NDSU is set to induct six individuals into the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame, and four women's basketball national championship teams will join the Bison Athletic Hall of Champions on Friday, Oct. 10.

 The 43rd annual induction ceremony will bring the number of individuals enshrined in the Hall of Fame to 264 and the number of teams in the Hall of Champions to 10.


Lunch is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Fargo, with the induction ceremonies starting at 11:30 a.m. 

A limited number of tickets will be available from the NDSU athletic department for a cost of $25 per ticket. Contact Helena Johnston at 701-231-6172 or helena.johnston@ndsu.edu.



The new Hall of Famers are football All-America linebacker Sean Fredricks (1993-97); women's track and field/cross country All-America distance runner Mary (Gill) Wentz (1993-97); softball All-America third baseman Mary (Gramenz) Kosmatka (1996-99); men's track and field 800 meter national champion Heith Janke (1996-99); three-time wrestling national champion Brian Kapusta (1991-95), and national award-winning women's basketball and volleyball player Kasey Morlock (1993-97).

The group also will be recognized at halftime of NDSU's homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 11, against Southern Illinois University.

From 1993-96
, NDSU set a standard of excellence on the women's basketball court. The Bison won NCAA Division II national championships under the direction of women's basketball Hall of Fame head coach Amy Ruley and assistant coach Kelli Layman. To demonstrate the teams’ dominance, the Bison were 58-2 at home from 1992 to 1996.



Fredricks was a first-team Division II All-American in 1997, second-team Division II All-American in 1996, the 1997 Dennis Drews Trophy recipient for NDSU football most valuable player and a three-time all-North Central Conference selection. He also received 1997 CoSIDA Academic All-America second team honors and was named the 1998 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient.

Wentz was a 12-time NCAA Division II All-American in women's track & field/cross country. She was a three-time North Central Conference Indoor Track and Field 500 meter champion and won the 1997 NCC Indoor 1,000 meter title. She was a member of the 1995 and 1997 NCC Indoor champion 1,600 meter relay teams and won the 1995 NCC Outdoor Track and Field 800 meter championship. She also was a member of the 1995 NCC Outdoor champion 1,600 relay team.

Kosmatka was named to 1999 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America second team and was a four-time NFCA All-North Central Region selection. She led the Bison to their first NCAA North Central regional title and NCAA Division II national tournament appearance in Salem, Va., in 1999. On the NDSU career charts, she ranks No. 1 in triples (17), No. 2 in doubles (66) and total bases (504); No. 3 in slugging percentage (.630); No. 4 in runs scored (203), hits (305) and home runs; and No. 5 in games played and at-bats (800).

Janke was the national champion in 800 meters at 1998 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships He was the recipient of the 1998 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. He was a two-time North Central Conference Indoor Track and Field champion in the mile in 1996 and 1997, and a member of three NCC Indoor championship 3,200 meter relay teams in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He also earned Academic All-American honors in cross country.

Kapusta was a three-time NCAA Division II national champion at 118 pounds. He was selected the 1995 NCAA Division II Most Outstanding Wrestler, and was a four-time NCAA All-American. He was named the North Central Conference's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1992 and 1995

Morlock was the 
Honda Award winner for the NCAA Division II Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year in 1997. In 1996-97, she was named a NCAA Today's Top VIII award winner. In addition, she was a 1997 CoSIDA Academic All-America second team honoree and a two-time North Central Conference All-Academic Team selection. She was the 1997 WBCA/Rawlings Division II Player of the Year and a three-time Kodak Division II All-District and All-American honoree.

NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.