The University of Wisconsin-Superior proudly recognizes nine individuals and the 2001-2002 Yellowjacket men's hockey team chosen for induction July 16 into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame.
This year's inductees are:
-- Gerry Brusletten, Class of 1975, of Deer Park, Wis.
-- Joe Doucette, Class of 1984, of Colfax, Wis.
-- Angela Wait Oehler, Class of 1997, of Neenah, Wis.
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-- Tommy Thompson, Class of 1967, of Richfield, Minn.
-- Ralph J. Worthing, Class of 1976, Saginaw, Mich.
-- Julie Peterson BeBeau, Class of 1986, of Ashland, will be inducted as recipient of the Lydia Thering Meritorious Service Award.
-- The late Bill Downs Jr., attended 1951-53, of Superior, will be inducted as recipient of the Carl Vergamini Contributions to Yellowjacket Athletics Award.
-- Bill Hudspith, Class of 1981, of Saginaw, Minn., will be inducted as recipient of the Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement Award.
-- Richard Kuzminsky, Class of 1971, of Mosinee, Wis., will be inducted as recipient of the Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement Award.
-- 2001-02 Men's hockey team.
The Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremony will be held July 16 in Rothwell Student Center at UWS. A social with cash bar begins at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m.
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Festivities continue with the Yellowjacket Golf Outing starting at noon July 17, at Nemadji Golf Course in Superior. Proceeds benefit Yellowjacket athletics.
Reservations for the banquet and Golf Outing must be made by July 6. Banquet reservations can be made online at www.uwsuper.edu/alumni . For more information or to make golf or banquet reservations, call (715) 394-8593 or toll free at 888-893-8593.
Biographies of the Hall of Fame inductees:
Joe Doucette
Doucette was an outstanding baseball player for the Yellowjackets from 1978 to 1982. Doucette started out as a pitcher and lost only one game. After briefly playing second base, he became a fixture at shortstop. His consistent skills on offense and defense earned him team's MVP Award in 1980 and 1982. He was named all-conference three times and all-conference honorable mention once. He earned the WSUC Northern Division batting crown in 1982 with a batting average of .442. He was named All-District Honorable Mention in 1980 and 1982.
Angela Wait Oehler
Oehler used skill, hard work and dedication to become one of the best Yellowjacket volleyball players in history. During the 1993-94 to 1996-97 seasons, Oehler combined strategy with an exciting style of play to lead her team to its three best seasons in history. She frequently was named to all-tournament teams and three times was named All-Conference.
During the 1995-96 season she helped lead the Yellowjackets to a best-ever 24-9 record and the team's first NCAA Division III Midwest ranking. Her honors included being named team captain, first-team All-Region, first-team All-American, WIAC Woman Scholar Athlete of the Year, and UWS Female Athlete of the Year. In 1998, she was named one of 12 members of the Wisconsin Fury, the state's first professional volleyball team.
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Tommy Thompson
Thompson was a champion Yellowjacket wrestler who played a prominent role on teams that were among the best in UWS history.
Thompson competed in the 123-pound and 130-pound weight classes from 1963-67. He compiled a record of 74-14-4 in meets that frequently pitted the Yellowjackets against teams from NCAA Division I schools.
During his career, Thompson earned virtually every honor available. He was conference champion two years and runner-up another two years, and state champion twice and runner-up once. Competing at the national level, Mr. Thompson placed fourth in the 1965-66 NAIA National Wrestling Tournament and sixth in the 1966-67 tournament. Both years he was named All-American.
Gerry Brusletten
Brusletten was a champion wrestler and team leader throughout his athletic career at UWS. He compiled a 95-15-2 record that included 35 pins - the second highest in team history. He was conference champion in the 126-pound weight class from 1972 to 1975 - the most titles in team history - and he twice placed second in national NAIA competition. In 1974 and again the following year, he was named team co-captain. Both years he also earned the university's Most Valuable Wrestler Award and the Outstanding UWS Athlete of the Year Award.
Ralph Worthing
Worthing was a top player and leader of Yellowjacket hockey's first national championship team and an outstanding scholar during his years at UWS.
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Worthing was named ICHA All-Conference and selected for the NAIA All-Tournament Team in 1975. He ranks third in team history for goals scored with 88 and is tied for ninth in all-time points with 142.
An outstanding student, Worthing earned the conference hockey scholar athlete award in 1974, 1975 and 1976 - the first three years it was presented. He received UWS's Outstanding Senior Psychology Major Award for Academic Excellence in 1976 and graduated that year with top academic honors.
Bill Hudspith
Hudspith was an outstanding Yellowjacket athlete who coached and educated young athletes for more than 30 years. He is inducted into the Hall of Fame as recipient of the Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement Award, named for the university's legendary coach and athletic director.
Hudspith was conference champion in the discus in 1979 and conference champion in discus and javelin in 1980. Those years he competed in both events at the NAIA National Track and Field Meet.
Hudspith began coaching high school football in 1978. Over the years he served at several high schools in northern Minnesota as assistant coach or head coach in football, hockey and track and field. Under his teaching and leadership, his teams won numerous conference and state championships.
From 1991 to 2005 he coached the men's track team at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. During that time he was named the NSIC Track and Field Coach of the Year 13 times, and his NCAA Division II teams earned 10 outdoor and 11 indoor titles.
Richard Kuzminsky
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Kuzminsky was a champion college wrestler who became one of the leading high school wrestling coaches in Wisconsin. He is inducted into the Hall of Fame as recipient of the Mertz Mortorelli Coaching Achievement Award, named for the university's legendary coach and athletic director.
As a Yellowjacket, Kuzminsky lettered in wrestling for four years. He won a state championship in the 118-pound weight class in 1966 and that year placed fifth at the NAIA National Wrestling Championship.
Kuzminsky spent a year as an assistant wrestling coach at UWS, and then went on to spend more than 30 years coaching high school wrestlers in Mosinee.
He led his student-athletes to 240 dual meet victories. Over the years his wrestlers claimed 28 individual team champions, nine conference championships and three regional championships.
Julie Peterson BeBeau
BeBeau used the skills and knowledge she acquired at UWS to teach young people the importance of fitness, health and wellness, and to spread that teaching throughout the school district at which she is employed.
She is inducted into the Hall of Fame as recipient of the Lydia C. Thering Meritorious Service Award, which is named for one of UWS's pioneers in women's athletics and physical education.
After graduating in 1986, BeBeau was hired to teach physical education at the elementary and middle school levels for the Ashland public schools. When a job change put her in a new position, she realized the physical education curriculum for elementary school students was outdated. She researched the Wisconsin school districts that offered the best physical education programs and passed that information along to her supervisors. In 2006 the Ashland school district re-wrote its physical education curriculum to incorporate teaching about lifetime health and fitness skills.
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Bill Downs Jr.
The late Bill Downs Jr. was a Superior businessman who strongly supported community organizations and activities, particularly UWS and Yellowjacket student-athletes. He is inducted into the Hall of Fame as recipient of the Carl Vergamini Contributions to Yellowjacket Athletics Award, named for one of UWS's outstanding and most popular coaches.
A lifelong resident of Superior, Mr. Downs attended UWS from 1951-53 before entering the U.S. Army. He was a businessman for more than 50 years and was active in more than 30 local fraternal and civic groups.
Mr. Downs was especially passionate about supporting his university and his Yellowjacket teams because he believed strongly their missions and their roles in the community.
In describing Downs' community spirit, one of his many friends said, "Bill typified what Carl Vergamini himself encouraged, and that was to be involved, be loyal and be an integral part of the program - play and participate and perform at any and every level with dignity and pride and fairness, and with heart and soul."
2001-02 Hockey Team
The men's hockey team went 24-5-5 in 2001-02, finished second in the National Collegiate Hockey Association, finished second in the NCHA playoffs, were the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions and the NCAA Frozen Four national champions.
The Yellowjackets combined scoring and sparkling defense to win the team's second national hockey championship and its first national title in NCAA Division III competition.
Team members included: Goaltenders Nate Ziemski, Christian Oppel, Kip Martin; defensemen Randy Currie (captain), Bruce Leonard (captain), Milan Tomaska, Carl Hanson, Tim Schneider, Shane Lodhar, Dale Lupul, Pete Hughes; and forwards: Dustin LaValley, Chris Hackett, Josh Liebenow, Jay Stewart, Ryan Kalbrener, Randall Smisko, Beau Moyer, Kris Wilson (captain), Charlie DePuydt, Reed Larson, Yann Poirier, Ryan Rutz, Colin Kendall, Rob Whidden, Mike Wiggins, Kyle Nosan, Brent Halvorson.
The team was coached by Dan Stauber, Randy Barker, Dean Reed and Tim Walsh.
