NORMAL, Ill. – The 45th class of the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame was enshrined Saturday morning, at a ceremony conducted at the Bone Student Center during 2017 Homecoming festivities at ISU.
Kara (Nelson) Wiesmeyer (softball), two-time MVC Player of the Year and All-American; Aisha (Praught) Leer (cross country /track and field), NCAA All-American and 2016 Olympian; Samantha Richdale (golf), three-time Missouri Valley Conference individual medalist; Darrell Smith (tennis), four-year letterwinner at No. 1 singles/doubles and top-5 in career singles wins; and Kim (Sucher) Becker (volleyball/softball/basketball), a three-sport standout who helped ISU teams to state and regional championships, each became members of the Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Fame.
In addition to the 2017 Hall of Fame class, Steve Fisher, a 1967 graduate of Illinois State and NCAA national-championship winning basketball coach, was honored with the inaugural Institutional Great Award. The inaugural honor recognizes an Illinois State alumnus who has achieved significant personal and professional accomplishments at the professional or college levels.
Illinois State Athletics Percy Family Hall of Famer and "Voice of the Redbirds" Dick Luedke served as emcee for the event, which featured remarks and well-wishes from Illinois State University President Dr. Larry Dietz and ISU Director of Athletics Larry Lyons. The inductees were celebrated by family, friends, former teammates and coaches, as they joined the ranks of Illinois State's greatest student-athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors.
Steve Fisher – Institutional Great / Basketball
Longtime basketball coach led his teams to 570 victories, three Final Four appearances and six Sweet 16 appearances … a two-time national coach of the year (including 2011 Naismith, NABC and Adolph Rupp honors) and recipient of the prestigious 2015 John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award … was a two-year letterwinner at Illinois State as a member of the basketball team … was a senior on ISU's 1966-67 squad that placed fourth in the NCAA Division II national tournament … completed work on his bachelor's degree at ISU in physical education and math in 1967 and earned a master's degree in physical education in 1968 … following his collegiate playing career, became a successful prep coach at Rich East High School, accumulating a 127-74 record … in 1979, joined Western Michigan's staff as an assistant and after three years, earned an assistant position at Michigan … was in that spot when Wolverines' head coach Bill Frieder accepted the job at Arizona State days before the 1989 NCAA Tournament and he proceeded to take over as interim head coach, leading Michigan to six wins and the national championship …  guided the "Fab Five" to NCAA runner-up finishes in 1991 and 1992 and finished with a record of 84-82 at Michigan … in 1999, was hired by San Diego State and guided the Aztecs to an 11-season streak of 20 or more wins … posted a record 386-209 in 18 seasons at SDSU and led the Aztecs to a Mountain West-record 10 conference titles, eight NCAA Tournaments and 13 postseason appearances … retired from coaching prior to the 2017 season and currently serves as a special consultant for SDSU.Â
Kim (Sucher) Becker – Softball, Volleyball, Women's Basketball (1974-78)
Was a four-year starter in volleyball and softball at Illinois State … also played basketball during the 1975-76 season … helped the volleyball team to a 124-38 record in her four seasons, including a 50-8 record during the 1976 campaign … that same year, she helped lead the Redbirds to a 12th place finish at the AIAW National Championships … as a senior in 1977, she helped lead the team to a 49-14 mark with state and regional championship wins on way to an 8th place finish at the AIAW National Championships ... on the softball diamond, she recorded a .400 batting average while playing shortstop as a freshman before tallying an average of .370 as a sophomore … that season, she helped the Redbirds to a second-place finish at the state tournament and a berth in the eighth Women's College World Series  in Omaha, Nebraska … later moved to first base in her final two seasons, helping the team to a third-place finish in the state in 1977 and another Women's College World Series appearance in 1978 … in her lone basketball season, averaged seven points and was team's leading rebounder at eight per game while helping ISU to an 18-12 record.
Aisha (Praught) Leer – Cross Country / Track & Field (2008-12)
Holds Illinois State school records in the indoor mile and outdoors in the steeplechase and 1,500 meters … also a member of the school-record holding distance medley relay team … ranks in the top 10 in ISU cross country history with a time of 21:28 in the 6,000 meters … instrumental in the women's cross country team winning its first Valley title in 2011 … ran a career-best, Illinois State and Missouri Valley Conference record time of 9:51:30 at the prestigious Mt. SAC Relays in the 3,000 meter steeplechase during the outdoor season as a senior … that same year, she ran the final mile leg of the distance medley relay at the Drake Relays to help ISU win its first-ever title in the event with a time of 11:19.74 … qualified for the NCAA Championships that season in the steeplechase and later competed in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials … during the indoor season, she finished as the NCAA national runner-up in the mile with a time of 4:39.85 to earn All-American honors … ran a school-record time of 4:37.77 to qualify for the NCAA Championships … earned All-Valley honors in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters as a senior … as a junior, earned All-MVC honors in the indoor mile and 3,000 meter run and outdoor, earned All-MVC honors with a first-place finish at the MVC Championships in the 3,000 meter steeplechase … also earned All-MVC honors indoors and outdoors as a sophomore and was an All-MVC selection as part of the distance medley relay team as a freshman in 2009 … following graduation from Illinois State, she represented her adopted home country of Jamaica and competed in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2016 Olympics, finishing 14th overall … also the Jamaican national record in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase (9:19.29) at the Diamond League meet in Doha, Qatar, in 2017.
Samantha Richdale – Golf (2002-06)
Four-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection and three-time MVC individual medalist (2003, 2004 and 2006) … helped the Redbirds to a pair of MVC team titles in 2004 and 2005 … was a 17-time MVC Golfer of the Week selection, which ranks second all-time in the MVC record books … was also a three-time MVC Scholar Athlete Team honoree … named the 2005-06 ISU Jill Hutchison Female Athlete of the Year … her single-season stroke average of 73.94 set during the 2005-06 season is tops all-time at Illinois State and ranks second overall in MVC history … earned a spot on the MVC All-Centennial Team … as a senior, finished tied for 15th at the 2006 NCAA Central Regional after earning medalist honors at the MVC Championships … earned medalist honors at the 2004 MVC Championship, helping the Redbirds to the team title in the process … went on to finish sixth at the NCAA Central Regional and placed 57th out of 126 golfers at the NCAA Championships … 2004 NGCA Academic All-American selection … following her collegiate career, turned professional in May and competed on the Futures Tour ... went on to compete on the Canadian Women's Tour and Duramed FUTURES Tour in 2007 before earning her first professional victory on the Duramed FUTURES Tour at The Gettysburg Championship ... also won the Suncoast Series Event at Huntington Hills that year ... in 2009, earned a come-from-behind victory at the Turkey Hill Classic to earn full-time status on the LPGA Tour in 2010 … four-time winner and 30 career Top-10 finishes on the Symetra Tour, including a win at the 2016 Florida's Natural Charity Classic.
Darrell Smith – Tennis (1980-83)
Was a four-year letterwinner at No. 1 singles/doubles and ranks in the top five in career singles wins with 90 overall … won the doubles championship at the Big Gold Tournament as a senior in 1983 … as a freshman in 1980, he defeated No. 7 nationally-ranked Southern Illinois star Juan Farrow, a three-time All-American and two-time national collegiate singles champion … was also named the team's Most Valuable Player as a freshman in 1980 … posted a career-high 26 singles wins during the 1981-82 season, following a 25-win season as a sophomore during the 1980-81 campaign … came in second at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship as a junior at No. 1 singles … played professionally in Germany and the southeastern United States after graduating from ISU, eventually earning an ATP world ranking and qualifying him to play in the US Open … occasionally played for the Chicago Fire World Team Tennis franchise, once scoring a doubles win over legends Ilie Nastase and Tim Gullickson … twice won first place at the Midwest Regional Reebok National Tennis Pro Classic, earning trips to the national finals …started working at the Wilmette Tennis Club in 1984, was promoted to head professional in 1990 and assumed the role of general manager in 2006 … member of the United States Professional Tennis Association.
Kara (Nelson) Wiesemeyer – Softball (2007-11)
Four-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, and two-time MVC Most Valuable Player (2007 and 2011) … ranks first in ISU and MVC history in career hits (301) and runs scored (189) … tops the ISU career batting average list and ranks second in MVC history at .401 … also holds ISU career records for doubles (49), games started (223), total bases (435) and at-bats (750) … 2010-11 ISU Jill Hutchison Female Athlete of the Year … named to the Easton All-America Second Team and earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Mideast Region Second-Team honors following her senior season in 2011 … also named one of 30 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award that season … led the conference in batting average (.417), hits (80) and total bases (112) in her final collegiate season … named a NFCA Third-Team All-American following her junior season in 2010, after batting .395 and leading the Valley in hits (68) and runs (49) after missing the 2009 season due to injury … member of the 2008 NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team, after batting .401 on the season one year after hitting .415 as a freshman in 2007 … became the first freshman in MVC history to earn MVC Player of the Year honors and later earned 2007 Easton All-America First Team plaudits … also named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Second Team in her first season.
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