2002 Inductees

Individuals

Frank Bonta was a pitcher on the baseball team from 1947 to 1949, but he is best remembered for his staunch support of Briton athletics and for leading the recruitment of 11 generations of Albion College student-athletes.

Frank, who received his M.A. and Ed.S. degrees from Michigan State University, began his long career at Albion as an admissions counselor in 1951. He retired as dean of admissions after 44 years of service in 1995.

Frank received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Albion in 1982 and the Meritorious Service Award in 1996. On Homecoming Weekend 1996, Albion dedicated the Bonta Admissions House in his honor.

Frank is still a regular at many Briton home athletic events. He has a “reserved” spot along the fence at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium to watch football on autumn Saturday afternoons, and during basketball season he joins Morley Fraser and other long-time fans in the bleachers on the north side of Kresge Gymnasium.

Frank lives in Eaton Rapids with his wife, Patricia Smallwood Bonta, ’50. The couple has two daughters: Julie Bonta Frayer, ’77, and Amy Bonta Bender, ’78. They also have five grandchildren, including Lauren Bender, ’05.

Pete Carlton was a two-time most valuable athlete on the swimming team in the late ’60s. Pete, who captained the Britons during the 1968-69 and 1969-70 seasons, helped Albion place first at the MIAA Invitational in 1968-69 and first at the MIAA relays and championship meet in 1969-70.

He was the second-leading scorer for the Britons during the 1969-70 season, totaling 136.75 points, and he finished his career with 426.5 points. Pete and teammate Greg Pulling, ’70, both surpassed the previous career scoring record for Albion swimmers. He competed in every swimming event during his career except the 200-yard breaststroke and took first place in each event at some point in his career.

Pete, however, didn’t just touch the wall first. He excelled, establishing school or pool records in four events (the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle, the 200-yard individual medley, and the 400-yard freestyle relay).

A partner in the accounting firm of Cooley, Hehl, Wohlgamuth and Carlton, Pete resides in Monroe. He currently serves as vice chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Mercy Memorial Hospital and is on the board of the Monroe County Historical Society. Pete previously served on the board and as treasurer of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce, the River Raisin Centre for the Arts, and the St. John’s School Athletic Club.

Pete and his wife, Carol, have two children, Matthew and Polly.

Tim Cash made scoring points for the Albion swimming team look easy. He led the Britons in scoring two of his four seasons, and finished with what was then a school-record 413.5 career points. Tim served as one of the co-captains for the 1966-67 and 1967-68 teams, and he was named the most valuable swimmer for the 1965-66 and 1967-68 seasons.

School records were numerous during Tim’s career. During the 1964-65 campaign, his freshman season, Tim lowered the school marks in the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. During the 1965-66 campaign, Tim was undefeated in 11 races in the 100-yard freestyle, and he lowered the school marks in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events. In 1967, Tim teamed with Phil Hewett, Greg Pulling, and Pete Carlton to win the 400-yard freestyle relay with a school-record time of 3:29.3 in a dual meet against Wayne State. The next season, Tim helped the 400 freestyle relay team lower the school record to 3:28.8.

Still active in athletics, Tim ran in the Detroit Free Press marathon in 1987 and the Marine Corps marathon in 1989. Tim also lists golf as a hobby.

Now living in Indianapolis, Tim is a partner with the accounting firm of Ernst & Young. He served on the national committee for Albion’s Campaign for the Generations, and served on the board of the Detroit Metro YMCA from 1992 to 1996.

Tim and his wife, Nancy Evans Cash, ’69, are the parents of Lisa, Amy, and Douglas.

As a student at Albion, Dave Egnatuk was a member of the track and field and football teams. As a tailback in football, Dave earned the distinction as the MIAA MVP in 1970 after rushing for 1,079 yards (a total which stood as a school record for 19 seasons). He was the first player in Albion history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. He also broke the MIAA record for the number of carries in one game during that season. Dave was a four-year letterman on the track and field team, as well as captain for the 1971 season. He ran the 440-yard hurdles, and also competed in the javelin and short-distance events.

Dave joined the Albion faculty in 1975 after receiving his master’s degree from the University of Southern California. He completed his 28th season as men’s track and field coach at Albion College in 2002. His teams have posted a 118-29 record in MIAA dual meet competition. Since 1978, Albion has finished first or second in the MIAA track standings in all but two years. Dave also helped coach the Briton football team for 23 years. He was the defensive line coach during the 1994 football season when Albion won the NCAA Division III championship.

Dave and his wife, Mary Ann Stokes Egnatuk, ’76, reside in Albion. The Egnatuks have three daughters, Christine, Tracy, and Jessica.

A two-sport athlete, Al Kastl earned seven varsity letters (four in football and three in wrestling).

Al achieved All-MIAA status as an offensive guard in football in 1969. That year, the Britons posted an 8-0 overall record and won the second of back-to-back league championships. Al was one of the captains of the 1970 football squad and provided the blocking that helped Dave Egnatuk rush for 1,079 yards.

In wrestling, Al won the MIAA individual title in the heavyweight division in 1970.

After graduation, Al served as an English teacher at Fraser High School from 1973 to 2000. He earned a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1973. In July 2000 he became athletic director at Chippewa Valley High School in Clinton Township. Al was inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame and the Michigan High School Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2001. His first link with the Albion College Athletic Hall of Fame came in 1993 when he was inducted as a member of the 1969 football team.

In 1988, Al was named to the board for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling. He also became its representative to the U.S. Olympic Committee. Al was the team leader for the U.S. Greco-Roman Wrestling Team, participating in the 1996 Olympics.

Al is married to Sue Jones Kastl, ’74. The couple has one son, Jeff.

Championships were numerous when Patrick Kennell was a member of the Albion track and field team. The Britons captured the MIAA championship all four years of Patrick’s career. Individually, he achieved all-league status in three seasons, was a member of two relay teams that won MIAA titles, and claimed an individual league title in the 200-meter dash in 1982.

Patrick, who was tri-captain and MVP of the 1982 team, left Albion as the co-record holder in the 400-meter dash. In addition, he was a member of the NCAA-qualifying 1,600-meter relay team in 1981. Patrick also played football at Albion.

Patrick has experience working overseas, teaching English in Saudi Arabia (1989-90) and at the Cambridge English School in Copenhagen, Denmark (1990-96).

Currently working as the director of the Center for Intensive English Studies at Florida State University, Patrick expects to receive his Ph.D. from FSU in December.

Patrick and his wife, Kirsten, live in Tallahassee and have three children, David, Simon, and Leah.

When Lois Werner Kluver attended Albion College, the Women’s Athletic Association was charged with providing athletic opportunities for women. Lois participated in a wide range of sports including archery, field hockey, synchronized swimming, and tennis. However, she may be best known for claiming three state championships in archery and as a member of the 1954 WMIAA champion tennis team. The 1954 women’s tennis team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

Off the playing field, Lois majored in psychology and anthropology. A member of the 1956 Homecoming Court, Lois was a board member of the Association of Women Students, as well as recording secretary for the Women’s Athletic Association.

Since graduating from Albion, Lois has been a social worker for the Children’s Aid Society, a detective in the Royal Oak Police Department, and since 1968, a middle school science teacher in the Farmington public school district.

Lois has also remained active in athletics, participating in basketball and field hockey.

She has two children, Cynthia and Craig, and four grandchildren.

Gary Methner was a member of Albion football and baseball teams that claimed MIAA titles in the early 1960s. In 1961, the Britons posted an 8-0 record in football, and Gary was awarded first-team All-MIAA status and was named to the Michigan Collegiate all-state first team by the Associated Press. In the spring of 1962, he was a catcher on the Britons’ league championship baseball team.

Gary earned his all-league honors in football as an offensive end and punter. In 1961, he was Albion’s top receiver, hauling in 22 passes for 459 yards and seven touchdowns. His 42 points on touchdown receptions made him the sixth-leading scorer among Michigan collegiate players that season. Gary also punted 32 times for 1,231 yards.

Gary was an admissions counselor at Albion for four years before joining State Farm as an agent in Battle Creek in 1966. He worked with State Farm for 36 years, and became regional vice president of State Farm’s Pacific Northwest Region in 1988. Gary recently retired and resides in Gig Harbor, Wash.

Gary is a past board member of the Salem (Ore.) Chamber of Commerce, as well as a past member of the Salem Economic Development Planning Group, Providence St. Peter Foundation, and the Western Oregon State College Foundation Board of Trustees.

Gary and his wife, Lola, have three sons, Brad, Doug, and Steve, and four grandchildren.

Suzanne Scrutton was a three-time All-MIAA honoree in women’s tennis.

She emerged on the MIAA scene in 1984, achieving second-team status after joining forces with Liz Neilson for a fourth-place finish in first flight doubles at the league tournament.

Suzanne earned All-MIAA first-team status in 1985 and 1986. In 1985, she won the league title at second flight singles with a three-set victory over an opponent from Alma in the championship match. In 1986, Suzanne finished third in first flight singles at the league tournament.

In addition to her effort on the tennis court, Suzanne graduated cum laude and was awarded the Notestein Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement in Anthropology and Sociology in 1986. She was an active member of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service and sang in the Albion College Choir.

Upon graduation from law school at Capital University in Ohio in 1989, Suzanne held numerous high-ranking legal positions in Ohio state government. She is currently a senior associate practicing in the health care area for the Columbus, Ohio, firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, LLP. In her free time, Suzanne performs with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and sang with them during their Carnegie Hall debut in 2001.

As an Albion student, Jack Taylor competed in football and track and field, earning four varsity letters in each sport. He was a member of the Britons’ 1954 and 1955 track and field squads that claimed MIAA championships. He earned a pair of individual league titles on the track, winning the 120-yard high hurdles in 1953 and 1954.

On the gridiron, Jack was awarded All-MIAA second-team status in 1955.

Following graduation from Albion, Jack went on to receive his master’s degree at Bowling Green State University. He then embarked on an 18-year coaching career that included stops at Augustana College, California State University-Northridge, and the University of Wyoming. He was a coach for the 1967 Wyoming football team that posted a 10-0 regular season record, and went on to compete in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1968. Jack also served for 13 years as an athletic administrator.

He returned to Albion College as the director of alumni relations and annual giving from 1986 to 1988.

In 1983, he received the White Hat award for his outstanding service to University of Wyoming athletics, and the 1967 Cowboy football team was enshrined in the University of Wyoming Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997. Jack has also served on the board for the Michigan Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Now retired, Jack and his wife, Margaret Plotts Taylor, ’55, live in Alanson. The couple has two sons, John and Brad, and a daughter, Tracey.

The 1950-51 men’s basketball team gave Albion its third MIAA championship under coach Walter Sprandel. Sprandel had previously led the Briton cagers to a co-championship with Hope College in 1946, and an outright league crown in 1948.

The 1950-51 squad surged to the championship by setting a school record and winning its final 13 games. After pounding Olivet College, 98-43, and Adrian College, 92-36, at Kresge Gymnasium in January, Albion put the exclamation point on its league title with a 101-65 victory over Hope College in the next-to-last game of the season.

Bob Eggleston was the MIAA’s MVP, and John Porter was the league’s scoring champion. Porter, who scored what was then a school-record 277 points for the entire season, totaled 155 points in 10 league contests. Eggleston averaged 10.9 points in the 10 league games.

Dick Allen, who averaged 11.4 points in 10 MIAA games, joined Eggleston and Porter on the 10-man All-MIAA squad. Allen left Albion with the school record for most points in a four-year career (725).

Other members of the team included: Chuck Balciulis, Max Berry, Robert Betz, Ralph Boe, Robert Clark, Cedric Dempsey, Dennis Druckamiller, Ken Edwards, Gerald Flanagan, Maurice Fowler, Phil Fowler, Charles Frost, Ernest Hurst, Jack Kaull, Don Little, Willard Meader, Claudius Miller, Charles Mohl, Arnold Pinkney, and Allan Rufe. Owen Perkins was the team manager.

In 1980, Albion won the second of five consecutive MIAA track and field championships under coach Dave Egnatuk. The Britons soundly defeated their opponents, as the closest margin of victory in a league dual meet was a 29-point triumph over Hope College. Their dual meet record for the season was 6-0.

Boosted by three individual titles and two winning relays, Albion also took first place at the MIAA championship meet. Tracy Garner leaped 6 feet, 11 inches to win the first of four league titles in the high jump. Dexter Davis emerged victorious in the long jump, while Ron Lessard was the first runner to cross the finish line in the 10,000-meter run. The Britons also won the 440-yard and mile relay events. In addition to the three individual champions, sprinter Tim Hartson was selected to the All-MIAA squad.

Other team members included: Dan Armstrong, Pat Blakely, Kenneth Bray, Philip Brewster, James Carr, James Connelly, Alan Gamble, Don Gmelin, Edwin Greenman, Douglas Greer, Andy Harder, Martin Hoffmeister, Robert Jones, Mike Jurasek, Pat Kennell, Charles Knoll, Andrew Krafsur, Barry Lonik, Steve Meads, Charles Neilson, Cameron Owens, John Pako, Martin Popp, Steve Radashaw, Keith Roberts, Dennis Rouwhorst, Eric Smith, Mark Smith, Scott Smythe, Doug Treadwell, David VanderKooy, David Vercoe, Richard Vermeulen, and Gary Zavislak.