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UNIVERSITY CENTER -- Saginaw Valley State University Athletics has officially announced the Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018. This year's class, the ninth in the history of the inception of the program, consists of five individuals and one team.
Former student-athletes Kathy Bowman Andersen, Zach Myers and Mark Radlinski will join in the student-athlete category. Former football head coach George Ihler will be inducted in the coaching sector while longtime head team physician Dr. Michael Wolohan will enter as a contributor to the athletic department. The 1978 Men's Cross Country Team will also be enshrined in this year's class under the team category.
Kathy Bowman Andersen - Women's Track
Kathy Bowman Andersen was a nine-time all-american while competing for Saginaw Valley State. She was a four-year captain for the Cardinals and was twice a national runner-up during her tenure. The four-time Academic All-American for the Cardinals still holds three records, maintaining the best mark in the Distance Medley (Outdoor), Two Mile (Indoor) and 3,200 meter Relay (Indoor).
Zach Myers - Men's Soccer
Zach Myers was a four-year Men's Soccer student-athlete for the Cardinals, competing from 2009-2012. He was the driving force in leading the Cardinals to the national championship match in the 2012 season and a runner-up finish. Myers was named the NSCAA National Player of the Year following that historic run for the program. Zach was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, accounting for two of his three All-GLIAC honors overall. Myers earned a pair of All-Midwest Region honors and capped-off his tenure with a pair of all-american honors. He was twice named a Scholar All-American as well during his time at SVSU. Myers's 17 goals during the 2012 season rank third all-time for a single season at SVSU. He is 2nd in all-time game-winning goals (10), 5th in goals (24) and 6th in points (55) while playing just a single season on the offensive side.
Mark Radlinski - Football
Mark Radlinski was a two-year starting quarterback for the Cardinals, serving as the main signal-caller during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. He earned All-GLIAC honors twice, including First Team plaudits in 2003 when he was named the GLIAC Player of the Year. Radlinski finished his career as the program's all-time leader in passing yards (7,075) and passing touchdowns (71). Mark ranks top-4 in total offense (7,206), completion percentage (60.7%), completions (481) and pass attempts (792) as well. He led the Cardinals to their last GLIAC championship in 2003, where the Cardinals went a perfect 11-0 in the regular season before finishing with a 12-1 mark as the only team to ever go undefeated during the regular season at SVSU. Radlinski led the Cardinals to a No. 1 national ranking in 2003 and was a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, given annually to the top player in NCAA Division II. He earned all-american honors in 2004 from the Don Hansen Football Gazette. He continued his playing career on the professional level, competing for the Grand Rapids Rampage, Tulsa Talons and Manchester Wolves of the Arena Football League.
George Ihler - Head Football Coach
Former head coach George Ihler served as the architect of the Cardinal football program for 11 seasons, patrolling the sidelines from the 1983-1993 seasons. He racked-up 61 victories in his tenure, including 45 in GLIAC play. Ihler led Saginaw Valley to back-to-back GLIAC championships in his first two seasons, 1983 and 1984. Those league titles account for two of the program's five overall. George was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year in the 1983 and 1984 seasons and the Cardinals racked-up 13 straight league victories between 1983 and 1985. His teams advanced to the NAIA National Semifinals as well during 1983 and 1984. Prior to SVSU, Ihler coached at Owosso High School and Saginaw Arthur Hill High School, where he totaled 10 league titles. His 1973 Arthur Hill squad claimed the Class A State Championship, going undefeated and unscored-upon.
Dr. Michael Wolohan - Head Physician
Dr. Michael Wolohan has been an integral part of the Saginaw Valley State University Athletic Sports Medicine scene and has played a vital role in the health, wellness and safety of the Cardinal student-athletes for decades. Serving as an Orthopedic Consultant from 1989-91 and the Head Team Physician from 1992-2016, he worked constantly evaluating injuries, performing surgeries and working in conjunction with the SVSU Sports Medicine staff to ensure the student-athletes are being treated with the highest standard of care. Wolohan, a proud Saginaw native, is the founding physician of Saginaw Valley Bone and Joint Center, which is now Covenant Orthopaedics.
1978 Men's Cross Country Team
The 1978 Men's Cross Country Team had a standout season for the Cardinals, claiming the GLIAC Championship that fall en route to a runner-up national finish. The league title for the Cardinals was the second of eight consecutive GLIAC titles for the program, as the student-athletes on the squad helped mold the program for the future success. The runner-up finish for the team was the first of several top-three finishes for Saginaw Valley in the coming years.
The 2018 Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet will take place on Saturday, September 22 at 6:00 p.m. at the Curtiss Banquet Halls on the campus of SVSU. It will be held in conjunction with the SVSU Football game versus Wayne State University that afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Tickets for the banquet are $35 for an individual and $65 per couple. A table of eight can be purchased for $240. All current SVSU employees, students, Athletic Hall of Fame members and SVSU alumni can purchase a ticket for $25.