Kearney, Neb. - Five individuals will be inducted into the Nebraska-Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame during Homecoming ceremonies October 1-2.
The new inductees are athletes Darcie Berry ('99) of Des Moines, Ia., Jon Gustafson ('85, MSE'93) of Maryville, Mo., Meg Gross Minton ('79) of Eau Claire, Wisc., former athletic director and men's golf coach Dick Beechner and former wrestling coach Jack Ramey, both of Kearney.
The five will be honored at the 30th annual Homecoming Awards Banquet on Friday, October 1st. Tickets are $ 25.00 per person and are available by contacting the UNK Alumni Association at 308-865-8474 or tmeyers@unkalumni.org.
Berry was a first-team NCAA Division II All-American in 1999 and a four-time first-team All-RMAC infielder for the Loper softball team from 1997 to 2000. Named the Omaha World-Herald State Female Athlete of the Year in 1999, she still holds school records for single season (15) and career home runs (48). Last summer, she was named to the RMAC All-Century team.
Next, Berry played on UNK teams that captured four RMAC regular season titles and qualified for the NCAA tournament all four years. The Lopers also advanced to the Elite Eight in three of those seasons and were the national runners up in 1999.
Berry, who graduated summa cum laude, was twice named to the Academic All-American team. Following graduation, Berry played with a USA Select Softball team that toured Europe. She currently is an underwriter with Wells Fargo Financial Leasing in Des Moines.
Gustafson was a first-team NAIA All-American defensive end football player in 1984 after being an
honorable mention All-American selection in 1983. He also was a first- team all-conference selection in those two years and a member of the Omaha World-Herald All-State College team. As the team's punter, Gustafson earned all-conference honors in 1983 with an average of 40.2 yards.
Finally, Gustafson won the Tom French Award in 1981, given by the coaching staff to an outstanding freshman.
Gustafson was a graduate assistant coach for the Lopers from 1991 to 1993. After earning his master's degree, he was defensive line coach and strength coach at Northwest Missouri State from 1993 to 2003. During that time, the Bearcats won two Division II national championships.
He is now director of a recreation facility and faculty member at NW Missouri.
Minton was an outstanding tennis player and pioneer on the first Loper tennis teams from 1976 to 1979. With the help of coach Jane Moorehouse, interested women petitioned to have the sport added and Moorehouse agreed to coach.
She played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles all four years. She was the first woman to qualify and compete in four post season regional tennis tournaments. As a freshman in UNK's first season of woman's tennis, Minton qualified for the AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) post season play in both singles and doubles with partner Chris Peterson.
After graduating magna cum laude, Minton became a certified U. S. Professional Tennis Association Professional teacher for 13 years in Hawaii. She was named Kauai Woman of the Year in Sports in 1988 for her work with junior tennis.
Since moving to Eau Claire, Wisc., she has continued teaching tennis and has served as director of the Eau Claire YMCA Indoor Sports Center.
Beechner was UNK athletic director athletic director from 1987 to 1996 and was men's golf coach from
1996 to 2009. During his nine years as athletic director, Beechner guided the university in its transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, began major fund raising activities, oversaw the construction of the Health and Sports Center, facilitated the entry into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and brought two NCAA national championship events – cross country and wrestling – to Kearney.
Beechner served as golf coach for 13 years, a time that was the most successful in the program's history. The Lopers won three RMAC titles, made seven NCAA Super Regional appearances and hosted one Super Regional. He was a member Division II Golf National Committee and was committee chair in 2008. One of his golf innovations, the Loper Cup, pits alumni and the golf team against each other in a Ryder Cup format. That annual event was renamed the Beechner Cup after he retired.
He has also served as executive director of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame Foundation from 2003 to 2010, is treasurer of the Nebraska Golf Hall of Fame. Beechner has also been a key member of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce sports and recreation committee for more than 20 years. For his work he received the Kearney Hub Freedom Award in 2009.
Ramey took over coaching wrestling in 1969 and with the exception of 1972, coached for the next 17 years. His 1980 team was 13th in the NAIA and his 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 teams were NAIA District 11 champions. He finished with a career record of 107-43-1.
During his tenure, Ramey coached 22 All-Americans, two of whom were undefeated during the regular season – Rod Gilliland and Dean Reicks. He had national place winners in all 17 years he was head coach. After stepping down as head coach, he continued to serve as an assistant until 1993. During his career at UNK, Ramey also served as an assistant football coach.
Selected by the wrestling coaches, Ramey was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1987.
Educational Notes
Berry is a graduate of Griswold (IA) Community High
Gustafson is a graduate of Axtell High. He has a master of arts in education degree from UNK and a master of physical education degree from NW Missouri State U.
Minton is a graduate of Omaha Marian High
Beechner is a graduate of Lincoln High. He has a bachelor of arts and a master of science degree from the U. of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ramey is a graduate of Linton (ND) High and Valley City State U. (ND). He has a master of science degree and educational specialist degree from UNK
