Hall of Fame Class of 2003

2003 Class (l-r): Mike Thompson, R.W. Eaks, Stanley Benson, Lisa Jacobsen Loptien, Dr. Betty Everett. 1949 Baseball and 1993 Volleyball teams pictured at the bottom of page.

 

 

 

 

1949 Baseball Team
Pete Butler (Head Coach)

Under the direction of head coach Pete Butler, the 1949 baseball squad finished 17-3 overall and advanced to the NCAA Regionals. The Bears tallied a 16-1 mark in the regular season was a perfect 8-0 in Rocky Mountain Conference games. The Bears took on Southern California in the NCAA Region 7 Playoffs. USC scored a 12-2 win in game one of the three-game series, but the Bears bounced back behind the arm of Harry Wise to take game two, 6-2. Wise then pitched in the deciding game of the series and staked the Bears to a 7-0 lead in the sixth inning. But coach Butler was forced to use a series of relief pitchers and USC rallied for a 8-7 victory. Wise was honored as an All-America after the 1949 season.

Members of the team: Cal Cordes, E. Stuckey, Ed Kinney, Jerry Harrod, Ed Gustafson, Marvin Eakes, Paul Distefano, Art Conroy, Lou Garramone, Rocco (Rip) Gioso, Art Wollenweber, Harry Risoli, Lowell Stuckey, Mel Spence, Ivan Ellis, Frank Sajevic, Ben Dreith, Harry Wise, Dean Steward, Thurm Wright, Jim Baldi, Clarence Clark, Glen Stenson (Trainer) and Pete Butler (Coach).

 

1993 Volleyball Team
Linda Delk (Head Coach)

Led by head coach Linda Delk and the North Central Conference Player of the Year Dana Cash, the 1993 UNC women's volleyball team reached the Elite Eight and placed fourth overall in NCAA Div. II volleyball. The team compiled an overall record of 35-6 and finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. UNC captured the North Central Conference title with a league mark of 7-2. At the Elite Eight, the Bears rolled past Regis (3-0) before falling to Northern Michigan in the national semifinals (3-0). UNC then lost a 3-0 match to Portland State in the third and fourth-place match. The 1993 squad set the UNC school record for kills in a season (which still stands) at 2,196. The squad boasted of three All-Americans as Cash earned first-team honors while Deb Ponis and Tatjana Smith tallied second-team honors. Delk also garnered NCC Coach of the Year honors.

Members of the team: Deb Ponis, Stormie Wells, Vicki (Pruett) Sutherland, Dana (Cash) Ausec, Tatjana Smith, Dawn (Fujimoto) Asuncion), Jami Tolle (Asst. Coach), Kelly (Lynch) Bender, Dawn (Schaefer) Roberts, Erica Wymore, Tonya (Norris) Baird, Brittany Loui (Tonniges), Amber (Petty) Bretz and Ap Clark (Asst. Coach).

  Stanley Benson, Swimming (1971-75)
Benson was a four-year letterwinner and four-time All-American for the Bears in the mid-70s. He was also a two-time RMAC champion. Benson, a native of Eaton, Colo., was also the UNC record holder in the 100 backstroke. He was a two-time academic All-America selection and served as a two-year captain for the UNC squad. After his days at UNC, he went on to coach the swimming team at Greeley Central High School where he helped coach 37 state champions.
  R.W. Eaks, Golf/Basketball (1971-75)
Eaks was a two-sport star for the Bears in the mid-70s. Eaks led the basketball team in scoring and was the fifth-leading scorer in the Rocky Mountain Conference when his career was complete. He led the team to its best record in the decade of the 70s under head coach Thurm Wright in 1973-74, when the squad compiled a mark of 15-9. Eaks also led golf team to league championships. Eaks is the all-time leading money winner on the Nike/Hogan golf tour and won three tournaments during his professional career. He began play on the Champions Tour in the spring of 2002 and was the first-round leader at the 2002 U.S. Senior Open.  
  Dr. Betty Everett, Women's Athletics (1951-81)
Everett was hired by the Colorado State College of Education (UNC) in 1951 with visions of excellence and opportunity for women in sport. She transformed "Play-Days" for women into opportunities for women to compete within a four-state region. Everett was instrumental in forming and developing the Intermountain Conference, the first of its kind in the United States. She served as president for the first few years of the organization, which became the template for other collegiate women's athletic conferences in the 1960s and 1970s. Through the 1960s, Everett coached all sports being played at the that time including: basketball, volleyball, field hockey, tennis and golf. She also served as UNC's first female Athletic Director and she hired a group of professional women (Rosemary Fri, Mary Behling, Carol Mosser, Jean Hedberg, Caroline Cody, Kathie Hildreth, Cindy Carlisle and Linda Delk) who shared her vision for excellence in the classroom and the athletic arena. 
  Lisa (Jacobsen) Loptien, Soccer (1985-88)
Jacobsen (Loptien) was selected the Colorado Sportswomen of the Year in 1988 and was a four-time all-conference selection. In 1988, she was one of 12 finalists (2 from Division II) for the National Player of the Year Award in women's soccer. She was named to the NSCAA West Region First-Team in 1988 and was also an ISAA All-American selection as a senior. She was one of three Division II players named to the 15-player South squad in a national all-star game. She completed her career at UNC with 41 goals, 17 assists and 99 points.  
  J. Michael (Mike) Thompson, Track & Field (1986-90)
Thompson was the NCAA II indoor and outdoor pole vault national champion in 1989. He also earned NCAA II outdoor pole vault All-American honors in 1988. He holds UNC and North Central Conference records in the pole vault. He was a four-time NCC pole vault champion and a three-time NCC placewinner in decathlon. After completing his education at UNC, he has enjoyed a successful coaching career at Binghamton University.  

 

1949 Baseball at the 2003 Induction Ceremony.

1993 Volleyball at the 2003 Induction Ceremony.