Wheaton, Ill. - The Wheaton College Athletics Department will induct 14 new members into the Wheaton Athletics Hall of Honor this weekend as part of the 2024 Homecoming Weekend. 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. The 14 inductees to the Hall of Honor this year are:
Lisa Baumert,
Scott Bradley,
Chaz Black,
Toby Boltz,
Joel DeLass,
Kathleen (Fidelia) Holmes,
Matt Field,
Jordan (Hook) Marshall,
David Larson,
Brandon Mull,
Sarah (Richardson) March,
Ben Panner,
Jesse Scott, and
Andy Wiele.
NEW THIS YEAR: The Hall of Honor reception will be held outdoors at Keul Patio from 11:30 AM-1:00 PM. Keul Patio is across College Avenue from McCully Stadium, located between Beamer Center, the Welcome Center and Ruth Leedy Field. The honorees will be recognized at halftime of next Saturday's Wheaton-North Central football game.
2024 Hall of Honor Inductees
Lisa Baumert '09
Sports: Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Lisa Baumert is one of the most accomplished distance runners in Wheaton cross country and track history. A four-time team MVP for the Thunder women's cross country team. In 2007 she finished first at Aurora University's Spartan Classic, was second in the CCIW conference and was the only runner from the Wheaton women's cross country team to compete at the 2007 National Championship, earning All-America honors. In 2008, she was team captain for the Wheaton cross country team that qualified for Nationals. On the track, Baumert won the 2009 CCIW Indoor Championship in the one-mile run and finished 12th at the 2009 NCAA-III Indoor Championships in the 5,000-meter run. Her school record in the indoor women's 5,000 meters still stands today. She won the conference title in the 10,000-meter run at the 2009 CCIW Outdoor Championships and competed at the 2009 NCAA-III Outdoor Championships in the 5,000-meter run.
Lisa recalls, "Through my time running at Wheaton, I learned the invaluable worth of true friendship. The relationships I made through running at Wheaton…have endured to this day and remained my most valuable." When asked for a favorite athletic memory from her time at Wheaton, she mentioned, "The Annual Week of Pain." Lisa graduated in 2009 with degrees in Political Science and Theology. She earned an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and while there, worked as an assistant coach for the women's track and field and cross-country teams. She continues to compete in running, qualifying for the 2012, 2016, and 2020 U.S. Olympic team trials in the marathon. She lives in Minnesota, and in 2017 was named the USATF Minnesota Female Runner of the Year. She is Senior Director of Donor Advancement for PRX, a public media organization that distributes radio programs and podcasts. Lisa and her husband, Jaron Balgaard (class of 2008), have a four-year-old son, Julian.
Scott Bradley '86
Track & Field/Cross Country Coaching
Scott Bradley served as the head coach of the Wheaton College women's and men's track and field teams for 23 years, from 2000-2023. Additionally, he served as head coach of the Thunder cross country programs from 2002 until 2015. Bradley's teams won ten CCIW championships, with five women's cross-country championships (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008), three CCIW titles in women's outdoor track and field (2006, 2017, and 2018), and two CCIW Indoor Track and Field Championships (2017 and 2018). Twenty-nine individuals earned All-America recognition during Scott's tenure as coach, with 14 in men's indoor and outdoor track and field, nine for women's indoor and outdoor track and field, five in men's cross country and one in women's cross country. He was named the 2006 NCAA Division III "Coach of the Year" in women's outdoor track and field by the United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association, leading Wheaton to its first CCIW Championship in women's outdoor track & field. He was twice named Midwest Region "Coach of the Year" in women's indoor track & field and honored as the Midwest Region Women's Cross Country "Coach of the Year" in 2008. Bradley says of his time at Wheaton, "It has been an incredible privilege and undoubtedly one of the greatest honors of my life to coach this team for 34 years and to be the head coach for 23. Without question, working with the many outstanding young men and women who have made up this team over those years has been a special and life-changing experience for me." Scott graduated from Wheaton with a degree in Math and Computer Science in 1986. He and wife Debbie have four grown children.
Chaz Black '07
Sport: Football
Chaz Black had an outstanding career on the gridiron for the Thunder that was highlighted by a senior season where he earned 2006 All-CCIW honors and 2006 All-North Region recognition from D3football.com. Black led the CCIW in rushing in 2006 with 1,116 yards on 214 carries with nine touchdown runs as he helped lead Wheaton to a CCIW Championship and the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs. At the time of his graduation, his 2006 campaign was the fourth-highest single-season rushing total in school history. Chaz says of his playing days, "One thing I learned playing football at Wheaton, and for Coach Mike Swider, is that there are two things in life you can't substitute: doing the right thing and hard work. Because if you cheat on sprints…If you know, you know."
Chaz graduated from Wheaton in 2007 with a degree in Business/Economics. Following his playing days, Chaz worked in Hollywood, doing football stunts for movies and television. He returned to Wheaton football in 2014, serving as an assistant for eight seasons. Two of the players he coached in his time as an assistant, Sola Olateju and
Giovanni Weeks would go on to set Wheaton's career rushing records. Today he is a financial advisor with Thrivent and resides in the area with his wife Hillary and their three-year-old son, Charles Black IV.
Toby Boltz '09
Sport: Wrestling
Toby Boltz earned All-American honors as wrestler for Wheaton as a senior in 2009. He won 75 matches in his career, wrestling at both the 174 and 184-pound weight classes. He was twice named team captain, became a two-time CCIW conference champion, and a three-time finalist. During the 2008-09 wrestling season, he notched 32 victories in his senior year, achieving his All-American status at the 2009 National Championship at 184 pounds. Reminiscing about his time at Wheaton, Toby writes, "One valuable lesson I learned early on was the importance of surrounding myself with exceptional people. At Wheaton, finding good people was easy. Often, particularly after difficult practices on the wrestling mat against my teammates and coaches, I learned that being surrounded by great people helped me to grow under tough circumstances. In sum, my most substantial growth came from the feedback, challenges, and competition provided by my closest friends and peers while balancing a rigorous academic schedule. Such challenges honed how I tackled my personal and professional life daily, improving the quality of my actions and decisions." Toby graduated with a degree in Business/Economics and has worked for fifteen years in the financial industry. After spending eleven years at Deutsche Bank's asset management group, he now works as Lead Director, National Account for Janus Henderson Investors. He and his wife Kate, and their six-month-old son Leo, live in the New York metro area.
Joel DeLass '09
Sport: Men's Soccer
Joel DeLass was a key member of four Wheaton men's soccer teams from 2005 through 2008, scoring 36 career goals. In 2006, he was named Second Team All-CCIIW, scoring the game-winning goal against Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAA Division III Semifinal. In the 2007 season, he was the second leading scorer on the team, repeating as a Second Team All-CCIW selection and scoring two goals in the first-round game of the NCAA tournament. In 2008, he led the team in scoring with eleven goals and eight assists in 18 games. He was honored as the CCIW Player of the Year and named to the Central Region First Team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. He played professionally for five years after graduation, then was an assistant coach at Wheaton for four years before taking a head coaching position at another college, then became an assistant coach at various professional clubs. He is currently an assistant coach with the MLS franchise in Salt Lake City.
Looking back on his time at Wheaton, he learned, "That we serve a powerful God who can make the seemingly impossible a reality. There aren't a lot of D3 athletes who get the opportunity to play professional sports, but God gave me the opportunity and allowed me to continue to work in that arena while impacting lives for the kingdom…" Joel and his wife, Betty, have two young daughters, Evelyn (age 6) and Jacquelyn (age 4).
Kathleen (Fidelia) Holmes '09
Sport: Women's Basketball
Kathleen Fidelia was the first Wheaton women's basketball player to achieve career totals of at least 1,250 points, 450 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals. Currently, she is the eighth all-time leading scorer in Wheaton women's basketball history with 1,291 points. Kathleen led the CCIW in scoring in the 2008-09 season, being named First Team All-CCIW and First Team All-Central Region by D3Hoops.com. She scored a career-high 31 points against Oglethorpe in a November 2008 non-conference game that season. During her first two years at Wheaton, Kathleen was a part of a Wheaton team that won the CCIW conference tournament in 2006 and 2007, advancing to the NCAA tournament in both years. Referring to her time at Wheaton,
Kathleen writes, "I learned that the impact you have on the court is great, but it is your character and service off the floor that makes the most impact." Today, Kathleen and her husband Chavis have three children, Josiah (age 8), Zaiden (age 6) and one year-old Cairo. They own an Italian Ice business and Kathleen is a professional model.
Matt Field '07
Sports: Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
Matt Field competed in both cross country and track & field during his athletics career at Wheaton. He stood out as one of the team's strongest leaders and used his athletic and leadership ability to unify the team to strive towards collective athletic excellence. He won the CCIW conference championship in the Steeplechase, accomplishing the second-fastest time in Wheaton track history at the time, running the 3,000-meters in 9:21. Matt was also an All-American in Cross Country as he ran a time of 25:09 to finish in 31st place at the 2007 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Northfield, Minnesota. At the 2005 CCIW Cross Country Championships, Matt led a group of Wheaton runners that placed second, third and fourth, respectively, which allowed Wheaton to come within two points of winning the CCIW Championship.
Thinking about his time at Wheaton, Matt writes, "I learned that success and accomplishment are more enjoyable when shared with friends and loved ones. I also discovered that consistent training could help you achieve goals that once felt out of reach, as all the progress adds up over the years." Since graduating with a degree in Business/Economics, Matt continues to run, setting personal bests in the 1500 meters and 5k, and now as a cyclist, training with his former coach
David Walford, Matt is the reigning Illinois State Champion in the Masters Division in Cyclocross. Matt and his brother own a family business, Itasca Plastics located in St. Charles, Illinois. He and his wife Rebecca (Oliver) Field (class of 2011) have four children, Rachel (age 7), Claire (age 5), Wilson (age 4), and Mary (one-year-old).
J
ordan (Hook) Marshall '09
Sport: Women's Tennis
Jordan Hook is one of the most accomplished women's tennis players in Division III history. A four-time All-American, she was the first Wheaton tennis player to advance to the NCAA Division III Semifinals in both singles and doubles in the 2008 National Tournament. Jordan was the first Wheaton women's tennis player to win 100 singles matches, finishing her stellar career with a record of 112-8, at the time, the fifth-most victories in NCAA Division III women's tennis history. The four-year standout compiled a 96-21 record in four years of doubles competition, pairing with five partners in that time. She was named the CCIW Women's Tennis Student-Athlete of the Year in 2006, 2007, and 2008, winning the CCIW Championship at No. 1 singles each of the seasons. Overall, she won six CCIW Championships with singles championships in each of her four seasons and conference doubles titles at No. 1 doubles in 2006 and 2008.
Referring to her time at Wheaton, Jordan writes, "There were many matches and tournaments that were meaningful, but some of my favorite memories were off the court with the tennis team, connecting and bonding. We became a family, and it was a truly special time." Regarding lessons learned competing at Wheaton, Jordan mentions sportsmanship and confidence. "Always treat your opponent with respect, be a good loser and a good winner. Learn to handle both success and failure with grace and believe in yourself and your ability." Finally, Jordan writes, "Tennis has always been more to me than just the game. It has helped me to form some pretty special friendships from childhood to even now, well into adulthood, and I am grateful for that." Jordan graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications. She is the mom to Grace (age 7) and Trey (age 5), is working in interior design, and is in the process of getting her real estate license.
David Larson '09
Sports: Men's Track & Field
David Larson concluded his Wheaton track & field career with the best effort of his college career in the pole vault. His personal best vault in his Wheaton career was a mark of 16' 2-1/2" that ranked second at the time of his graduation and is still third in the program record books today. At the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Larson recorded an effort of 15' 11-1/4" to place sixth at the National Championships and earn All-America honors in the men's pole vault. His All-America award was the first by a Wheaton pole vaulter since Matt Sheehan placed second at the 2004 Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Brandon Mull '08
Sports: Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
Brandon Mull was a two-time All-American in Cross Country, finishing tenth at the Division III National Championships in 2007 and fourth among the 278 competitors in the 2008 final race, at the time, the highest finish by any Wheaton Cross Country runner since 1980 when Dan Henderson won the National Championship. Brandon finished in the top-three in each of the four CCIW Men's Cross Country Championships he competed in, including winning the CCIW Championship his final two seasons. Brandon's cumulative point total at the four CCIW Cross Country Championships he competed in is the lowest total in conference history.
He also earned a pair of All-America awards in track and field as a senior. He competed in the 2008 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 5,000-meters and the 10,000-meters, earning All-American accolades in each of those events as he posted a time of 14:40.08 to finish sixth in the 5,000-meters, and he was sixth in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 30:38.31. As a junior at the 2007 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, Mull posted a time of 31:16.21 to finish ninth in the men's 10,000-meter run, narrowly missing All-American honors. Today his career bests in the 10,000-meters and 5,000-meters rank second and third in the program record books, respectively.
Reflecting on his time at Wheaton, Brandon says he learned "The importance of patience and discipline to achieve success along with the help of the Lord and excellent coaches and teammates." After graduation, Brandon continues his love of distance running, qualifying for the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. He had a personal best of 2:17:17. Brandon earned a degree in Business Economics and is currently a vice president and financial advisor with a financial firm, serving both private and institutional clients. He and his wife Andrea, have two pre-school daughters, Elise and Sylvia.
Sarah (Richardson) March '08
Sports: Women's Soccer
Sarah Richardson was a key member of three Division III Championship teams at Wheaton in 2004, 2006 and 2007. She was team captain of the 2007 squad. She is the fourth all-time leading scorer for the Wheaton women's soccer team, with 170 points. Her 65 career goals rank fourth all-time, and her 40 career assists rank her third in program history. Sarah was named First Team All-CCIW in 2005, 2006 and 2007, along with first team All-Region in 2007. She was a 2007 ESPN the Magazine First Team Academic All-American and was recognized as the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year in Division III Women's Soccer. She was the first Wheaton student-athlete to win the CCIW's Woman of the Year Award and be named to the Top-30 of the NCAA "Woman of the Year" Award.
Thinking back to the 2007 repeat National Championship season, Sarah writes, "This was my senior year, the last time I would don a Wheaton College jersey, and it couldn't have ended sweeter than with an undefeated season capped by a final victory. I also can't leave out our mission trip to Brazil and Paraguay in the summer of 2007. To visit the hometown of our beloved assistant coach Cesar Gomez and serve together as a team was another amazing opportunity for which I am incredibly grateful." Sarah is Chaplain for the Chicago Red Stars women's professional soccer club and also for the United States Women's National Soccer Team. Sarah graduated in 2008 with a degree in Business/Economics and is working on a master's degree in ministry leadership at the Wheaton College Graduate School. Sarah and her husband Tim have four children, Caleb (age 12), Jonathan (age 10), Anna (age 8) and Sam (age 6).
Ben Panner '09
Sport: Men's Basketball
Ben Panner was one of the most effective and productive players for the Wheaton men's basketball team, starting all 114 games he played for the Thunder over four years. He ranks fifteenth on the all-time Wheaton career scoring list with 1,499 points. He is seventh with 179 career three-pointers, and twelfth with 282 career assists. He was a D3hoops.com All-American his senior year following the 2008-2009 season, helping lead Wheaton to the Division III Tournament for the third-consecutive year. In addition, he was selected as a second-team All-Midwest Region by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and a Third Team regional selection by D3Hoops.com.
Considering life-lessons he learned while at Wheaton, Ben writes, "My time at Wheaton developed a love for cultivating a team culture. Learning to serve one another, and pursue a unified goal was life- changing. I have leaned on my experience learned from Coach Harris and Coach Schauer about how to invest and develop a unified team culture." When asked to describe a particularly meaningful athletic memory, Ben writes, "In 2009, Wheaton basketball secured the CCIW regular season championship in front of a packed King Arena. This led to two more victories at home to win the conference tournament. We were able to play in the first three rounds of the NCAA tournament in front of a packed home crowd. We had a heart-breaking loss to the eventual champion, Washington University, in the Sweet 16, but that stretch of games, from the end of the regular season to the Sweet Sixteen, was one of the most memorable times in my athletic memory." Ben graduated with a degree in Business/Economics, then earned a master's degree in Christian Formation and Ministry from Wheaton Graduate School, then an MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary. Earlier this year, he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently Director of Workshops for the Charles Simeon Trust, an organization training Biblical expositors worldwide. Ben and his wife Joanna have five children, ages three to nine: Seth, Simeon, Levi, Jeremiah, and Piper.
Jesse Scott '09
Sport: Football
Jesse Scott is the head coach of the Wheaton football team, but he first distinguished himself as an All-American offensive lineman for the Thunder. His four-year playing career (2005-08) for the Thunder featured All-CCIW selections in his junior and senior seasons. Scott earned D3Football.com All-North Region First Team honors as a senior and was named to the 2008 D3football.com All-America First Team. As the starting right tackle, Scott was part of the record-breaking 2008 Thunder offense that broke 17 single-season and career records while advancing to the NCAA Division III National Semifinals.
As an assistant coach for Wheaton, he worked with the offensive and defensive lines and was recruiting coordinator for the Thunder program. Jesse served as Wheaton's offensive coordinator for four seasons before being named head coach after the 2019 season. In Scott's four seasons as offensive coordinator, the Thunder offense achieved top-20 placement in Division III in 14 different statistical categories. After his appointment as head coach, Scott remarked, "Wheaton Football will continue to change lives. Our program will shape young men for the glory of God through our pursuit of excellence on the field and off of it." A 2009 Wheaton graduate, Scott earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Economics. Jesse and his wife Aubrey live in Wheaton with their five-year-old daughter Evie and two-year-old son James.
Dr. Andy Wiele '09
Sport: Men's Basketball
Andy Wiele was a four-time letterwinner at center for the Wheaton basketball team, concluding his career with 1,225 points scored and 811 rebounds, currently seventh all-time for the team. He played in every game as a freshman, averaging nine points per game. In his second year during the 2006-07 season, he started every game at center, scoring 25 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a non-conference game against Hope. For the 2007-08 team, he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game, finishing second in the CCIW in rebounding, and was named to the All-CCIW second team and second team All-Region. Andy entered his senior year projected as a fourth-team All-American by D3Hoops.com. After a successful year where he averaged just under 14 points and 9 rebounds per game, he was again named to the All-Region Second Team.
Andy recollects of his time on the court for the Thunder, "Discipline, perseverance, sacrifice, and teamwork were continually emphasized by our coaching staff, and I carry the lessons I learned on the hardwood into every day as a husband, father, and physician. The ups and downs of winning and losing have taught me how to remain humble in success and respond gracefully to adversity. But nothing is more treasured than the relationships formed with my teammates. To compete with like-minded men who love the Lord and loved to work on their craft was the ultimate privilege, and to further deepen those friendships into adulthood has been the greatest blessing from Wheaton Athletics. Andy graduated from Wheaton in 2009 with a degree in Applied Health Science. In recent years, Andy has moved back to the Chicago suburbs as he is a medical oncologist at Edward Elmhurst Hospital. He and his wife Caitlin have three children: David (5), Luke, (2), and Matthew (nine months).
