Six inducted into WMU Hall of Fame
Sept. 26, 2000
KALAMAZOO -- Six former Western Michigan University student-athletes have been chosen for enshrinement into the WMU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dave Gottschalk (Baseball '53), Tom Cutter (Basketball '77), Jeff Tyson (Basketball '76), Jamie Hence (Football/Track '88), Caroline Mullen-Kearney (Track and Field/Cross Country '90), and Dale Hetherington (Men's Soccer '76) comprise the 2000 Hall of Fame class.
All the inductees will be honored at a banquet Nov. 17 at the Fetzer Center on the Western Michigan University campus. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Members of the 1975-76 men's basketball NCAA Tournament team will be honored Saturday, Nov. 18, at halftime of WMU's game versus Hampton.
"We've tried to diversify the classes," said Pat Forrest, WMU faculty representative on the selection committee. "This is the first time we've inducted a men's soccer player. Last year was the first year we had a women's gymnast inducted. We've also tried to recognize academics as well as athletics and honor some sports not recognized in the past."
A second baseman for the Broncos, Dave Gottschalk was a two-time Second Team All-American (1952-53), a two-time all-district first team honoree (1952-53), and a three-time All-Mid-American Conference First Team selection (1951-52-53). He played on two MAC championship teams and was the first WMU second baseman to earn all-league honors. Gottschalk helped Western Michigan post a three-year record of 21-1 and reach its first College World Series in 1952.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Gottschalk, and he spent three seasons in their system, hitting .309 with 19 home runs and 99 RBI in 1956 and .315 the following season. After a knee injury ended his minor-league career in 1957, Gottschalk went on to earn his master's degree from WMU in 1958. A standout in area baseball leagues, Gottschalk led the Kalamazoo Federation League in hitting in 1959 and was MVP of the state tournament. He helped his Detroit Federation League team win two national titles. Gottschalk taught at South Haven High School and served as head baseball coach at West Bloomfield Township High School, compiling a 97-88 record. The Falcons posted seven winning seasons and won a Northwest Suburban League title during his tenure. Gottschalk retired from teaching after 38 years in 1995. He has been actively involved in the Michigan Senior Olympics and was a member of the first Michigan team to win a world championship at the 1991 Senior Softball World Series. He also won a gold medal in softball at the 1999 National Senior Olympics held at the Disney World Sports Complex in Orlando. Gottschalk and his wife, Mary, have three children and six grandchildren.
Tom Cutter and Jeff Tyson were members of one of the most memorable teams in WMU men's basketball history, the Broncos' 1976 NCAA Tournament team that posted a 25-3 record and was ranked No. 10 in the nation. An eighth-round pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cutter's .595 career field goal percentage is No. 1 in the Bronco record book. He also ranks second all-time in rebounds (947), sixth in games played (106), No. 10 in blocks (46), and No. 12 on the Bronco career points list (1,178). He averaged 12.9 ppg. and 10.6 rpg. during the 1975-76 season. Cutter is Chief Financial Officer of Bright National Bank in Lafayette, Ind. He and his wife, WMU alumna Janet Collins-Cutter, have three sons, Alex (13), Patrick (9), and Nicholas (5).
Jeff Tyson was the first Bronco ever honored as MAC Player of the Year, winning that award in 1976. He ranks 11th all-time in scoring (1,206) and sixth in career field goals (513). He led Western Michigan in scoring during the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons. Tyson was a third-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers and also tried out for the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks. He played three seasons with the Continental Basketball Association's Northern (Alaska) Knights. Tyson has taught physical education at Colony Middle School the past 10 years and has also worked as a fishing guide in Alaska. He has lived in Alaska the past 22 years, coaching basketball and track and field during that time. As an assistant coach, Tyson helped lead the Colony High girls basketball team to state runner-up honors the past two years. His middle school team was 14-2 and won a district championship last year. Tyson and his family recently moved to Cleveland, Tenn.
A standout in both track and field and football, Jamie Hence was a 1988 Indoor Track All-American after placing fifth in the 55-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships. He ranks No. 2 in the 55 hurdles (7.26), No. 4 in the 110 hurdles (14.03) on WMU's all-time performers list. He placed second in the 110 hurdles at the 1986 Pan American Games. Hence was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and an All-MAC First Team pick in 1987. Hence also competed in the World Junior Championships. On the gridiron, Hence holds the Western Michigan single-game record for receptions (16) and is fifth in career touchdown catches (15). His 858 receiving yards in 1987 are the third-best single-season total ever. He was honored as a MAC All-Academic First Team pick in 1988 and an honorable mention selection in 1987. Hence and his wife, Felicia, now reside in Charlotte, N.C., with their sons, Jamie II (5), and Austin (2). He is a claims specialist with Nationwide Insurance.
Caroline Mullen-Kearney was an All-American in both track (1987) and cross country (1986) during her collegiate career. She placed third (17:09) at the 1986 NCAA Cross Country Championships and fourth in the 5,000 (15:56.30) at the outdoor championships. Mullen-Kearney also took fourth at the 1987 NCAA Outdoor Championships, posting the fastest time ever by a MAC runner. She won conference championships in the 3,000 (1987) and 5,000 (1987, 1989) and is the only WMU female to have captured three MAC cross country titles. The 1987 Penn Relays 5,000 champion, Mullen-Kearney owns school indoor records in the 3,000 (9:26.35) and two mile (10:13.20) and outdoor standards in the 1,500 (4:24.06), 3,000 (9:20.39), and 5,000 (15:56.30). She was honored as WMU's Top Female Senior Scholar-Athlete in 1987. Mullen-Kearney is currently pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy and Sports Injuries and plans to set up her own clinic in 2001. She represented Ireland at the 1996 Aidken Road Relays, a top international event in Seoul, South Korea, and helped her team place fifth. Mullen-Kearney and her husband, John, reside in Cork, Ireland. The Kearneys have a son, Cian (3 1/2), and a daughter, Aisling (1).
The NCAA soccer record books list Dale Hetherington No. 2 all-time in career saves with 604. His 35 saves versus Spring Arbor College in 1975 rank No. 3 in NCAA single-game history. He averaged 15.58 saves per game in 1975, the fourth-best rate in NCAA history. Hetherington currently holds four Western Michigan records: saves in a season (187), save percentage for a season (.927), career save percentage (.904), and consecutive shutouts (four). A two-time All-Midwest Region pick (1975, 1976), he was named to the All-MAC Coaches First Team in 1973. Hetherington was drafted by the American Soccer League's Cleveland Cobras and also played for the Detroit Sports Club. He has competed in over 15 triathlons and more than 10 marathons. Hetherington has also served as a racquetball instructor and was ranked among the top 10 in the state of Michigan. He currently resides in Alamo, Calif. Hetherington becomes the first WMU men's soccer player inducted into the Hall of Fame.
For more information, visit the Broncos on the Web <www.wmubroncos.com>.
Media contact: Geoff Brown; 616 387-4138; geoffrey.brown@wmich.edu