Class 1999 - University of Northern Colorado Athletics

1999 Class: Front row (l-r): Mike Bennett, Judy McCreery-Chamberlin, Dean Schott. Back row (l-r): Joe Klune, Mike Tomasini, Duane Banks, Bob Blasi (head coach of 1969 football team). Picture of 1969 football team attendees at bottom of page.

Hall of Fame Class of 1999

1969 Football Team
Bob Blasi (Head Coach)With an unblemished 10-0 record, the 1969 UNC football team remains the only squad in school history to record a perfect season on the gridiron. The Bears finished the season ranked third in the nation and won their first undisputed Rocky Mountain Conference Championship. The Bears averaged 43.5 points per game, the second highest average in the nation, while holding their opponents to an average of 12 points per contest. Leading the Bears was fourth-year head coach Bob Blasi (Hall of Fame, Class of '95), who went on to record a school-best 107 victories in his 19 seasons. While the Bears have gone on to post 20 winning seasons since Blasi's squad ran the table, the 1969 football squad is often credited with putting UNC football on the map.

Duane Banks, Baseball/Basketball (1958-59, 62-64)
Duane Banks was a three-time all-conference and all-district catcher for the Bears in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He helped UNC reach the College World Series following the 1959 season. A career .363 hitter, Banks also played one year of basketball at UNC. Upon graduating from UNC, he spent one year with the Atlanta Braves organization before embarking on a coaching career. Banks served as the head baseball coach at the University of Iowa from 1970 until his retirement in 1997. Iowa's all-time winningest coach, Banks posted a record of 901-575-4 and led his squad to three Big Ten titles. He is also a member of the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

Mike Bennett, Track and Field (1989-92)
Mike Bennett is one of the top male track and field athletes in UNC history. He won the NCAA II national decathlon title on three occasions (1989, 1991,1992), as well as earning seven individual North Central Conference titles. Bennett posted conference championships in the decathlon (1989, 1991, 1992), 110-meter high hurdles (1989,1991,1992) and the long jump (1991). He is currently the UNC record holder in the decathlon, long jump, pentathlon, 55-meter high hurdles and 60-meter hurdles.

Joe Klune, Wrestling/Football (1942-43, 45-47)

Joe Klune was a two-sport athlete for the Bears in the mid-1940s. As a wrestler, he earned three Rocky Mountain Conference championships (1942, 1946, 1947) and earned All-American honors by finishing fourth (University Division) at 167 pounds in 1946. As a football player, Klune was a two-time all-conference selection. After graduating from UNC, Klune enjoyed a successful career as a teacher/coach in the Denver Public Schools for over 30 years. Still a supporter of his alma mater, Klune continues to be a member of the UNC Blue & Gold Club, as well as a contributor to the Wrestling Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Judy McCreery-Chamberlin, Track and Field (1978-80)
Judy McCreery-Chamberlin still ranks as one of the greatest female distance runners in school history. She posted a fourth-place finish at the 1979 AIAW Cross Country Championships, earning All-American honors in the process. McCreery-Chamberlin continues to hold UNC records in the 3,000 meters (10:09.49), 5,000 meters (17:12.0) and the 10,000 meters (34:49.1). She also competed in the 1988 Olympic Trials, posting a 10th place finish in the 10,000 meters.

Dean Schott, Gymnastics (1980-83)
One of the best-ever gymnasts at UNC, Dean Schott will best be remembered for his 1983 NCAA II All-Around National Championship. Schott earned the title by placing second in the floor exercise, third on the rings, fifth on the vault and sixth on the parallel bars. A seven-time All-American, he was named UNC's Outstanding Gymnast all four years. In 1983, Schott was presented with the ESPN Award for Sports Excellence. Since graduating from UNC, he served as Colorado State Chairman of USA Gymnastics (national governing body) from 1987-94.

Mike Tomasini, Football/Wrestling/Track and Field (1964-67)
An all-around athlete, Mike Tomasini, earned 11 varsity letters in three different sports during his four-year career at UNC. In football, Tomasini was named Second Team All-American by the Associated Press in 1967. A noseguard, he also earned all-conference honors and was selected as UNC's lineman of the Year. He was 1968 draft pick of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. In track and field, Tomasini earned 15 gold medals from the Rocky Mountain Conference and was named All-American in the shot put and discus in 1967. He still holds the UNC indoor shot put record of 52'2.25. Tomasini's wrestling career included a third-place finish at the MIWA regional tournament.

1969 Football Team

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