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Maurice Brown, Wrestling (Morganfield, Ky.)
One of the key members of two national championship teams, Maurice Brown made his mark for the SIUE wrestling program as a two-time All-American (1984 and 1985) and a three-time NCAA Tournament qualifier (1983, 1984, and 1985). Brown was a key component at 142 pounds for the Cougars in the national championship runs in 1984 and 1985.
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Wendy Hedberg, Women’s Basketball (Arlington Heights, Ill.)
Wendy Hedberg led the SIUE women’s basketball program for 29 seasons and recorded a career record of 453-350. She led five teams to the postseason with an NCAA Tournament play-in game following the 1993-94 season and NCAA Tournament bids in 1997-98, 1998-99, 2000-01, and 2006-07. Hedberg recorded five 20-win seasons, including a school record 22 in 1997-98.
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Chad Opel, Baseball (Second Base/Shortstop) (Edwardsville, Ill.)
An All-American shortstop during the 2001 season, he went on to earn Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in 2002. A two-time All-Region pick in 2001 and 2002, he was one of two players in school history to record more than 100 hits in a single season (104 in 2001) and completed his career with 302. He helped SIUE to an NCAA Division II Regional title in 2001 and a fifth-place finish nationally at the 2001 NCAA Division II College World Series.
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P.J. Riley, Baseball (Outfield) (Edwardsville, Ill.)
Drafted in the 15th round as the 384th pick in the 1989 Major League Baseball draft by the Houston Astros, P.J. Riley set the school record for single-season batting average during his final season with a .403 mark in 1989. The Cougar outfielder led SIUE to two NCAA postseason bids in 1987 and 1989, finishing second in the NCAA Regionals each time. In just three seasons with the Cougars, he remains among the top 20 hitters all-time in hits with 194.
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Kathy (Going) Rogers, Field Hockey/Women’s Basketball/Softball (Godfrey, Ill.)
A three-sport standout in field hockey, women’s basketball, and softball for the Cougars, Kathy (Going) Rogers was a two-time SIUE Athlete of the Year in 1976 and 1979. She twice led the SIUE basketball program in scoring and three times in rebounding. Her 13.6 rebounds per game during the 1975-76 season remains a single-season record. A 23-rebound effort against Northeastern during the 1978-79 season continues to be SIUE’s single-game record.
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Lindsay Rust, Volleyball (Outside Hitter) (Belleville, Ill.)
One of two players in school history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career, Lindsay Rust played three outstanding volleyball seasons with the Cougars from 1998 to 2000. The school record holder for kills in a match with 34 against Grand Valley State during the 1998 season, Rust holds the top four single-match efforts in kills. Her play during the 1998 season helped SIUE set the school record for wins with 29 and SIUE’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament during the program’s fourth year of Great Lakes Valley Conference play.
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Kimberly (Lowe) Thompson, Women’s Basketball (Forward/Center) (Hamilton, Ill.)
The first women’s basketball player in school history to record 1,000 points and 900 rebounds in a career, Kimberly (Lowe) Thompson was the leader in the paint for four seasons from 1995 to 1999. She was selected as an NCAA Division II All-American her senior season after averaging a team-leading 19.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Lowe’s prowess in the paint led to 34 rebounds during NCAA Tournament play in both the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. In 111 games overall, (Lowe) Thompson scored 1,475 points and set the school record with 917 rebounds.
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1974-75 Wrestling Team
The SIUE wrestling program reached new heights with the 1974-75 squad, which finished second at the NCAA Division II Championships. The Cougars finished the national championship with 71.5 team points and were outdistanced only by Northern Iowa. Under the direction of Head Coach Larry Kristoff, the Cougars boasted five All-Americans who would finish in the top six nationally. Larry Pruitt and Frank Savegnago both reached the championship match at 126 pounds and 190 pounds, respectively. Mike Taylor collected a pin in the third-place match at 150 pounds. Terry Mulrenin placed fourth at 126 pounds while Dennis Byrne finished in fifth at 167 pounds. Other key members of the 1974-75 team include Chico Aiken, Gordon Anderson, David Byrne, Tony DiGuida, Jim McCoy, Gary McGrath, Terry Mertes, Mike O’Grady, David Robinson, Rob Rummel, Mark Sanders, Danny Santana, Cricket Smith, Greg Tuck, Jerry Washington and Kevin White.
EDWARDSVILLE – Seven individuals and one team will be inducted into the Class of 2014 SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday, Sept. 20, at SIUE’s Morris University Center.
This year’s honorees include Maurice Brown (wrestling), Head Coach Wendy Hedberg (women’s basketball), Chad Opel (baseball), P.J. Riley (baseball), Kathy (Going) Rogers (field hockey, women’s basketball, softball), Lindsay Rust (volleyball), Kimberly (Lowe) Thompson (women’s basketball) as well as the members of the 1974-75 wrestling team.
This is the 10th class to be inducted since the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame started in 2005. The Hall of Fame seeks to recognize the achievements of former student-athletes, coaches, administrators and teams that have participated in the intercollegiate athletics programs at SIUE as well as to celebrate the history of the institution. A complete listing of Hall of Fame members is available at http://www.siuecougars.com/hallfame/siue-hallfame.html.
Reservations for the event can be made by contacting SIUE Athletics at (618) 650-2871. Tickets are $30 and include a social for the inductees to be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony at 6:30 p.m. This year’s event is sponsored by Zeiser Kia and Robust Edwardsville.
Included with each photo is a short SIUE biography of each inductee.