SIX ISU SYCAMORE LEGENDS ARE SELECTED FOR INDUCTION INTO HALL OF FAME
Three coaches, three athletes to be inducted during ceremonies during 2011 Homecoming
TERRE HAUTE, IND. – Three former coaches and three outstanding athletes have been selected for induction into the 20th Class of the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame it was announced today by Ron Prettyman, Director of Athletics at Indiana State University.
All-Americans Jessica Crowder-Wayton, Aubrey Herring, and Jack Effner will be joined by former baseball coach Bob Warn, former wresting coach Fran McCann, and former football coach Dennis Raetz when they are inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 13. The athletes will also be recognized during halftime of the Sycamore Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 15.
“It is a great honor to assist in announcing the 20th Hall of Fame Class at Indiana State University,” Prettyman said. “The class includes a wonderful mix of recent and historical athletes, as well as Coach Warn and Coach Raetz who achieved amazing results and reached the highest standards of excellence during their years at Indiana State University. I am grateful for the committees’ diligent work and very pleased with their recommendations and selections of this Hall of Fame Class.
“Congratulations to all of the inductees,” Prettyman said. “I encourage everyone to come to the Hall of Fame Induction dinner and Hall of Fame football game to honor these well deserving honorees.”
JESSICA CROWDER-WAYTON
Jessica Crowder (Wayton) competed in cross country and track & field for Indiana State from 2000 to 2005. She is the only member of the women’s cross country team to be named an All-American after placing 47th at the 2003 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships.
The 2003 season was Crowder’s best as a Sycamore, claiming the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championship in cross country, earning All-Region honors with a 16th place finish at the Great Lakes Regional, and earning All-American honors with a 47th place finish at the NCAA Championships. She established several Indiana State records during the season including running 14:17 in a 4K event that set not only the ISU record but also the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course record. She also set the school record for 5K at 17:09, for 6K at 20:52, and for a 6K at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course of 21:18.
Crowder also earned All-Region honors in 2001 with a 23rd place finish at the Great Lakes Regional.
A member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Cross Country Team, Crowder also received the MVC Dr. Charlotte West Scholar-Athlete Award in 2005. She was a four-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection in cross country, a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field selection, and a member of the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
She was also named an Academic All-American by the Women’s Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association (WICCCA) three straight years (2001-2003) and was named to the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association All-Academic team in 2005. She finished her collegiate career with a 3.967 grade point average.
The Lewis, Ind., native was also dominant in the distance events during both the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. She remains the Indiana State record holder in the indoor 3,000 meters (9:47.59), indoor 5,000 meters (16:59.86), and the outdoor 5,000 meters (16:42.89) each set during her final season of competition in 2005.
She also ran a 5:03.60 indoor mile which was the sixth fastest in 2003 and is still the 13th best in school history. Crowder also still has the fourth fastest outdoor mile (9:53.07) and sixth fastest outdoor 1,500 meters (4:3.79), both set in 2005, and the seventh fastest outdoor 10,000 meters (36:46.40) in 2003. She finished third in the 10,000 meters at the 2003 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Crowder is just the third member of the Indiana State women’s cross country team and the seventh member of the Sycamore women’s track & Field team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. Past inductees include: Cheryl Bridges-Flanagan (1984/cross country and track & field), Debbi Ramseyer (2006/cross country and track & field), Holly Wilson Greene (1984/track & field), Christy Barrett-Sherman (2000/track & field), Holli Hyche (2000/track & field), and Angie Bruecker-Martin (2010/track & field).
AUBREY HERRING
Aubrey Herring is one of five Track & Field National Champions at Indiana State, winning the 60 meter hurdles at the 2001 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. He competed in track & field at Indiana State from 1997 to 2002 earning seven All-American recognitions.
Herring has been one of the best hurdler’s in the United States since high school when he won the 1996 Indiana state title in the 110 meter hurdles as a senior at Warren Central High School.
His success continued at Indiana State where he advanced to the NCAA Championships seven times. Along with winning the 2001 Indoor 60 meter title, Herring finished second in the outdoor 2000 110meter hurdles, 2000 indoor 60 meter hurdles, and 1999 indoor 60 meter hurdles. He was also third at the 1998 indoor 55 meter.
Herring was undefeated in the Missouri Valley Conference, winning four straight indoor championships in the 60 meter hurdles and four straight outdoor titles in the 110 meter hurdles. An eight time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, Herring still holds several MVC records including the Indoor Championship 60 meter hurdle record at 7.75 (set in 1999), the All-Time Indoor 60 meter hurdle record at 7.55 (set in 2000), the Outdoor Championship 110 meter hurdle record at 13.47 (set in 2001), and the All-Time 110 meter hurdle record of 13.36 (set in 2001).
The hurdler also holds the Indiana State record for the 60 meter hurdles at 7.61 (set in 2001) and the outdoor 110 meter hurdles at 13.36 (set in 2001). He also has the second fastest indoor 55 meter hurdle time of 7.19 (set in 1998).
His accomplishments landed him a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Track & Field team. He was also a member of the MVC Scholar-Athlete team and was selected an Academic All-American by the United States Track Coaches Association in 2001.
Herring has continued to excel on the track after his graduation from Indiana State. He was a member of the 4x120 yard World Record Shuttle Hurdle Relay team (along with David Oliver, Joel Brown, and Aries Merritt) that ran 53.31 at the 2008 Penn Relay Carnival. Herring ran a personal best 13.30 in the 110 meter hurdles at the 2008 International Friendship and Freedom Games in Greensboro, N.C.
He has been an Olympic Trial Qualifier in the 110 meter high hurdles and was a member of the 2001 USA Team in the World University Games.
Herring was inducted into the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003.
He is ninth member of the Indiana State men’s track & Field team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. Past inductees include: Walter E. “Wally” Marks (1982), Alan Barcus (1999), Chris Lancaster (2000), Steve Cooksey (2004), Charles Warthan (2004), Mike Hanna (2005), Bryan Leturgez (2009), Bill Malloy (2010), and Steve Smith (2010).
JACK EFFNER
Jack Effner’s legacy in wrestling may have begun as a student-athlete at Indiana State University (1984-1986) but it continued well into his professional life as one of the top collegiate wrestling coaches of all time.
A graduate of Terre Haute South High School where he won the state title at 132 pounds with a 35-0 record, Effner competed for Indiana State from 1983 to 1986 and was named a Freshman All-American by the Amateur Wrestling News.
He competed in the NCAA Championships three times, earning All-American status twice (1985 and 1986) with a sixth place finish at the 1985 NCAA Championships and a fifth place finish at the 1986 NCAA Championships, both in the 142 pound weight class. His 128 victories stand third on the Indiana State All-Time list.
He won amateur titles in the Sunkist Open and New York Athletic Club tournaments in the 149-pound class and spent less than one season for the Philadelphia Stallions of the now-defunct pro-wrestling league.
His dominance as a wrestler was equaled by his success as a collegiate wrestling coach. Effner began his coaching career as an assistant at Clemson (1987-1988). He was also an assistant at the U.S. Military Academy for one season 1988-1989) before taking over as the head coach.
Effner never had a losing season in nine campaigns at Army as he compiled an 87-45-5 record. He coached 17 cadets to the NCAA Championships. The 87 dual meet wins are the third highest in the U.S. Military Academy’s history. His best season at Army was 1989-90 as the Cadets were 15-3-1 and finished third in the Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship.
He was equally successful at his next stop. Effner took over as head coach at Cleveland State in May 1998 and led the Vikings to a 71-91-3 record in 10 seasons. He coached 37 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. His best season at Cleveland State was the 1999-2000 campaign where he led the Vikings to a 9-8-1 record, the program’s first winning season in the previous eight years.
Effner moved on to Cape Henry Collegiate School in Virginia Beach, Va., in 2008 to serve as middle school counselor and wrestling coach. He led Cape Henry to the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools championship, a sixth place finish at the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association championship, and coached the school’s first National Prep Champion, Will Mason.
He is fourth member of the Indiana State wrestling team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. Past inductees include: Bruce Baumgartner (1998), Bob Ferraro (2004), and Doug Reifsteck (2006).
FRAN McCANN
Fran McCann served as the wrestling coach at Indiana State University from 1977 to 1984. The Sycamores posted a 71-45-1 record during his eight years at the school with Indiana State posting a single season record 15-2 mark and posting their highest ever finish at the NCAA Championships (seventh) during the 1982 campaign. His teams also finished second at the Midwest Regional twice.
He coached several All-Americans at Indiana State including three-time All-American Bruce Baumgartner who won the National Championship in 1982 and finished second in 1980 and 1981. He also coached two-time All-American Bob Dickman who was seventh in 1982 and third in 1983 and recruited Jack Effner who earned All-American honors twice, placing sixth in 1985 and fifth in 1986.
McCann was a four-time qualifier for the Illinois high school state tournament and a four-time Chicago city wrestling champions. His collegiate career began at Oklahoma State which was the top collegiate wrestling program at that time where he placed second in the Big Eight conference tournament. He later transferred to the University of Iowa before his junior season to be closer to home and earned All-American honors in the 115 pound class with a fourth place finish in the 1962 NCAA Championship.
He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. He later earned his Master’s from St. Cloud State in Minnesota and then accepted the head coaching job at Winona State University. His teams posted a 50-20 record during his eight seasons (1968-1976) including a 15-0-1 mark in 1970. He was named the NAIA National Wrestling Coach of the Year after leading Winona State to third place at the NAIA Championships.
After leaving Indiana State, McCann coached at the University of Notre Dame where the Irish were 50-53-1 from 1984 until 1993 when the sport was suspended. He is currently an instructor in Physical Education and Wellness at the University of Notre Dame.
McCann was inducted into the NAIA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1986, the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990, the Winona State University Hall of Fame in 2007, and received a Lifetime of Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Minnesota Chapter) in 2007.
He is fifth member of the Indiana State wrestling team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame and joins Jack Effner as a member of the 2011 Class. Past inductees include: Bruce Baumgartner (1998), Bob Ferraro (2004), and Doug Reifsteck (2006).
DENNIS RAETZ
Dennis Raetz has long been associated with athletics at Indiana State University and is the winningest football coach in Sycamore history recording 94 wins in 17 years as the man in charge of the ISU gridiron fortunes.
Raetz led two Sycamore teams into the post-season. The 1984 Indiana State squad was ranked No. 1 in the I-AA poll during the season and won nine-straight games before losing in the I-AA playoffs. The 1983 squad finished with an 8-2 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the I-AA playoffs before being defeated.
He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and was selected the Kodak FCS District Coach of the Year in 1984.
During his tenure Raetz has seen eight players named First Team All-Americans, 65 players named All-Missouri Valley Conference, six players participate in Collegiate All-Star games, eight players named Missouri Valley Conference Players of the year, 41 players sign National Football League contracts, and six assistant coaches move on to the professional ranks as either head coach, assistant coach, or in player personnel positions.
A native of North Platte, Neb., Raetz attended the University of Nebraska on a football scholarship, but had his playing career cut short by a severe knee injury. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at North Kansas City High School in Missouri (1968-1972) and served as head coach at J.C. Harmon High School (1973-1976) where his teams won two conference titles and posted a 24-13 record.
Raetz joined the University of Missouri staff in 1977 where he was the defensive ends and junior varsity head coach. He followed former Missouri head coach Dick Jamieson to Indiana State and served as defensive coordinator for two seasons (1978-1979). Raetz became ISU’s 15th head coach when Jamieson left to become an assistant coach with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League.
The veteran coach resigned after the 1997 season to become the Indiana State Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Internal Affairs, a capacity he held until the summer of 2007. He has also served as a scout for the Edmonton Eskimos (2003-2005) of the Canadian Football League during which time the franchise won its last two Grey Cup Championships.
Raetz’s 1984 football team was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. He now joins 24 players and two coaches as an individual with his 2011 Class induction. He is the first full-time coach to be inducted and joins Walter E. “Wally” Marks (1982) and Arthur L. Strum (1982) who coached a variety of sports and served as Director of the Physical Education Department during their years at Indiana State.
BOB WARN
Bob Warn spent 31 years as the head coach of the Indiana State baseball team, leading the Sycamores to six Missouri Valley Conference championships, six NCAA Tournament appearances, and a College World Series appearance while compiling a record of 1,079-745-9 (.587).
A total of 126 players were recognized as All-Missouri Valley Conference during his tenure along with 72 players named to the All-MVC Tournament teams, four named MVC Tournament MVP, 97 players being named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team, 90 players advancing to the professional ranks including 21 in the Major Leagues, 11 players were named All-Americans, and 30 players earned All-Region recognition.
His teams won six Missouri Valley Conference Championships (1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989, and 1995) while posting a 50-40 conference tournament record. The Sycamores played in the NCAA Tournament seven times with the 1986 squad defeating Michigan and Central Michigan to win the Mideast Regional and play in the College World Series.
Warn also led the 1997 team to the Dutch Baseball Federation Championship.
Warn played collegiately at Southern Illinois University where the Salukis advanced to the 1968 College World Series. He began his coaching career as a player-coach with the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, La. Warn returned to the college ranks as a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois and as the junior varsity coach at Western Illinois before becoming the head coach at Iowa Western where his teams were 104-38 in three seasons.
He has served as president of the American Baseball Coaches’ Association (1997) and is currently on the Board of Directors. He also was on the committee that wrote the official Code of Ethics for Amateur Baseball.
Warn was honored by Indiana State University in 2009 when the ISU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the renaming of the baseball field to Bob Warn Field on Feb. 27.
He is an accomplished singer and musician, helping with numerous fund raising efforts in the Wabash Valley since his retirement as the Sycamore coach. He has also co-authored several books on coaching baseball fundamentals.
His 1986 baseball team was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. Warn joins 10 players and five former baseball coaches with his induction into the 20th Class including Birch Bayh (1998), Arthur Strum (1982), Wally Marks (1982), Paul Wolf (1986), and John Wooden (1984).
Three coaches, three athletes to be inducted during ceremonies during 2011 Homecoming
TERRE HAUTE, IND. – Three former coaches and three outstanding athletes have been selected for induction into the 20th Class of the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame it was announced today by Ron Prettyman, Director of Athletics at Indiana State University.
All-Americans Jessica Crowder-Wayton, Aubrey Herring, and Jack Effner will be joined by former baseball coach Bob Warn, former wresting coach Fran McCann, and former football coach Dennis Raetz when they are inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 13. The athletes will also be recognized during halftime of the Sycamore Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 15.
“It is a great honor to assist in announcing the 20th Hall of Fame Class at Indiana State University,” Prettyman said. “The class includes a wonderful mix of recent and historical athletes, as well as Coach Warn and Coach Raetz who achieved amazing results and reached the highest standards of excellence during their years at Indiana State University. I am grateful for the committees’ diligent work and very pleased with their recommendations and selections of this Hall of Fame Class.
“Congratulations to all of the inductees,” Prettyman said. “I encourage everyone to come to the Hall of Fame Induction dinner and Hall of Fame football game to honor these well deserving honorees.”
JESSICA CROWDER-WAYTON
Jessica Crowder (Wayton) competed in cross country and track & field for Indiana State from 2000 to 2005. She is the only member of the women’s cross country team to be named an All-American after placing 47th at the 2003 NCAA Division I Cross Country National Championships.
The 2003 season was Crowder’s best as a Sycamore, claiming the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championship in cross country, earning All-Region honors with a 16th place finish at the Great Lakes Regional, and earning All-American honors with a 47th place finish at the NCAA Championships. She established several Indiana State records during the season including running 14:17 in a 4K event that set not only the ISU record but also the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course record. She also set the school record for 5K at 17:09, for 6K at 20:52, and for a 6K at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course of 21:18.
Crowder also earned All-Region honors in 2001 with a 23rd place finish at the Great Lakes Regional.
A member of the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Cross Country Team, Crowder also received the MVC Dr. Charlotte West Scholar-Athlete Award in 2005. She was a four-time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection in cross country, a three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Track & Field selection, and a member of the MVC Scholar-Athlete team.
She was also named an Academic All-American by the Women’s Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Association (WICCCA) three straight years (2001-2003) and was named to the National Collegiate Track Coaches Association All-Academic team in 2005. She finished her collegiate career with a 3.967 grade point average.
The Lewis, Ind., native was also dominant in the distance events during both the indoor and outdoor track & field seasons. She remains the Indiana State record holder in the indoor 3,000 meters (9:47.59), indoor 5,000 meters (16:59.86), and the outdoor 5,000 meters (16:42.89) each set during her final season of competition in 2005.
She also ran a 5:03.60 indoor mile which was the sixth fastest in 2003 and is still the 13th best in school history. Crowder also still has the fourth fastest outdoor mile (9:53.07) and sixth fastest outdoor 1,500 meters (4:3.79), both set in 2005, and the seventh fastest outdoor 10,000 meters (36:46.40) in 2003. She finished third in the 10,000 meters at the 2003 MVC Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Crowder is just the third member of the Indiana State women’s cross country team and the seventh member of the Sycamore women’s track & Field team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. Past inductees include: Cheryl Bridges-Flanagan (1984/cross country and track & field), Debbi Ramseyer (2006/cross country and track & field), Holly Wilson Greene (1984/track & field), Christy Barrett-Sherman (2000/track & field), Holli Hyche (2000/track & field), and Angie Bruecker-Martin (2010/track & field).
AUBREY HERRING
Aubrey Herring is one of five Track & Field National Champions at Indiana State, winning the 60 meter hurdles at the 2001 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships. He competed in track & field at Indiana State from 1997 to 2002 earning seven All-American recognitions.
Herring has been one of the best hurdler’s in the United States since high school when he won the 1996 Indiana state title in the 110 meter hurdles as a senior at Warren Central High School.
His success continued at Indiana State where he advanced to the NCAA Championships seven times. Along with winning the 2001 Indoor 60 meter title, Herring finished second in the outdoor 2000 110meter hurdles, 2000 indoor 60 meter hurdles, and 1999 indoor 60 meter hurdles. He was also third at the 1998 indoor 55 meter.
Herring was undefeated in the Missouri Valley Conference, winning four straight indoor championships in the 60 meter hurdles and four straight outdoor titles in the 110 meter hurdles. An eight time All-Missouri Valley Conference selection, Herring still holds several MVC records including the Indoor Championship 60 meter hurdle record at 7.75 (set in 1999), the All-Time Indoor 60 meter hurdle record at 7.55 (set in 2000), the Outdoor Championship 110 meter hurdle record at 13.47 (set in 2001), and the All-Time 110 meter hurdle record of 13.36 (set in 2001).
The hurdler also holds the Indiana State record for the 60 meter hurdles at 7.61 (set in 2001) and the outdoor 110 meter hurdles at 13.36 (set in 2001). He also has the second fastest indoor 55 meter hurdle time of 7.19 (set in 1998).
His accomplishments landed him a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Track & Field team. He was also a member of the MVC Scholar-Athlete team and was selected an Academic All-American by the United States Track Coaches Association in 2001.
Herring has continued to excel on the track after his graduation from Indiana State. He was a member of the 4x120 yard World Record Shuttle Hurdle Relay team (along with David Oliver, Joel Brown, and Aries Merritt) that ran 53.31 at the 2008 Penn Relay Carnival. Herring ran a personal best 13.30 in the 110 meter hurdles at the 2008 International Friendship and Freedom Games in Greensboro, N.C.
He has been an Olympic Trial Qualifier in the 110 meter high hurdles and was a member of the 2001 USA Team in the World University Games.
Herring was inducted into the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003.
He is ninth member of the Indiana State men’s track & Field team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. Past inductees include: Walter E. “Wally” Marks (1982), Alan Barcus (1999), Chris Lancaster (2000), Steve Cooksey (2004), Charles Warthan (2004), Mike Hanna (2005), Bryan Leturgez (2009), Bill Malloy (2010), and Steve Smith (2010).
JACK EFFNER
Jack Effner’s legacy in wrestling may have begun as a student-athlete at Indiana State University (1984-1986) but it continued well into his professional life as one of the top collegiate wrestling coaches of all time.
A graduate of Terre Haute South High School where he won the state title at 132 pounds with a 35-0 record, Effner competed for Indiana State from 1983 to 1986 and was named a Freshman All-American by the Amateur Wrestling News.
He competed in the NCAA Championships three times, earning All-American status twice (1985 and 1986) with a sixth place finish at the 1985 NCAA Championships and a fifth place finish at the 1986 NCAA Championships, both in the 142 pound weight class. His 128 victories stand third on the Indiana State All-Time list.
He won amateur titles in the Sunkist Open and New York Athletic Club tournaments in the 149-pound class and spent less than one season for the Philadelphia Stallions of the now-defunct pro-wrestling league.
His dominance as a wrestler was equaled by his success as a collegiate wrestling coach. Effner began his coaching career as an assistant at Clemson (1987-1988). He was also an assistant at the U.S. Military Academy for one season 1988-1989) before taking over as the head coach.
Effner never had a losing season in nine campaigns at Army as he compiled an 87-45-5 record. He coached 17 cadets to the NCAA Championships. The 87 dual meet wins are the third highest in the U.S. Military Academy’s history. His best season at Army was 1989-90 as the Cadets were 15-3-1 and finished third in the Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championship.
He was equally successful at his next stop. Effner took over as head coach at Cleveland State in May 1998 and led the Vikings to a 71-91-3 record in 10 seasons. He coached 37 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. His best season at Cleveland State was the 1999-2000 campaign where he led the Vikings to a 9-8-1 record, the program’s first winning season in the previous eight years.
Effner moved on to Cape Henry Collegiate School in Virginia Beach, Va., in 2008 to serve as middle school counselor and wrestling coach. He led Cape Henry to the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools championship, a sixth place finish at the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association championship, and coached the school’s first National Prep Champion, Will Mason.
He is fourth member of the Indiana State wrestling team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame. Past inductees include: Bruce Baumgartner (1998), Bob Ferraro (2004), and Doug Reifsteck (2006).
FRAN McCANN
Fran McCann served as the wrestling coach at Indiana State University from 1977 to 1984. The Sycamores posted a 71-45-1 record during his eight years at the school with Indiana State posting a single season record 15-2 mark and posting their highest ever finish at the NCAA Championships (seventh) during the 1982 campaign. His teams also finished second at the Midwest Regional twice.
He coached several All-Americans at Indiana State including three-time All-American Bruce Baumgartner who won the National Championship in 1982 and finished second in 1980 and 1981. He also coached two-time All-American Bob Dickman who was seventh in 1982 and third in 1983 and recruited Jack Effner who earned All-American honors twice, placing sixth in 1985 and fifth in 1986.
McCann was a four-time qualifier for the Illinois high school state tournament and a four-time Chicago city wrestling champions. His collegiate career began at Oklahoma State which was the top collegiate wrestling program at that time where he placed second in the Big Eight conference tournament. He later transferred to the University of Iowa before his junior season to be closer to home and earned All-American honors in the 115 pound class with a fourth place finish in the 1962 NCAA Championship.
He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree. He later earned his Master’s from St. Cloud State in Minnesota and then accepted the head coaching job at Winona State University. His teams posted a 50-20 record during his eight seasons (1968-1976) including a 15-0-1 mark in 1970. He was named the NAIA National Wrestling Coach of the Year after leading Winona State to third place at the NAIA Championships.
After leaving Indiana State, McCann coached at the University of Notre Dame where the Irish were 50-53-1 from 1984 until 1993 when the sport was suspended. He is currently an instructor in Physical Education and Wellness at the University of Notre Dame.
McCann was inducted into the NAIA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1986, the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990, the Winona State University Hall of Fame in 2007, and received a Lifetime of Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (Minnesota Chapter) in 2007.
He is fifth member of the Indiana State wrestling team to be inducted into the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame and joins Jack Effner as a member of the 2011 Class. Past inductees include: Bruce Baumgartner (1998), Bob Ferraro (2004), and Doug Reifsteck (2006).
DENNIS RAETZ
Dennis Raetz has long been associated with athletics at Indiana State University and is the winningest football coach in Sycamore history recording 94 wins in 17 years as the man in charge of the ISU gridiron fortunes.
Raetz led two Sycamore teams into the post-season. The 1984 Indiana State squad was ranked No. 1 in the I-AA poll during the season and won nine-straight games before losing in the I-AA playoffs. The 1983 squad finished with an 8-2 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the I-AA playoffs before being defeated.
He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and was selected the Kodak FCS District Coach of the Year in 1984.
During his tenure Raetz has seen eight players named First Team All-Americans, 65 players named All-Missouri Valley Conference, six players participate in Collegiate All-Star games, eight players named Missouri Valley Conference Players of the year, 41 players sign National Football League contracts, and six assistant coaches move on to the professional ranks as either head coach, assistant coach, or in player personnel positions.
A native of North Platte, Neb., Raetz attended the University of Nebraska on a football scholarship, but had his playing career cut short by a severe knee injury. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at North Kansas City High School in Missouri (1968-1972) and served as head coach at J.C. Harmon High School (1973-1976) where his teams won two conference titles and posted a 24-13 record.
Raetz joined the University of Missouri staff in 1977 where he was the defensive ends and junior varsity head coach. He followed former Missouri head coach Dick Jamieson to Indiana State and served as defensive coordinator for two seasons (1978-1979). Raetz became ISU’s 15th head coach when Jamieson left to become an assistant coach with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League.
The veteran coach resigned after the 1997 season to become the Indiana State Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Internal Affairs, a capacity he held until the summer of 2007. He has also served as a scout for the Edmonton Eskimos (2003-2005) of the Canadian Football League during which time the franchise won its last two Grey Cup Championships.
Raetz’s 1984 football team was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. He now joins 24 players and two coaches as an individual with his 2011 Class induction. He is the first full-time coach to be inducted and joins Walter E. “Wally” Marks (1982) and Arthur L. Strum (1982) who coached a variety of sports and served as Director of the Physical Education Department during their years at Indiana State.
BOB WARN
Bob Warn spent 31 years as the head coach of the Indiana State baseball team, leading the Sycamores to six Missouri Valley Conference championships, six NCAA Tournament appearances, and a College World Series appearance while compiling a record of 1,079-745-9 (.587).
A total of 126 players were recognized as All-Missouri Valley Conference during his tenure along with 72 players named to the All-MVC Tournament teams, four named MVC Tournament MVP, 97 players being named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team, 90 players advancing to the professional ranks including 21 in the Major Leagues, 11 players were named All-Americans, and 30 players earned All-Region recognition.
His teams won six Missouri Valley Conference Championships (1979, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989, and 1995) while posting a 50-40 conference tournament record. The Sycamores played in the NCAA Tournament seven times with the 1986 squad defeating Michigan and Central Michigan to win the Mideast Regional and play in the College World Series.
Warn also led the 1997 team to the Dutch Baseball Federation Championship.
Warn played collegiately at Southern Illinois University where the Salukis advanced to the 1968 College World Series. He began his coaching career as a player-coach with the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, La. Warn returned to the college ranks as a graduate assistant at Eastern Illinois and as the junior varsity coach at Western Illinois before becoming the head coach at Iowa Western where his teams were 104-38 in three seasons.
He has served as president of the American Baseball Coaches’ Association (1997) and is currently on the Board of Directors. He also was on the committee that wrote the official Code of Ethics for Amateur Baseball.
Warn was honored by Indiana State University in 2009 when the ISU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the renaming of the baseball field to Bob Warn Field on Feb. 27.
He is an accomplished singer and musician, helping with numerous fund raising efforts in the Wabash Valley since his retirement as the Sycamore coach. He has also co-authored several books on coaching baseball fundamentals.
His 1986 baseball team was inducted into the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. Warn joins 10 players and five former baseball coaches with his induction into the 20th Class including Birch Bayh (1998), Arthur Strum (1982), Wally Marks (1982), Paul Wolf (1986), and John Wooden (1984).
