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2001
Inductees
Individuals
Championships were numerous
during Catherine Bousson Hill’s swimming career at Albion.
After achieving All-MIAA
status as a sophomore, Cathy was the league’s MVP the next year,
winning league titles in the 100-yard butterfly, the 200-yard butterfly,
the 400-yard individual medley, and the 500-yard freestyle, as well as
the 400-yard freestyle relay. Her times in the 200 butterfly (2:17.2)
and 400 IM (5:01.69) were MIAA records.
As a senior in 1984, Cathy
continued her success at the conference level and advanced to the NCAA
Division III national championship meet. During the regular season, she
led the Britons with four individual first-place finishes in the league
meet (100- and 200-yard butterfly and the 200- and 400-yard individual
medley). At the NCAA championships, she placed 19th in the 200-yard
butterfly with a school-record time of 2:15.67.
Cathy currently works as a
staff nurse at the birthing center at St. John Hospital in the metro
Detroit area. She and her husband, William, have two children, Ryan and
Amanda.
Carol Hulett is a pioneer
for women in the field of sports medicine. While Carol played field
hockey (four years), basketball (four years), and volleyball (two years)
at Albion, she is best known as the College’s first female athletic
trainer.
After graduating magna cum
laude from Albion in 1974, Carol received her M.D. from Wayne State
University School of Medicine in 1978. She began a private practice of
orthopedic surgery in Clinton Township in 1983, and has been
self-employed since 1990. She serves as the team physician for Mount
Clemens High School.
In addition to her work in
the medical field, Carol is a board member of the Girl Scouts in Macomb
County and the founder of the Feral Cat Rescue Organization.
A member of the Britons’
1983 MIAA championship golf team, Steve John achieved All-MIAA status in
1983 and 1984 and was named the league’s MVP in 1984. The three-time
letter winner was golf team captain in 1984 and qualified for the NCAA
national championship that year. The honors have continued since
college: in 1994, Steve was the MVP for the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am
tournament.
After graduating from
Albion, Steve moved to Santa Cruz, Calif. In August 1990, he became the
youngest Chevrolet dealer ever appointed and then in November that same
year became the youngest Honda dealer ever appointed.
Since then, Steve and his
Ocean Honda Chevrolet dealership have contributed many hours and dollars
to benefit civic, charitable, scholastic, and sports organizations in
Santa Cruz County.
He currently serves on
numerous boards for business and educational organizations. A member of
the California State University at Monterey Bay golf committee, Steve
also serves as a course ranking panelist for Golf
Digest.
Steve and his wife, Lesa,
are the parents of two children, Alexa and Kyle.
After spending her freshman
year at Florida State University, Martha Proctor Kreucher transferred to
Albion and discovered the advantages of Division III academics and
athletics.
During her Briton swimming
career, Missy was named the MIAA’s MVP in 1985, the same season she
set Albion College and conference records and claimed MIAA individual
championships in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and the 100- and
200-yard backstroke. Her 100-yard freestyle record still stands.
Missy won MIAA individual
titles in the same four events again in 1987 and was named league MVP a
second time. She was an NCAA Division III national qualifier in 1985
(five events) and 1987 (three events).
In addition to her education
at Albion, Missy received her J.D. from the Detroit College of Law in
1991. She was an attorney with Keller, Thoma, Schwarze, Schwarze, Dubay,
and Katz until 1999.
Missy and her husband,
Brian, have two children, Jordyn and Kylie.
Kirk Leighton was a
four-year letter winner in men’s tennis at Albion. He was named the
Britons’ most improved player in 1965 and served as captain in 1967.
After graduating from Albion
with a degree in economics and history, Kirk continued his education
with a master’s degree from the Dartmouth College Tuck School of
Business. He has been employed by National Bank of Detroit, Vlasic
Foods, and Campbell Soup Co. For the past 10 years, Kirk has run his own
consulting firm, Kirk Leighton & Associates.
Kirk has enjoyed success on
the tennis court since graduation, as well. He has won various
tournaments and advanced to the finals of the U.S. senior men’s
nationals three times. He played a key role in the Briton Athletic
Drive, which raised funds for the building of the Ungrodt Tennis Center
and the installation of six new outdoor tennis courts.
Kirk is the father of three
children, Mark, Amanda, and Corey.
A two-sport athlete at
Albion, James Papenfus earned seven varsity letters in all (four in
baseball and three in basketball) and served as co-captain of both
teams. Jim achieved All-MIAA status in baseball in 1962 and 1963.
After graduating from
Albion, Jim entered the work force as a teacher, coach, and athletic
administrator. He started his career in the Burton Atherton Schools in
1963, and he moved on to the Tawas Schools in 1968.
In 1995, Jim left the
education field to pursue ownership in Jim Papenfus Builders.
When he’s not working, Jim
is involved with the Tawas Area Elks and the Tawas Bay Yacht Club.
Robert Porritt was a
two-sport athlete at Albion, winning four letters in baseball and three
in football. Bob, who was a member of the 1961 football team that won
the MIAA championship, earned all-league honors at free safety for three
years. He served as co-captain of the baseball team in 1964.
In addition to his education
at Albion, Bob received a master’s degree from Michigan State
University in 1969.
Bob completed 30 years as a
high school coach. He was the head football coach at Okemos High School
for 10 years, and also coached track, junior varsity basketball, and
freshman baseball at various times during his career at Okemos.
Bob and his wife, Ruthann,
are the parents of two daughters, Amy Rackley and Sarah Wilson, and one
son, Rob. They have nine grandchildren.
As the 1934 Pleiad
proclaimed, “There is little rest for such all-around athletes as Bill
Smith. No sooner is his football uniform in the mothballs than he dons
his basketball suit and starts practice. The basketball season just ends
in time for him to get his track suit out of cold storage.”
Bill led the Briton
basketball team in scoring during his three varsity seasons and gained
All-MIAA honors as a senior. He was a versatile three-time letter winner
in track while competing in the shot put, discus, high jump, pole vault,
and long jump. Unable to compete in organized football until his senior
year of college, Bill made the most of his only season by earning All-MIAA
honors as a triple threat halfback.
For several years following
graduation, Bill taught and coached in the Hanover, Ionia, and Ann Arbor
schools. In 1941 he opted for a YMCA career that spanned 36 years of
service with the Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Lafayette, Ind., chapters.
Bill remained connected to
Albion College by becoming his class representative and serving on the
Alumni Association Board of Directors. He received the Albion College
Distinguished Alumni Award in 1978. Bill passed away in 1985.
He was married to Mary
Elizabeth Smith, and they had three sons, Richard, ’60, Phillip, and
Bill, ’67.
Dale Springer was a
co-captain for the 1961 Briton football team that claimed the MIAA
championship. He played at both offensive guard and defensive
linebacker. The four-year letter winner achieved second-team All-MIAA
status during his Briton career.
After graduating from
Albion, Dale went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Chicago
School of Law in 1965, and an LL.M. from the New York University School
of Law in 1972.
Dale began his legal career
with a private practice on Wall Street in New York City in 1965 and then
served as an attorney for the city’s Human Resources Administration
and the Abuse and Neglect Unit of the New York City Department of Social
Services. Since 1975, Dale has served as an administrative law judge
with the Michigan Family Independence Agency.
Dale has remained involved
with Albion College as a member of the Alumni Association Board of
Directors, the Morley Fraser Scholarship Committee, and the Class of
1962 Reunion Committee.
Dale and his wife, Dawn
Springer, ’61, have a daughter, Merrill.
Teams
Albion College won the 1928
MIAA football crown with the first of six undefeated football teams in
school history, but that title was followed by an 11-year drought, the
longest period without a football championship for the Britons.
Albion began dominating the
MIAA again in 1939. Under the leadership of Dale Sprankle, the Britons
would go unbeaten in league play in 1939 and again in 1940.
Albion opened with a loss to
Mount Union (Ohio) College, but then proceeded to hold all opponents
scoreless until a season-ending 6-3 win over Hillsdale.
Walter Ptak achieved
first-team All-MIAA status.
Other team members included:
Ed Alsip, Barry Beach, Steve Beban, Fred Cook, William Dodds, Al
Federico, Robert Fles, Homer Frazier, Robert Frey, Robert Grimes, Robert
Grossman, Robert Hart, Robert Hayhoe, Joe Hill, Fred Krueger, Ed Lindow,
Willis Long, Dave Luxenberg, Don Nelson, Albert Nichols, Carl Renda,
John Rybock, Maurice Trimble, Charles VanderLinde, Harvey Zens, and Emil
Zvonik. The team manager was Jack Garlinghouse.
The Albion College football
program continued its winning ways in 1940. Coach Dale Sprankle led the
Britons through MIAA play undefeated for the second consecutive season.
The Britons held four
opponents scoreless, including back-to-back shutouts of Hope College and
Alma College in the sixth and seventh games of the season.
Walter Ptak received
first-team All-America honors, and Maurice Trimble and Charles
VanderLinde were named first-team All-MIAA.
Other team members included:
Ed Alsip, Pete Barkley, Barry Beach, Bill Dodds, Ben Duguid, Robert Fles,
Robert Hart, Vic Hawkins, Willis Long, William Miller, Abbie Nichols,
Carl Renda, John Rybock, Bill Sanford, Jim Schloss, Robert Simpson,
Clare Stanford, Bruce Stevens, Charles Surland, Howard Thomas, Charles
Tobias, and Eldred Toutant.
Led by the running of
first-team All-American Hank Wineman and the coaching of Pete Schmidt,
the 1991 Albion College football team won the MIAA championship with a
4-0-1 league record and advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs.
At tailback, Wineman enjoyed
a record-breaking season as he set school marks for most rushing yards
in a game (250 versus Lawrence), most rushing yards in a season (1,629),
and most rushing attempts in a season (307).
In addition to Wineman,
James DeBardelaben, Art Gray, Mike Juchno, Mike Montico, Tom Reason,
Brad Smiles, and Gregg Vander Kooi, all received first-team All-MIAA
recognition. Wineman was also league MVP on offense.
DeBardelaben, Gray, Smiles,
Scott Tinson, Jeff Urbanski, Vander Kooi, and Wineman served as captains
for the team.
Montico would go on to
become an NCAA Postgraduate Scholar in 1994.
Other
team members for the Britons included: Eric Allore, Brian Barden, Eric
Baxmann, Adam Baylerian, James Beke, Jamie Billo, Jeff Blaskiewicz, John
Brannan, Eric Breitenbeck, Jeff Brooks, Brad Brown, Gordon Cady, Scott
Casteele, Tom Cavanaugh, Adam Chittle, Dave Christiani, Brian Coon,
Gabriel Cooper, Cevin Cornish, Craig Crandell, Rob Dancer, Jim Davis,
Ron Dawson, Shawn DeYoung, Vern Elliott, Tony Farina, Derek Finley,
Steve Gilbert, Scott Hassle, Eric Hayhurst, Jim Heaslip, Guy Hengesbach,
Martin Heyboer, Paul Hill, Patrick Holser, Torrell Humphries, Dave Hunt,
Ryan Irish, Mike Johnson, Leander Jones, Jason Kemler, John King,
Dominic Kiomento, Kristov Knobloch, Jamie Little, Joe Loeschner, Dan
Martin, Derek Mazur, Erick Mazur, Marc McDonald, Scott Merchant, Edward
Merrill, Greg Michaels, Bob Moleski, Adam Morris, Todd Morris, Cameron
Mueller, Joe Mullen, Paul Nagy, Don Necas, Cameron Pangborn, Greg
Pellegrom, Mike Pente, Vince Perroud, Raleigh Pioch, Dan Platte, Matt
Rankin, Derek Reed, Justin Rewa, Mark Roberts, Jeff Robinson, Zac Rusk,
Dan Schmidt, Todd Sebold, Durand Sheperd, Jeff Shooks, Sean Sims, Ron
Smith, Mike Spaccaroteela, Jeff Stacho, Scott Tinson, Paul Tippin,
Robert Toole, John Volmering, Randy Walls, Martin Wilder, Adam Wilinsky,
and Brian Zezula.
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