USI Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2009
Announced
The University of Southern Indiana Department of Athletics inducted the 2009 class of the USI Athletic Hall of
Fame during homecoming week in February. The class
of six individuals and one team was selected by a 10-member USI Athletic
Hall of Fame Committee.
Any Screaming Eagles fan
Class of
2009 (L-R): Joel Thomas (Men's Basketball), Rick Herdes (Men's
Basketball), Jim Brown (Men's Basketball, Baseball, M/W Golf),
Chance
Dugan (Women's Basketball), Eileen Weber (Women's Basketball),
Brian
Huebner (Men's Basketball), Ken Troutman (Men's Basketball),
Marc Hostetter (Men's Basketball), Jim Nolan (Men's Cross
Country/Track), and
Margaret Goedde (sister of inductee John Hollinden). |
was eligible to 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) were eligible for nominations.
This year’s class includes
Jim Nolan (Men’s Cross Country/Track
1980-84),
John Hollinden (Men’s Basketball 1979-81),
Eileen
Weber (Women’s Basketball 1994-98),
Elly Rono (Men’s Cross
Country 1996-98),
Jim Brown (Head Coach Baseball, Men’s Golf, and
Women’s Golf 1970-2003),
Chancellor Dugan (Women’s Basketball
Head Coach 1991-99), and the 1995 Men’s Basketball National Championship
team.
“The class of 2009 continues to show the strong athletic history USI has
established,” said USI Director of Athletics
Jon Mark Hall. “Each
member of this class made significant impacts on their respective team
and distinguished themselves as a student athlete or coach.”
2009 CLASS OF USI ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
John Hollinden ‘83, Men’s Basketball: A legend in the history of
the USI basketball program, Hollinden towered over the opposition at
7-foot-6 and helped lead USI to a pair of GLVC championships and
back-to-back NCAA II Tournament appearances. The all-time USI leader
with 365 blocks in two seasons also holds the single-game and
single-season record for blocks. Hollinden, who still ranks in the top
20 all-time at USI in rebounds, was a two-time All-GLVC player and was
the GLVC Player of the Year in 1981. He also was drafted by the Dallas
Mavericks in the 10th round of the NBA Draft before suffering a
crippling back injury. Holllinden passed away in 1992.
Jim Nolan, Men’s Cross Country/Track: Nolan is one of USI’s first
cross country and track All-Americans and still holds the USI record in
the 8k. He was a member of four GLVC and one NCAA Regional championship
teams. Nolan, who remains the only GLVC cross country runner to win four
individual conference titles (1980-83), earned four All-GLVC and three
All-Region awards, He went on to coach future USI standouts Jenny
Farmer, David Farmer, and Matt Krack at Mater Dei. Nolan was named to
the GLVC Hall of Fame in 2008.
Elly Rono ‘98, Men’s Cross Country/Track: Rono became the first
USI cross country and track athlete to win national championships. He
won the 1997 NCAA Division II Cross Country championship after finishing
second in 1996. Rono followed his cross country championship
performances by winning the 5,000m indoor national title and the 10,000m
outdoor crown in 1998. He also earned All-American honors in six
different track events. He was named to the Division II Cross Country
Hall of Fame (2004) and the GLVC Hall of Fame (2004).
Eileen Weber ‘98, Women’s Basketball: Weber was a member of the
USI women’s basketball team from 1994 to 1998 and helped the team to a
100-16 record during those years. She played on four-straight NCAA
Division II Tournament teams and is the only player in the history of
the program to do that. Weber also is the only USI women’s player to be
named All-GLVC honors during each of her four seasons, starting her
career with the GLVC Newcomer of the Year honor and finishing her career
as the GLVC Player of the Year. She was a two-time All-American (1997
and 1998). In helping USI to the 1997 NCAA Tournament championship game,
she was named to the Elite Eight All-Tournament team. Weber still ranks
second in all-time in scoring and rebounding and is fourth in games
played. Weber attended USI on a Presidential Scholarship and was named
Academic All-GLVC in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Jim Brown, Golf, Baseball, and Basketball Coach: Brown spent 33
years (1970-2003) at USI in various capacities in Athletics. He began
his tenure as the assistant men’s basketball coach, sports information
director, budget manager, and intramural director in 1970. Brown started
and coached the baseball team between1971-1975, and became the men’s
golf coach in 1977. He remained the men’s golf coach until his
retirement in 2003, directing the squad to the NCAA Division II National
Championship Tournament in 1996 (17th). Brown also was the academic
advisor for athletics from 1991-2000, and started and coached the
women’s golf team from 1995-1999.
Chancellor Dugan, Women’s Basketball: Dugan is the second
winningest coach in the history of the women’s basketball program
(159-73) and is responsible for turning the program into a national
power in the 1990s. In just four season, Dugan took a team that had won
just one GLVC game, in the two seasons before Dugan arrived, to its
first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament appearance (1995). Two years
later the Eagles reached the 1997 NCAA Division II Tournament Finals, a
game that was aired live on ESPN. She was named the GLVC Coach of the
Year in 1997 and 1998 and directed the Eagles to the GLVC’s first
perfect season (20-0). USI also was ranked NUMBER ONE nationally for
most of 1997-98 before finishing fourth in the final poll. During her
tenure, she also was the assistant director of athletics and was
instrumental in the start of the nationally recognized Eagle Math
program.
1995 Men’s Basketball National Championship Team: The Screaming
Eagles posted a program-best 29-4 record on its way to the University’s
first-ever national championship. The team featured GLVC Player of the
Year and NCAA Division II Player of the Year Stan Gouard. In the
national championship game that was viewed by more than three million
people live on CBS, the Eagles came back from 22 points to defeat the
University of California-Riverside, 71-63.
