October 11, 2006

 
LIVINGSTON, Ala.--The University of West Alabama athletic department added two new inductees into its Athletic Hall of Fame during the Homecoming celebration at the institution. Bob Riesener, former UWA head baseball coach, and Johnny Montgomery, former track athlete for the Tigers, were inducted into the 2006-07 class.

Riesener, a native of Elizabeth, N. J., was at the helm of the Tigers baseball program from 1968 to 1971. Under Riesener, Tiger baseball teams compiled a 111-34 record and appeared in post season action all four seasons. Livingston won the Alabama Collegiate Conference Championship in 1968 and won NAIA District 27 Championships in 1970 and 1971. The 1970 team also won the NAIA Region 5 Championship and advanced to the NAIA World Series.

In 1974, Riesener was named head baseball coach at the University of Montevallo. During his 30-year tenure with the Falcons, he compiled a 937-671 record and led Montevallo to four NAIA Southern States Conference Championships, four District 27 titles and one NAIA Southeast Independent Sectional title.

He served for 10 years as the NAIA District Baseball Chair, six years as NAIA Area Baseball Chair and six years on the NAIA BCA Executive Committee – one year as president.

In 2003, Coach Riesener retired from Montevallo with a career record of 1,045-704 making him the all-time winningest collegiate baseball coach in the state of Alabama. He was a 1990 inductee into the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame and University of Montevallo Athletic Hall of Fame.  He has been nominated to the 2007 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame ballot.

Montgomery, a resident of Homewood, is a former track athlete for Livingston University, where he still holds records in the high hurdles, 440 intermediate hurdles, broad jump, high jump, triple jump and pole vault.

Montgomery was the Alabama Collegiate Conference champion from 1966-1970 in the broad jump, high hurdles, and 440 intermediate hurdles and raced in the 1970 NAIA championships in Kansas City, Mo., in the high hurdles.

In 1972, Montgomery won numerous races where he holds many state age group records. He participated in his first triathlon in 1983 where he came in first in his age group and seventh overall. From 2000-2003, he was an All-American Triathlete for Team USA, taking first place in 2000 in Canada and fourth place in 2002 in Holland. He is a finisher in over 200 triathlons from 1993 to present, where he has won or placed in the top three in his age group and has been ranked No. 1 seven times in the Southeast Region.

Montgomery is an eight time competitor in the Hawai'i Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawai'i and he is the only Alabamian to compete in and finish the event.

Riesener and Montgomery will have their names inscribed into UWA athletic history, as they will join 48 other UWA Hall-of-Famers displayed in the James P. Homer Field House. Riesener and Montgomery served as honorary captains for UWA’s homecoming victory over Webber International.