Wheaton, Ill. - Wheaton College will induct six former student-athletes into the Hall of Honor during the October 2nd Homecoming weekend festivities. All six inductees are part of the Class of 1995 and will be honored at halftime of the home football game vs. Illinois Wesleyan University on Saturday.
In total, the six alums represent six sports (football, men's basketball, men's track and field, men's cross country, women's soccer, women's swimming) and have a combined 17 All-American selections between them.
Becky (Fetzer) Erickson (Class of 1995) was a First Team All-American as a forward on the women's soccer team in 1993. The selection made her the second player in program history to be named to an All-American team. Fetzer was also a First Team All-Region performer and twice selected as the program's “Offensive Player of the Year.” She graduated with a Bachelor's in Physical Education/Exercise Science.
“One of the important life lessons that I learned through my athletic experience at Wheaton was that success does not come without tremendous discipline and dedication,” Fetzer said. “Throughout my life, I have learned that these characteristics can be applied to all aspects of life including my spiritual life, family life and career. Ultimately, however, earthly success means very little in the scope of eternity. It is through discipline and dedication that I strive to love God, know Him and pursue Him in all I do. My real success will come at the end of my life when I can rest assured that I knew my Savior and He knows me.”
Fetzer's favorite memory of playing soccer at Wheaton was the ability to play the sport she loves with great teammates, many of whom she is still close to years later. “It was such a blessing to spend so much time both on and off the field with other women who love the Lord and who could support one another spiritually, mentally and physically,” she said.
Becky resides in Wheaton with her husband Wayne and their three kids – Troy (age 6), Anna (age 4), and Joel (age 9 months).
Nate Frank (Class of 1995) was an All-American center in 1994 for the Wheaton men's basketball team, as well as an Academic All-American in 1995. As a senior during the 1994-95 season, he helped lead Wheaton to its first postseason berth since the 1959-60 season. Frank's name is prominent in the school records – he ranks fourth on Wheaton's career rebounds (928), eighth in career free throws (368) and ninth in assists (258). He is also 19th on the career scoring list with 1,446 points. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Communications.
“I have many great memories of my time playing at Wheaton, but the best memory is the NCAA tournament game we played in at home versus Hanover in 1995,” Frank said. “I arrived on campus the same year Coach Harris did in 1991, and from day one, he preached to us that if we bought into what he was doing and to being a team, we would get Wheaton basketball back to the point of being a nationally prominent Division III program. Although there were times we doubted if this were possible, we stuck with him. Making the tournament and playing in front of a big crowd at Centennial Gym was not only a thrilling experience but it marked the culmination of four years of hard work and I think, in a way, helped build the foundation for much greater future success.”
Nate is currently Vice President at New Directions Search, Inc. and resides in Chicago, Ill. He is also in his ninth season as an assistant coach for the Wheaton College men's basketball team.
Doug Johnston (Class of 1995) was a two-time All-American and stalwart of the Wheaton football offensive line in the early to mid 1990s. Playing at center, Johnston helped open holes for record-breaking running backs like Pedro Arruza and Dane Shaw, while also protecting prolific quarterback Jeff Brown. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Business and Economics.
During his time at Wheaton, Johnston learned the importance of preparation. “You can't just 'show up' and expect to perform at the best of your ability,” Johnston said. “Consistent preparation with an ultimate goal of being the best you can be was discovered through my time on the Wheaton football team.”
The most meaningful memory for Johnston was the connection between two games against Augustana College in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, a tough 26-21 late-season loss in Rock Island forged the Wheaton team's resolve to erase that disappointment the next year. They followed through in 1995 with a 35-27 victory over Augustana to clinch a CCIW Championship and a berth in the NCAA Playoffs.
Johnston is currently Vice President/Senior Research Analyst for Nuveen Asset Management, based out of Chicago. His primary responsibility is covering corporate and municipal bond issues.
Doug and his wife Stacia live in Wheaton with their three kids – Georgia (age 9), Sterling (age 8) and Dallas (age 3).
Bill Kabasenche (Class of 1995) was an All-American in cross country in 1993 and 1994 to go along with three track All-American honors in the steeplechase (1993-95). The three-time CCIW Champion in the steeplechase still holds the conference meet record that he established in 1995. He earned his Bachelor's in Philosophy and Biology and also completed a Master's in Theology.
When Bill was a senior in high school, he agreed to take a trip to visit Wheaton at his father's suggestion. Then he met head cross country and track coach Don Church, and that first impression convinced Kabasenche to attend Wheaton. Over the next four years, Church became a mentor who would help grow Kabasenche's Christian faith.
“We also went on a pre-season retreat to Honey Rock each fall before classes started,” Kabasenche said. “It was there that Don taught those who were interested how to walk with the spirit. He would purchase books on spiritual disciplines and practices for us to read and talk about how to listen quietly and patiently for God's leading. These experiences are certainly among a very small number that I would count as being the key transformative moments in my life and in my discipleship as a follower of Jesus Christ.”
Even with his collegiate career long over, Kabasenche continued to run and compete after graduating for over 10 years. In 2002, he ran the Chicago Marathon and qualified for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon trials.
Kabasenche is currently an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Washington State University. He teaches ethics courses, particularly bioethics/ethics of science.
Bill and his wife Chimena live in Pullman, Wash. and have two children – Elyria Jayne (age 10) and Eliason Paul (age 8).
Janan Markee (Class of 1995) was a multiple All-American and school record holder as part of the Wheaton women's swimming team. She was an individual All-American in four events - the 200-IM, 400-IM, 200-butterfly and 100-butterly. Markee also won multiple All-American honors on the 200-free and 200-medley relay teams. In conference action, Markee was a three-time CCIW Championship MVP and won nine CCIW individual events in her career. She has been a Wheaton record-holder in the 100- and 200-butterfly, 200-IM, 200-free relay and 400-free relay. She earned a Bachelor's in Biology.
Some of Markee's most vivid memories from her collegiate days center around practice rituals – especially on the days when head coach
Jon Lederhouse would wear his orange hat, orange shirt and orange pants.
“My favorite memories of swimming at Wheaton are the daily teams meetings before practice where we all shared and focused together on a goal,” Markee said. “We laughed, prayed, and anxiously awaited Jon to play one of his number games. We would shout out a number, and he would search his brain and describe a significant swim time years ago. Through this activity, we learned about previous team members and gained a connection with someone we often had never met.”
Janan currently works as a hospitalist in Portland, Ore. at Providence Portland Medical Center. She works part time at the hospital and volunteers her time in developing countries, especially Haiti, Uganda and Kenya.
Matt Stier (Class of 1995) was a two-time All-American and three-time First Team All-Conference linebacker for the Wheaton football team from 1991-94. The four-year starter made 225 solo tackles and 347 total tackles in his career. As a senior, he was a team captain and earned team awards as “Most Valuable Player” and “Most Respected Player”. He graduated with a Bachelor's in Biology.
“One of the life lessons I learned through my athletic experience at Wheaton College was 'living a life without regrets,'” Stier said. “The coaches would often talk about having 'No Regrets' when it came to workouts, on game day, in school, and in our personal lives. When life gets tough and even knocks you down – get back up, don't quit, honor your commitments and be able to look yourself in the mirror at the end of the day with no regrets.”
Following graduation, Stier spent one year as a football graduate assistant at Wheaton. He then spent four years serving in the U.S. Army as a Medical Service Corps officer. Stier is currently a Project Manager at McD Concrete Enterprises, LLC serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. He is also working on his MBA at Northern Kentucky University.
Matt and his wife Melissa have one son Carson (age 3) and another due in October. The Stier's reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.
