University of Minnesota Athletics
M Club Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Held
10/10/2014 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Last night in the DQ Club Room at TCF Bank Stadium, the University of Minnesota's "M" Club inducted 14 new members into its Hall of Fame. The evening, emceed by four-time letterwinner and world-renowned public speaker Desi Williamson, honored each of the inductees, as well as the semicentennial of the 1964 National Champion Gopher baseball team and 50-year letterwinners from a variety of sports.
"Those who were inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight are an elite group that stands out among more than 5,000 student-athletes who have competed at Minnesota in our history," said George Adzick, "M" Club director and three-time Gopher letterwinner. "We're proud of all they accomplished and what they each contributed to the legacy of Gopher Athletics. It is our privilege to honor them with induction into our Hall of Fame."
The "M" Club, one of the oldest varsity letterwinner organizations in the country, turned 100 in 2014, and its Hall of Fame class for this year embodies the breadth of the club's century-long history. Inductees included student-athletes, coaches and administrators who wore the Maroon and Gold in 11 different decades, ranging from 1902 to 2007, and represented 11 different sports.
This year's class of inductees included:
- Laura Halldorson (Head Women's Hockey Coach) - three-time National Champion and three-time National Coach of the Year
- Quincy Lewis (Men's Basketball) - All-American, Big Ten scoring champion, top six all-time in program history for points and steals
- Pat Micheletti (Men's Hockey) - All-American, second all-time in program history for goals and points, third all-time in assists
- Nicole Branagh (Volleyball) - Two-time All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year (2000), Gophers all-time leader in kills, 2008 Olympian
- Tanya Schuh (Women's Swimming) - Nine-time All-American, six-time Big Ten champion, Big Ten Athlete of the Year (1996)
- Bernie Zeruhn (Men's Swimming) - Second-most decorated swimmer in Minnesota history, 17-time All-American, three-time Big Ten individual champion
- Bill Light (Football) - Two-time First Team All-Big Ten selection, graduated as program's all-time leading tackler, still holds single-game and single-season tackle records
- Keita Cline (Men's Track and Field) - Five-time Big Ten champion, two-time All-American and two-time Olympian
- Kari Blank (Softball) - First softball player in school history to be named three-time All-Big Ten, co-Big Ten Player of the Year (1991)
- George Tuck (Men's Basketball) - First All-American basketball player at Minnesota, led team to 29 consecutive victories to begin his career
- Frank McCormick (Head Baseball Coach, Director of Athletics) - Led baseball team to a pair of Big Ten titles as head coach while also serving as director of athletics, left Minnesota to serve in World War II and returned following the war
- Bob Hanning (Men's Gymnastics) - Two-time All-American, Minnesota's first-ever NCAA Champion gymnast (parallel bars)
- Jim Hill (Men's Swimming) - Two-time NCAA Champion, including both an individual championship (150 backstroke) and a relay championship (300 medley relay)
- Ken Haycraft (Football) - All-American, two-time All-Big Ten, member of 1927 Big Ten Championship team
The T. Denny Sanford Athletics Hall of Fame, which is located inside the John and Nancy Lindahl Premium Entrance at TCF Bank Stadium, features Gopher Athletics memorabilia from throughout the school's athletics history. Hall of Fame inductees have their names added to a wall within the Hall of Fame honoring legends from all eras of Gopher Athletics. With this year's additions, the "M" Club Hall of Fame now has 320 members representing 27 different varsity sports, as well as coaches, administrators and contributor.
