The Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those men and women who distinguished themselves as outstanding contributors to athletics while at Wayland Academy, and who continue to exemplify the core values of athletics at Wayland Academy—Integrity, Respect, Caring, Gratitude, Passion—in their personal and professional lives.
During the summer of 2021, a group of alumni and trustees came together to remind us of the athletic legacy that Wayland Academy has coveted for decades. Cobb and Brown Fields, the tennis courts, the softball and baseball diamonds, Lindsay Gym, Sol Wolfe `34 Pool, and the Janik Field House were the other classrooms where students learned character, honor, and teamwork. These were also places where the Academy earned its spot competing with many of the top schools and colleges in the Midwest.
The Athletic Hall of Fame is a way for the Academy to recognize and honor members of the Wayland Academy community who distinguished themselves as outstanding contributors to athletics while at the Academy. It will pay tribute to those who have continued to exemplify the core values of athletics at Wayland Academy—Integrity, Respect, Caring, Gratitude, and Passion—in their personal and professional lives.
If you know a person who exemplifies these characteristics and meets the criteria, please consider nominating them for the Wayland Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.
2025 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
|
Join us on Friday, October 10, at 1:00 PM in the Janik Field House for the 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, kicking off Homecoming Weekend. Congratulations to the following individuals and team who will be inducted in October: |
|
Jeff Hawley `75 Jason Brandt `90 Alexandra “Alex” Schwertfeger Solanki `95 Coach Bob Smith `57 (deceased) Coach Jim Borrud H`75 1999 Championship Golf Team |
Student-Athlete Nomination Criteria
- The nominee must have demonstrated excellence while competing at Wayland Academy.
- The nominee must have graduated at least 10 years ago.
- The nominee must be a positive role model and show leadership qualities.
- The nominee must demonstrate a high level of sportsmanship and spirit.
Team, Coach, Posthumous, or Benefactor Nomination Criteria
- The coach nominee must be currently unaffiliated with Wayland or pending retirement.
- The team nominee should be 10 years removed from its season of accomplishment.
- The nominee must be a positive role model and show leadership qualities.
- The nominee must demonstrate a high level of sportsmanship and spirit.
From the Steering Committee: Your Nominations are Important
The Athletic Hall of Fame Committee needs your help!
The committee is NOT a group of professional personnel evaluators with unlimited time on their hands. We are, instead, a group of volunteers hugely dependent on your input in identifying the classmates and coaches that contributed to your athletic and character development while at Wayland.
We listen to fellow committee members who happen to have been around at the time, but we strive to limit the influence of individual committee members. This is YOUR Athletic Hall of Fame, not the Committee’s. What matters to us are the nominations of alumni directly influenced by a particular teammate, captain, or coach.
The number of nominations a potential recipient receives is persuasive. So, too, is the compelling nature of the nomination in articulating the nominee’s impact or influence.
Why, you may ask, should you take the time to go to fill out a nomination form? Most of us find it personally rewarding to give back to folks who have given so much to us. So . . . do it for yourself!
But do it for Wayland and Wayland’s current students too! Those of us who’ve been fortunate enough to attend an induction ceremony have been gratified at the interest and participation of the student body in the proceedings. Rather than politely tolerating a “cordial” activity for a bunch of old folks that usually runs too long, the kids frequently take the lead, sitting with rapt attention laughing and enthusiastically cheering.
They do so for good reason. These are perceptive young people. It’s one thing to mouth the words integrity, respect, caring, knowledge and character. It’s quite another to see those core values exemplified in the individuals being inducted into the Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Click below to nominate someone for the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame.
Nominations for the are due annually by April 15.
Watch the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Watch the 2023 Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
2023 Alumni Reunion and Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Photos
2022 Inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Alumni Reunion Photos
No post to display.
Athletic Hall of Fame Steering Committee
Elizabeth Traut Bosio `73—Chair
Mick Maier `64
Mike VanHaren `82
Terrence Wilson `02
Gerry Cumpiano `06
Anne Rauschert Raisor `11
Diane Alpaugh H`83, Former Faculty
Bill Baxter H`83, Former Faculty
Kris Boucher H`90, Former Faculty
Dave Kasper H`81, Former Faculty
Carrie Ahlborn, Director of Advancement
Jim Janik `74, Immediate Past Chair
Cody Schultz, Director of Athletics
Jason Warnick, Head of School
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding the Athletic Hall of Fame, contact Carrie Ahlborn, Director of Advancement at Wayland Academy at 920-356-2120 ext. 222.