UNIVERSITY CENTER, MICH. – The Saginaw Valley State University Athletics Department is proud to announce the 2024 Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted this September. This year's class comprises six student-athletes, one team, and one contributor.
The 2024 SVSU Athletic Hall of Fame class includes: Tom Badour (Track & Field/Football), Marsha Beaubien (Softball), John Waters (Football/Track & Field), Louis O'Neal (Men's Basketball), Emily Wendling (Women's Basketball), Robb Cook (Football), the 2012 SVSU Men's Soccer Team, and Harvey Randall Wickes.
"We're excited about inducting another elite class into the SVSU Athletics Hall of Fame," SVSU Athletics Director John Lewandowski said. " This is one of my favorite weekends of the fall, as we honor our best of the best with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony."
"What strikes me is that these former student-athletes not only achieved individual success, but they excelled on some outstanding teams. We look forward to reliving memories of the men's soccer team's remarkable run to the 2012 National Championship Game, including a 14-match unbeaten streak during the second half of the season. We'll also honor the legacy of Harvey Randall Wickes, whose philanthropic vision and generosity helped provide a solid foundation for the launch and growth of SVSU as an educational center in this region."
Tom Badour was a two-sport athlete during his time at SVSU. In his first four seasons, he competed on the men's track and field team where he was a two-time indoor National Champion in the high jump (1987, 1989) and a five-time All-American. Four of those awards came in the men's high jump (three indoor, one outdoor) in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Badour also earned All-America honors in the 1990 outdoor decathlon after he set the school record in the event despite only competing in it twice. He also held the Morley Field record in the high jump after clearing the bar at 6 feet, 11 inches in 1988. He accepted an offer to play football for his final year of eligibility with Cardinal athletics.
"Tom Badour showcased his versatility as a track athlete, becoming a two-time indoor National Champion in the high jump (1987 and '89) and five-time All-American," Lewandowski said. "As a junior in 1989, Tom was selected the GLIAC Men's Outdoor Athlete of the Meet. He became an All-American as a senior, winning two events (high jump and long jump) in the decathlon en route to finishing eighth overall in the 1990 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In addition, Tom was twice named SVSU Male Athlete of the Year (1988-89 and 1989-90)."
Marsha Beaubien was one of the stars of the Saginaw Valley State softball team from 2006-09. She was on the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America second team in 2009 as well as Daktronics Inc. All-America honorable mention that same year. She became the fourth GLIAC softball Player of the Year for SVSU in 2009. She still holds the record for the most stolen bases in a season (40) that she set during her final season and is 10th in career home runs (14) and stolen bases (55).
"Marsha Beaubien, who possessed the rare combination of power and speed, was a catalyst for the SVSU softball team that captured back-to-back GLIAC regular-season and postseason tournament titles in 2008-09," Lewandowski. "As a senior in 2009, Marsha led the conference in five offensive categories (batting average, runs scored, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and steals) en route to being selected Second-Team All-American as well as Midwest Region and GLIAC Player of the Year. After flirting with a .400 batting average for most of the season, Marsha finished hitting .396 with nine home runs and 40 stolen bases. Her 40 steals still rank as SVSU's single-season record."
John Waters played football for the Cardinals in 1975 and 1977-78. He was the very first SVSU football player to receive All-America honors when he was awarded NAIA All-American in 1977, and the first of four Cardinal players to win All-America awards in back-to-back seasons. The two-time All-GLIAC selection's name is still seen all over the SVSU record book as he still sits in the Top Five in several career categories, including third with 640 rushing attempts, third in all-purpose yards per game at 137.7, and third in kick return yards with 1,091. He is fifth in rushing yards with 2,645, rushing yards per game with 85.3, and all-purpose yards with 4,269. He holds the single-season record for the most rushing attempts with 244 in 1977 and he rushed for 100 yards five times during his career, reaching 2,000 yards once in 1975.
"John Waters quickly established himself as SVSU's first all-purpose back while playing for his father 'Muddy' Waters in the mid-to-late 1970s," Lewandowski said. "A two-time First-Team All-GLIAC selection, John accounted for more than 4,200 all-purpose yards during his career. He also earned NAIA Second-Team All-America honors while helping the Cardinals post their first winning season in 1977."
Louis O'Neal played men's basketball for SVSU from 1978-81. He is a two-time NAIA All-American, as he earned honorable mention in 1981 and first-team recognition in 1982. He is just one of three first-team All-Americans for the Cardinal men's basketball team and the third of three two-time All-America selections. The two-time All-GLIAC First-Team player is the all-time leading scorer for SVSU basketball with 2,255 career points and still leads in career field goals made with 997 and steals with 213. O'Neal currently sits sixth in games played with 116, while holding single-game records for most field-goal attempts with 36 (vs. Siena Heights, Jan. 3, 1981) and most field goals with 21 (vs. Lake Superior State, Jan. 29, 1981).
"Louis O'Neal is the most prolific scorer in SVSU men's basketball history, becoming the first player to eclipse the 2,000-point career milestone while averaging better than 19 points per game," Lewandowski said. "A four-time All-GLIAC and All-District 23 selection, Louis was named First-Team NAIA All-American as a senior in 1981-82 after averaging 22 points per game while leading the Cardinals to the NAIA Tournament quarterfinals. He also played a key role on SVSU's 1979-80 team that won the GLIAC regular-season title with a 13-3 record and advanced to the NAIA Tournament. In addition to his scoring prowess, Louis established himself as one of the top defenders in college basketball, recording a school-record 213 career steals."
Emily Wendling played women's basketball at Saginaw Valley State from 2012-17. She was a second-team NCAA All-America selection in 2016 and was the 2015-16 GLIAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year. She was a three-time All-GLIAC first-team player (2016-17, 2015-16, and 2012-13) and an All-GLIAC second-team honoree in 2014-15. Wendling was named the 2012-13 GLIAC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year during her debut season. She is the Cardinal women's basketball all-time leader in career points with 1,973 and free throws with 482 while sitting fourth in career rebounds (995) and field goals (742). Wendling led both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 SVSU women's basketball teams to NCAA Tournament appearances, making it to the Round of 32 in both outings.
"Emily Wendling was a model of consistency during her SVSU career, starting 116 of 117 career games while amassing nearly 2,000 points and almost 1,000 rebounds," Lewandowski said. "Emily led her team to back-to-back 20-win seasons and consecutive trips to the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals. She reached double-figures in scoring in 102 games, including 44 20-point games, and recorded 42 double-doubles. Wendling was a four-time all-conference selection, earning first-team honors three times, while also being named GLIAC Player of the Year and Second-Team All-American as a junior in 2015-16."
Robb Cook played football for SVSU from 1987-90 and was a three-time all-conference selection, with the GLIAC in 1988 and 1989 and the Midwest Intercollegiate in 1990. His name is still in the SVSU football record books as he sits seventh in career rushing average at 5.62 yards per carry and 21st in tackles with 262. He has the fifth-most tackles in a season with 137 and the single-game record for kickoff return average of 60.3 set in 1988. Cook broke 100-yard rushing nine times in his career, including a 220-yard performance against St. Joseph's in 1989. During his playing career, Cook broke Eugene Marv's single-season tackling record by 13 stops and was nominated for the Harlon Hill Award two times.
"Robb Cook had a significant impact on both sides of the football, becoming the only two-way player during Coach George Ihler's 11-year coaching career at SVSU," Lewandowski said. "In 1987, Robb earned a starting role at safety as a freshman and contributed 92 tackles. As a sophomore, he cracked the starting lineup at fullback and gained over 1,000 rushing yards. A three-time all-conference selection and two-time team MVP, Robb shattered SVSU's single-season record for tackles as a senior in 1990, finishing with 137 stops. Twice, he was nominated for the prestigious Harlon Hill Award, presented annually to the NCAA Division 2 Player of the Year. Robb closed out his career with nearly 1,800 rushing yards and scored 10 touchdowns."
The 2012 SVSU men's soccer team is the winningest team in program history with an 18-3-4 overall record. The team added to a historic season by advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championship, where it finished as the runner-up after a tough 3-2 loss in the Championship Game. The Cardinals had two All-America selections (the first two All-Americans in program history) with SVSU Hall of Famer Zach Myers (2018) and Jason Wise. Myers was the NSCAA & Daktronics, Inc. First-Team All-American, NSCAA National Player of the Year, and a CapitalOne Academic All-American. Wise was an NSCAA Third-Team All-American and Daktronics, Inc. Second-Team All-Midwest Region. Myers was the GLIAC Player of the Year and First-Team All-GLIAC selection. Wise was also a First-Team All-GLIAC player along with three second-team selections and one honorable mention.
Harvey Randall Wickes was a major contributor to the start of Saginaw Valley State. The Wickes Foundation supplied an initial $1 million dollars toward the $6 million building cost of Saginaw Valley State College (now Saginaw Valley State University). Wickes Hall and the Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium on campus are named in honor of these contributions. Wickes Hall was constructed in 1969 and was the first state-funded project on campus. It houses classrooms, administrative offices, admissions, registrars, international programs, and financial services. Harvey Randall Wickes Memorial Stadium hosted its first football game on Sept. 14, 1991, and has been the home field for SVSU football since. The Wickes Foundation was the principal donor of the renovation project that added 1,500 seats, a new press box, a concession stand, and restrooms.
The 2024 Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Sept. 20, prior to the home-opening football game against Truman State the following day.