Eight receive Athletic Hall of Fame honors
by Don Stoner

Augsburg College honored eight former athletes during Homecoming weekend, inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame at the annual banquet on Oct. 2.

The Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1973 to recognize male athletes who made special contributions to the College's athletic history. In 1989, female athletes were first inducted into the hall. Recipients are chosen each year on the basis of performance in Augsburg athletics, service to the school, civic and professional achievements, and leadership.

Honored as inductees into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame are:

Bob Adams ’83 (wrestling)
The only Augsburg wrestler to earn multiple All-American honors in a single season, Adams won the NCAA Division III individual championship at 134 pounds in 1983 and placed second at the weight class in the NAIA championship meet, the only year Augsburg competed in both organizations' national tournaments. Adams won MIAC titles in 1982 and 1983 and was Augsburg's Senior Honor Athlete in 1983.

Michele Boyer ’89 (softball, basketball)
Boyer earned All-American honors in 1988 as a softball outfielder, earning All-MIAC honors three years in a row. Her .495 batting average in 1988 is the best single-season performance in school history. In basketball, Boyer was one of only five players in school history to score more than 1,000 points in her career, finishing with 1,019 points, and earned All-MIAC honors in 1986-87 and 1987-88. She was Augsburg's Senior Honor Athlete in 1989.

Kevin Gordon ’82 (hockey)
An NAIA All-American in 1982, Gordon was a member of Auggie teams that won the national championship in both 1981 and 1982, as well as three straight MIAC championships. He earned All-MIAC honors in both 1980 and 1982, leading the team in scoring both years. Gordon's 30 goals in 1979-80 are the second-most in a single season; he finished his career with 108 points (57 goals, 51 assists).

Ray Hamilton ’75 (basketball)
An honorable-mention All-American in 1975, Hamilton played two seasons of basketball at Augsburg, earning All-MIAC and NAIA All-District honors both seasons and MIAC Most Valuable Player honors in 1974-75, as the Auggies won the MIAC championship and advanced to the NAIA district championship game. He led the Auggies in scoring both of his seasons and in rebounding his senior campaign.

Melanie Herrera ’88 (track and field, volleyball)
Herrera earned All-American honors seven times in track and field, dominating the throwing events. She qualified for national meets in the shot put all four years in outdoor competition and her final three seasons in indoor competition, winning NCAA Division III national championships in 1987 outdoors, and in 1988 in both indoor and outdoor competition, where her record-setting effort still stands. She also played three seasons of volleyball at Augsburg and was Augsburg's Senior Honor Athlete in 1988.

Robert LaFleur ’80 (soccer)
A two-time All-MIAC selection (1978-79) and NAIA All-District selection, LaFleur was a member of Auggie teams that went 43-15-10 in his career, never finishing lower than third in MIAC play. He was team captain his senior season.

Jim Peterson ’78 (hockey, baseball)
In men's hockey, Peterson was a member of Augsburg's first national championship team, the 1978 NAIA title team, and was a member of Augsburg's MIAC baseball championship team in 1975. He earned All-MIAC honors twice in both hockey and baseball, was a member of the NAIA All-Tournament Team in hockey in 1978, and earned Augsburg Senior Honor Athlete honors in 1978.

David Trost ’81 (track and field, basketball)
Augsburg's first men's track and field national meet qualifier, he finished third in the high jump at the NAIA outdoor national meet with a 2.14-meter (7-feet-0) effort, a school record that still stands. He won the MIAC title in the high jump in 1981.

Don Stoner is sports information coordinator.