Cedar Valley Announces Dallas College Legacy Award Finalists
Dallas College Cedar Valley announced its finalists for the Dallas College Athletics Legacy Award.
Each recipient will earn a chance to be inducted into Dallas College Athletics Lifetime Legacy Lore. The Legacy Award honors former Dallas College student-athletes and coaches who distinguished themselves through exceptional athletic and academic performances at their respective campuses, and who have continued to excel in their professional and personal lives long after their playing days. These individuals represent the highest standards of leadership, excellence and impact – both within Dallas College and in the communities they serve.
Jesus Payan
A native of Chihuahua, Mexico, Jesus Payan played baseball for two seasons at Cedar Valley from 2016-17.
Payan collected First Team All-Metro Athletic Conference and NJCAA All-Region V honors, batting .381 with 80 hits, six home runs, four triples, 15 doubles and a team-high 68 RBI while starting every game in 2017, helping the Suns set a then school-record 37 wins and reach the NJCAA Region V postseason tournament. Payan earned an Exemplary Academic Achievement Award from the National Junior College Athletic Association in 2015-16. The following year, he received NJCAA First Team All-Academic recognition, and received an Associate in Science degree from Cedar Valley. He was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges, the Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges and Cedar Valley's Service Learning Program.
He is currently a clinical mental health counselor at DeCoteau Trauma in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Luis Payan
The brother of Jesus Payan, Luis Payan also played baseball for two years at Cedar Valley from 2016-17.
A Second Team All-MAC pitcher in 2017, he went 3-0 with one save, a 3.86 earned run average in 25.2 innings. He helped the Suns win a then school-record 37 games and reach the NJCAA Region V postseason tournament. Payan was honored with an Exemplary Academic Achievement Award from the NJCAA in 2015-16, and earned an Associate in Science degree at Cedar Valley the following year. He was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges, the Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges and Cedar Valley's Service Learning Program.
He is currently a Spanish teacher and baseball coach at Princeton High School in Princeton, Texas.
Anthony Anderson Jr.
Anthony Anderson was a member of the men's basketball team at Cedar Valley in 2008-09, helping the Suns go 19-11 with a trip to the NJCAA Region V semifinals.
Following his playing days, Anderson turned to coaching college basketball on the men's and women's side. He now serves as an assistant women's basketball coach at the University of Houston.
Lance Fairchild
Lance Fairchild played baseball for two years at Cedar Valley from 2011-12. He was an Academic All-American and Honorable Mention All-Metro Athletic Conference selection as a sophomore.
Following his playing days, Fairchild returned to Cedar Valley as an assistant coach. He was an assistant coach at Dallas College Eastfield, where he was a part of back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association Division III national runner-up teams in 2022 and 2023. Fairchild now serves as the head coach at Dallas College North Lake.