BATON ROUGE – Northwestern State basketball great Gayle Hatch, who is one of the nation's most influential figures in the field of strength training and Olympic-style weightlifting, is one of five people being honored May 10 at the 22^nd Annual Louisiana Legends Gala and Auction.
 
The event, hosted by Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, includes Gov. and First Lady Jindal serving as honorary co-chairs. It annually honors Louisiana natives who have demonstrated excellence and brought acclaim to the state in a variety of careers ranging from entertainment, the arts, sports, business, government, politics, education and religion.
 
Also honored this year will be country music superstar Mickey Gilley, world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and business and community leader Richard Zuschlag.
 
Among past recipients of the honor are Lt. Gen. Russel Honore', former Govs. Jimmie Davis, John McKeithen, Buddy Roemer and Dave Treen, sports stars such as Hal Sutton, Terry Bradshaw, Willis Reed, Bob Pettit, Bert Jones and Lou Brock, and entertainers including Zachary Richard, Faith Ford, Irma Thomas, Pete Fountain and Al Hirt.
 
The event will be held at the Old State Capital in Baton Rouge. Information is available at the lpb.org website.
 
Hatch, head coach of the 2004 USA Men's Olympic Weightlifting Team, is a  member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the USA Weightlifting and the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fames. He is enshrined in the Long Purple Line Hall of Distinction at Northwestern and is in the Graduate N Club athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his basketball feats as a Demon.
 
A Baton Rouge resident and graduate of Catholic High School where he was a high school All-American, Hatch emerged as a basketball star at Northwestern. He still holds the school record for shooting accuracy in a game, making 18 of 21 shots in a 44-point, 18-rebound performance against a powerful Kentucky Wesleyan team in 1961, also a state record for best aim with over 20 shots taken.
 
He finished his career with the Demons in 1962 and signed a professional contract with the Chicago Majors of the American Basketball League, the forerunner of the ABA which ultimately merged with the NBA.
 
But it was his work in another gymnasium setting that has made Hatch one of the remarkable figures in his sport around the country and even the world. After his pro basketball career, he returned home to Baton Rouge, where he started his weightlifting and stretch training program.
 
He had been influenced by trailblazing Alvin Roy, who trained Hatch as an athlete along with other Louisiana greats who grew up in Baton Rouge, including 1959 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon, future NBA All-Star Bob Pettit and Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback Jimmy Taylor. When Roy retired, Hatch took over at Alvin Roy's Training Center and blended Roy's approach with an Olympic-style weightlifting program.
 
It resulted in the development of the highly successful Hatch Weightlifing Team, which has won 49 USA Weightlifting national championships and produced three USA Olympians along with 12 members of USA teams in World Championship  competition.  His philosophy has been utilized by college football teams at LSU, Alabama, Miami and Tennessee to win a combined six BCS National Championships, while Appalachian State won three FCS national titles and the baseball teams at LSU and Miami claimed College World Series titles.
 
He has developed countless disciples in his sport and has been recognized around the state and country for his contributions.