2022 Shocker Sports Hall of Fame Induction

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 will be inducted at the SMU game on Saturday, February 5th. In my opinion, this is one of the better Hall of Fame classes inducted in a long time.

Hopefully, we'll have a reasonably decent crowd at the SMU game for the 5:00 game despite the weather challenges and the apathy setting in on the men's basketball program. My guess is it will not be a great crowd, unfortunately. In any case, I think this class is worthy or recognition and discussion on ShockerNet.

Brent Kemnitz - Baseball
Gordon Vadakin- Bowling
Hunter Veith - Track & Field
Aliphine Tuliamuk - Track & Field
Chelsey Feekin - Volleyball

https://goshockers.com/news/2021/12/10/athletics-2022-hall-of-fame-class-announced.aspx

[1972Shocker]

Hall of Fame Feature: Chelsey Feekin

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/1/31/athletics-hall-of-fame-feature-chelsey-feekin.aspx

[1972Shocker]

Hall of Fame Feature: Brent Kemnitz

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/2/1/baseball-hall-of-fame-feature-brent-kemnitz.aspx

[1972Shocker]

Hall of Fame Feature: Aliphine Tuliamuk

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/2/2/athletics-hall-of-fame-feature-aliphine-tuliamuk.aspx

[1972Shocker]

So far I have to give Paul Suellentrop an A+ for his write ups on Chelsey, Brent and Aliphine. Looking forward the write ups for Gordon and Hunter.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

How is BK not already in??? That is insane!

[1972Shocker]

How is BK not already in??? That is insane!

Don't they have a 5-year post-career waiting period or something like that. His last year on the baseball coaching staff was 2016.

[SubGod22]

Chelsey was Feekin amazing. Arguably the best we've had. Definitely the best setter.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Don't they have a 5-year post-career waiting period or something like that. His last year on the baseball coaching staff was 2016.

Ah, that would make sense then.

[WuShock16]

Chelsey was Feekin amazing. Arguably the best we've had. Definitely the best setter.

Hmmm. Tough call on setter. This isn’t to discount Chelsey but more to acknowledge the great line of setters that Lambo had for basically 15+ years. Hard to make distinction between Chelsey, Emily Hiebert, and my personal favorite Mary Elizabeth Hooper…and that’s not even mentioning Andee Hartig or Abby Harsh before them who were pretty good as well.

[1972Shocker]

RH: Podcast with Brent Kemnitz

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/2/2...t-kemnitz.aspx

Brent Kemnitz is assistant athletic director for outreach and staff development. This weekend, he will go into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame for his work as pitching coach for the Shocker baseball team from the 1979 season, starting as a graduate assistant, to 2016.

We talk about his 38-year career as pitching coach, starting with a detailed response from Gene Stephenson that directed him away from a career teaching history and driver's education in high school to college baseball. Kemnitz details his "Brain" and "Flow" meetings, two essential parts of his work with pitchers.

He talks about best wins, toughest defeats and chooses one Shocker to get a crucial strikeout. He discusses selling Shocker football tickets for former AD Ted Bredehoft, low-maintenance pitchers such as Kennie Steenstra, Jordan Cooper and Aaron Shafer and the highest of all high-maintenance pitching stars of the 1989 NCAA champions.

[SubGod22]

Hmmm. Tough call on setter. This isn’t to discount Chelsey but more to acknowledge the great line of setters that Lambo had for basically 15+ years. Hard to make distinction between Chelsey, Emily Hiebert, and my personal favorite Mary Elizabeth Hooper…and that’s not even mentioning Andee Hartig or Abby Harsh before them who were pretty good as well.

There have been some great setters. I loved Abby and wondered how we'd replace Hoop when she was done. Little did I know that Feekin would be the best there was out of all of them. And that's not discounting the others mentioned. I'm just that high on Feekin.

[1972Shocker]

There have been some great setters. I loved Abby and wondered how we'd replace Hoop when she was done. Little did I know that Feekin would be the best there was out of all of them. And that's not discounting the others mentioned. I'm just that high on Feekin.

Lambo would probably tell you that Chelsey had better hands than Emily and Chelsey could really score efficiently as a setter helped by being a lefty. IIRC Lambo has said Emily was actually a little unorthodox. He also said that Emily was the best volleyball player he has had at Wichita State.

But as WuShock16 pointed out the run of setters from Andee to Abby to Mary Elizabeth to Chelsey to Emily was a hell of a run.

[1972Shocker]

Hall of Fame Feature: Gordon Vadakin

https://goshockers.com/news/2022/2/3/athletics-hall-of-fame-feature-gordon-vadakin.aspx

[1972Shocker]

I noticed that Coach Vadakin was inducted 3 years after his retirement in 2019. It is hard to find information on the eligibility rules for the Shocker Hall of Fame.

As far as athletes go the only thing I have found so far is that membership is by public nomination and vote by the Hall of Fame Board of Directors. Eligible candidates can be nominated after reaching nine years following their first enrollment at Wichita State.

I am not sure how the rules apply to coaches, administrators and friends of the university.

Now in Coach Vadakin's case he was a student-athlete at WSU and he bowled on Team USA in 1983 and 1989. He won two U.S. Bowling Congress National Open Championship titles and is a member of the USBC Hall of Fame.

In any case, maybe they didn't need to wait 5 years to induct Brent Kemnitz.