HOF Inductees | Athletic
2025
DANA VOLLMER, ATHLETIC | MODERN
Dana Vollmer was raised in Granbury and began swimming with the Fort Worth Area Swim Team. At just 12-years-old, she was the youngest swimmer in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials and was only a high school sophomore when she won gold in the 4×200 m freestyle relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics, contributing to a world record performance.
While a Granbury High School student-athlete, Dana was the 2004-2005 National Champion in the 100 yard Butterfly (52.70) and 200 yard Freestyle (1:45.64). In 2005, Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association named Dana the 5A Female Swimmer of the Year.
After starting at the University of Florida, she transferred to UC Berkeley. She became NCAA Swimmer of the Year, won individual NCAA titles in butterfly and freestyle, and helped Berkeley secure their first team championship. Dana achieved international success, earning a total of 32 medals (19 gold, 8 silver, 5 bronze) across events like the World Championships, Pan American Games, Pan Pacific Championships, and Goodwill Games.
At the 2012 London Olympics Vollmer achieved headline-grabbing success. Setting a new world record and capturing gold in the 100 m butterfly, Vollmer became the first woman to break the 56-second barrier (55.98 s). Vollmer also claimed gold in both the 4×100 m medley relay (world record) and 4×200 m freestyle relay. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Vollmer made history as the first Olympic swimmer to win a gold medal as a mother, earning gold in the 4×100 m medley relay, silver in the 4×100 m freestyle relay (American record), and bronze in the 100 m butterfly.
Dana has two sons with her husband Andy Grant, former Stanford swimmer. Vollmer Became an ambassador for the American Heart Association and continues to model a life of elite-level training alongside motherhood, becoming an inspiring figure for working moms and athletes alike. She continued to compete and make history, ultimately retiring in 2019 after her final race in the 100 m butterfly at the Phillips 66 National Championships.
Proud to be her hometown, Granbury honors her legacy through the Dana Vollmer Municipal Swim Center.
FRED WEIR, ATHLETIC | LEGEND
Fred Weir’s coaching career began after his football career and graduation from the University of Texas at Austin. He was hired as an assistant football and basketball coach at Ranger Jr. College in the spring of 1955. After the completion of that contract, Fred served in the U.S. Army for 2 years to fulfill his obligation to the ROTC program, which he took part in while at the University of Texas.
Upon his discharge from the Army in December of 1957, Fred was hired by Morgan ISD and coached boys and girls basketball. Fred was the head football coach and head basketball in Copperas Cove in 1958-1960 where he compiled a record of 21-10. His teams won district championships in basketball two years and a district championship in football in 1960.
In the spring of 1961, Fred was hired to be the Athletic Director and Head Football at Granbury ISD. Fred along with his coaching staff proceeded to build Granbury into a very successful program culminating with district championships in 1965 and 1966. The highlight of his Pirate days was in 1966 when the team advanced to the Class AA state championship game against Sweeney ISD. According to his family, Granbury always had a special place in his heart, and he always considered those players his “boys” and family.
Fred spent three football seasons at Andrews and one season at Fort Worth Western Hills before he was hired by Azle ISD as their Athletic Director and Head Football Coach. He coached the Hornets for two seasons, 1971 and 1972. The 1971 team won the district championship and was eliminated in bi-district play.
In 1973, Fred moved to a role in administration, where he remained until his retirement.
A couple of his Granbury players stated had these comments about him:
“He was fun to play for! He had a talent for putting players in positions where they would be their best. I know I loved that man!”
“He was much more than just my coach. He was my friend and mentor. He cared about us and wanted us to succeed. He encouraged me in college and in my career was instrumental in me becoming a coach.”
“Over all of my years, Coach Weir was the best at positively motivating his players to go out and perform not only to the best of their ability, but often even exceeding their perceived abilities.”
Fred was blessed with a loving wife that always supported his teams. Together, they share two daughters, two sons-in-law, three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
RACHEL COLLINS DOWNEY, ATHLETIC | MODERN
After growing up in Granbury, Rachel Collins Downey graduated from Granbury High School in 2003. She is the youngest of three daughters to the late David Collins and the late Janet Collins Hanna, high school sweethearts who will always be remembered in Granbury for their kindness and contributions to the community.
While a Lady Pirate student-athlete, Rachel won the 2003 State Championship in the 3200m and was State Runner-up in the 1600m. Collins holds the school record for the 3200m (10:39.26), the 1600m (4.56.15), and the 800m (2:15.40).
Rachel now lives in Boulder, Colorado with her husband Stephen and their two children, Huxley and Paxton. The Downey family enjoys the active outdoor lifestyle that Boulder so famously offers. She works at Headsweats, a startup athletic apparel and headwear company and is still an avid runner who has recently fallen in love with long trail races.
ERIC TOMLINSON, ATHLETIC | MODERN
Eric Tomlinson was born and raised in Granbury. He is the second of three sons to Ronnie and Lyn Tomlinson, who still reside in Granbury.
In 1994, Tomlinson was named All-District 6-4A Newcomer of the Year as the Pirate Baseball freshman pitcher. After graduating from Granbury High School in 1997, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the amateur draft. He began his college career at Texas State University then transferred to the University of Texas at Austin, where he pitched for the Texas Longhorns in the College World Series. While in Austin, Tomlinson contributed both as a pitcher and outfielder, showcasing his versatility as a dual-position athlete. He appeared in seven games for the Longhorns during the 2000 season, posting a rookie pitching record of 2 wins, 0 losses, with a 4.76 ERA across 11.1 innings of relief.
Tomlinson’s place on the Longhorns’ roster places him in a long tradition of dedicated and versatile Texas student-athletes. Being named among the university’s letterwinners speaks to both his talent, skill and commitment.
prior to 2025