Five individuals will be inducted into the UNK Athletic Hall of Fame at the 22nd annual Homecoming banquet Friday, October 12. The inductees are Jerry Hueser, Doug Martin, Angie Janicek Reed, Scott Schug and Donna Spickelmier-Vallin.
Jerry Hueser of Kearney is a former basketball coach who compiled a 519-256 record in 26 seasons at UNK. His teams won 15 Nebraska College Conference titles, three Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) championships, and a record 10 consecutive trips to the NAIA National Championships. Hueser was NAIA District Coach of the Year three times, Omaha World Herald College Coach of the Year four times and Lincoln Journal Star Coach of the Year twice. He has been an assistant coach for the National Sports Festival and the World University Games. Hueser was elected to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1991.
Doug Martin of North Platte was a four-year letter winner in football and track from 1962-1966. He was a successful high school track and cross country coach. As an athlete, Martin was a three-year starter on the football team at defensive back and held the Antelope record in punt return average for 25 years. He was also a member of the 1963 team that played in the NAIA national semi-finals. Martin was a member of the mile relay team that finished fourth in the National NAIA Track and Field Championships in 1963. Martin, a Farnam native, coached 34 years at Gothenburg, North Platte, Venango and Chester-Hubbell. He coached two state championship teams and two state runner-up teams. In 2000, he received the Nebraska Coaches Association Binnie and Dutch Memorial Award for track. He is a past president of the Nebraska Coaches Association.
As an official, Martin has refereed in state high school football and basketball championship games as well as the Nebraska Shrine Bowl in 1989. Martin continues to officiate at all levels, including football and basketball in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Martin earned a masterÕs degree from UNK in 1978.
Angie Janicek Reed of Grimes, Iowa, played in three national tournaments as a member of the volleyball team from 1980 to 1983. The four years Reed played, the teams posted records of 31-7-1, 32-8, 37-4 and 30-13-2 finishing third, fourth and seventh nationally. She was twice named first team all-conference and was a second team NAIA All-American in volleyball. She also played outfield on the 1981 softball team that finished third at the national tournament. Reed, a 1985 graduate from Kimball, teaches at Dallas Center-Grimes High School in Iowa where she is head volleyball coach.
Scot Schug of Riverfalls, Wisconsin, was a two time first team All-American punter in 1981 and 1982. His 44.8 average in 1981 led the nation and his 43.2 average in 1982 ranked him second. Schug was also a two time first team selection in the CSIC and NAIA District 11.
The Kearney High alum graduated summa cum laude in 1983. He is an independent businessman in River Falls, Wisconsin, representing General ElectricÕs long-term care insurance products.
Donna Spickelmier-Vallin of Aurora, Colorado, counts five national championships among her honors as well as an accomplished track and cross-country runner from 1986 to 1990. She won two outdoor titles, the 1500 meters in 4:30.49 and the 3000 meters in 9:37.49 in 1989. Indoors, she was a member of the distance medley national championship team in 1986. In 1987, she won the mile, setting a national record of 4:57.78. She was also a member of the winning distance medley team. She earned three other All-American honors in track. Spickelmier-Vallin was a three-time All-American in cross-country by finishing in the top 25. In 1986 she was fifth and in 1988 she finished third, the highest finish ever for a UNK woman cross-country athlete.
The Hays Center graduate set Loper records in the indoor mile and two-mile and the outdoor 800, 1500, 3000 and 5000 meter individual events. She is now a teacher in Aurora, Colorado.
The Homecoming banquet will be held at the Kearney Holiday Inn with a reception beginning at 6 p.m. and the banquet at 7 p.m. Tickets are $17.50 for adults and $8.50 for children 10 and under. They are available by contacting the Alumni Office at 308-865-8474 or email at jrundstrom@nufnd.nebraska.edu
