University of St. Thomas Athletics
Athletics Hall of Fame to induct eight plus one team for 2022
9/7/2022 12:07:00 PM | Football, Athletics, Men's Basketball, Men's Hockey, Men's Soccer, Men's Swimming & Diving, Men's Track & Field, Women's Basketball, Women's Swimming & Diving, Volleyball
This 2022 induction class represented Tommie Athletics over the previous five decades and includes coaches and athletes from 10 different Tommie sports programs:
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Nick Wohlers (Men's Hockey, 1988-1992)
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Andretta Colley (Women's Track & Field 2002-2005)
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Tony Danna (Football 2007-2011)
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Mike Hutton (Men's Track and Field, Soccer 2008-2012)
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Tommy Hannon (Men's Basketball 2008-2013)
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Maggie Weiers (Women's Basketball 2010-2015)
- Coach: Denzil Lue (Men's Soccer, 1978-2001)
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Coach: Tom Hodgson (Men's and Women's Swim and Dive, 1979-2014)
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Team: 2012 Volleyball (NCAA champions)
St. Thomas has inducted Hall members every three years since its first induction class in 1974. The inductions and ceremonies will shift to an annual selection process starting in summer 2023. Starting this year, one elite St. Thomas team of the past will be added into each Hall induction class.
The overall Hall of Fame now includes 220 individuals and two teams.
Ceremonies
The 2022 Hall of Fame event will take place Friday Oct. 28 on campus at the James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall.
A 5:30 p.m. reception and cash bar will be followed by a 6:15 p.m. dinner and program. Ticket information will follow in the coming days on Tommiesports.com
On Saturday Oct. 29, the Hall of Fame inductees will be introduced at halftime of the noon St. Thomas vs. San Diego football game at O'Shaughnessy Stadium.
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2022 St. Thomas Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees
Nick Wohlers, Men's Hockey (Class of 1992)
Selected a first-team All-America defenseman as a senior after putting together a monster season when he scored three hat tricks (one off school record) and helped team reach 20 wins... played four seasons at St. Thomas and helped team win all four MIAC regular-season crowns and make one NCAA playoff... still in program record book for most goals (25), assists (34) and points (59) by a defenseman in one season (1991-92), and most defenseman goals in a career (37)... contributed 90-plus career points... later played pro hockey in the AHL with Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
Andretta Colley, Women's Track and Field (Class of 2005)
Won the NCAA outdoor long jump championship as a senior as the No. 7 seed (19-5 1-4)... that mark was No. 2 all-time in conference history at that time... won school's 50th individual NCAA title placed fourth at the NCAA indoor meet in the long jump for her first career All-America honor... 3X NCAA championships qualifier, also competed at nationals in 4x100 relay and triple jump... born and raised in Jamaica, was foreign-exchange student in Twin Cities at Benilde-St. Margaret's High... conference long jump champion as a junior.
Mike Hutton, Men's Track and Field, Soccer (Class of 2012)
Five-time All-America including NCAA indoor champion at 800 meters and NCAA outdoor runner-up at 800... still ranks in top 10 all time on NCAA D-III performance list at both indoor 800 meters and outdoor 800 meters... broke four school track and field records... rare four-time All-MIAC honoree in men's soccer and finished with 35 goals and 86 points in his four-year career... six-time MIAC Athlete of the Week in soccer, indoor and outdoor track... helped the Tommies win seven conference team titles indoors and outdoors in his career... voted Outstanding Men's Track Athlete of two MIAC indoor championship meets and one MIAC outdoor championships... in 2012, also swept the Central Region Track Athlete of the Year for the indoor and outdoor season... nine-time MIAC champion as individual or relay member
Tommy Hannon, Men's Basketball (Class of 2013)
Starting center on the 2011 national champion team and starred on the 2013 Final Four squad... made honorable mention All-America as a senior, one of 25 total players named either All-America or honorable mention... in 101 career games, finished with 1,061 points and 606 rebounds, and the Toms went 90-11 when he was on the court.... in 2011 NCAA title game as a sophomore played 30 minutes and had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists (7-of-8 FG shooting) to help win first national team title in program history... in his final two 2013 NCAA playoff games as a senior (Elite 8 and Final 4) totaled 24 points and 24 rebounds, including 15 points, 15 rebounds in his final game, a close national semifinal loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor... in his three full years on the varsity he helped the Tommies win three MIAC championships and claim the 2011 NCAA championship... CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree... recorded 11 career double doubles... played one season of pro basketball in Australia for the Goldfield Giants.
Tony Danna, Football (Class of 2011)
Maggie Weiers, Women's Basketball (Class of 2015)
Denzil Lue, Men's Soccer head coach
A pioneer and trailblazer, Denzil Lue was there from the very beginning of St. Thomas Men's Soccer. A young man from Jamaica came to study chemistry in the classroom, Lue ended up building chemistry on the field over many seasons in his roles as a player, assistant coach and head coach... he was the first person of color to serve as a head coach in St. Thomas Athletics... in his 23-year run as head coach from 1979-2001, he built a deep resume as he guided the Tommies to a 242-140-46 record, and twice was voted MIAC Coach of the Year... his teams won four MIAC championships and claimed four NCAA tournament berths... his 1985 team had an unbeaten regular season... he had nine players make NCAA All-Region, and four times a Tommie was chosen MIAC Player of the Year... he coached two of the first five soccer players in conference history to become four-time All-MIAC honorees... he was inducted into Jamaica's Soccer Hall of Fame for his national team experience and for coaching Jamaica's 19-under national team... he also was inducted into the Minnesota Soccer Hall of Fame... beyond his list of on-field achievements, his influence was evident with so many players who went on to teach the game of soccer to the next generation of players.Tom Hodgson, Men's and Women's Swim-Dive
Tom Hodgson retired in May 2014 after a 35-run directing the Tommie programs... hired in fall 1979 to coach of the women's swim team in year three of that program's existence, he added the men's team to his head coach responsibilities one year later... his teams were known for their culture and "Family" identity, a term coined by the student-athletes after he initiated co-ed practices in January 1981... his 35-year tenure as head coach in a single sport was at the time unprecedented in St. Thomas' first 110 years of varsity athletics... for most of his career, he recruited teams to and coached in the five-lane O'Shaughnessy Natatorium, a facility that opened in 1940... despite that pool's limitations, he coached more than 100 MIAC champions and produced 46 All-Americas... with the 2010 opening of the new Anderson Aquatic Center, St. Thomas swim-dive surged... the men's team won two of the next four MIAC championships, and his final women's teams built the foundation for multiple MIAC titles after he retired... he received seven MIAC Coach of the Year honors from when the award was created in 2002 until his 2014 retirement... his athletes received multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America honors; were consistently among the CSCAA's Scholar All-America teams; and built a proud community and campus service tradition, including its annual food shelf donation and active participation in the Ted Mullin Hour of Power fundraisers for cancer research... he was inducted into the Rochester sports Hall of Fame in April 2012. He won four state championships in three events and set a state record in the 200 IM while swimming at Rochester Mayo High... he went on to swim collegiately at the University of Minnesota, where he was a co-captain for the Gophers, broke a U of M school record in the 400 IM, and at the time ranked second all-time on the school's 200 IM and 100 backstroke lists.
Tommie Volleyball broke through in 2012 and became the first conference school and second Minnesota university to claim a national team championship.... Coach Thanh Pham's Tommies capped a 40-1 season as they captured a thrilling national title under tough conditions in Holland, Mich. In an arena packed with Calvin (Mich.) College fans, the Toms rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 over Calvin and rule over 400-plus D-III teams... the Toms became the first conference team to complete a 14-0 run against league opponents; first to sweep the MIAC regular-season and playoffs plus the NCAA region and national championships; first to reach 40 wins; and first to close a season with a 35-match winning streak... six team members received all-conference recognition -- Kaiti Wachter, Paige Brimeyer, Jill Greenfield and MIAC Player of the Year Kelly Foley, and Kia Johnson (All Sportsmanship team). Pham was recognized as the MIAC Coach of the Year as he guided the Tommies to the program's sixth consecutive conference title and eighth in 10 seasons. The Toms were also recognized nationally with two All-Americas in Brimeyer and Foley. At the eight-team national playoff finals, the Tommies had three all-tournament selections in Wachter, Sara Atkinson and Greenfield, and Greenfield was named Most Outstanding Player of the national finals. Pham was also named NCAA Region Coach of the Year. Kia Johnson received the NCAA Elite 89 Award for having the highest grade-point average among 120 student-athletes competing in the championships.
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Click HERE to visit 2022 St. Thomas Athletics Hall of Fame website
