Eleven individuals and two teams will celebrate their induction as the 30th class to join the Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.
The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to honor and preserve the memory of athletes, teams, coaches and those who have contributed meritorious service to Hastings College and its athletic programs.
The celebration is on the Saturday of Homecoming & Family Weekend at Hastings College. It will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 22, with a social hour at Kiewit Gymnasium on campus, followed by a banquet at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the banquet are $25 per person and may be purchased by contacting the Hastings College alumni office at 402.461.7363 or alumni@hastings.edu.
The 2018 Hastings College Athletic Hall of Fame class includes:
- Lindsay Ducey ‘10 of New York, New York, for Women’s Basketball
- Jeff Edwards ‘81 of Scottsdale, Arizona, for Men’s Basketball/Track & Field
- Dave Fletcher ‘85 of Omaha, Nebraska, for Men’s Basketball
- Amy Gordon ‘96 of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Women’s Softball
- Kert McKeone ‘77 of North Platte, Nebraska, for Men’s Basketball
- Alison (Nichols) Poehlein ‘91 of The Colony, Texas, for Women’s Track & Field/Volleyball
- Travis Soucie ‘01 of Kearney, Nebraska, for Football
- Doug Sweeney ‘79 of Grand Island, Nebraska, for Men’s Basketball
- Archie Vap ’46, posthumously for Men’s Basketball/Football
- Doug Weber ‘74 of Hastings, Nebraska, for Football
- Jim Weber ‘78 of Broken Bow, Nebraska, for Football
- 1977 Men’s Basketball Team, undefeated conference champions, Division 1 National Tournament qualifiers
- 1995 Women’s Softball Team, finished 5th in the National Tournament
Biographies of the 2018 inductees
Lindsay Ducey, a three-time NAIA All-American, holds the Hastings College record for points scored during her career in women’s basketball, and is the only player to surpass 2,000 career points. Ducey played an integral role in the Lady Broncos’ success at the NAIA National Tournament as the team made a final four appearance in 2008, and finished as National runners up in 2009.
Jeff Edwards is a two-time All-NIAC and First Team All-District selection in men’s basketball. He was a member of two conference championship teams, both posting 24-4 records, and two district finals. Edwards’ achievements also shined in track & field as he set a school record in the triple jump (51’8”) at the National Track Meet and garnered All-American accolades for his fourth place finish in the event. His school record stood for almost 25 years and still ranks second by one inch to current Hall of Fame athlete Brandon Diamond ‘07. In 1982, Edwards was recognized with the Frank Prince Award for his outstanding athletic achievements at Hastings College.
Dave Fletcher is the 14th all-time leading scorer in Hastings College men’s basketball history with 1,634 points. A three-time First Team All-NIAC, three-time First Team All-District and All-American Division 1 Honorable Mention selection, Fletcher became just the sixth player in Bronco history to earn these honors, joining the ranks with current Hall of Fame members Glen Mays ‘69, Paul Bergman ‘78, Tim Shanahan ‘81, Mark Hiatt ‘82 and Scott DeBoer ‘89. Fletcher was a member of three conference championship teams and three District 11 finals teams.
Amy Gordon was an all-conference catcher and first baseman for the women’s softball team. She compiled a .336 batting average during her career and finished in the top 10 in eight offensive and defensive categories.
Kert McKeone amassed 1,478 points during his career, making him the 22nd all-time leading scorer in Hastings College men’s basketball history. A two-time First Team All-NIAC selection, McKeone was also a two-time First Team and one-time Honorable Mention All-District selection, and finished as an Honorable Mention All-American in Division 1. He was a member of four conference championship teams, four District 11 finals teams and the 1974 and 1977 Division 1 National Tournament teams, and was named the outstanding senior athlete by the Collegian.
Alison (Nichols) Poehlein set conference and school records in the 800 meter, 1500 meter and 880 yard running events and still ranks fourth in Hastings College history in the 1500 meter outdoor running event with a time of 4:49.88, which she set in 1990. Poehlein was an All-American in the 800 meter outdoor run (2:11.79) with a fifth place finish and the 880 yard indoor run (2:15.80) with a fourth place finish, and was a letterwinner in both track and volleyball.
Travis Soucie, a First Team conference and Second Team All-American selection, ran for 1,490 yards and scored 24 touchdowns during his senior season in 2000.
Doug Sweeney, a three-time First Team All-NIAC and two-time First Team All-District selection, is the 16th all-time leading scorer in Hastings College men’s basketball history with 1,628 points. An All-American Division 1 Honorable Mention selection, Sweeney was a member of four conference championship teams, four District 11 finals and the 1977 Division 1 National Tournament Team, and scored 31 points in a District 11 championship game versus Kearney State.
Archie Vap was a member of the 1943 men’s basketball team that went 18-3 and played with the Broncos in the college’s first NAIA National Tournament appearance in 1946. Vap was a two-time All-NCAC and two-time All-State selection and was named to the Omaha World-Herald’s First Team. Vap passed away in 2011 and is being posthumously inducted for his athletic achievements.
Doug Weber was not only noted for his quickness and crushing tackles, but also for his versatility on both offense and defense. An All-Conference defensive linebacker and letterwinner on the Bronco football team, Weber was named an All-NIAC selection in 1971 and 1973, and selected for the All-District team in 1974.
Jim Weber, a three-time All-NIAC selection and two-time All-District selection, led the Broncos in tackles from his linebacker position. The letterwinner was also a member of the Omaha World-Herald All-State team in 1975 and an Honorable Mention All-American in 1977.
The 1977 Men’s Basketball Team capped off an impressive undefeated conference season on the way to capturing the team’s fifth consecutive conference title. Boasting a 25-5 season record, the team qualified for the Division 1 National Tournament by defeating Kearney State in the playoffs and posting non-conference wins over Kearney State, Fort Hays State, and Wayne State. The team fell to number one ranked and top-seeded Newberry, 84-81 in the National Tournament. Four players on the team earned multiple years of All-Conference and All-District honors, including Kert McKeone ’77, Paul Bergman ’78, Doug Sweeney ’79 and Denis Lessor ’79, and all are in the top 20 of Hastings College men’s basketball scoring leaders.
Members of the Men’s Basketball Team include Paul Bergman ’78, Bob Emery ’78, Bruce Hansen ’78, Dick Huebner ’79, Denis Lessor ’79, Craig Marble ’80, Kert McKeone ’77, Randy Presler ’80, Todd Raridon ’80, Jeff Scholl ’80, Doug Sweeney ’79, Don Trotter ’80 and Doug Wolf ’78, and were coached by Dr. Lynn Farrell and Gary Taylor ’76.
Winning a school-record 34 games, the 1995 Women’s Softball Team posted a 14-3 NIAC Record and advanced to the National Tournament, where they finished fifth overall. Team members include Adrienne (Rasmussen) Collins ’96, Lisa (Dean) Crosby ’96, Becky (Wilson) Cunningham ’95, Erica Fleming ’98, Amy Gordon ’96, Cathy (Hahn) Halsey ’97, B.J. (Hoban) Hanger ’96, Carol (Menke) Jurgensmier ’96, Jessie (Augustyn) Kaskie ’98, Allyson (Volzke) Krohe ’96, Kim (Antala) Malichky ‘’96, Molly (Burns) Merrell ’96, Marcy (Richmond) Miller ’96, Lorelle (Hackbart) Mueting ’98, Jenn Schmidt ’97, Lisa Vnoucek ’98, Jody (Gunn) Vondra ’97 and Laura “Corky” (Mangnall) Wooten ’96. The team was coached by Rick Squiers and Troy Baker.
Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With more than 60 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.
