William Paulus, Kris Kubik Added to Texas Men’s Athletics Hall of Honor

AUSTIN, Texas, September 24. A pair of swimmers made the University of Texas Men's Athletics Hall of Honor during the latest round of selections. William Paulus and Kris Kubik both have been added to elite collection of student-athletes.

Founded in 1957, the Longhorn Hall of Honor is one of the most cherished athletics traditions at The University of Texas. Its governing body — the Longhorn Hall of Honor Council — is made up exclusively of men who have lettered at UT. Each year, a selection committee nominates 16 candidates, whose names are distributed to the Hall of Honor Council. To be eligible for nomination, a letterman must have completed his eligibility 10 years prior to the year of election. The four nominees receiving a majority of votes are inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor. A vintage era candidate is any letterman who lettered 40 years or more prior to the year of election.

The new inductees will be honored at a banquet at the Four Seasons Hotel on Friday, Nov. 18, beginning at 6:15 p.m. Enshrinement ceremonies will be held during the Texas-Kansas State football game on the following day. Tickets to Friday night's banquet are $60 or $600 for a table of 10, and can be purchased through Carol Hastings with the T-Association by calling 512-471-6864.

WILLIAM PAULUS (Swimming and Diving 1980-83)
Dr. William Paulus, a former world record holder, U.S. Olympian, and an 11-time All-American, helped The University of Texas to its first NCAA men's swimming and diving crown in 1981. Paulus helped the 400-yard medley relay to first place at the 1981 NCAA Championships, while also placing fourth in the 100-yard butterfly and seventh in the 200-yard butterfly at the NCAA meet. Paulus helped UT win the 400-yard medley relay three times at the NCAA Championships and led the Longhorns to new American records in the event in 1980 and 1981. Texas finished no worse than third place at the NCAA Championships in Paulus' four seasons on the Forty Acres. William helped UT to four consecutive SWC team championships and won five individual conference titles. Paulus also excelled in the sport at the national and international levels. The Fort Worth native earned a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team by winning the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a time of 54.34. The U.S. Olympic Team did not compete at the 1980 Moscow Olympics (as ordered by President Jimmy Carter in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan), though Paulus' time easily eclipsed the winning time in the event (54.92) at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Paulus went on to set a new world record in the 100-meter butterfly with a mark of 53.81 on April 3, 1981 at UT's Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. He became the first man to break 54 seconds in the event, as he topped the previous world record of 54.15 produced by Sweden's Par Arvidsson a year earlier in Austin. Paulus' record would stand until August 6, 1983, when it was broken by American Matt Gribble. Paulus won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the 1981 World University Games in Bucharest, Romania. He earned his bachelor's degree in business from The University of Texas and later received a dental degree from the Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas. He performed his residency in orthodontics at the Saint Louis University Medical Center and joined his father's orthodontics practice in Fort Worth in 1994. He assumed control of the practice upon his father's retirement.

KRIS KUBIK (Special Category)
Kris Kubik is a beloved All-American swimmer from North Carolina State. He is beginning his 29th season as an assistant swim coach for the legendary Eddie Reese. As part of The University of Texas coaching staff, Kris has been involved in all of NCAA Championships at The University of Texas. He is married to April Russell, daughter of David Russell, UT Football, 1959 – 1961.

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