Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton College Athletics Department will induct 12 new members into the Wheaton Athletics Hall of Honor this weekend as part of the 2023 Homecoming Weekend. The honorees will be recognized at halftime of this Saturday's Wheaton-North Central football game, followed by a Hall of Honor reception in the Chrouser Sports Complex after the football game (approximately 3:45 p.m.-5:30 p.m.).
The 12 inductees to the Hall of Honor this year are:
Bethany (Barton) Massey;
Rebecca (Bird) Foster;
Katherine (Burt) Nevin;
Kira (Davis) Wheeler;
Pete Ittersagen;
Katlin (Marko) Mulsoff;
Karly Olson;
Kent Raymond;
Geoff Rowson;
Andy Studebaker;
Mallory (Sullivan) Studebaker; and
Dr. Josh Williams.Â
Founded in 1976, the Wheaton College Athletic Hall of Honor is dedicated to recognizing former players, teams, and coaches who have made a significant contribution to Wheaton athletics. Wheaton recognizes athletics as an integral part of the educational program of the college; its nominees have proven to have learned valuable lessons in discipline, sacrifice, perseverance, cooperation, and commitment.
2023 Hall of Honor Inductees
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Bethany (Barton) Massey
Sport: Women's Soccer
Bethany Barton is one of the most decorated defenders in the history of Division III women's soccer. She was a First Team NSCAA Division III All-American in 2007 and a Second Team honoree in 2006, helping Wheaton to back-to-back National Championships in those two seasons.
In four seasons she helped lead Wheaton to Division III Championships in 2004, 2006 and 2007. As a freshman in 2004, she kicked the championship-clinching goal in a penalty kick shootout to defeat University of Puget Sound. Barton was named the "Most Outstanding Defensive Player" of the Division III Tournament at the conclusion of the 2006 and 2007 postseasons.
A two-time team captain, Barton earned three All-CCIW awards. She played in 94 matches for the Thunder, with 69 victories by shutout in her career. She helped Wheaton to four CCIW Championships, including a 27-1 conference record. In her four seasons, Wheaton won 94.1% of its games with a remarkable 97-6 record in that time including a 27-0 record in 2007. The 2007 team still holds the Division III record for most wins in a season. Â
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Rebecca (Bird) Foster
Sport:Â Women's Swimming
Rebecca "Becky" Bird had an outstanding career in the pool for the Wheaton women's swimming program. In 2005 she earned All-America recognition and was named the MVP of the 2005 CCIW Women's Swimming Championships.
In 2005, she represented Wheaton at the Division III Championships and finished seventh in the 1,650-yard freestyle with a time of 17:24.84 to earn All-America recognition.
Earlier in the 2005 campaign, she won CCIW Championships in both the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle to earn the conference's MVP award. She established CCIW records in both of those events. Many of her accomplishments still stand today as she is currently fourth on the Wheaton top-times list in the 500-yard freestyle and is fifth in the both the 1,650-yard and 1,000-yard freestyle.
Following graduation Rebecca became the United States Masters Swimming National Champion in the women's 1,000-yard freestyle in 2010. She continues to compete in open water swimming events with her husband Brian Foster, a fellow Wheaton Swimming alumnus.
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Katherine (Burt) Nevin
Sport: Women's Swimming
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Katherine Burt earned four individual All-America awards in her Wheaton swimming career. She also was a member of four All-American relays.
Her best individual placement at Nationals was a fourth-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle in 2006. She was a two-time All-American in 2007 with a sixth-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle and eighth in the 100-yard freestyle. As a senior in 2008 she placed eighth in the 100-yard freestyle to earn her fourth career individual All-America award and her third in the 100 free.
Burt was a seven-time CCIW Champion, including three conference championships as a junior in 2007. She established conference records in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle in her career, and her time of 51.64 in the 100-yard freestyle set a team record.
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Kira (Davis) Wheeler
Sport: Women's Soccer
Kira Davis was an instrumental member of Wheaton's three NCAA Division III Championship teams in 2004, 2006, and 2007. She played in 102 matches in her Thunder career, which at the time of her graduation was a NCAA Division III women's soccer record, and today is still fifth-most in D3 history.
Davis was named a Second Team All-American defender by D3Kicks.com in 2007 in helping lead the Thunder to a Division III- record 27 victories as the team posted a perfect 27-0 record. In that flawless season, Davis tallied a career-high seven goals and added five assists.
Davis scored nine goals in her 102 career matches, and distributed 10 assists. She helped Wheaton to four CCIW Championships, including a 27-1 conference record. From 2004-07, Wheaton won 94.1% of its games with a remarkable 97-6 record.
Kira says of what she takes away from her playing days for Wheaton, "Although winning games, championships and awards at Wheaton was fun and exciting, it's not what mattered at the end of the day. It's the relationships I established with my teammates during those four foundational years that have created a lasting impact on my life. Discipline, perseverance, teamwork and focus are lifelong attributes that were deeply instilled in us during our time as Wheaton soccer players. As a result, I have been a part of a community of like-minded women who have taken those attributes with them into adulthood, the work force, marriage and parenting for almost 15+ years. The experience of playing for Wheaton and making these life-long friendships is a blessing in my life that I am eternally grateful for."
Pete Ittersagen
Sport: Football
Pete Ittersagen earned eight total All-America awards in his Thunder football career. Following his graduation from Wheaton in December of 2008, he signed as a free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars in May of 2009. From 2009-2011 he spent time with the Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans.
In both 2008 and 2007, he was honored by D3football.com as a First Team AA at cornerback and Second Team honoree as a returner. He also earned All-America accolades from the AFCA as a cornerback in both of those seasons and was named to the Associated Press Little All-America Team in 2008. In 2006, he was a D3football.com honorable mention All-American at cornerback. In 2007 he was honored as the CCIW's "Defensive Player of the Year", and in 2008, he was named the "North Region Defensive Player of the Year" by D3football.com. In 2011, D3football.com named Ittersagen as a First Team selection at cornerback and Second Team selection as a returner to its All-2000's Team.
Over four seasons (2005-08), Ittersagen played in 46 games, making 252 total tackles. The savvy cornerback recorded 14 career interceptions, and 46 passes broken-up in his four seasons. His 60 total passes defended in his career ranks ninth in Division III history, and was fifth at the time of his graduation. In 2008, he set Wheaton's single-season record for punt return yards. In both 2007 and 2008, he tied the school single-season record for punt return touchdowns with two in each season.
Ittersagen was instrumental in leading Wheaton to its first NCAA Division III Semifinal appearance in 2008. He scored three touchdowns in the playoffs, with a punt return for a touchdown in a win at Wabash College. He returned an interception for a touchdown and had a kickoff return for a touchdown in a Quarterfinal victory at Franklin College. Pete reflects on that 2008 postseason run as a favorite memory from his playing days.
Pete remains involved with Wheaton football as a defensive backs coach for the program. He reflects on his time in uniform for the Thunder, "I learned the less of working hard and pressing on no matter what the circumstances may be. I learned about dealing with hard and stressful situations when the pressure is on."
Katlin (Marko) Mulsoff
Sport: Women's Swimming
Katlin Marko won five individual All-America honors in four seasons at Wheaton, and an additional five AA relay awards. A nine-time CCIW Champion in individual races, Marko was honored as the MVP at the 2006 and 2007 CCIW Women's Swimming Championships.
As a freshman at the 2005 NCAA Division III Women's Swimming Championships, Marko earned her first career All-America award with an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly. In 2006 she earned All-America recognition in the 1,650-yard freestyle (fifth), and the 400-yard individual medley (sixth). The next year she repeated as All-American in the same events with a third-place effort in the 1,650 free and placing seventh in the 400 IM at the 2007 Division III Championships.
Marko established CCIW records in both the 400 IM and the 1,650 freestyle in her career. She set Wheaton team records in both the 1,650-yard freestyle (17:08.94), and the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:22.84) that still stand today. She also has Wheaton top-six all-time efforts in the 200-yard butterfly (third), 400-yard individual medley (fourth) and 500-yard freestyle (sixth).
Katlin says of her time in the pool at Wheaton, "Through my years of swimming at Wheaton I was taught many lessons. Two stick out from the coaches that had the largest impact on my development athletically and spiritually. Coach Mashman impressed upon me the importance of maximum effort at every practice and race, using each as an opportunity for continued improvement. I learned that how you practice is how you perform. Coach Lederhouse taught and modeled that your talents are first and foremost meant to honor God. He helped me understand how to use my talents to bring Glory to the Lord."
Karly Olson
Sport: Women's Tennis
Karly Olson capped a tremendous playing career with the Thunder women's tennis program as a Division III All-American as selected by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). She and teammate Jordan Hook earned doubles All-American accolades in 2007 as they advanced to the semifinals of the doubles tournament at the 2007 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The duo became Wheaton's first NCAA doubles semifinalists since 1982.
Olson helped lead Wheaton to CCIW Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In doing so she was recognized as the Conference Championship MVP in both 2005 and 2006.
Olson earned a pair of CCIW Singles Championships in her career and two CCIW Doubles Championships. As a freshman in 2004, she won the CCIW title at No. 6 singles and in 2005 she won the conference championship at No. 3 singles.
One of the great doubles players in program history, Olson twice won conference championships in doubles play. She teamed with Brooke Parrish for the CCIW Championship at No. 2 doubles in 2005. She and Hook won the conference title at No. 1 doubles at the 2006 CCIW Championships.
Kent Raymond
Sport: Men's Basketball
Kent Raymond was one of the most decorated Division III men's basketball players in the 2000's. He earned multiple All-America awards in three of his four seasons donning the 'Orange and Blue'. Raymond was twice named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team. In 2010, he was the first (and to this point, only) Wheaton student-athlete to be honored with the NCAA's "Today's Top-VIII Award".
Raymond was recognized as the 2008-09 Division III "Player of the Year" by DIIINews following his senior season. He was a three-time selection as the Midwest Region Player of the Year by both D3Hoops.com and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and is one of only three players to be recognized as the CCIW "Most Outstanding Player" three times. Raymond was named to the D3hoops.com All-Decade time for his time as one of the top players in Division III history.
Raymond scored 2,308 career points in his four-year career, the second-highest point total in school history at the time of his graduation and currently third all-time. Upon graduation he was the fourth-highest scorer in CCIW history, and today, his career scoring total is sixth. His 241 three-pointers was a school record when he graduated and he stands in third place today. He shot 89.5% at the free throw line in CCIW games in his career, a mark that is still fifth in league history.
Wheaton earned selection to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament in three of Raymond's four seasons with the Thunder. In 2008-09 he helped lead Wheaton to a No. 1 national ranking for much of the season. The Thunder advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the postseason in 2009. The 2008-09 Wheaton team won the school's first CCIW Championship in 10 years and also the program's first-ever CCIW Tournament Title.
When asked of a favorite memory from his Wheaton playing days Kent says, "That is tough one! So many great memories stand out, from our near upset of Northwestern to the Elite 8 tournament run in '07-'08. If I had to pick one though, I would highlight the back-to-back weekends in 2009 when we hosted and won the CCIW Tournament followed by the NCAA Regionals. For two-straight weekends there was standing room only in King Arena and the place was electric! The combination of great basketball on the court with my teammates and support from the Wheaton community made those two winter weekends incredibly special."
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Geoff Rowson
Sport: Football
Geoff Rowson was an All-American offensive lineman for the Thunder football team. He earned First Team All-American honors at guard from Football Gazette as a junior in 2006. He was twice honored as a D3football.com All-North Region selection, earning First Team honors in 2006 and Second Team recognition in 2007.
A three-time All-CCIW selection, Rowson twice earned First Team All-Conference honors. He was a member of two CCIW Championship units for the Thunder, helping Wheaton to conference titles in 2004 and 2006. Wheaton made the NCAA Division III Playoffs in both 2004 and 2006, advancing into the Second Round both seasons.
In his 2006 All-American campaign, Rowson anchored a Thunder offensive line that ranked 10th in Division III in total offense as the squad averaged 421.9 yards of offense per game.
Geoff says of his time at Wheaton, "My experience as an offensive lineman playing football at Wheaton left me with enduring life lessons that continue to shape my journey. The value of hard work, meticulous attention to detail, and the pursuit of excellence across all aspects of life stands out as one of the most impactful takeaways. These values, nurtured by my coaches, teammates, and the Wheaton Football culture, now serve as guiding principles in my career, family life, and my faith. As an offensive lineman, I also grasped the importance of being a servant leader—an essential philosophy that emphasizes contributing to the team's success while often working behind the scenes to support others. This approach has significantly influenced my leadership style and approach to business today."
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Andy Studebaker
Sport: Football
As a junior in 2006, Andy Studebaker turned in one of the best seasons ever by a Division III defensive end. He was a unanimous All-American that year with First Team honors from the AFCA, D3football.com, and Football Gazette. He was named to the Associated Press' Little All-America Second Team. Additionally, he was honored as the North Region Defensive Player of the Year by both D3football.com and Football Gazette.
In the 2006 season he was the NCAA (all divisions) sack leader with 17-1/2 sacks. His effort that year not only tied Wheaton's single-season sacks record, it was the sixth-highest single-season sack total in Division III history at the time, and today is 16th in the D3 record books. The 2006 CCIW sacks leader also led the conference in tackles for loss (TFL) that year with 25-1/2 TFL for minus-161 yards.
Despite a senior season in 2007 that was cut short by injury, Studebaker registered 30 career sacks and his 1.07 sacks per game average for his career is eighth in Division III history and was fourth at the time of his graduation. Studebaker recorded 51-1/2 tackles for loss (TFL) in his career. His career 1.84 TFL per game average ranked ninth all-time in Division III history at the time of his graduation and today is 15th.
In April of 2008, Studebaker was a sixth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. He later moved to the Kansas City Chiefs and on December 21, 2009 he became the first Wheaton alumnus to score a touchdown in a NFL regular season game when he recovered a muffed punt against the Cleveland Browns and returned it for a touchdown. He played 97 NFL regular season games in his pro career.
Mallory (Sullivan) Studebaker
Sport: Volleyball
As a junior in 2007, Mallory Sullivan was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's Division III All-America Team. An honorable mention All-American that year, Sullivan helped lead Wheaton to a 25-9 record, the most wins for the Thunder volleyball program in a span of eight seasons. Sullivan also earned All-Midwest Region honors from the AVCA.
An outside hitter, Sullivan tallied 410 kills in the 2007 season, averaging 3.6 kills per game, with a .246 hitting percentage. She also contributed 5.06 digs per game and led the team with a 94.2% service reception percentage. She ranked among the CCIW top-10 in both kills and digs that season.
A three-time All-CCIW honoree, her career average of 3.34 kills per set ranked fourth at the time and today is fifth in the Wheaton record books. She tallied 1,204 career kills, a mark that was ninth all-time at Wheaton at the time. Today it ranks 11th.
She departed Wheaton with a 5.29 digs per set average for her career, a mark that ranked fourth at the time and is still fourth today. Her 1,903 career digs ranked seventh at the time and today is still ninth in the Wheaton record books.Â
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Dr. Josh Williams
Sport: Men's Tennis
Josh Williams earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-America honors as a junior in 2007. In 2007, Williams became the first Wheaton men's tennis player to earn selection to the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Singles Championship since 1995. Williams posted a 19-5 record in 2006, winning the first of his two CCIW "Player of the Year" awards. He helped lead Wheaton to a NCAA Team Championship selection in 2008, the first for the Thunder since 2003.
Williams won the CCIW Championship at No. 1 singles in both 2007 and 2008 and was also a conference champion at No. 1 doubles in 2008. He was named the CCIW Men's Tennis MVP in both 2007 and 2008 and was also honored as the CCIW Championship MVP in 2008. Josh compiled a record of 58-26 in singles play and a mark of 53-27 in doubles competition during his four-year career.
Williams won the ITA's Division III Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship in 2008. He was a two-time First Team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American in his career. In 2008 he was awarded a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
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