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All Americans:
Baseball
Paul Gnepper 1973; 1974
Greg Antor 1974
Jim Berkey 1974; 1975
Jesse Young 1974; 1975
Tim Matchinsky 1976; 1977
Bill Przygocki 1977
Rick Heuvelman 1979
Dave Gumpert 1980
Mark Hendrickson 1980; 1981
Tom Rentschler 1981
Matt Niewiadomski 1982
Paul Assenmacher 1982; 1983
Kevin Vizard 1983
Mike Heffron 1984
Tom Enslen 1984
Clint Scollard 1986
Erik Nord 1988
Andy Postema 1988; 1989
Jim Johnson 1989
Tim Sullivan 1991
Kurt Huizenga 1993; 1994
Randy Shagena 1994
Chad Addicott 1997
Jason Bialochowski 1998
Scott DeKock 2000
John Perko 2000
Shawn Veenstra 1998; 2000
Chris Laska 2001
Brent Backing 2001
Brandon Bailey 2001; 2002
Greg Skiba 2002
Jason Ladd 2002
John MacLeod 2002; 2003
Matt Bocian 2004
Kyle Finch 2005
Matt Spitzley 2005; 2006
Craig Antekeier 2005
Matt Soergel 2005; 2006
Basketball
Kathy Grzegorski 1982; 1984
Peg Harte 1984
Rick Vryhof 1984
Laray Hardy 1985; 1986
Mike Wilson 1989
Alese Keiser 1989
Jayne Van Opynen 1990
Tim Saliers 1991
Symantha Reenders 1992; 1993
Steve Van Vliet 1994
Nikki Tuttle 1995; 1996
Brandon Lowe 1996; 1997; 1998
Bridget Lamoreaux 1997
Jenifer Norman 1998
Courtney Norman 1998; 1999; 2000
Nicole Miehlke 2000
Tim Wasilk 2000
Kyle Verlin 2002
Chuck Schuba 2003
Andy Steketee 2003
Jeff Jayson 2005,2007
Jackie Braspenninx 2006, 2007
Ashley Heuvelman 2006
Derek Douglas 2006
Joslyn Narber 2007
Claire Hogan 2008
Pedja Lazic 2008
John Lierman 2008
Cross Country
Phil Hinck 1972
Dave Bartels 1976
Pat Weiler 1978
Leslie Ervin 1997
Ken Baginski 1997; 1998 ; 2000
Kevin Smith 2000
Scott Assenmacher 2006
Amanda Strouse 2007
Golf
John Kurzynowski 1964
Soccer
Mauro Caporuscio 1982
Jan Hrouda 1992
Dave Hebestreit 1993
Robin Bessette 1995
Abrahm Shearer 1996
Holly Butryn 1996; 1997
Andy Williams 1999
Amy Panse 1999; 2000
Kim Eager 2000
Damian Nicey 2000
Andrew Fearman 2000; 2001
Kalee Schwarz 2001
Carl Whitehouse 2001
Jon Mies 2001; 2002
Andrew Fearman 2001
Kristina Gladstone 2007
Ryan Robleske 2007
Levi Swaney 2007
Softball
Aaran Bush 2002
Tennis
Kurt Brummel 2002
Patrick Bruining 2006, 2007
Mike Rose 2006, 2007
Track & Field
Tom Carr 1974; 1975
Ron Dougherty 1974; 1975
Pat Weiler 1976; 1977
Mike Woodbeck 1979
Fabian Knizacky 1981; 1982
Tom Zyniewicz 1984
Paul Judd 1986
Andy Mousseau 1986; 1987
Mike Wilson 1987; 1988
Neil Reilly 1987; 1988
Joe Applewhite 1994
Jackson Fox 1998
Vicky Sackett 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001
Jason Carver 1998; 1999; 2000; 2001
Melissa Pline 1998; 2000
Beth Boruta 1999
Cari Blind 1999; 2000
Sarah Carter 1999; 2000
Kelli Leeuw 1999; 2000
Allison Turnbull 1999; 2000
Audrey Remsberg 1999; 2001
Nichole Gummere 1999; 2000; 2001
Kevin Smith 2000; 2001
John Wojciakowski 2000
Greg Vaughn 2001
Kerry Lucas 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003
Holly Sizemore 2001
Adam Jauregui 2001
Henry Holmes 2001; 2002; 2003
Andy Thelen 2001
Sarah Ellis 2002
Jaime Anderson 2002
Keelin Baine 2002
Lars Petzke 2002
Phil Olson 2002
Shawn Gast 2002
Eric Essick 2002
Brendan Gary 2002
T.J. Shimek 2003; 2004
De-Ale-Jo Roberts 2003; 2005
Jenny Ziegler 2003
Sarah Ellis 2003 ; 2005
Michelle Borek 2003
Laura Beattie 2003
Noelia Garcia 2004; 2005
Bob Jonaitis 2004
Boian Marinov 2005
Natalie Kent 2005; 2006; 2007
Nick Gumina 2005
Jeff Luehm 2005
Amy Drenth 2006; 2007
Andye Razmus 2006; 2007
Nicole Parker 2006; 2007
Lisa Wojciakowski 2006
De-Ale-Jo Roberts 2006
Chaney Robinson 2007; 2008
Sue Chang 2007
Allison Strouse 2007; 2008
Hillary Wheeler 2007
Jesse Lord-Wilder 2007; 2008
Siobhan Martin 2007
Amanda Strouse 2007; 2008
Brian Keilen 2007
Chris Robertz 2007
Volleyball
Shawn Pearson 1989
Vonda Nagelkirk 1990
Mary House 1991
Brenda Hennick 1994
Pauline Burgireno 1995; 1996
Elizabeth Overkamp 1996; 1997
Academic All-Americans:
Baseball
Dennis King 1978
Dan Sherman 1979; 1980
Mike Corey 1983
Jim Belisle 1983
Kevin Vizard 1983
Mike Heffron 1984
Mike Manley 1987
Todd Vandenhuevel 1994
Adam Vandentoorn 1996; 1997
Scott DeKock 2000
Jason Ladd 2002
Brett Cagney 2003; 2004
Jeremy Frost 2003; 2004
John Moceri 2003
Dave Dinallo 2007
Kevin Scholten 2007
Todd Peters 2007
Basketball
Kathy Grzegorski 1984
Mike Wilson 1988
Alese Keiser 1989
Symantha Reenders 1992; 1993
Amanda Dunham 1995
Jen Norman 1996
Brandon Lowe 1998
Mandi DeGroot 2004
Kim Gullekson 2004; 2005
Leslie Hoffman 2004; 2005
Tom Kuslikis 2004; 2005
Kim Pomeroy 2004
Heather Orr 2004
Craig Rehmann 2004
Kaleb House 2006
Aaran Heindel 2006
Cross Country
Brian Lehmkuhle 1982
Jeff Fedewa 1993
Colleen Cone 1996
Mike Wojciakowski 1996
Shannon Ottenweller 1997
Molly Huber 1997; 1998
Greg Thull 1997; 1998
Knut Maass 1997; 1998
Melissa Pline 1998; '99; '00
Cari Blind 1999
Bob Thormeier 1999
John Wojciakowski 1999; 2000
Sarah Carter 1999; 2000
Joslyn Rodgers 1999; 2000
John Thull 2000
Nate Kaiser 2000; 2001
Eric Essick 2000; '01; '02
Lars Petzke 2000; '01; '02
Marcus Marek 2001
Eric Johnson 2002
Nate Kaiser 2002
Leo Foley 2002; 2003; 2004
Josh May 2002; 2003; 2004
Jeff Luehm 2003; 2004; 2005
Joey Lynn 2003
Josh Miller 2003; 2004; 2005
Adam Hoogewind 2004; 2005
Jenny Millis 2004
Valerie Kunde 2004
Megan Lewis 2004
Pat Earl 2005; 2006; 2007
Brian Keilen 2005; 2006
Chris Robertz 2005; 2007
Stacey Hoffman 2005; 2006
Scott Assenmacher 2006; 2007
Amanda Strouse 2006; 2007
Lianne Griffths 2006; 2007
Chris Leikert 2007
Golf
Bill Weibel 1989
Nazar Massouh 1995
Andy Mezwicki 2004
Amanda Brewington 2005
Bryan Hayward 2007
Nikki Benoit 2007
Soccer
Eric Bridge 1990; 1991
Todd Winnel 1990; 1991
Jan Hrouda 1993; 1994
Sommar Boese 1994
Pam Bierzynsk 1998
Amira Lama 1998; 1999
Andy Williams 1999
Meghan Luckett 2000
Heather Bos 2001
Denny Briggs 2001
Nathan Rose 2001; 2002
Sanel Fazlic 2002; 2003
Julie Roy 2002; 2003
Jeff White 2002; 2003
Tijs van Lier 2003
Matt Garner 2004
Marko Jagustin 2004
Evan Durand 2004
Erin Griffin 2004
Sarah Pennington 2004
Audrey Vanderkamp 2005; 2006
Connie Rogers 2006; 2007
Rebecca Mudri 2007
Goran Guzan 2007
Ben Richardson 2007
Softball
Liz Hoffman 1992
Jen Smith 1995; 1996
Lyndsay Szczepanek 2000; 2001
McCall Kleinfelt 2007
Kathy Williams 2007
Tennis
Mary Dynes 1984
Mike Koenes 1990
Wendy Walenga 1994
Kristy Kirkendall 1994
Douglas Dooley 1995; 1996
Eric Vangessel 1996
Chris Nelson 1998
Carrie Carlson 1998
David Acevedo 1998
Tom Huizing 2002
Kara Ferguson 2003
Brian Ahmedani 2003
Emily Corcoran 2004
Kara Ferguson 2004
Matt Garner 2004;2005
Ashley Rivers 2004
Katie Kroft 2005
Jason Beydoun 2007
Lindsey Skinner 2007
Track & Field
Pat Weiler 1978
Fabian Knizacky 1981; 1982
Tom Zyniewicz 1984
Andy Mousseau 1986
Mike Wilson 1989
John Bricker 1990
Kurt Schmidt 1993
Melissa Pline '98; '99; '00
John Wojciakowski 1999; '00
Sarah Carter 1999; '00
Cari Blind 2000
Kelli Leeuw 2000
Nate Kaiser 2001; '02
Joslyn Rodgers 2001
Vicky Sackett 2001
Kerry Lucas 2002
Kirk Kahner 2002
Eric Johnson 2002
Lars Petzke 2002
Kerry Lucas 2003
Laura Beattie 2003
Michelle Borek 2003; 2004
Val Kunde 2003: 2005
Eric Johnson 2003
Lars Petzke 2003
T.J. Shimek 2003; 2004
Laura Beattie 2004
Sarah Ellis 2004; 2005
Jeff Luehm 2004; 2005
Josh May 2004; 2005
Josh Miller 2004; 2005
Adam Hoogewind 2005; 2006
Nick Gumina 2005; 2006
Jenny Millis 2005
Patrick Earl 2006
Brian Keilen 2006, 2007
Josh Robach 2006, 2007
Stacey Hoffman 2006, 2007
Chris Robertz 2007
Amy Drenthe

2007

Lianne Griffiths 2007
Natalie Kent 2007
Allison Strouse 2007
Volleyball
Tammy Harig 1986
Shawn Pearson 1989
Vonda Nagelkirk 1990; 1991
Megan Appleyard 1993; 1994
Brenda Hennink 1993; 1994
Pauline Burgireno 1995; 1996
Emily Schultz 1995
Elizabeth Overkamp 1996; 1997
Tamara Harnden 2001; 2002
Becky Barber 2003; 2004
Amanda Szymanski 2003; 2004
Heather Baker 2004
Ashley Bouckaert 2004; 2005
Amanda Szymanski 2004
Megan Holst 2005
Lindsey Nanninga 2005
Alene Seiler 2006
NAIA Hall of Famers
Terry Bocian (Inducted in 2000)
Director of Athletics
Bocian ('70) coached the Saints baseball teams for 30 years during which his teams went 1079-450-13 for a winning percentage of 71%. Bocian is only the 24th collegiate coach to amass 1000 victories. Bocian's teams posted 30 consecutive winning seasons and 27 consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins. Thirty-four All-Americans were honored during his tenure as the Saints won seven National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) state championships and finished as runner-up ten times.  Aquinas won six Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) titles in nines years under his direction.  He was named Michigan NAIA Coach of the Year on ten occasions, WHAC Coach of the Year six times and Regional Coach of the Year four times.  Bocian was inducted in the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2000. Thirteen of his former players have gone on to sign professional contracts and two have earned spots on Major League rosters - Paul Assenmacher and Dave Gumpert (below). Bocian and his wife Karen have four children, Therese, Chad, Scott and Matt.
Patti (Blaesser) Tibaldi (Inducted in 1999)
Basketball Coach

Tibaldi ('73) was a pioneer in women's basketball, beginning her coaching career at West Catholic High School in the early 1970's. In her eight years there, she compiled a 163-34 record, winning four city league championships and a state championship in 1979. She became head coach at Aquinas in 1978, developing a program that in her 17 years amassed a record of 340 wins to 136 losses, a winning percentage of over 71 percent. Under Tibaldi's leadership, Aquinas College made three appearances at the NAIA National Women's Basketball Tournament. She also led Aquinas to the National Catholic Basketball Championship in 1984. As of 1996, she was the eighth winningest coach in NAIA history. She was inducted into the Basketball Coaches of Michigan Hall of Fame in 1997, the West Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 1998, and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1999. Tibaldi currently coaches girls' basketball at Traverse City West where her husband, Joe, a 1973 Aquinas graduate, is principal. The Tibaldi's have two children, Katie and Brian.
Paul Assenmacher (Inducted in 1989)
Baseball
Assenmacher ('84) was an all-state pitcher on the Southgate Aquinas High School's state championship team of 1979. During his years at Aquinas, he pitched the Saints to two NAIA State championships and one regional runner-up finish. His Aquinas teams completed a four-year record of 165 wins and 69 losses. He twice earned NAIA All-American recognition, and in 1989 was inducted into the NAIA Baseball Hall of Fame. From 1983-1985, he pitched with the Atlanta Braves farm system, moving to the majors in 1986. In his 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, he pitched with the Atlanta Braves, the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Cleveland Indians. His time with Cleveland included two World Series appearances in 1995 and 1997. He and his wife, Margaret Mary, reside in Alpharetta, Georgia with their five children, Jason, Candace, Lindsay, Morgan, and Clayton.
Dave Gumpert (Inducted in 1987)
Baseball
Gumpert ('86) came to Aquinas from South Haven High School and led the College to baseball prominence during his four years. A recipient of the Dennis Molnar Award, he eventually held eleven Aquinas pitching records, was twice named All-State and All-Region, and, in 1980, was named NAIA All-American. During Dave's career at Aquinas, the team boasted a record of 147 wins and 51 losses, winning three city championships and the state crown in 1979. One of those wins was a one-hitter which led Aquinas to its first-ever victory over Michigan State University's squad. After stellar summers pitching with the Grand Rapids Sullivans, he was signed by the Detroit Tigers' scout Bob Sullivan and rose quickly through minor league ball to join the Detroit Tigers. In his first major league outing, he earned a save for the Tigers against the Texas Rangers. In 1983, he led the Tigers' pitching staff with a 2.64 ERA and was named Tiger Rookie of the Year in a poll of Detroit Sports Media. In 1987, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. He pitched six seasons in the majors with the Tigers, Cubs and Royals before returning to South Haven High School, where he is currently Director of Athletics. With his wife, Debbie, and his two daughters, Shanley and Courtney, he raises show horses.
Aquinas Hall of Fame

Dave Bartels ('78) inducted in 2007, came from South Haven, Michigan to Aquinas in the mid '70s and quickly made his mark in both cross country and track. Dave ran year-round for four years, earning 12 varsity letters in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track. He earned All-American honors in cross country in 1976. At that time, he was only the second runner to earn this honor at the national meet (he remains one of only five runners in school history to attain this accolade.) Bartels also set three school records in indoor track, all of which still stand today - more than 30 years later. The runner set records in the mile, half-mile, and 1,000 yard runs. Even after track converted to the metric system, Bartels' times were adjusted and they remain the best ever at Aquinas. He additionally holds records set at South Haven High School. After Teaching for several years in Wisconsin, Bartels moved to Grand Blanc, Michigan where he started his own business, Blue Star Sportswear, which is now in its 25th years of operation. Bartels and his wife, Anna Marie (Tomassilli '80) have two daughters, Justine and Rachel, and still reside in the Grand Blanc area.

Anne (Biermacher) Stegehuis ('86 ) , inducted in 2007,had an outstanding basketball career at Aquinas College. She was a four-year starter on some of the best teams in Aquinas history; winning nearly 80 percent of their games. She is still the fifth leading scorer in Aquinas women's basketball history and, at five-foot-five inches tall, the highest scoring guard on this prestigious list. Stegehuis scored nearly 1,500 points despite playing without the benefit of the three-point basket. She was the complete player, finishing her career in the top 10 in multiple categories, including scoring, steals, assists, free-throw scoring, free-throw percentage and games played. She also pulled down over 500 rebounds. She was a two-time NAIA All-State player at Aquinas. In the Grand Rapids Press poll in 1999, she was voted one of the top 25 high school girl's basketball players in Grand Rapids City League history for her efforts at Grand Rapids Catholic Central. Patti Tibaldi, her Aquinas coach, stated that "she was often the smallest player on the floor but she had the biggest heart." Stegehuis went on to forge a successful 16-year career with Foremost Insurance and the former Old Kent Bank, now the Fifth Third Bank. She and her husband, Jack, reside in Caledonia with their children, Joseph, Hannah and Abigail.

Dan Pupel, Sr. ('58 ), inducted in 2007, has had an affiliation with Aquinas College and golf that has lasted nearly 50 years. He played on strong Aquinas golf teams from 1954-1957. After turning professional in 1958, he coached the Aquinas men's team to three outstanding seasons from 1959-1961. Pupel went on to a highly successful 30-year tenure at Forest Hills Central High School where he taught and coached boys' golf during that time. He also coached the girls' golf team for 15 years. During this time, his teams won 25 league championships (including 11 in a row with the boys' squad from 1979-1990), 14 regional championships and eight state runner-up finishes. Pupel was named Michigan Golf Coach of the Year three times and was inducted into the Michigan Coaches Hall of Fame in 1991. He is currently in his seventh year as the Aquinas women's golf coach. Dan and his wife, Sheila (Smith '58), a professor who passed away in 1999, had five children and, at one time, four of them attended Aquinas simultaneously. All are Aquinas graduates. In 1988, Pupel was awarded the prestigious "Outstanding Teacher Award" from the University of Chicago. He served two terms as a Kent County Commissioner and six years on the Aquinas Emeritus Board. Pupel possesses an intense love of golf, and is still both an avid player and a patient teacher of the game.

Rick Vryhof ('84 ), inducted in 2007, came from Calvin Christian High School in Grandville, Michigan to become one of the most prolific scorers in Aquinas Basketball history. In just three seasons he scored over 1,700 points and averaged 21 points per game. He still remains the fifth leading scorer in the Aquinas record book; and he did it without the benefit of the three-point shot. Vryhof currently remains ranked in the top five of numerous offensive categories at Aquinas, including free-throws made, average points-per-game, and the highest field goal percentage. An all-around talent, he possessd long-range shooting skills, an explosive first step to the basket and great jumping ability. He was a two-time All-State player who earned NAIA All-American recognition in 1984. A fierce competitor, he was also the epitome of sportsmanship and class on the court. Vryhof earned bachelor and master degrees from Aquinas and currently resides in Holland, Michigan with his wife, Sharon (Kuipers '85) and children, Caitlin and Trent. He is still active in basketball today, both playing and in coaching youth. He is employed by Herman Miller. 

Jesse Young ('75 ), inudcted in 2007, was a two-time NAIA All-State baseball player while at Aquinas and then became the first two-time NAIA All-American baseball player in college history, earning those honors in 1974 and 1975. He was a key performer in Aquinas' first NAIA State Championship (1974) and regional appearance, and made game-winning hits in three of those five victories. He was the squad's leading hitter during this time. Young also played 12 seasons with the Grand Rapids Sullivans, winning NBC National Championships in 1983 and 1984 and several Honkbal Championships in the Netherlands. Young has played competitive baseball every summer since his days at Aquinas and has worked with many young players, encouraging them to come to Aquinas for its academic and baseball programs. Following graduation, he started a 31-year career in teaching and coaching. Young has spent the last 27 years at Rockford High School teaching business and coaching golf. He has coached many outstanding teams and was named state Coach of the Year in 2001 and inducted into the Michigan Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005. An avid runner, he has additionally run in 23 River Bank Runs and four marathons.

Al Dimavicius (’62) Life Achievement Award, inducted in 2006, graduated from Grand Rapids’ Catholic Central High School and came to Aquinas on a four-year golf scholarship. He finished in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, but not before he and his golf teammates left their marks in athletics. During Al’s four years at Aquinas, the golf team lost only five matches, earning them the nickname Yankees of the North” by the Grand Rapids Press for the teams outstanding achievements. Individually, Al was a four-year started and was captain for two years. In 1960, his team went undefeated and in the second year, they lost only one match. He joined the local amateur ranks following college and has managed to capture eight local major tournament wins, placing him second on the list of all-time victories among local players. His wins include three Grand Rapids City titles, two Kent County Amateurs, two West Michigan Amateurs and one City Match Play championship. In addition to playing the game, Al has enjoyed the game from the administrative side, as well. He’s been the president of the West Michigan Golf Association for 25 years. In 2000, he retired from his job as a senior claims specialist for State Farm Insurance, a position he held for 37 years. It was about the time the Al also made the switch to senior level play where, as he points out, he can now compete for the “fun of it.” He lives with his wife, Patricia, in Belmont (Michigan). They have a daughter, Mary, and one granddaughter, Penny.
Bob Sakocius (’78) Lifetime Achievement Award , inducted in 2006, came to Aquinas from Union High School (Grand Rapids) in 1974. While working on a bachelor’s degree in business administration, he was also a member of the Aquinas golf teams. Bob won school letters all four years and captained in 1978 team. He was a medalist in seven events during his final two years as well as an NAIA All- State performer in 1978 and 1979. Bob carried his love for the game into the local amateur ranks following college. In the 28 years since, he has accomplished a record that will likely go unmatched for many years. He is the top local amateur title holder with 24 wins to his name. His latest win came this past June, his ninth West Michigan Amateur Championship title. He has twice been a consecutive four-time winner of two area gold tournaments: the West Michigan Amateur (1992-95) and the Kent County Amateur (1989-92). He has won the Kent County Amateur and the Grand Rapids City Championship six times each and has three wins in the City Match Play. In addition to his many titles, Bob once again this year, was presented with the George Everse Trophy from the West Michigan Golf Association. The award is given annually to the golfer with the best scoring average in rounds played in the four local men’s major amateur events. Bob has received the award ten of the 16 years it has been presented. His professional career has been spent with Knape and Vogt, a local manufacturing firm, where he currently is transportation manager. Aside firm golf, Bob also enjoys woodworking in his spare time. He and his wife, Maribeth, have two grown children, Sara and John.
Greg Alksnis (’71) Lifetime Achievement Award, inducted in 2006, came to Aquinas College in 1966 from West Catholic High School (Grand Rapids). Greg played on the Aquinas golf teams while pursuing a bachelor of science in business administration degree. He captained the 1970 squad, which finished second in the NAIA state championships, earning the team an invitation to the NCAA regional event. Greg was AQ’s first NAIA All- State golfer. Following college, he continued to pursue his love of golf by competing in the area’s amateur tournaments. He was the first area golfer to have won each of the four local major amateur tournaments. He has six titles to his name, earning him the fourth spot on the all-time list of victories by local golfers. He has won two city championships, two City Match Play titles, one Kent County amateur medalist twice and was a three-time semi-finalist in the state amateur tournament. He also has captured twelve Blythfield Country Club championships, a Grand Rapids Elks title and a state Elks championship. When he’s not playing golf, Greg likes to fish, hunt and play tennis. He is co-owner, vice-president and secretary of Magic Steel Corporation of Grand Rapids. He and his wife, Sally, have one son, Austin and live in Ada. Greg has maintained his ties with Aquinas. He recently completed his third, three-year term as a member of the College’s Boards of Trustees and was given Trustee Emeritus status.
Shawn (Pearson) Gleason (’90), inducted in 2006, came to Aquinas for the opportunity to play volleyball at Aquinas. The journey transplanted Pearson in West Michigan from Flint Powers High School for what would become a memorable college career. She started every match during her four years on the Saints squad (142). Two of her teams still hold two of the school’s top volleyball records (29-11 and 28-13). Shawn finished her career with 17 individual school records (nine individual match and eight career). She earned NAIA All-State recognition three times and was named a first team All-State selection in her senior yea. Also that year, she became the first AQ volleyball player to earn All-American recognition and was recognized with Academic All-American honors, as well. Following graduation, she put her business degree to work as an administrator for AT & T in the Detroit Area and later as a national sales representative. She married Aquinas alumnus, Pete Gleason ('89), a former member of the Saints baseball team. The two have three children- Taylor, Jacob, and Libbie- all of whom are involved in sports. Both Shawn and Pete have spent time coaching their children in basketball, baseball and soccer and are the proud owners of an official-seized baseball field in their back yard. After eight years as a stay- at- home mom, Shawn recently returned to work with MEK Enterprises in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Mike Wilson (’89), inducted in 2006, had an extraordinary career at Aquinas College. He is the only student- athlete in the history of AQ athletics to earn All-American honors (1987-89) and Academic All American honors (1987-89) in two sports (track and basketball). He earned 12 varsity letters during his AQ years (four each in indoor track, outdoor track and basketball). He also was a four-time District 23 high jump at the 1987 national indoor track meet. On the court, Wilson played on two of the most successful men’s basketball teams in school history, gathering over 500 rebounds and scoring 978 points. He averaged 15 points per game his senior year. Mike received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and communication arts in 1989. After graduation, Wilson was an assistant coach for the Saints mens’ basketball team (1990-93). He has been a teacher at his high school alma mater, Caledonia (Michigan), since 1992 where he has also coached girl’s varsity basketball (1993-96) and currently coaches boys’ and girls’ varsity tennis and freshman boys’ basketball. He married Aquinas alumna Becky Clark (’89) in 1993. They have two daughters, Kendall and Karlin, and reside in Caledonia.
Tom Hofmann ('61) Lifetime Achievement Award, inducted in 2005, was an outstanding athlete at Aquinas in the late 1950s and early 60s, playing both baseball and basketball. He captained the 1961 baseball team to a 16-3 record and was one of the first winners of the Joseph Baker Award given annually to the outstanding senior athlete. After college, Hofmann began a teaching career that has now spanned nearly five decades. He enjoyed a brief stint in semi-professional baseball, playing with the Grand Rapids Sullivans (1961-1974) and was a member of the 1970 National Baseball Congress championship team. In 1965, he joined the Grand Rapids Junior College (now GR Community College-GRCC) as a coach and educator. In his Raider coaching career (1966-1990), he guided his teams to nearly 700 wins and five national tournament appearances. His coaching prowess earned him induction into the Community College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1988. He was selected as one of the coaches for the 1984 United States Olympic baseball team, on several occasions, coached Taiwanese national teams. Hofmann also spent three decades officiating high school basketball and football as well as twenty years officiating Big Ten football. His highlights included the 1989 Rose Bowl and the 1995 Orange Bowl as well as XFL Football's Million Dollar Game in 2000. Hofmann is now in his 46 th year as an educator. He served as president of the GRCC faculty for 21 years and has spent the past 15 years as chair of GRCC's Wellness Department. Hofmann and his wife Becky (Busch '61-AQ), have four adult children, Karen, Julie, Michael, and Eric, and five grandchildren.
Dennis Alexander('67), inducted in 2005, continues to retain his position as Aquinas' third all-time leading scorer, nearly 40 years after his illustrious collegiate career. Alexander, who came from Detroit Northeastern High School, was a four-year started, playing 92 consecutive games- every game in his collegiate career- and captained the Tommies (now, Saints) for two years. He averaged over 22 points per game during his career and was the College's all-time leading scorer for nearly twenty years. He became the school's first basketball player to score over two-thousand (2,034) career points, an achievement in Michigan collegiate history that was second only to University of Michigan 's great Cazzie Russell. Following graduation, he began a lengthy coaching career with stops at East Catholic High School in Detroit ; Central Michigan University ; Xavier of New Orleans where his teams won over 300 games, nearly 80 percent of its games, in his twelve years as coach and athletic director; and then, the University of Mississippi . At Xavier, he was selected District or Conference Coach of the Year eight times and won NAIA Area Coach of the Year in 1981. At Central Michigan , he became one of the first African-Americans to be named to a Division I basketball staff. After coaching college basketball for almost thirty years, Alexander returned to Michigan and has been an assistant principal in Roseville Community School District for the past three years. Dennis and his wife, Barbara, live in Southfield , Michigan . He has a son and daughter, Darwin and Brandi, from a first marriage as well as three teenage step sons, Brandon, Breland, and Barrett, and four grandchildren.
Sherry Wilder('65), inducted in 2005, a Grand Rapids native and Union High School graduate, made her mark on the AQ men's golf teams in the mid-1960s. She was an outstanding player and, nationally, was one of the top three women collegiate golfers who, at the time, were awarded scholarships to compete on the men's teams. In her final two years at Aquinas, she won 70 percent of her contests against male opponents and was a medalist in the NCAA event at Michigan State University where she also set a course record. Wilder managed to win numerous West Michigan golf tournaments including four Grand Rapids city championships and was low amateur at the 1965 Wolverine Open. She enjoyed a professional playing career before becoming an administrator and teacher. She was a regular on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour for seven years, during which time she captured eleven competitive course records and served on the APGA Executive Board. She became the first female head professional in the Palm Springs area in 1974 and, later, was the first female general manager. As a seasoned golf professional, Wilder also amassed an impressive teaching record that has included Debbie Austin, LPGA Golf Magazines Player of the Year; thirty-four of her students were Club Champions; and five state champions. She also authored an instruction book on golf- The Wilder Side of Golf and has been a frequent contributor to several national golf journals. Currently, she lives in California where she is a director of golf for the Coachella Recreation and Park District, the largest district in the state.
Mike Hagan( '83), inducted in 2005, finished an outstanding soccer career at Aquinas 20 years ago and still his name remains atop the all-time scoring list. The East Grand Rapids native was an offensive standout, helping to lead the AQ teams to three consecutive winning seasons and its first NAIA state championship. He was a three-time NAIA All-Stater and team offensive MVP twice. He remains the all-time leading scorer in AQ soccer history (63 goals & 32 assists); most goals in a single game (7); and led the team in scoring in two of his four seasons. In addition, Mike holds four of the top ten single season offensive output records in AQ soccer history. For five seasons, following graduation, he served as an assistant coach for Saints soccer. He was also instrumental in the initiating the alumni soccer game, which has become a Homecoming Weekend tradition. Mike has worked the past twenty years for Kent Manufacturing and is currently the central sales manager. He and his wife Nancy (Hill '84 - AQ), have three sons, Sean, Kevin, and Ryan, and live in the Grand Rapids area.
Mauro Caporuscio ('83), inducted in 2005, came to Aquinas in 1978, bringing with him an athletic ability and passion for the game of soccer that would help generate excitement for the game at AQ. His defensive skills propelled the team to three consecutive winning seasons. He was the squad's defensive MVP once and received three NAIA All-State player honors. He was selected as Aquinas' first NAIA soccer All-American and was co-captain of the school's first NAIA State Championship team of 1980. Following graduation, he played a year of semi-pro soccer on the west coast before returning to the states to play ten seasons in the Michigan-Ontario soccer league where he garnered four all-star selections. Currently, his soccer activity revolves around coaching his children's teams. He is the owner/president of John C & Son Construction, a longtime family concrete construction and trucking company in the Detroit area. He and his wife, Grace Marie, live in Macomb Township with their three children, Gianna, Giordano, and Giovanni.
Alese (Keiser) Wordley ('89), inducted in 2004, came to Aquinas in 1985 from Williamston , MI . She earned both All-American and Academic All-American honors while a member of the Aquinas women's basketball team. On the court, she led her team in rebounding three of her four years, capturing the title as the all-time leading rebounder in Aquinas women's basketball history with nearly 900 rebounds, averaging eight per game. Also, she led her team in scoring in both her junior and senior years and is the fifth leading scorer in women's basketball history. Alese netted nearly 1,500 points for a 12.7 per game average. Following graduation, she joined the professional women's basketball ranks as a player/coach in Luxembourg for one year. She returned to Grand Rapids where she served as an assistant coach at both Catholic Central High School and Aquinas College . In the fall of 1991, she began teaching high school mathematics and science in Kentwood (MI) School District . Alese taught and coached in the Kentwood Public Schools for a decade before moving out of state. She currently resides in Houston , Texas with her husband, Mark, and daughter, Julia.
Fabian Knizacky ('82), inducted in 2004, came to Aquinas from Free Soil, MI in 1982. Fabian brought to Aquinas a passion for running and was developed into racewalker by Coach Ernie Mousseau. As a part of the track and field team, Fabian captured four NAIA individual state titles and set a Michigan NAIA meet record for the 10K racewalk. In addition, he was a five-time All-American -- twice for both indoor and outdoor track and one Academic All-American honor. His interest in racewalking competition continued after college. Fabian lived and trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado from 1982 until 1984. In 1983, he earned a silver medal in the 50K Racewalk at the National Sports Festival, was part of an elite ten-member relay team that set a world record for the number of miles covered in a twenty-four hour period, and came to within 110 yards of qualifying for the 1984 Olympic trials in a 20K Racewalk held in Dearborn, MI. He retired from racewalking in 1984, following a fourth place finish in the TAC 40K Racewalk in New Jersey. Fabian worked as an CPA in Grand Rapids and Lansing in the late 1980's and served the City Of Eaton Rapids as both it's Director of Finance and City Manager. Then, in 1994 he was hired as first administrator for his home county of Mason County ( Michigan ), where he has since distinguished himself as an effective leader. He and his wife, Vicki, have two children Jessica and Theresa, and live Ludington, MI .
Paul Gnepper ('74), inducted in 2004, came to Aquinas from New Riegel , Ohio for the opportunity to live out his passion for baseball. During his college career, he won eight varsity letters -- four in baseball and four in basketball-as an outstanding two-sport athlete. Paul was Aquinas' first baseball All-American, earning the honors in both 1973 and 1974. As a catcher, he went two and a half seasons without making an error and the led the team in his senior year to its first NAIA State Baseball Championship and on the regionals, where the team eventually lost to the national champion, Lewis University. Paul also excelled as a four year starter in basketball. He led the team in scoring as a sophomore and junior and, currently, is the seventh leading scorer in Aquinas College Basketball History, scoring over 1,400 total points and averaging 15 points per game. After earning his master's degree at Bowling Green State University in 1975, he joined Lakota Schools in Kansas, Ohio , where he is in his 30 th and final year of teaching eighth grade Health and Physical Education. In the late 1980's, he became the winningest basketball coach in Lakota High School history. And, as head baseball coach at Lakota, Gnepper took his 1994 team to the Regional tournament for the first time in school history. Paul and his wife, Mary (Lauer '73) have two adult sons Brad and Adam, and one grandchild.
Pat Ryan ('70), inducted in 2004, left Aquinas 34 years ago, but continues to hold the College's title as all-time leading rebounder. During an outstanding college career, Pat established many records that remain today, including most rebounds (1092), highest-per-game rebound average (11.5), most rebounds in a season (398), most rebounds in a singles game (30 against Lake Superior State), and highest per-game-rebounds in a single season (13.6). Pat is also ranked 15th in all-time leading scoring with nearly 1,300 points. Although he played he played much of his career against much bigger opponents, Pat's tenacity and outstanding jumping ability allowed him to excel. He was an NAIA All-Starter twice and led Aquinas to post season play on two occasions. Pat came to Aquinas form Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago. He returned to his hometown after graduation when he began a 30 year career with the Chicago Police Department. He retired in 2000 and is currently a counselor in the Cook County Boot Camp, where comprehensive education and rehabilitation programs are provided to give convicted felons an alternative to prison. Pat and his wife of 34 years, Mary Jane (Begin), a former Aquinas student, have three children, Eddie, Karen, and Kevin.

1969 Men's Tennis Team (inducted in 2004): Led by Coach Chuck Frydrych and assistant Terry Abel, the 1969 Men's Tennis Team brought some well-deserved attention to Aquinas by posting a 12-3 season record against outstanding competition that year. The team caught fire at the season's end, defeating NAIA heavy weights Ferris State and Eastern Michigan as well as a host of other school to win the first NAIA State Men's Tennis Championship in Aquinas History. That title catapulted the team to the 1969 NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City , where they finished eighth nationally out of 38 schools. The finish represents the College's second highest team finishes in Aquinas' history.   
Tom Carr ('75), inducted in 2003, came from Lake Odessa High School where he was an outstanding track and field performer. He came to Aquinas where he became known as the "Aquinas strongman" and the "Gentle Giant." At one time, Tom held school records for both indoor and outdoor shot put, discus, hammer throw and the 35-pound weight. He still holds the indoor and outdoor shot put records. He was 15 NAIA state titles. He was the 1974 national champion in the NAIA outdoor hammer throw, the College's first national champion. During his four years, Aquinas won one NAIA state championship and finished second the other three years. He is currrently teaching elementary physical education in Stafford County, Virginia. He has coached track and field, basketball, football and wrestling, at all levels, from middle school through college. He is author of Games From Long Ago and Far Away (Parker Publishing, 2002), and has a master's degree in physical education from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is currently pusuing another master's in curriculum and instruction through George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He and his wife, Charma, an elementary school teacher, have two daughters.
Ralph Colemen('61), inducted in 2003, came to Aquinas from Lansing St. Mary's High School in 1955 and played basketball for the College for three years. He led the team to consecutive winning seasons (1958-59, '59-'60) for the first time in the school's history. He was an all-time leading scorer and rebounder when he left Aquinas and remains eleventh on the all-time scoring list and ninth in rebounding. In 1958-59, he scored a total of 422 points in an 18-game season, for a 23.4 ppg average. In 1960, he scored 40 points in a game against Detroit Tech, which, at the time, was the second highest point total in a single game in school history. After being drafted into the military for four years, he worked at Steelcase Corporation while earning a degree in social work at Grand Valley State Colleges. He worked for the Grand Rapids Board of Education until his retirement in July of 1999.
Lori (Grochowalski) Karas ('85) inducted in 2003, came to Aquinas from Forest Hills Central and became a four-year starter for the women's basketball Saints. She finished her career as the second all-time leading scorer and the all-time leading rebounder. She played on tow of the College's most successfull women's teams ('83-84, & '84-'85). Lori was selected as the 1983 MVP in one of the College's two Michigan AIAW State Championships. She also was the co-captain of the most successful team in Aquinas history (1984). Her former coach, Patti Tibaldi, described Lori as "a coach's dream...a model of consistency." Tibaldi recalled that Lori "had a great work ethic, was very unselfish and always more interested in her teammates than herself." Lori earned her bachelor degree in Computer Information Systems and Business and went to wok as a senior systems analyst at Meijer, Inc., where she has worked for the past 18 years. She is active in the Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and lives in Walker, Michigan, with Daniel, her husband of 15 years, and their three children, Kelly Marie, Bradley Allen and Robert Daniel.
Dave Gumpert ('86), inducted in 2003, came to Aquinas from South Haven High School and led the College to baseball prominence during his four years. A recipient of the Dennis Molnar Award, he eventually held eleven Aquinas pitching records, was twice named All-State and All-Region, and, in 1980, was named NAIA All-American. During Dave's career at Aquinas, the team boasted a record of 147 wins and 51 losses, winning three city championships and the state crown in 1979. One of those wins was a one-hitter which led Aquinas to its first-ever victory over Michigan State University's squad. After stellar summers pitching with the Grand Rapids Sullivans, he was signed by the Detroit Tigers' scout Bob Sullivan and rose quickly through minor league ball to join the Detroit Tigers. In his first major league outing, he earned a save for the Tigers against the Texas Rangers. In 1983, he led the Tigers' pitching staff with a 2.64 ERA and was named Tiger Rookie of the Year in a poll of Detroit Sports Media. In 1987, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame. He pitched six seasons in the majors with the Tigers, Cubs and Royals before returning to South Haven High School, where he is currently Director of Athletics. With his wife, Debbie, and his two daughters, Shanley and Courtney, he raises show horses.
The 1963 Golf Team (inducted in 2003): In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Aquinas' golf team was known as "the Yankees of the North" for their outstanding regional performances. In 1963, Coach Dick McCormick lef his squad of six underclassmen to national prominence against NCAA schools, blazing through a 19-5 regular season, defeating Notre Dame, Western Michigan University, Ferris State, Wayne State and all local competitors. The team also beat Central Michigan on several occasions. In this championship year, all six members of the team had seasonal averages between 74 and 79. Beginning their season in the chill and damp of Michigan March, the team ended by earning a berth in the NCAA's invitation-only national tournament. Aquinas led the tournament going into the final day, but host team Southwest Missouri State, used to their home course and the steamy 100+ degree heat, pulled ahead to win by only eight strokes. Aquinas second-place national finish remains the highest team finish at a national sports competition in the College's sports history.
Patti (Blaesser) Tibaldi ('73), inducted in 2002, was a pioneer in women's basketball, beginning her coaching career at West Catholic High School in the early 1970's. In her eight years there, she compiled a 163-34 record, winning four city league championships and a state championship in 1979. She became head coach at Aquinas in 1978, developing a program that in her 17 years amassed a record of 340 wins to 136 losses, a winning percentage of over 71 percent. Under Tibaldi's leadership, Aquinas College made three appearances at the NAIA National Women's Basketball Tournament. She also led Aquinas to the National Catholic Basketball Championship in 1984. As of 1996, she was the eighth winningest coach in NAIA history. She was inducted into the Basketball Coaches of Michigan Hall of Fame in 1997, the West Catholic High School Hall of Fame in 1998, and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1999. Tibaldi currently coaches girls' basketball at Traverse City West where her husband, Joe, a 1973 Aquinas graduate, is principal. The Tibaldi's have two children, Katie and Brian.
Paul Assenmacher ('84), inducted in 2002, was an all-state pitcher on the Southgate Aquinas High School's state championship team of 1979. During his years at Aquinas, he pitched the Saints to two NAIA State championships and one regional runner-up finish. His Aquinas teams completed a four-year record of 165 wins and 69 losses. He twice earned NAIA All-American recognition, and in 1989