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2008 Athletic Hall of Fame

Left to right: Ruth Waller, LeAnn Freeland '98, Chris Bowles '94, Stephen Jackson '95, Sheri Kaiser '94, Todd Niemeier '95, and Bruce Pearl (not pictured)

The 2008 class of the USI Athletic Hall of Fame, was inducted during homecoming week in February. The class of seven individuals was selected by the 10-member USI Athletic Hall of Fame Committee.

Any Eagles fan can nominate student athletes or teams on the 10th anniversary of their last season of competition or a coach/administrator who has been separated from the Department of Athletics for two years. Special individuals (e.g., Varsity Club members) are eligible for nominations.

This year's class includes Chris Bowels
(men's basketball 1990-94), LeAnn Freeland
(women's basketball 1993-97), Stephen Jackson (men's basketball 1983-87), Sheri Kaiser (volleyball/women's basketball 1990-93), Todd Niemeier (baseball 1992-95), Bruce Pearl (men's basketball head coach 1992-2001), and Ruth Waller (women's basketball, softball, tennis, cheerleading head coach 1976-1985).

Chris Bowles ’94 of Madisonville, Kentucky, was USI's first Player of the Year for Division II Basketball. He was named All-American three times, All-Region four times, and All-GLVC four times. Bowles also was named GLVC Player of the Year in 1994, GLVC Newcomer of the Year in 1991, and the NCAA II Great Lakes Regional Most Outstanding Player in 1994. After his final game in the 1994 NCAA II Tournament Championship game, Bowles ranked number two in scoring and first in rebounding at USI. He also ranked in the top five in games played, field goals made, free throws made, and blocks. He also holds the single game scoring record of 45 points on the road at Northern Kentucky University. After leaving USI, Bowles played extensively as a professional in Europe and South America.

LeAnn Freeland '97 of Sims, Illinois, is one of the most decorated female student athletes in USI history and was one of only twenty nominees for the NCAA Division II 25th Silver Anniversary Team. Freeland was a three-time Women's Basketball Coaches Association/Kodak All-American and was named College Sports National Player of the Year as a sophomore. In 1997, she led the USI women's basketball team to the NCAA National Championship game. She was the first USI athlete to be named Academic All-American twice by the College Sports Information Directors of America and was the first USI athlete to be awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which she used at USI. This year, Freeland became the head women's basketball coach at the University of Indianapolis.

Stephen Jackson ‘95 of Fort Wayne, Indiana is USI's all-time leading scorer with 2,216 career points and is only one of two Eagles to score over 2,000 career points. He still is the USI all-time leader in field goals made and holds the season record for field goals made. Jackson was the GLVC Player of the Year in 1985; was the Newcomer of the Year in 1983; was named All-Great Lakes Region three times; and earned All-GLVC honors three times.

Sheri Kaiser ‘94 of Corydon, Indiana was USI's first Academic All-American, earning third team honors in 1993 and also was named GLVC Player of the Year in 1992 and 1993. She finished her career holding the all-time volleyball records for kills, solo blocks, and block assists. Kaiser still holds the career blocks records and the USI single-match record for kills and block assists, as well as the single season record for kills. She was named All-Great Lakes Region in 1993, All-GLVC in 1992 and 1993, and Academic All-GLVC in 1991, 1992, and 1993. Kaiser also was a member of the USI women's basketball team from 1990-93.

Todd Niemeier ‘95 of Evansville is USI's all-time leader in wins (25) and was a two-time preseason All-American, a three-time All-Region and a four-time All-GLVC selection. He also was Academic All-GLVC three straight years. He holds the all-time record for innings pitched and is tied for the season record for wins. The left-handed hurler also ranks second all-time in strikeouts and winning percentage; fifth in appearances; and fourth in complete games. Niemeier was a member of the USI baseball teams that made three NCAA II Tournament appearances, won the GLVC title in 1993, and won 40 or more games twice. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1996 and later went to Indiana University Medical School, becoming an Optometrist.

Bruce Pearl helped put USI into the national spotlight by leading the Eagles to the national championship in 1995 and the finals in 1994. The winningest coach in the history of men's basketball with 231 wins never had a team with less than 20 wins and made nine NCAA II Tournament appearances. USI also was ranked NUMBER ONE nationally for the first time under his tenure as was ranked in the top spot during five different years. He has gone on to have success in Division I at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Tennessee. In addition to his coaching duties, he laid the foundation for athletics department fundraising and community awareness.

Ruth Waller was instrumental in the birth of women's athletics at USI. Waller coached the women's basketball team for nine of the first 10 years, when women's college basketball was in its infancy. She began the USI softball program, coaching the squad for 10 years and posting 100 victories. During her tenure as softball coach, USI was a major force in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, the predecessor to women's athletics in the NCAA. In this association, USI was on the same level as many of Indiana's Division I programs. Waller also was the first women's tennis coach. She has gone on to build one of the strongest intramural programs of all the Indiana state institutions, servicing more than 5,000 students each year.

“The class of 2008 continues to show the strong athletic history USI has established,” said Jon Mark Hall, director of Athletics. “Each member of this class made significant impacts on their respective team and distinguished themselves as a student athlete or coach.”

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