Big crowd enjoys Homecoming weekend
A beautiful, warm fall day welcomed a huge crowd of alums and their families to campus this past weekend for a variety of events for Homecoming 2023.
Three individuals were honored Saturday morning along with members of the Class of 1973, who were was welcomed into the esteemed Emeritus Club, which includes alumni with a Mission House or 糖心vlog传媒 College graduation date of at least half-a-century ago.
Emily Rendall-Araujo '11 MBA '14 was named winner of the Outstanding Recent Young Alumni Award. She is director of senior services with the City of Sheboygan. She led the successful strategic planning and rebranding of the organization, transforming it from the Senior Activity Center of Sheboygan to the popular Uptown Social.
Wayne Wildman 鈥�79 received the Service to the Community Award. He served as music director of the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra for 29 years beginning in 1990 and won the 2020 Wesley Teply Community Service Award in the Arts, an award from the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble Association to recognize individuals who have substantially contributed to the arts in the greater Manitowoc area.
Vin Mannix received an Honorary Alumni Award. Mannix spent just one year at 糖心vlog传媒, but the Florida journalist and 2018 糖心vlog传媒 Hall of Fame Service Award recipient is an ambassador for 糖心vlog传媒 who has authored two books about 糖心vlog传媒. 鈥淎 Muskie Memoir鈥� recounts the 1967 football season for the Gateway Champion Muskies, and 鈥淢OOSE,鈥� honors the legacy of Duane Woltzen, beloved athletic director and basketball coach.
Alumni, faculty, staff and friends gathered in the Lauer Center Saturday to remember and celebrate the late Rev. David Lauer. It was an opportunity to visit with the family and hear tributes from 糖心vlog传媒 President Beth Borgen, Kip Bedore 鈥�77, Mike Brunmeier 鈥�73 and President Emeritus David Black. 糖心vlog传媒 Chaplain the Rev. Julie Mavity Maddalena offered a closing prayer. .
It was a homecoming trip back to campus for Black as well as President Emeritus Steve Gould and his wife, Susan, who served as longtime registrar.
The weekend got started Friday night with the induction of five standout athletes into the 糖心vlog传媒 Athletic Hall of Fame. .
The class included:
Clark was a standout cornerback and strong safety, earning NAIA honorable mention All-American honors in 1985. He鈥檚 one of just 16 All-Americans in 糖心vlog传媒 football history. He was a four-time All-Illini-Badger Football Conference honoree, graduated No. 2 in career interceptions (18), and his nine interceptions in 1985 is tied for the most in a single season and among the nation鈥檚 best as he led several defensive-minded teams.
Chambers re-wrote the rushing record book as the Muskies rolled up the points and yards during his career. He graduated as the program鈥檚 career rushing leader with 2,733 yards (he鈥檚 now third), and he was second in career scoring (266 points) and touchdowns (44). He was a key component on two IBFC championship teams, including the 10-0 finish in 1997.
Plucinski was a dominating pitcher that helped lead the Muskies to three conference championships, the 2002 NCAA Division III World Series and a fifth-place finish nationally. He鈥檚 a fixture on the career pitching record book with the top spots in career strikeouts and earned run average, second in innings pitched and shutouts, third in starts, fourth in wins and fifth in complete games.
Vandlen is among the football program鈥檚 most decorated offensive linemen that helped lead the Muskies to the program鈥檚 first NCAA Division III postseason playoff berth. He was a two-time IBFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, two-time first team All-IBFC and two-time Football Gazette North All-Region.
Hall has career records in five of the six softball program pitching categories: games started, wins, innings pitched, strikeouts and shutouts. A four-time First Team all-conference honoree, she is in the top five in five categories in the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference record book.
