Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/165384
T THE VOICE BY MATT LEPAY // VOICE OF THE BADGERS Hall of Fame class is worth another look 16 o many, the start of the college football season is much like a holiday. At the University of Wisconsin, it certainly has a holiday feel. A 45-0 victory against UMass made for an excellent Saturday, but I must say the night before the game was pretty good as well. On Friday evening, the University of Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame added eight new members. A large class, but the quality clearly matches the quantity. The new inductees were former women's track and cross country coach Peter Tegen, swimmer and longtime friend of the UW Chuck LaBahn, hockey standout Dean Talafous, NCAA wrestling champ Jack Reinwand, softball pitching great Andrea Kirchberg, basketball star Claude Gregory and a pair of football defensive backs who made life miserable for opposing quarterbacks and receivers, Jamar Fletcher and David Greenwood. It was enjoyable to see this Class of 2013. On a tropical late summer evening, it was a packed tent full of family, friends and former teammates. I'm fairly certain that most, if not all, of Greenwood's hometown of Park Falls, Wis., was there to support the multi-sport athlete. When I think of Jamar Fletcher, I think of someone who saved many of his biggest plays for the biggest games in Badgers football history. Actually, I am hard pressed to think of any player who consistently delivered on the big stage quite like Fletch. He still looks like he could cover any receiver today. // VARSITY September 5, 2013 It was special to see the current softball team, including coach Yvette Healy, on hand to witness Kirchberg become the first student-athlete from that sport enter the Hall. Simply put, she put UW softball on the map. Her dominance was such that she practically owns the school record book for pitching. Younger Badgers hoops fans should know that Claude Gregory remains the top rebounder in school history, and he is still No. 4 on the all-time scoring list. Not bad NOW I FEEL AS THOUGH THIS SEASON TRULY IS UNDERWAY. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A GROUP OF HALL OF FAMERS TO START THE SEASON THE RIGHT WAY. for someone who concluded his college career three decades ago. He is one of four Badgers from his era to be selected in the NBA draft. A number of his teammates were on hand Friday night, including Joe Chrnelich, Clyde Gaines and Mark Newberg. Coach Tegen had quite the fan club at the induction. When your program turns out 249 All-Americans, 43 individual NCAA champions and three Olympians, it makes sense that so many would be there to cheer him on. If you ever want to know about a standout wrestler from the 1970s, I would suggest you talk to former coach Duane Kleven. When I asked him a few questions about Jack Reinwand, the ol' coach became emotional. That shows how much Reinwand means to Kleven, and to the entire Badgers wrestling program. The UW has been lucky to have so many generous friends to the university. Chuck LaBahn fits that description and then some. A letterwinner in swimming in the 1940s, this highly-successful businessman helped fund a number of campus projects. Not the least of which is LaBahn Arena, a jewel of a building that sits next to the Kohl Center. Not quite one year old, LaBahn Arena is a terrific home for women's hockey games. It also serves as a practice venue for both the women and the men's teams, and has excellent locker rooms, a dining area and more for the hockey players and the swimmers. Back to hockey. Anyone who followed UW athletics in the early 1970s will never forget the Badgers' magical run to the 1973 NCAA title. The trigger man for the victories against Cornell and Denver that brought the trophy to Madison, Dean Talafous, now joins the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so. He becomes the 12th member of the Badgers hockey family to be so honored. Yes, it was an excellent weekend. A perfect two-fold celebration ― the start of a new Badgers sports season, and a salute to a star-studded Hall of Fame class. Now I feel as though this season truly is underway. There is nothing like a group of Hall of Famers to start the season the right way.