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FIVE INDIVIDUALS, FOOTBALL TEAM SELECTED FOR ESU ATHLETICS HALL OF HONOR

EMPORIA, KAN. (September 7, 2007)--Five individuals and a national runner-up football team will be inducted into the ESU Athletics Hall of Honor on Saturday, October 20 as part of Homecoming festivities. The inductees will join a group of 144 former student-athletes, coaches and administrators who have distinguished themselves, the University and their professions through their athletic achievement.

The group will be honored at the annual Hall of Honor Breakfast at 8 a.m. in the Memorial Union’s Webb Lecture Hall. The public is invited to attend and the cost of the breakfast is $12. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the ESU Athletic Development Office at (620) 341-5873.

2007 ESU ATHLETICS HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES
Dianna Beebe, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Softball 1967-71. Beebe was instrumental in the beginning of competitive women’s athletics at ESU and the state of Kansas. She was twice named to all-state tournament team in field hockey and volleyball. She was a member of three AIAW softball world series teams at ESU. She served as the head women’s track & field coach at Northwest Missouri in 1976 and was the head coach of the KU field hockey team from 1976-79.

Noel Certain, Track & Field, 1956-60. Certain is still the ESU school record holder in the indoor long jump and ranked second in outdoor long jump. He has held indoor long jump record for 45 years, the longest held field event record at ESU. He is a national level competitor in USATF Masters competition, ranking tenth in the nation in the over 60 triple jump in 2003.

Jim Hayes, Men’s Basketball 1953-57. The Hoisington, Kan. native was a first-team All-CIC performer in basketball for the Hornets and was named the CIC Player of the Year as a senior after leading KSTC to the conference championship. Hayes joined the US Marines Corps after graduation. After leaving the Corps in 1963, he was the boys and girls basketball coach at Stigler, Okla. HS for one year before returning to active duty in 1964 and served two tours in Vietnam. He retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1984 with a Meritorious Service Medal, a Bronze Star, Combat Action Ribbon and 39 Air Medals.

Joe Rich, Football, 1928-32. An All-State end and two-year team captain for the Hornets. A football official for 37 years, he worked several high school leagues in addition to college games and officiated the 1966 NAIA National Championship Game. As the Athletic Director and Director of Student Activities at McPherson HS, he founded and managed the McPherson Invitational HS basketball tournament from it’s inception in 1964 until his retirement in 1974. He was inducted into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame in 1976.

Hank Thompson, Track & Field, 1951, 1953-55. After coming to ESU as a freshman in 1951, Thompson had his career interrupted by two years of military service. While in the army, he won the 100m and 200m dashes at the 1952 European Army Championships and won the 200m at the CISM track meet attended by all NATO countries. He returned to ESU and won the 1954 national championship in the 440 yard dash and ended his career as a three-time All-American.

1989 NAIA National Runner-up Football Team. The Hornets posted 11 wins on the way to an appearance in the national championship game against Carson Newman. ESU opened the season 3-0 before falling at Central Arkansas 20-14. The Hornets then went on a school record eight game winning streak in which they outscored their opponents 277 (34.6) to 123 (15.4) with the closest game being a 15-6 victory at Northeastern (Okla.) State. Seven players earned NAIA All-American honors including first-team honors for linebacker Matt Koehler and second team honors for running back Alvester Bobby and defensive lineman Monte Boots. This team capped a three year run in the NAIA Playoffs and was the fifth of a school record tying six year streak of winning records.

###HORNETS###

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