Wittenberg Announces Athletics Hall Of Honor Class of 2026
Ten Wittenberg University greats and three “Teams of Distinction” have been selected for induction into the school’s Athletics Hall of Honor, including two alumni honored with Lifetime Achievement awards.
Alex Andrews ’15, Jay Freund ’94, Tim Gaal ’04, Rachel Juergens ’02, Steve Rader ’04, Kara Seidenstricker ’16, Chad Thompson ’04, and Mark Williams ’83 will join more than 300 Wittenberg alumni who have previously been inducted into the University's Athletics Hall of Honor since the institution was introduced in 1986. In addition, Bruce Cunningham ’85 and Wendell Lutz ‘66 will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards and the 1980, 1983, and 1987 Tiger men’s basketball teams will be celebrated as “Teams of Distinction.”
Plans are underway to celebrate the members of the Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2026 with a formal induction ceremony and banquet scheduled for the weekend of October 1-4, 2026.
Alex Andrews is one of the most accomplished players in the history of Wittenberg Men’s Golf. His name appears frequently in the program record book, highlighted by a five-under-par round of 66 that is tied for the school record for one-round score. Andrews helped the Tigers to four straight North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championships and four top-15 NCAA Division III Tournament finishes, including two of the best national performances in program history – fifth place in 2014 and third place in 2015. Andrews earned first-team All-NCAC in 2012, 2013, and 2015, NCAC Medalist honors in 2013, and NCAC Player of the Year honors in 2013 and 2015. He claimed three first-team All-Great Lakes Region awards and three All-America awards, including second team in 2013 and 2015. A native of Kirtland, Ohio, Andrews currently resides in his hometown.
Jay Freund is one of the most accomplished offensive players in the history of Wittenberg Men's Soccer. Playing on some of the best teams in program history, which compiled four-year records of 52-23-3 overall and 23-8 in the NCAC, Freund tallied career totals of 32 goals, 24 assists, and 88 points, which all rank in the top three in program history. The Tigers finished in the top four of the NCAC each year, highlighted by the 1993 league title and three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. Freund was a two-time first-team All-NCAC selection (1993, 1994), earned first-team All-Ohio and first-team All-Mideast Region honors in 1994, served as team captain, and was named the Tigers' Most Valuable Player as a senior. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Freund currently resides in Bloomington, Indiana.
Tim Gaal was a two-sport standout for Wittenberg’s football and men’s track and field teams. While Gaal made a significant impact in both sports, he made his greatest impact in track and field as one of the most accomplished athletes in program history. Gaal earned nine All-NCAC awards during his career, highlighted by four straight first-place finishes in the javelin and two straight titles in the decathlon to go along with two top-three finishes in the long jump and one in the decathlon. The school record-holder in the javelin, Gaal qualified for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the event three times, highlighted by a second-place finish in 2003 and a fourth-place finish in 2004. Gaal was the NCAC Field Events MVP in 2003 and 2004, and he scored big points for the Tigers as they finished second in the NCAC Outdoor Championships in 2001, 2003, and 2004 and won the league title in 2002. On the gridiron, Gaal was an outstanding defensive back for the Tigers, including two seasons as a starter, and he even contributed as a punter in multiple seasons. During his career, Wittenberg Football posted an overall record of 41-7, won two NCAC titles and made three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. A native of Amanda, Ohio, Gaal currently resides in his hometown.
Rachel Juergens recorded some of the best freestyle swims in the history of Wittenberg Women’s Swimming & Diving, and she continues to hold school records and a pool record across three distance events. Juergens held 10 school records when she completed her collegiate career, and she still ranks first in program history in the 1000-yard freestyle and 1650-yard freestyle events. Juergens qualified for the NCAA Division III Championships in nine events over the course of her two seasons in the Red & White (six individual, three relays), and she picked up a first-team All-America award in the 1650-yard freestyle in 2001 to go along with honorable mention All-America awards in the 500-yard freestyle and two relays that year. Juergens was the top point scorer for the Tigers in 2001 as Wittenberg finished 21st as a team, which ranks as one of the best national performances in program history. Juergens earned four All-NCAC awards (two individual, two relays), highlighted by runner-up finishes in the 1650-yard freestyle in 2001 and 2002. Named the team’s Most Valuable Swimmer in both 2001 and 2002, Juergens is a native of Springfield, Ohio, and she currently resides in her hometown.
Steve Rader racked up a large collection of All-NCAC and All-America performances for Wittenberg Men’s Swimming & Diving. Rader led the way as the Tigers enjoyed some of their best finishes in the NCAC and NCAA Division III championships between 2001 and 2004, highlighted by a 21st-place team finish in 2003. Rader racked up a whopping 14 All-NCAC awards during his career (eight individual, six relays), including individual titles in the 200-yard Individual Medley in 2002 and the 200-yard butterfly in 2004. Named team Most Valuable Swimmer three times, Rader picked up 10 All-America awards, starting with two honorable mention performances in relays in 2001. From there, he did everything on his own, collecting three All-America finishes in 2002, three in 2003, and two more in 2004, with personal-bests of fourth place in the 200-yard butterfly in 2002 and 2003, and a fourth in the 200-yard Individual Medley in 2003. He continues to hold three school records in individual events. A native of Painesville, Ohio, Rader currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska.
Kara Seidenstricker is among the most decorated student-athletes in the history of Wittenberg Athletics, regardless of sport. Seidenstricker was a four-time All-American for Wittenberg Women’s Volleyball, leading the Tigers to four straight NCAC regular season and tournament championships and four consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2015. During her Wittenberg career, the Tigers compiled records of 110-21 overall, a perfect 42-0 in the NCAC (regular season and tournament), and 11-4 in the NCAA Division III Tournament. She was the NCAC Newcomer of the Year in 2012 and NCAC Player of the Year in 2012, 2014, and 2015; the Great Lakes Region Newcomer of the Year in 2012; the NCAA Division III Freshman of the Year in 2012; a three-time Academic All-America honoree (first team in 2014 and 2015, third team in 2013); and a three-time first-team All-American (2012, 2014, 2015, second team in 2013). A native of London, Ohio, Seidenstricker currently resides in Columbus, Ohio.
Chad Thompson was an ironman in the middle of the Wittenberg Football offensive line, starting 36 games over four seasons for the Tigers while collecting All-NCAC awards in 2001, 2002, and 2003, All-North Region awards in 2002 and 2003, and second-team All-America honors following each of his last two seasons. Wittenberg won two NCAC titles and participated in three NCAA Division III Tournaments during Thompson’s career, along the way compiling a phenomenal four-year record of 41-7 while posting some of the best offensive seasons in program history. Thompson also earned Academic All-District awards following both his junior and senior seasons. A native of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Thompson currently resides in Dexter, Michigan.
Mark Williams was a hard-nosed point guard for Wittenberg Men’s Basketball who was a key player for the Tigers from 1980-83, a span that included a pair of NCAA Division III Tournament final four finishes. The Tigers compiled a phenomenal four-year record of 100-22 during Williams’ intercollegiate career, including a 45-7 record in NCAC regular season play. A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Tigers, Williams’s Tiger teams finished first or second each year, won three OAC Tournament titles, and posted a 9-5 record in NCAA Division III Tournament games. His 171 assists in the 1982-83 season ranks third in program history, and his 392 assists ranks fourth, and he was a second-team All-OAC selection in 1983. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Williams was living in hometown at this time of his passing in 2022.
Bruce Cunningham was a standout for Wittenberg Men’s Golf, helping the Tigers to two Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) titles and three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances while earning multiple all-conference awards during a stellar intercollegiate playing career. He went on to pass his light as a college golf coach, including more than 30 years as the head man for men’s golf at Eastern Michigan University. Cunningham, who also coached the Eagles’ women’s team from 1997-99, retired from Eastern Michigan in 2024 after winning three Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships and coaching 29 All-MAC players, including three conference players of the year and two conference medalists. Cunningham earned three MAC Coach of the Year awards and placed a team or individual in six NCAA Division I Tournaments. Cunningham has served as head PGA golf professional at Eagle Crest Golf Club, and he previously served as an assistant golf professional at Oakland Hills Country Club, Marion Country Club, and Palm-Aire Country Club. A native of Ashland, Ohio, Cunningham currently serves as an assistant coach at Miami University, which won the 2026 MAC title. He resides in Birmingham, Michigan.
Wendell Lutz was a member of some of the best teams in the history of Wittenberg Men’s Tennis, and he has been a stalwart supporter of his alma mater for more than 60 years since then. Lutz was a contributor to Tiger teams that compiled sparkling four-year match records of 33-7 overall and 30-3 in the OAC, while winning three league titles and finishing second in 1965. A member of Wittenberg’s Board of Directors from 2011-19, Lutz has displayed his passion and supported the University in a variety of ways, and his contributions have been recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Science given to him in 1991 and an Alumnus of Distinction award given to him in 2002. A world-renowned expert in radiation oncology, Lutz was the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Edith H. Quimby Lifetime Achievement Award in Medical Physics from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, and in 2022 he was presented with the American Society for Radiation Oncology Gold Medal. The son of longtime Wittenberg Professor of Physics Arthur Lutz and a native of Springfield, Lutz currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.
Finally, the Athletics Hall of Honor is celebrating three “Teams of Distinction” as part of the Class of 2026.
The 1980 men’s basketball team opened the season with eight straight wins before a one-point road loss to Ashland. That was followed by a 17-game winning streak that clinched first place in the OAC regular season standings before a loss in the OAC Tournament title game. An at-large selection into the NCAA Division III Tournament, the Tigers reeled off wins over Wabash, Ohio Northern, and Lane before a four-point loss to Upsala in the national semifinals. Wittenberg bounced back to defeat Longwood in overtime to claim third place in the NCAA Division III Tournament and finish 29-3 overall on the season.
The 1983 men’s basketball team finished second in the OAC regular season standings before catching fire at the right time. After a loss in the regular season finale, the Tigers swept Marietta, Heidelberg, and Capital by at least 14 points each to win the OAC Tournament and earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Wins over Capital, Hope, and California State-Stanislaus sent Wittenberg to the national semifinals, and a win over Wisconsin-Whitewater moved the Tigers into the national championship game, where the run came to an end in heartbreaking one-point loss to Scranton. Wittenberg’s overall record in the 1982-83 season was 26-6.
The 1987 men’s basketball team opened the season with a 14-7 record through the first 21 games and finished second in the OAC regular season standings before putting all the pieces together over the final month. The Tigers won the last four games of the regular season before sweeping Mount Union, Capital, and Otterbein to win the OAC Tournament and earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Tigers then made a run to the national semifinals with wins over Calvin, Otterbein, and North Carolina Wesleyan before losing to North Park in the final four. Wittenberg bounced back to defeat Stockton State in overtime to finish third and end up with an overall record of 25-8.
1979-80 Wittenberg Men's Basketball Team
1982-83 Wittenberg Men's Basketball Team
1986-87 Wittenberg Men's Basketball Team