The inductees into the University of Southern Indiana sports hall of fame have been announced.
Seven individuals have been selected ranging across varying sports.
Chad Gilbert – men’s basketball – was the most outstanding player when USI won the national championship in 1995
Keil Kaiser – men’s cross country/track – was the first USI athlete to win the 10,000 meter run at the Drake Relays.
Jason Krack – baseball – ranks in the top five for hits, home runs, RBIs, runs scored and batting average for USI.
Karianne Osowski – softball – holds the single season and single game records for strikeouts.
Megan Russell – women’s soccer – helped USI to the quarterfinals of the NCAA D2 tournament and was an All-American in 1998.
Wayne Boultinghouse – athletic director and men’s basketball coach – was the AD for seven years, 74-81, and took the USI men to the NCAA tournament for the first time.
Donald Bennett – director of athletics – was instrumental in the creation of the modern-day athletic department and varsity club.
Any athlete or faculty member can be recommended to the ballot five years after they have left the university. The selections are made in conjunction with homecoming week here at USI.
The committee board, which makes the selections, is comprised of 10 individuals throughout the university, said Athletic Director John Mark Hall, who is one of the members on the board.
“We had around 50 considerations on the ballot this year,” Hall said. “That is a rough number as it changes from year to year.”
Once an individual is placed on the ballot, they remain there for the span of five years until they are dropped off the ballot and must be recommended again, Hall explained.
Of the individuals on the ballet, only one wasn’t a coach or athlete: Donald Bennett was the director of athletics. He passed away last July, but his son, Scott Bennett, will be receiving the award for him.
“My dad was the kind of guy who didn’t need to be acknowledged. If he did, that was great, but he didn’t brag on his accomplishments,” Bennett said. “He would have loved this award though.”
Bennett said his father was one of the original people who got the athletic department going.
“My family really wishes he was here and he would be very proud if he was,” he said.
Bennett said that it is going to be emotional for the family either way.
Either he would have been here and they could have seen him receive what he worked so hard for, or they will be very emotional because he isn’t here and it’s only been seven months or so since he passed.
The official banquet and ceremony for the inductees will take place 6:30 p.m. Friday in Carter Hall.