North Central College has announced the nine individuals who will comprise the 2022 induction class to the North Central Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place Saturday, Oct. 1, in conjunction with the College's Homecoming festivities.
The list of inductees is the second-biggest since the inaugural class was inducted in 2004. This year's honorees will join the 122 individuals who have been selected to the previous 16 induction classes.
This year's inductees are Bob Walker '75 (baseball), Steve Holden '06 (football), Maggie Kelly '08 Eckburg (women's volleyball), Dan Benton '11 (men's track & field), Michael Spain '11 (men's cross country/track and field), Landon Gamble '14 (men's basketball), Mary Kate Rohn '14/M '16 Walsh, Kari Kluckhohn (head women's track and field coach) and Heidi Matthews (athletic training).
Walker became the first Cardinal to be drafted by a Major League Baseball (MLB) organization in 1975, selected in the 35th round by the Baltimore Orioles, and was also the first North Central baseball player to earn multiple First Team All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) accolades. He set a North Central single-season record for earned-run average (0.85) in 1973 and threw the first two no-hitters in the history of the Cardinals' program.
Holden is one of three four-time All-CCIW selections in the history of the Cardinal football program and finished his career as North Central's all-time leader in rushing yards (3,898), touchdowns (34), points scored (206) and remains the Cardinals' all-time leader in rushing attempts (764). Holden closed his career by leading North Central to its first appearance in the NCAA Division III postseason in 2005.
Eckburg helped lead the women's volleyball program to two of its most successful seasons in 2006 and 2007 as the Cardinals won 26 matches in consecutive campaigns. Eckburg was honored as North Central's first All-American in the sport in 2007 and set program records for kills in a season (640) and career (1,632).
Benton was a member of four Division III national championship teams and won four individual national titles as well, prevailing twice in the 400-meter dash and twice in the 4-by-400-meter relay. Benton was twice named Indoor Track Athlete of the Meet at the CCIW Indoor Championship and owns the CCIW Outdoor Championship record in the 400.
Spain also competed on four national championship-winning teams and won three individual national championships as a senior. Spain was a 10-time All-American (three cross country, seven track & field) and a four-time CCIW individual champion. He won the 5,000 and 10,000-meter events at the 2011 outdoor national championships, contributing 20 points to the Cardinals' victory.
"People have wondered what North Central’s secret to success was...I really think there was just a genuine understanding that Al (Carius (H) ’06) and Grammy (Frank Gramarosso) really loved the guys on the team. We loved what we were doing, we loved who we were running for, and we wanted to do anything we could do make each other successful."
- Michael Spain '11
Gamble was the third member of the men's basketball program to earn First Team All-CCIW honors four straight years. During his time at North Central, the Cardinals won two CCIW championships, two CCIW Tournament titles and advanced to the 2013 national semifinals. Gamble graduated as the program's career record holder for games played (112) while ranking third in field goals made (618) and fourth in scoring (1,616).
Walsh won the individual title at the CCIW Women's Golf Championship in 2013, becoming the second Cardinal to do so. Walsh is also North Central's program record holder for lowest 18-hole score in competition (73), contributed to team scoring records at 18, 36 and 54 holes and was part of the first North Central team to qualify for national-championship competition.
“I think being a student-athlete makes you very marketable, because people know the skills and qualities you have to have. It gave me the drive and discipline to continue to succeed in my daily life, to work hard for what you want, and that it’s important to have fun.”
- Mary Kate Rohn '14/M '16 Walsh
Kluckhohn has coached North Central's women's track and field team since 2002, during which time the Cardinals have won 15 CCIW team championships, seven individual national championships, 101 All-America awards and 131 CCIW individual and relay championships. Kluckhohn is a four-time United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year honoree and North Central's coaching staffs under her direction have won 13 CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year awards.
"Part of my calling is to be a strong advocate for women and helping them learn how not to apologize for wanting to be their best, wanting to be excellent...To never apologize for wanting to win and valuing your time as a student-athlete. You have your path and you know you're capable of doing it. The outcome will be what it will be, but it's the collective striving for that common goal that makes a great team and a rewarding experience."
- Kari Kluckhohn
Matthews came to North Central as the head athletic trainer, director of sports medicine and instructor of health and physical education in 1993. Matthews taught the majority of athletic training courses, led North Central to become the first athletic training program to gain accreditation in the Chicagoland area and was named the inaugural dean of North Central's School of Education and Health Sciences in 2016. Matthews was recognized with the College's Dissinger Award in 1998 and the Cleo Tanner Award for service to women's athletics in 2009. The athletic training facility in Merner Field House was named after Matthews in 2018.
“The importance of athletics in the life of the student-athlete and athletic training student has always been very important to me. Developing strong relationships was always a goal of mine, with student-athletes, athletic training students, coaches, faculty, and administration was important to building a strong program,”
- Heidi Matthews
More information on each inductee will be made available in a twice-weekly profile series, to be released on northcentralcardinals.com beginning in early September.
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