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Larry Fitzgerald, Pedro Gomez in 2022 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame class

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Larry Fitzgerald, Pedro Gomez in 2022 Arizona Sports Hall of Fame class

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Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald and late journalist Pedro Gomez are among the 2022 class members entering the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, the Arizona Sports and Entertainment Commission announced Wednesday.

They are joined by former Phoenix Mercury star and WNBA coach Jennifer Gillom, Northern Arizona women’s basketball player Peggy Kennedy, Seton Catholic Preparatory high school basketball coach Karen Self and Valley sports philanthropist Michael K. Kennedy.

The 2022 class will be inducted in a ceremony on Nov. 1 at Chateau Luxe, a Phoenix event venue.

Tickets go on sale Sept. 1 and can be purchased at AZSportsHOF.com.

“The 2022 class embodies the soul of Arizona Sports,” ASEC executive director Nikki Balich-Cammarata said in a release. “Whether they are renowned locally, nationally or globally, each of these honorees has earned enshrinement for shaping Arizona’s sports history.”

To be eligible, candidates needed to meet one of three criteria: Be native to Arizona, be immediately recognized as an Arizonan or have made at least two significant contributions to the sports community in the state.

Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald is already a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame with a 17-year career that included 11 Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro selection.

His 17,492 career receiving yards, all with Arizona, rank second all-time in the NFL behind Jerry Rice (22,895). The Cardinals icon also ranks second all-time behind Rice (1,549) with 1,432 receptions and is sixth in receiving touchdowns (121).

Fitzgerald has additionally made his impact in the Valley from charitable and business perspectives with his self-named foundation. He is also a minority owner in the Phoenix Suns.

Pedro Gomez

Primarily a baseball journalist, Gomez was a newspaper writer who landed in Arizona with a stop as a columnist for the Arizona Republic. He joined ESPN in 2003 and became an MLB broadcaster who also helped with coverage elsewhere, including the Cardinals’ out-of-the-box drafting of quarterback Kyler Murray in 2019.

Gomez served as a trustee for the state’s sports hall of fame from 2015 until his death in 2021.

Peggy Kennedy

Kennedy set scoring records for the NAU Lumberjacks for a career (1,082) and single season (411). She left as the school leader by average in points (19.0 per game) and rebounds (11.3).

Kennedy was drafted into the Women’s Professional Basketball League in 1979 by the Chicago Hustle and for her part in the first women’s pro basketball league was part of an induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.

Jennifer Gillom

A Mercury player from 1997-2002, Gillom earned an All-Star spot in 1999 and finished her career in Phoenix with averages of 13.4 points and 4.5 rebounds per night. Gillom was added to the Mercury Ring of Honor in 2006 and worked in the WNBA as an assistant and head coach for seven seasons. She is currently head coach at Xavier College Prep in Phoenix.

Karen Self

The Seton Catholic Prep coach and Arizona State product won 12 state titles and five runner-up finishes over her 30 years in charge at the school. She holds a 775-155 record as coach, good for third in total wins in state history.

Self coached the McDonald’s All-American game in 2020 and in 2008 won the Phoenix Suns’ Spirit of Cotton Award, the first female coach to do so.

Michael Kennedy

He was the Super Bowl XLII host committee chairman, an executive committee member for Super Bowl XLIX and has served as chairman for the Phoenix Open as a member of the Thunderbirds nonprofit group.

Kennedy has been president of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation since its inception in 1997.

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