s national women’s volleyball team and compete in the 2012 London Olympics.

She didn’t medal, but she brought with her to Coral Gables the experience of competing on the world’s biggest stage.

She wound up putting together a college career to remember.

Leaf totaled 502 kills in 2014, a number that still ranks fifth in program history for a single season, while her 575.5 points that season rank fourth. Her 1,194 career kills still rank in the top 10 too, as do her 1,401.5 career points.

She earned All-ACC First Team recognition twice, was a second-team AVCA All-American and was a finalist for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award.

After graduating, Leaf played professionally in both Puerto Rico and Turkey before being sidelined with a back injury.

While recovering, she reached out to different commercial and music video production companies in her native England for work.

That eventually paved the way for Leaf to begin directing music videos of her own and her work on the video for Gary Clark Jr.’s This Land in 2020 earned her a Grammy nomination.

In 2023, Leaf made her feature-film directorial debut with Earth Mama, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later won the 2024 BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

Brittany Viola brought more than her talent to the Miami women’s diving team. The Minnesota native and daughter of 1987 World Series MVP Frank Viola traded elite gymnastics for diving at 13 and soared to new heights.

As a freshman Viola was named ACC Freshman Diver of the Year and as a sophomore, she solidified her Miami legacy winning the 2008 NCAA platform championship with a score of 362.60. It was UM first women’s individual title since 2000.

As a fifth-year senior in 2011, she clinched her second NCAA platform title with a score of 354.25. She earned four All-American honors across her career, swept the 2008 ACC Championships in 1-meter, 3-meter, and platform events, and captained the U.S. Diving Team at the 2009 World Championships.

However, Viola’s story didn’t even come close to ending at the pool’s edge.

She overcame bulimia and two ankle surgeries to represent the U.S. on the biggest stage: the 2012 Olympics.

Viola now inspires as a speaker, sharing her journey of resilience and faith, inspiring others to the same.

– Elliot Farr

A 2025 UM Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Vikki Alonzo was an impact player for the Hurricanes’ soccer program and her name still fills the Miami record book.

The goalkeeper from Carrollton, Texas made an impression quickly, stopping a penalty kick late in her first match as a freshman. That helped Miami secure a 3-0 win over Stetson and gave her the first collegiate shutout of her career.

Plenty more would follow.

Alonzo started 22 games her freshman season and was named a third-team Freshman All-American in 2008. That season, she collected 17 saves in a match against powerhouse North Carolina and put together a stretch of five straight saves. Those 17 saves against the Tar Heels are still a school record for a single match.

Alonzo still holds plenty more Miami goalkeeper records including career wins (36), shutouts (25), saves (358) and minutes in goal (7,256). She also still holds the single season records for saves (114 in 2008) and shutouts (11 in 2008).

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

When he won the Wimbledon Boys’ Singles Championship, Rod Mandelstam showcased his prowess on the court.

Later, in his inaugural year at Miami, the Boksburg, South Africa native earned All-American honors and clinched the NCAA doubles championship alongside partner John Karabasz.

Throughout his Hurricanes career, Mandelstam consistently played the No. 1 position for Miami in both singles and doubles. Remarkably, he maintained a perfect doubles record and suffered only two losses in singles.

After graduating in 1963, Mandelstam embarked on a professional tennis career, securing titles across various countries. He made notable appearances at prestigious tournaments such as Wimbledon, the French Open, and the US Open, with his best Grand Slam singles performance coming in a third-round finish at the 1962 US Open. ​

In recognition of his achievements, Mandelstam was inducted into the UM Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. His indelible legacy continues to inspire generations of Hurricanes, embodying excellence both on and off the court.

– Elliot Farr

As a dominant force for Miami women’s basketball in the 1980s, Maria Rivera forged her own path of excellence in Hurricanes history.

Hailing from Canovanas, Puerto Rico, Rivera started all of the 112 games in which she appeared during her Miami career as an ace guard.

Her prolific scoring ability was the main hallmark of her record-setting time at The U. Rivera averaged more than 20 points per game in her final three years and during her sophomore year, she led Division I independent schools in scoring with 21.4 points per game.

As a senior, she topped off her career with a school-record 41 points against Central Florida on February 11, 1988, simultaneously surpassing UM legend and NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry’s record with 2,358 career points.

The honorable mention All-American set lasting records, including 891 career field goals and 382 steals. Her 106 steals in 1986-87 remain a single-season high. Rivera’s No. 11 jersey became the first in program history to be retired, cementing her UM legacy.

– Elliot Farr

Cam Ward may have played just one season at Miami, but he made it a memorable one.

The quarterback – a former zero-star prospect coming out of high school – rewrote a record book already filled with the names of great signal callers including Vinny Testaverde, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Gino Torretta, Steve Walsh, Craig Erickson, and Ken Dorsey during his time in Coral Gables.

A transfer from Washington State, Ward set new single-season Miami records with his 4,313 passing yards, 39 touchdowns and 305 completions last fall. And he set the tone for his Miami tenure quickly, throwing for 385 yards and three touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ season-opening 41-17 win over rival Florida in Gainesville.

As the season went on, he’d also help the Hurricanes notch their first win over Florida State since 2020 and in October, engineered a 25-point comeback win over California in Berkeley that vaunted him into the Heisman Trophy conversation.

Ultimately, Ward led the Hurricanes to their first 10-win season since 2017, earned consensus All-American recognition, and was named the ACC Player of the Year. He was in New York in December as a Heisman Trophy finalist and won both the Manning Award and the Davey O’Brien Award.

Last week, he became just the third Hurricane in program history to be taken No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, following Testaverde, who went No. 1 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 and defensive tackle Russell Maryland, who went No. 1 to the Dallas Cowboys in 1991.

“I’m honored. Anytime you get a chance to be a franchise quarterback, any chance you get to lead a group of guys who want to win every game is a blessing,” Ward said on the night he was drafted. “But I’m ready for it. I’ve asked for it from God and He delivered. I’m just trying to pay my dues to it.”

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

Pat Burrell arrived at Miami with a pretty impressive resume.

He left as one of the greatest baseball players to ever wear orange and green.

Burrell, the 1995 California Coaches Player of the Year who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox before opting to sign with Miami, hit a home run in his first game as a Hurricane. He went on to become the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in hitting with a .484 average. He also had 23 home runs and 64 RBI to help lead Miami to the College World Series and though the Hurricanes didn’t win, Burrell became just the third player to earn College World Series MVP despite his team not winning the national championship.

He followed that dominant freshman campaign with 21 home runs, 76 RBI and a .409 average to earn All-American honors for a second straight year. As a junior in 1998, he won the Golden Spikes Award despite missing 38 games with a back injury.

The Philadelphia Phillies made Burrell the No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 draft and the UM Sports Hall of Fame Inductee went on to play professionally with the Tampa Bay Rays and San Francisco Giants after nine seasons in Philadelphia.

Today, he is the hitting coach for the Giants and his name still fills the Miami record book. His .442 career batting average is still tops in program history and his 61 career home runs rank second behind only Phil Lane’s 62.

–Christy Cabrera Chirinos

As the middle child and only daughter in a family of eight, Penny Hammel knew early on what it was like to be a competitor – and one at a high level, at that.

One of the most acclaimed golfers in Miami history, the Decatur, Ill., native joined the Hurricanes in 1980 as the top-ranked junior girls golfer in the nation. Her storied amateur career at The U culminated in a 1983 individual championship and leading the team to a national title in 1984 as well.

A two-time All-American who was recognized by Broderick Sports in 1983 as an Outstanding Woman Collegiate Athlete in Golf, Hammel’s determination and drive to be at the top were the engine that powered her to a stellar college career and a seamless transition into professional golf.

Hammel led the American team to the Curtis Cup championship in 1984 to cap off her amateur career, before going on to have a successful career in the LPGA with four tournament wins, including the 1989 Rochester International.

– Elliot Farr

Russell Robinson arrived at Miami as a virtual unknown who spent the latter part of his high school career hoping to catch the attention of a college coach. To that end, he added the triple jump to his list of events.

His efforts paid off

Robinson came to Miami as a walk-on and left as a national champion and Olympian.

The Windermere, Florida native posted a mark of 16.76 meters in the triple jump at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships to best competitors from around the country and in the process, broke his own existing Miami record but set a new facility record at the TRACK at New Balance in Boston.

In the spring, he posted a new Miami record of 17.13m in his signature event and finished second at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships before earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team and competing in the 2024 Paris Games.

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos

Despite an impressive Miami career, Phallon Tullis-Joyce wasn’t always sure she wanted to play professional soccer.

The Shoreham, N.Y. native has always had a passion for marine biology and throughout most of her time at Miami, figured that would be her world after graduation.

But fate had other plans.

Tullis-Joyce – whose 0.84 goals against average still ranks tops for a single season at Miami – decided weeks before graduation to try her hand at professional soccer in Europe.

She started her career with the Division Two French club Stade de Reims in 2019, and today, she’s thriving on some of the beautiful game’s biggest stages.

In April, Tullis-Joyce made her U.S. Women’s National Team debut in a friendly against Brazil and made six saves to become just the 10^th goalkeeper in USWNT history to record a shutout in her national team debut.

Later in the month, she also signed a contract extension with Manchester United that will keep her with the club through 2028.

But Tullis-Joyce, who spent two seasons in the NWSL before joining United, still has a love for all things aquatic. She scuba dives often and connects with her fans by posting lots of ocean-themed educational videos and vignettes on her social media channels.

At Miami, she says, she was able to combine her two passions: soccer and the ocean.

Both still have a big influence on her today.

“I still think back on my Miami days so fondly. All the study abroad [programs] I did … How many people get those opportunities? And it was all through the University of Miami,” Tullis-Joyce said recently. “The quality of education I gained through my courses and from professors I still talk to this day. It really was an amazing experience, and I just love talking about it. I’m very proud to be a Miami Hurricane.”

– Christy Cabrera Chirinos