Northern Michigan announces Hall of Fame Class of 2017

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan department of athletics announced that Mandee Dafoe, Pauline Hope (Schuette), Abigail Larson, Jay McQuillan, Rick Popp, and the 1979-80 Hockey Team will be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

The inductees will be honored during homecoming weekend, which is scheduled for Sept. 21-23, 2017. The formal induction will occur Sept. 22 in the Great Lakes Rooms at 6:30 p.m. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for a pre-event social. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $15 for children 10 and under. They can be purchased online. The inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the football team’s game against Davenport University Sept. 23.

Mandee Dafoe
Women’s Basketball | Class of 2000
Mandee played basketball from 1994 to 1998. She finished her career at NMU with 1,605 points and 649 rebounds, which is second in all-time scoring and seventh in all-time rebounding for women’s basketball at NMU. For her performance in the 1998 season she was selected Honorable Mention All-American. In both 1997 and 1998 she was named to the All GLIAC First Team. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Pre-School/Family Life Service in May 2000.

Abigail Larson PhD, RD
Nordic Skiing | Class of 2000
Abigail was a Nordic skier and cross country runner from 1997 to 2001. She ran in the 2000 NCAA Cross Country Championships and in 1998 was the runner-up at the GLIAC Conference Cross Country Championships. She skied in three NCAA National Championships garnering two All-American First Team honors in both 1999 and 2000. She was a member of the 2006 US Olympic Ski Team and went on to ski professionally on the Subaru Factory team from 2004 to 2008. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Sports Science in December 2000 and Masters of Science in Exercise Science in May 2004 from NMU. She earned her PhD from the University of Utah in 2010.

Jay McQuillan
Mascot | Class of 1989
Jay attended NMU from 1984 to 1989 and became the first hockey Wildcat Willy. Jay’s enthusiasm for being Willy spread as he soon became the mascot for all sports on campus. Jay made Wildcat Willy a fixture at Hedgcock Fieldhouse, Memorial Field, and Lakeview Arena. He went on to be a professional mascot in the NHL. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Liberal Arts with a major in Speech Communication in May 1989.

Rick Popp
Football | Class of 1988
Rick played football from 1983 to 1987 and quarterbacked the 1987 Wildcat football team that finished its season with a loss in the semi-finals of the NCAA Division II Football National Championship. During the 1987 season he was the fifth-ranked passer in the nation. For his performance in the 1987 season he was named MVP of the NMU Football team, was named to the All GLIAC First Team, and was Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press. Rick has gone on to a prestigious business career and has served the University in many capacities as a proud alum. He has served twice as the Chair of the NMU Board of Trustees. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Liberal Arts with a major in Computer Science in May 1988 and his Masters of Public Administration in July 1990.

Pauline Hope (Schuette)
Volleyball | Class of 1995
Pauline played volleyball from 1992 to 1995 and was a member of both the 1993 and 1994 NMU NCAA Division II National Championship Volleyball teams. She was one of the best volleyball players in the country during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. In her senior season (1995) she was a First Team All-American, on the NCAA Elite 8 All-Tournament Team, All Great Lakes Region Team, and All GLIAC First Team. For her performance during her junior year (1994) she was a on the NCAA Elite 8 All-Tournament Team, All Great Lakes Region Team, and All GLIAC Second Team. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Biology/Ecology in August 1995 and Masters of Science in Biology in December 1998.

1979-80 Hockey Team
The 1979-80 Hockey Team won the CCHA Regular Season, won the CCHA Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Championship Game where they were defeated by North Dakota, 5-2. Enroute to the NCAA National Championship game they defeated Minnesota in the first round, 4-3, and defeated Cornell in the second round, 5-4. Individual awards for the season include the Spencer Penrose Coach of the Year (Rick Comley), CCHA Player of the Year (Steve Weeks), five student-athletes on the CCHA first team (Steve Bozek, Bill Joyce, Tom Laidlaw, Don Waddell, Steve Weeks) and two on the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships All-Tournament Team (Steve Weeks, Tom Laidlaw).

Members of the team include:
Richard Comley (Head Coach)
Bill Murray (Asst. Coach)
Terry Christianson (Graduate Asst. Coach)
Blynn DeNiro (Athletic Trainer)
Rob Ferguson (Equipment)
Steve Bozek
Steve Cloutier
Randy Eliason
Steve Fisher
Denis Flanagan
Keith Hanson
Terry Houck
Dave Ikkala
Bill Joyce
Dave Kanigan
Walt Kyle
Tom Laidlaw
Bruce Martin
Dann McKeraghan
Mike Mielke
Gord Pace
Eric Ponath
Jeff Pyle
Mark Rudness
Tim Sherry
Jeff Tascoff
Greg Tignanelli
Brian Verigin
Don Waddell
Steve Weeks
Craig Winter

(INFORMATION COURTESY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS)