MENOMONIE (October 14, 2011) – UW-Stout inducted four former athletes and two former coaches into their Athletic Hall of Fame, Saturday, Nov. 5.
Coaches Rita Slinden and Kay Carter, football players Tony Beckham, Skip Wick and Jesse Witcraft, basketball player Yonna Grey, and wrestler Steve Smith are headed for the Hall. Steve Schrantz will receive the UW-Stout Athletic Distinguished Service Award.
Rita Slinden was a coach, instructor and athletic director during her 30-plus years of service to the University. Slinden coached several different sports during the formation of the women's programs in the 1970s and 1980s.
Kay Carter organized Stout's first women's gymnastics team in 1966 and worked for the formation of the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC), a predecessor to the WIAC. Carter worked tirelessly for equal opportunities for women in sports.
Tony Beckham was a two-time football All-American when the Blue Devils won the WIAC title in 2000. Beckham went on to play five years in the National Football League. In addition to his primary position of defensive back, Beckham returned kickoffs and played wide receiver. Beckham was slated to be inducted in 2011, but a family emergency made him unable to attend. Beckham will be inducted in 2012.
Jesse Witcraft earned eight conference track and field relay titles and six All-America awards during the late 1990s. Witcraft played three years of football and is currently ranked fifth on the all-time receiving list.
Gerald “Skip” Wick took several detours before coming to Stout in the 1950s – including a stint as an Army sergeant during the Korean War. Wick, while relatively small in stature, was an outstanding running back who earned two all-conference nods in his only two years with the team.
Yonna (Grey) Ruschy carried the title of Chair of the Boards for her ability to snag rebounds with the Blue Devil women's basketball team during the early to mid-1990s. Grey set a school record with 26 rebounds in a single game during her senior year.
Steve Smith snared his elusive All-America award with one arm literally tied to his back. A two-time all-conference wrestling champion in 1990 and 1991, Smith earned All-America honors after being injured, but wrestled his final match with his arm taped to his body.
Steve Schrantz will receive the Athletic Distinguished Service Award. Schrantz, a former English teacher and coach in the Menomonie School District, was most visible for his radio coverage of Blue Devil football and basketball. Schrantz also served on several UW-Stout athletic committees over the years.
The Class of 2011 will be honored at halftime of the 2 p.m. UW-Stout/UW-Platteville football game. The Hall of Fame banquet, which will be held at the Stout Ale House in North Menomonie, gets underway at 5:30 p.m. with a reception. Dinner is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the banquet are $15 for adults, $10 for 12-years-and-under. Tickets, and additional information, can be obtained by calling the UW-Stout athletic office, 715-232-2224, or by going to Shoppes@Stout.
