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2000
Inductees
Coach
Albion alumni, faculty, and staff lost a valued
coach, mentor, colleague, and friend with the passing of Pete Schmidt,
September 29, 2000, following a year-long battle with lymphoma. After
coaching football at Albion College for 15 seasons, Pete had joined the
Indiana University football program in early 1997. As Indiana's
assistant head coach for football, he turned the Hoosier offense into
one of high energy. Before coming to Indiana, Pete did the same with
Albion College, developing one of Michigan’s best college football
programs in the late 1980s and 1990s. He posted a 104-27-4 record at
Albion.
His football teams at Albion won conference
championships in 1985 and then 1989 through 1996, and appeared in NCAA
postseason competition five times. In 1994, Pete coached the Britons to
the NCAA Division III football championship, the first time an MIAA team
had won a national championship in that sport. Albion’s record that
season was a perfect 13-0. He earned numerous coaching honors that year,
among them NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year.
Albion athletes excelled academically during the
Schmidt years with five NCAA Postgraduate Scholars in football from 1993
through 1997. Every senior football player earning a letter also earned
a degree from Albion, including eight first-team Academic All-America
selections and 10 first-team Division III or small college All-America
picks.
Along with football, Pete also served as athletic
director from 1992 to 1996. During four seasons as women’s track
coach, he worked with Division III All-American Kathy Dec Prohaska,
’85, and Wendy Lombardi Kohlhepp, ’84, one of tonight’s inductees.
Prior to coming to Albion, Pete was head coach at
Okemos High School for seven years, earning six conference titles while
posting three undefeated regular seasons and finishing as runner-up in
the Class B playoffs twice.
Pete's wife, Becky, is a high school English
teacher in Bloomington, Ind. Their three children are: Amy ’97, Peter
’98, and Sarah ’99.
The Albion College Board of Trustees has
established the Peter J. Schmidt
Scholarship in Pete's memory.
Individuals
Doug Barcy’s love of the game of baseball lasted
not only through his stint as a hurler for Albion College but into his
life after college. While at Albion, Doug was a four-year member of the
baseball team, claiming All-MIAA honors as a sophomore and senior, and
he was chosen as the MIAA MVP in 1979. He served as co-captain of the
baseball team that captured the 1979 MIAA league title and finished the
year with a 10-2 record. Doug’s earned run average that season was a
.39; he only allowed two runs in 36 innings of play, earning him fourth
place on the MIAA lowest ERA list.
After Doug graduated from Albion in 1976, he played
as a member of the national champion runner-up team in the Stan Musial
World Series and was also a member of the national champion team in the
1986 Stan Musial World Series. Doug was a member of six state champion
AABC Teams and represented the United States in the International
Baseball Series in Ciego De Avilla, Cuba, in 1989. He is currently a
member of national champion teams in the Roy Hobbs Baseball Over-40
Division. Doug, his wife, Lynn, and their two daughters live in East
Lansing, where he is president of the First National Acceptance Company
of North America and sits on the boards of Highfields, Inc., and Junior
Achievement.
Dar Christiansen turned his love for football into
a lifelong vocation, earning as many honors after Albion as while a
member of the varsity football team. Dar was a three-year varsity
starter at slotback and defensive cornerback, and was chosen as the
football team’s Most Improved Player in 1961. While team co-captain in
1962, he was named to the All-MIAA football team and was chosen as
Albion’s MVP. Dar also played catcher for the Briton baseball team in
1963.
After Albion, Dar earned an M.A. from the
University of Michigan in guidance and counseling and an education
specialist certificate. He went on to coach at the high school level,
becoming the winningest coach in Flint High School history. He also was
chosen the Michigan High School Coaches Association Regional Coach of
the Year from 1974 to 1977. Dar was honored as the Genesee County
Football Coach of the Year in both 1971 and 1974, and was named to the Detroit
Free Press Coaches All State Football Panel in 1973.
He is currently an education specialist at
Bloomfield Hills Lahser High School, after having been assistant
principal at Brighton High School. He has also served as the president
of the Board of Education for Flushing Community Schools. Dar and his
wife, Patricia, are the parents of five children, and they have 14
grandchildren.
Mary Jane Lang Grunden’s athletic successes at
Albion spanned both the court and the field. She held the top spots in
both singles and doubles tennis in her four years on campus, never
relinquishing the title of number-one singles player. As captain of the
tennis team, Mary Jane was the runner-up in the All-WMIAA first-flight
tennis singles championships in 1979 and was the All-WMIAA champion in
the first-flight doubles championships that same year. For her successes
on the court she received the WMIAA Sue Little Sportsmanship Award in
1979.
Mary Jane’s accomplishments in tennis are rivaled
only by her performance in field hockey. She played goalie for her four
years at Albion, and was a member of the 1978 WMIAA champion field
hockey team. She was named to the All-WMIAA field hockey first team and
to the All Great Lakes Section Field Hockey Team in 1977. Mary Jane did
not allow a goal during MIAA play in 1978.
After graduation, she earned an M.S.A. from Central
Michigan University, and she continues to teach piano and violin. She
has two daughters and is the director of volunteer services for Genesys
Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc, where she has been honored with
the Irene Waldmann Leadership Award in 1998 and the Corporate Women of
Achievement award in 1999.
Melody Janson’s athletic successes ranged across
four sports. Outstanding on the basketball court, she played all four
years and earned MVP honors as a senior. She was named to the All-MIAA
team and chosen as MIAA Player of the Week for her help in leading the
Albion College team to a 15-5 record and third place in the conference.
Luckily, softball was a different season, and
Melody was able to dominate the diamond in the spring much as she had
the court in the winter. She was a four-year member of the softball
team, capturing the team MVP award as well as All-MIAA honors.
Melody’s .385 batting average earned her MIAA batting champion honors
as a senior.
Melody also contributed to two fall sports teams,
volleyball in 1982 and field hockey in 1984. In volleyball, she earned
the Captain’s Award and became the team’s top scorer.
Melody lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., with her dog
and cat and enjoys camping, fishing, and working on her house and yard
when she’s not at work at Verizon Technology, where she has been a
business zone technician for over 10 years.
An outstanding runner, Wendy Lombardi Kohlhepp was
a standout in track and cross country. Dominating her track events, she
secured the MIAA championship in the 800m and 1500m runs as both a
junior and senior, setting league records in both events as a senior.
Wendy was also a member of the MIAA championship mile relay team in
1983. As a senior, she was named the MVP at the MIAA women’s track
meet and was selected to the All-MIAA track team. She was chosen an
All-American-At-Large second-team member her senior year. She was named
to the All-MIAA cross country team in 1982.
After graduating summa cum laude from Albion, Wendy
secured a position at Electronic Data Systems in Fairborn, Ohio, where
she remains today as a senior information specialist. She and her
husband, Jack, have two sons, John and Sam. Wendy enjoys cycling and
family activities.
Steffanie Lundstrum Laven was an invaluable member
of the 1982 women’s swim team, which posted a record of 5-2 and placed
second in the MIAA. The team was ranked 12th in the nation. Steffanie
swam the 100- and 200-yard individual medleys, the 50- and 100-yard
butterfly, the 50- and 100-yard backstroke, and the 50-yard freestyle.
She qualified for and attended Division III national championship meets
in 1979, 1980, and 1982, and was named an All-American in the
400-freestyle relay. Steffanie was named to the All-MIAA teams in 1979,
1980, and 1982 and held the MIAA and the Albion College records in the
50-yard butterfly.
After graduating from Albion College, Steffanie
received a master’s degree in international management from the
American Graduate School of International Management. She continues to
compete in U.S. Masters swimming events and works as a certified public
accountant in Marietta, Ga., where she lives with her husband, David
Laven, ’81.
A versatile athlete equally skilled on the track
and on the court, Gary Nichols excelled at track and at basketball at
Albion. As a freshman, Gary was a national qualifier in the long jump
and, as a sophomore, made the All-MIAA team in the triple jump, the long
jump, the 200-meter dash, and the 4x100 relay. On the basketball court,
he was honored as defensive MVP and received All-MIAA honorable mention
recognition as a sophomore. Gary led the 1978 NCAA Division III Final
Four team in dunks.
Sidelined by a knee injury, Gary missed his junior
season in basketball but as a senior came back to lead the team as a
co-captain and leading scorer, averaging 18.4 points per game.
Albion’s MVP that year, he was also named to the All-MIAA team and
participated in the All-Tournament Tip-Off Classic.
Gary’s love for basketball continued after he
left Albion, as he became a high school coach and led the Austin (Texas)
High School basketball team to the state 5A basketball championships in
1994. He was named the Texas High School Basketball Coach of the Year in
1994 and had the honor of coaching the Texas McDonald’s Basketball
All-Star Game in 1995. Gary won his 300th game as a coach this year in
Houston, where he lives with his wife, Florence Durrett Nichols, ’81,
and their children, Onja Monei and Gary W., Jr.
The water seemed to be a natural second home for
Randy Parker, who dominated Albion swim teams from 1973 to 1976. He
began his illustrious career by being named Rookie of the Year in 1973,
and went on to earn All-MIAA honorable mention recognition as a
freshman. He was chosen the Britons’ MVP from 1974 to 1976, and named
to the All-MIAA swim team each of those years. Randy was an NCAA
Division III national qualifier all four years and was undefeated in the
200-yard breaststroke at the MIAA league meet each of his four years at
Albion. He served as co-captain of the swim team his junior and senior
years. He set and held the MIAA league records in the 100- and 200-yard
breaststroke from 1973 to 1976.
Randy’s love for the water didn’t end after he
graduated and began work for the Kellogg Co. He competes in U.S. Masters
swim meets at the state and national levels, and this year he broke all
Michigan records for the 50-, 100-, and 200-yard breaststroke in the
men’s 45-49 age group. He took two top 10 finishes at the U.S. Masters
nationals and was part of the Michigan men’s team that took first in
the nation. Randy and his wife, Karen Weidman Parker, ’77, have two
children and live in Battle Creek, where Randy has also won the Goguac
Lake Swim Marathon.
Dan Pekrul first broke onto the NCAA Division III
track scene as a junior at Albion in 1986, placing third at the national
championships in the javelin, good for All-America honors. A year later,
he captured first place at the Division III championships with a
school-record toss of 223 feet, five inches. Pekrul’s performances set
the standard for the top Briton javelin throwers who would follow,
including 1991 and 1993 javelin champion Steve Gilbert and 1994 Division
III decathlon winner Tom Reason. His Herculean efforts also earned him
MIAA champion bragging rights in 1984, 1986, and 1987. Dan led an
outstanding track team his senior season which tied for 27th place in
the country. Dan still holds the league javelin record at 215 feet, 11
inches.
Dan continues his success with the javelin, and was
ranked number 50 in the United States by
Track
and Field News in 1994. He and his wife, Mary, live in Haslett with
their daughter, Jessica Rae. Dan is a detective/sergeant with the
Michigan State Police and is assigned to the governor’s duty.
Bob Varner was a crucial member of the successful
1983 Albion baseball team that finished the season 12-8. As a four-year
starting pitcher, he achieved an overall Albion record of 24-9 and an
MIAA record of 17-4. He was baseball co-captain in 1983. Bob was named
to the All-MIAA team and MIAA Co-MVP in 1982 and 1983, and was named to
the NCAA Division III All-District team in 1982. Bob’s most notable
triumph came on April 16, 1983, when he pitched a no-hitter against Hope
College, capping off a year when he pitched five consecutive shut-outs
in MIAA play and 36 and two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings.
After graduating from Albion with a degree in
economics and management, Bob was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and
assigned to their Single-A New York-Penn league affiliate Niagara Falls.
Before his release in 1984, Bob’s record was 1-2 with a 2.7 earned run
average. Bob lives in Plymouth with his wife, Denise, and their three
children, and he is a project manager with Roofing Technologies and
Associates. He is still involved with sports, playing golf and coaching
a soccer team.
Teams
Led by head coach Pete Schmidt and captains Paul
Elder, Ed Ewald, and Andre Truss, the 1985 Albion College football team
posted an impressive 7-1-1 record on the way to a first-place finish in
the MIAA and a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs, where they fell
to the defending champions.
The team saw many records set, including the Albion
record for most yards per season (997) set by Lance Brown and the
College record for longest field goal
(49 yards) set by Ken Haut in a game against DePauw. Running back
Lance Brown was named the league and Albion MVP as well as earning
Division III All-America honorable mention status. Seven members were
selected for the All-MIAA first team: Lance Brown, Terry Clark, Ed Ewald,
Joe Felton, Mike Grant, Andy Remmo, and Andre Truss. Paul Elder, Jim
Hall, Ken Haut, Dave Mugan, Brad Perkins, Dave Venegas, and Charles
Wasczenski were named to the All-MIAA second team.
The coaching staff included: Dennis Bongard, Dale
Dillingham, Dave Egnatuk, Gordon Hetrick, Greg Polnasek, and Dan Smith.
Trainers were Walt Swyers and Sarah Hogberg Forester.
Other team members included: Bill Allen, Rich Barno,
Dan Beatty, Mark Benschoter, Tony Bertoia, Chris Billings, Frank Bindi,
Pete Bradley, Pat Briggs, Steve Brooks, Kevin Bushinski, Dan Bzura, Brad
Collar, Greg Crapo, Bryan Crosby, Jon DeAngelis, Michael Decker, Ken
DeGood, Tony DeVolder, Dale Dillingham, John Dunlop, Matt Federeau, Doug
Forsyth, Stu Forsyth, Steve Freier, Steve Gaffield, Bob Gendron, Joe
Greene, Phil Hansen, Todd Hartson, Mike Hawkins, Damian Hayden, Jim
Hemenway, Kevin Hornak, Mark Kast, Brian Kerman, Greg Kern, Mike Kidder,
Chris King, Ken Kish, Marv Konkle, Tom Kopsch, Ken Kriger, Bill Ley,
Jeff Losee, Kevin Mahoney, Mike Mansfield, Bruce Martin, Mike Maurice,
Jim McCarthy, Tim McGonagle, Steve Meyers, Mike Mutchler, Kurt Nelson,
Steve Pente, Chris Phelps, Rob Porritt, Wayne Probst, Steve Quinn, Dan
Quint, Pat Regan, Matt Remmo, Jim Schmidt, Scott Shaw, Jim Sherman, Ken
Slezak, Grant Smith, Dave Spray, Mark Stephenson, Paul Tagget, Paul
Temerowski, Mark Tescari, Greg Thompson, Matt Touhy, Chris Tyler, Scott
Warford, A.J. Watson, Mike Williams, Jeff Wilson, Dave Yaw, and Karl
Zimmerman.
Under the leadership of coach Frank Joranko, the
1982 Albion baseball team posted a 17-12-1 record and captured the MIAA
championship with an 11-1 league record. The team also played in NCAA
Division III postseason contests, defeating Otterbein College, the Ohio
Athletic Conference champions that year, and York College, which had
earlier captured its league championship as well. R.J. Fabian made
College history by breaking the Briton home run record with eight home
runs that season. The team saw players Wayne MacKenzie and Bob Varner
named to the All-MIAA first team, and Kip Conway, Ray DeSana, Paul
Sauers, Steve Taylor, and Ed Walter named to the All-MIAA second team.
Mike Brown and R.J. Fabian earned All-MIAA honorable mention status. The
league MVP was Bob Varner. The team MVP was Bob Varner, and Ray DeSana
was Most Improved.
The other team members included Sidney Barnwell,
Ron Breaugh, John Budzinski, David Durkee, Bart Frost, David Heeke, Mike
Hite, Darin Johnson, John Johnson, Mark Karsten, Tom Knight, Dean Massab,
Mike Price, Clair Rowland, Joe Ryder, John Schied, Geoffrey Sleeman,
Andy Sovran, and Gerald Switalski.
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