Nebraska Wesleyan University will induct five members and one team into its 54th Hall of Fame class.
This class includes Sara (Kunneman) Carlson (women's soccer), Kim (Grosshans) Shaw (women's track & field), Mark Specht (men's basketball), Cindy Turman (women's basketball/softball), Pat (Dotson) Pettit (Spirit of the Plainsmen) and the 1999 men's soccer team.
Sara (Kunneman) Carlson ('02)
Sara Carlson graduated as a standout soccer player for the Prairie Wolves. She was named GPAC Player of the Year in 2000. She earned all-conference honors three times and was named the 1998 NIAC Rookie of the Year. Carlson sits second on NWU's all-time charts with 62 career goals and third with 146 career points. In 2002, she was honored as Nebraska Wesleyan's Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year.
Kim (Grosshans) Shaw ('94)
Kim Shaw was a dominant force in track & field, earning back-to-back All-American honors in the javelin in 1992 and 1993 at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. In 1994, she became an All-American in the indoor shot put. Shaw ranks third all-time at NWU in the javelin with a throw of 44.98m.
Mark Specht ('96)
Mark Specht played a pivotal role in one of the most successful eras of Nebraska Wesleyan men's basketball. During his two-and-a-half-year career, NWU recorded 56 wins and made an NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, when the team reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1995. Specht was named first-team All-NIAC and led the conference in scoring his senior season. He finished his career with 1,195 points and ranks third at NWU in 3-point field goal percentage (44.9%) and second in career free throw percentage (85.6%).
Cindy Turman ('00)
A two-sport star at Nebraska Wesleyan, Cindy Turman excelled in both basketball and softball. On the basketball court, she earned first-team All-NIAC honors in 1998 and finished her career second all-time at NWU in field goal percentage (52.6%). In softball, she was a four-year letter winner and earned second-team All-NIAC honors in 1997.
Pat (Dotson) Pettit
Pat Pettit has been a long-standing figure in NWU's athletic and academic success since joining campus in 1980. Pettit served in multiple coaching roles, including head volleyball coach from 1985 to 1990, posting a 151-82 record. She currently serves as NWU's Faculty Athletics Representative to the American Rivers Conference, helping 17 student-athletes earn NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.
1999 Men's Soccer Team
The 1999 men's soccer team completed the only undefeated season in program history, finishing with a perfect 19-0 record. Head Coach John Carlson led the team to a NIAC conference championship with an 8-0 record, and seven players earned All-NIAC honors. Andre Watts was named NIAC Player of the Year, while Carlson was named NIAC Coach of the Year.
Learn more about Wesleyan Weekend 2024 and to RSVP, click here.