2007 MSM-UMR Hall of Fame class to be inducted Saturday
ROLLA, Mo. -- Three individuals who finished their careers at the top of the career charts in their respective sports and the only University of Missouri-Rolla track and field team to win a conference championship make up this year’s MSM-UMR Athletic Hall of Fame class that will be inducted this weekend.
The induction ceremony is scheduled to take place at Matt’s Steakhouse in Rolla at 11 a.m. Saturday and this year’s induction class will also be honored at halftime of the Miners’ football game Saturday afternoon against Lincoln University. The football game starts at 3 p.m. at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.
This year’s class of inductees includes:
KRISTY (WEBER) MEYERS (Class of 1991): Meyers was one of the top pitchers in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association during a period where the Lady Miners were among the top teams in the conference. She helped lead the team to the top record in the conference in 1988 and to finishes of third and second in the MIAA Tournaments in back-to-back seasons. The 1987 “Freshman of the Year” and all-league performer in the MIAA, Meyers won 47 games in her four seasons, recorded 65 complete games and had a 1.72 earned run average for her career, all of which were the school’s top all-time marks when she finished her career. As a senior she was 16-3 in the circle and batted .381 for the MIAA runner-up.
KURT O’BRIEN (Class of 1991): O’Brien was a record-setting performer in two sports for the Miners during his career as a standout on both the soccer and track and field teams. In soccer, he established the school records for goals with 35, assists with 18 and points with 88. An all-conference and all-region player during his Miner career, he also set single-game marks with four goals and eight points in a 1987 victory over Bellarmine while leading the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association in scoring that season. As a member of the track and field team, he competed in the sprints and relays and was part of the record-setting mile relay team.
MARY (PUDLOWSKI) SIMON (Class of 1989): A four-year starter at point guard for the Lady Miners, Simon played a key role at that position as the team became one of the top teams in the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the late 1980s. She finished her career with 304 assists to establish the school’s all-time record in that category and also set the single-game record with 12 assists in a 1986 game against Northwest Missouri State -- UMR’s first-ever win over Northwest -- to help the Lady Miners achieve a No. 3 national ranking. During that 1986-87 season, she also set the single-season assist mark.
1948 MEN’S TRACK & FIELD TEAM (Team induction): The Miners’ 1948 track and field team took the MIAA indoor championship and came in second place at the MIAA Outdoor Championships, finishing just one-half point behind Southeast Missouri State in the team standings. MSM had four winning performances at the league’s indoor meet, led by Dave Ward’s titles in the broad jump and high hurdles. George Bock won the indoor shot put and Donald Smith doubled as the two-mile champion in both meets, while Harold Corbin won the high hurdles during the outdoor championships. William Kirk was the high-point performer with a win in the broad jump and second-place showings in both the 100- and 220-yard runs.
