COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A 2016 graduate of Black Hills State University, women's track & field thrower Madison McLaughlin is set to be enshrined into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Hall of Fame in July as announced by the league on Friday afternoon. She etched her mark into Yellow Jacket history as the only female national champion in any sport since making the move to NCAA Division II, accomplishing the feat on her final collegiate throw in the shot put and notching a school record of 55' 8.5" that still stands to date. McLaughlin's addition to the RMAC Hall of Fame marks BHSU's first-ever induction as a member of the league since 2012. Alongside her the conference will also induct Anthony Edwards (New Mexico Highlands, football, 1988), Angelia Graham (New Mexico Highlands, women's track & field, 2011), Mark Kellogg (Fort Lewis, women's basketball coach, 2012), Frank Lavrisha (Regis, women's volleyball coach, 2016), Eduardo Navas-Rodriguez (Western Colorado, men's track & field, 1988), Derrick White (UCCS, men's basketball, 2015), the 1995-96 Fort Hays State men's basketball team, and the 1990 Western Colorado women's cross country team to make up the seven individuals and two teams in the 2026 class.

During the Yellow Jackets' early years in the RMAC, McLaughlin helped the program transition into its NCAA Division II era, winning nine conference titles in just three seasons in the events of indoor shot put and weight throw, and outdoor shot put and hammer throw. In addition to success at the conference level, she showcased her talents on the national stage, culminating in a shot put gold medal at the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships – the first-ever by a women's athlete during Black Hills State's Division II era. Ultimately, McLaughlin earned five USTFCCA All-American honors, including four First Team All-American accolades in shot put. After her career, she returned to her hometown of Wall, South Dakota, where she taught and coached in the school district for eight years. Now, she coaches girls' basketball, a role in which she has helped lead Wall High School to three consecutive state tournament appearances and has shifted her focus to her family and assisting in running the family farm.

Established in 2002, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals and teams who have made important contributions to the RMAC as a student-athlete, coach, administrator, or official. It seeks to perpetuate the memory of those individuals who have brought honor and distinction to the RMAC and its member institutions through their excellence.

The 2026 Class will be the 23rd Induction Class in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame's history since its first inductees in 2002: longtime commissioners Paul and Wanda Brechler. In its first 22 induction classes, the RMAC Hall of Fame has recognized 41 teams and 122 individuals. All inductees are recognized online at RMACSports.org/HOF.