BEREA, Ohio – On the weekend of October 12-13, Baldwin Wallace University will celebrate the induction of seven new individuals and one team to its Alumni Athletic Association Hall of Fame during Hall of Fame Weekend.
The 2018 class will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 13, at a brunch in Ursprung Gymnasium on campus at 9:30 a.m. Following the ceremony, the groupwill be introduced prior to the Hall of Fame football game versus Muskingum University at 1:30 p.m. at The George Finnie Stadium. On Friday, October 12, the BW Brown & Gold Club will host the Hall of Fame Happy Hour on campus at the Student Activities Center (formerly the Women's Gymnasium) at 7:00 p.m. All are invited to welcome the 2018 Hall of Fame class back to campus and celebrate their achievements. Click Here for more information on all of the weekend festivities. If you are unable to attend any of the weekend activites, you can Watch the induction ceremony via a live webcast or watch it at a later date.
This hall of fame class is deep in talent and ability. It is highlighted by the 1978 NCAA Division III National Championship Football Team, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall. The individual honorees include Mark Anders '94 (football), Kevin Atkins '00 (wrestling), Phil Lopez '94 (baseball), Brian Miller '98 (track and field), Michelle Neff '08 (women's soccer), Kevin Soflkiancs '09, '09 MBA (football) and Natalie Winkelfoos '03 (women's basketball).
The 1978 NCAA Division III National Championship Football Team fashioned an 11-0-1 overall record, tied for the Ohio Athletic Conference football title (17-17 tie in the OAC Championship Game) and then defeated longtime rival Wittenberg University, 24-10, in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the Division III title. The Yellow Jackets outscored their opponents 410-87. Led offensively by hall of fame quarterback Joe Surniak '79 and hall of fame running back Roger Andrachik '80 and defensively by hall of fame and All-American defensive tackle Paul Petrella '.79. Prior to beating Wittenberg in the title game, the Jackets dominated St. Lawrence (N.Y.) University, 71-7, in the first round and beat Carnegie-Mellon (Pa.) University, 31-6, to set up their rematch with the Tigers.
Mark Anders '94 is arguably the best running back to ever play at BW. He still holds the career rushing record with 2,657 yards and only played three seasons at BW after transferring from Division II Ashland after his freshman year. Anders was a two-time first-team All-OAC pick and a 2003 Division III Football Gazette All-American and the OAC's Mike Gregory Award winner, symbolic of the OAC's Most Outstanding Offensive Back. Mark totaled 3,884 career all-purpose yards and 43 touchdowns, including 39 on the ground.
1978 NCAA Division III National Championship Team |
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Mark Anders |
Kevin Atkins |
Phil Lopez |
Brian Miller |
Michelle Neff |
Kevin Soflkiancs |
Natalie Winkelfoos |
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Kevin Atkins '00 was a three-year letterman and starter who transferred to BW. He was a team captain who compiled a 95-24 record, including 48 falls (pins and technical falls). Kevin was a 2000 NCAA Division III All-American (eighth place at 197 pounds), a three-time NCAA tourney national qualifier and a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division III Scholar All-American. He was a three-time OAC place-winner, two-time OAC champion and once a runner-up and earned All-OAC honors three times. Kevin was the OAC Most Valuable Wrestler/John Summa Award-winner in 2000 and a two-time BW MVP. He was a nine-time tournament champion who never placed lower than third, except at the NCAA tourney.
Phil Lopez '94 is one of the best hitters and defensive catchers ever to step on the diamond. He was a four-year letterman and four-year varsity contributor and three-year full-time starter. He was one of the best catchers to ever wear the Brown & Gold. In 90 games career games, he batted .382 with 102 base hits. He was the BW Most Valuable Player in both 1993 and 1994. Lopez was named first-team All-OAC in 1993 and to the second-team in 1994. He was a two-time American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-American and All-Mideast Region selection. Lopez was named to All-OAC Tournament team in 1994. He was part of the 1991 team that set a record for most conference wins (14) that still stands today.
Brian Miller '98 was a Division III All-American in the 10-event decathlon in track. He was a four-year letterman in track and one of the nation's best Division III decathletes. He was a three-time Division III All-American, including twice in the decathlon (fourth in 1995 and fifth in 1997) and once as a member of the 4x400-meter relay team (eighth). He was the 1997 BW "Sparky" Adams Most Valuable Male Track Athlete. During thr 1996 season, Miller qualified and placed 15th in decathlon at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Meet and was the OAC champ outdoors in 110-meter high hurdles. He was a key member of the 1995 OAC Outdoor Track Championship team. Miller also played four years as a defensive back and earned three years. He had 24 tackles as a junior in 1996. Miller was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity. He also previously served as the President of the Lettermen's Association
Michelle Neff '08 is arguably the best female soccer goalie of all-time. She was the OAC Goalie of the Year in both 2005 and 2007. She had the second best all-time goals-against-average of 1.07 with 24 shutouts and an .838 save percentage. BW was 44-28-3 with her in goal. Neff was a two-time All-OAC selection, an OSCA (Ohio Soccer Coaches Association) All-Region pick in 2005 and All-Ohio choice in '07. Michelle was a two-time BW Most Valuable Player and a team captain in '07. She earned OAC Women's Soccer Player of the Week honors five times.
Kevin Soflkiancs '09, '09 MBA is the only OAC football student-athlete to be named as a first-team All-OAC selection for four straight years. The two-time College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American (2006 and 2007) and three-time Division III All-American (2004, 2006 and 2007) was a three-time Academic All-OAC and CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. He led Division III in punting twice and averaged 42.0 yards per punt for his career. He was a finalist for the 2007 National Woody Hayes Scholar-Athlete Award, selected as a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete, the Cleveland TD Club Special President's Award-winner and BW's OAC Clyde Lamb Award winner. Kevin was an eight-time OAC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Natalie Winkelfoos '03 was best known for her "lock down" defense and leading the Yellow Jacket women to 100 victories during her four seasons on the court. She had 960 career points and sacrificed some of her offensive potential to assist her other high-scoring teammates. Natalie helped BW to compile at 100-17 career record, capture two OAC regular season and two OAC Tournament titles and make three NCAA Division III appearances, including two "Elite Eight" finishes (2000 and 2001). The two-time All-OAC pick was named to the NCAA "Elite Eight" all-tournament team in 2001. She is tied for fourth all-time with 180 steals and 10th with 243 assists. She was named as the BW Students Taking Active Responsible Roles (STARR) Athlete for the Month of March 2003. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), a Student Ambassador for the Admission office and an American Red Cross donor recruitment representative.
