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Hall of Fame/All Americans |
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Tenth Hall of Fame Class - Inducted September 22, 2011 |
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| The Aquinas College Athletic Department inducted four former athletes into its Hall of Fame during the Tenth Annual Hall of Fame Gala which took place on Thursday, September 22, as the kick-off to the Homecoming Weekend festivities (Sept. 22 - Sept. 24). The class consists of volleyball standouts Tammy Harig ('86) and Vonda (Nagelkirk) VanTil ('90), tennis legend James Payne ('75) and Raymond McCahill ('74), who was awarded the Basketball Lifetime Achievement Award. |
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Ninth Hall of Fame Class - Inducted September 24, 2010 |
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| Aquinas College inducted its ninth class into the Athletic Hall of Fame on September 24, 2010 during the Hall of Fame Gala Dinner in the new Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center to kick off Homecoming Weekend 2010 at Aquinas College. |
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| The ninth class included Neil Reilly ('88 - Track & Field), Tom Zyniewicz ('84 - Track & Field), Roy White ('72 - Tennis/Lifetime Achievement Award),
and George Barcheski
('61 - Educator/Coach/Lifetime Achievement Award). |
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Eighth Hall of Fame Class - Inducted October 2, 2009 |
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| Aquinas College is proud to announce the eighth installment of the Athletic Hall of Fame. Five individuals were honored in front of family and friends at the Hall of Fame Gala Dinner in the Ballroom at Wege Center. The event was one of many memorable events at Homecoming Weekend 2009 at Aquinas College. |
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| The eighth class included Mary Takas ('84 - Softball/Coaching), Mark Hendrickson ('81 - Baseball), Rick Heuvelman ('79 - Baseball), Tim Matchinsky ('77 - Baseball) and Patricia "Pat" Anne O'Neil Williams ('68 - Tennis/Lifetime Achievement Award). |
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Seventh Hall of Fame Class - Inducted October 3, 2008 |
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| Aquinas College inducted its seventh class into the Athletic Hall of Fame on October 3rd, 2008 during the Hall of Fame Gala Dinner in the Ballroom at Wege Center to kick off Homecoming weekend at Aquinas College. |
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| The seventh class inducted included Shannon Bessette ('95 - pioneer for the women's soccer program at Aquinas College), Robin Bessette ('95 - first All American women's soccer player at Aquinas College), Laray Hardy ('86 - most prolific scorer in school history), Ernie Mousseau (coach of cross country and track and field teams for nearly two decades), Ed Kelbel ('59 - outstanding golfer for the Saints in the mid fifties) and John O'Donovan ('60 - Golf Lifetime Achievement Award). |
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Sixth Hall of Fame Class - Inducted Sept. 28, 2007 |
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| The Aquinas College Athletic Department inducted five former athletes into its Hall of Fame during the Sixth Annual Hall of Fame Gala which will took place on Friday, September 28, as the kick-off to Homecoming Weekend festivities (Sept 29 - Oct. 1). The class consists of cross country athlete Dave Bartels, women's basketball standout Ann (Biermacher) Steghuis, golfer Dan Pupel Sr., baseball player Jesse Young and men's basketball player Rick Vryhof. |
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Fifth Hall of Fame Class - Inducted Sept. 29, 2006 |
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| The class of 2006 included Shawn (Pearson) Gleason who was the college's first All American volleyball player, Mike Wilson, the only AQ student-athlete to earn All American honors in two sports (track & basketball) and three legendary golfers from Aquinas' storied golf history. |
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| All three former AQ golfers were also honored with lifetime achievement awards for their contributions to their sport. The three are Al Dimavicius, Greg Alksnis, and Bob Sakocius. All three not only had outstanding golf careers at the College but also went on to outstanding achievement in local amateur golf circles. The class of 2006 marks the fifth class of inductees honored by Aquinas College and its athletic department. |
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Fourth Hall of Fame Class - Inducted Sept. 23, 2005 |
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| Aquinas
College announced its Hall of Fame class of 2005. The fourth
group of inductees included soccer teammates Mike Hagan and
Mauro Caporuscio, golfing legend Sherry Wilder, basketball great
Dennis Alexander and baseball's Tom Hofmann. Hofmann also received
the athletic department's first Lifetime Achievement Award. |
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| Mike Hagan still holds numerous soccer scoring records at Aquinas
set over 20 years ago. He was a member of two NAIA State Championship
teams during his four year career. |
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| Mauro Caporuscio turned his defensive skills in soccer into an extraordinary
career at Aquinas. He became the first AQ soccer player to earn
NAIA All American honors; he was so honored in 1982. |
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| Sherry Wilder was an outstanding golfer on AQ golf teams in the
mid-1960s. She was only the second female to ever be given a golf
scholarship on a men's team and participate in collegiate meets.
She was a member of AQ's golf dynasties of the 1960s. |
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| Dennis Alexander was the first Aquinas basketball player to score
over 2,000 points in his career. He still is the third all-time
leading scorer nearly 30 years later. He was the second player in
Michigan collegiate basketball history to achieve the 2,000 point
plateau. The first was Cazzie Russell, U of M great. Alexander went
on to a lengthy coaching career at Central Michigan University and
Xavier of New Orleans, La. |
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| Tom Hofmann was an outstanding athlete at Aquinas in the late 1950s
and early 1960s, playing both basketball and baseball. He captained
the 1961 baseball team which finished with a 15-3 record and was
also one of the first winners of the Joseph Baker Award, given to
the outstanding senior athlete. Hofmann then went on to an outstanding
playing career with the Grand Rapids Sullivans for over a decade
and was a member of the NBC National Baseball Champions in 1970.
His legendary coaching and teaching career saw him guide Grand Rapids
Community College baseball teams to over 650 wins and five national
tournament appearances. He was selected as one of the coaches of
the 1984 United States Olympic Baseball team and also guided the
Taiwanese national team on several occasions. Hofmann was also an
outstanding official both in basketball and football. He worked
football in the Big Ten for nearly two decades including working
the Rose bowl in 1989 and the National Championship Orange Bowl game
in 1995. He served as President of GRCC faculty for 21 years and
as department chair for 15 years. He is in his 46th year as an educator. |
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Third Hall of Fame Class - Inducted Sept. 25, 2004 |
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| Aquinas
College inducted its third class into the Athletic Hall of Fame on
September 25, 2004 during the Hall of Fame Gala Dinner at Wege Center
during Homecoming weekend at Aquinas College. |
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| The third class inducted included Alese (Keiser '89) Wordley (women's
basketball player and all time leading rebounder in Aquinas women's
basketball history), Fabian Knizacky ( class '82 track and field star
who excelled as a racewalker), Paul Gnepper (basketball and baseball
player at Aquinas who was honored as Aquinas' first baseball All-American
in 1973 and 1974), Pat Ryan ( a 1970 graduate who holds the record
as the men's basketball all-time leading rebounder), and the 1969
men's tennis team (the team claimed the first NAIA State Men's Tennis
Championship in Aquinas history). The 1969 men's tennis team included
Harold Hall, Terry Green, Joe Hesse, Greg Pfent, Mike Crawford, Roger
Lilak, Assistant Coach Terry Abel and Coach Chuck Frydrych. |
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Second Hall of Fame Class - Inducted Sept. 26, 2003 |
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| Aquinas
College inducted its second class into the Athletic Hall of Fame on
September 26, 2003 during the Hall of Fame Gala Dinner at Wege Center
to kick off Homecoming weekend at Aquinas College. |
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| The second class inducted included Ralph Coleman (basketball star
of the 1960's), Tom Carr (Track & Field star and national champion
in the hammer throw in 1974), Lori (Grochowalski) Karas (basketball
star of the 1980's), Dave Gumpert (baseball star of the 1980's and
Aquinas' first Major League Baseball player), and the 1963 men's golf
team (National runner-up in the 1963 national all-college tournament). |
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Inaugural Hall of Fame Class - Inducted Sept. 27, 2002 |
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| Aquinas
College inducted its initial class into the Athletic Hall of Fame
on September 27, 2002 during the Hall of Fame Gala Dinner at Wege
Center. |
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| The first class to be inducted included Lloyd Brown (basketball star
of the 1950's), John Kurzynowski (the college's first national champion
in golf in 1965), Paul Assenmacher (All-American baseball player and
former major league pitcher), Patti Tibaldi (former women's athletic
director and women's basketball coach), Kathy Grzegorski-Johnson (All-American
and Academic All American women's basketball player), and Pat Weiler
(All American and Academic All American track and cross country runner
and Aquinas' first track national champion). |
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