Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Set to Induct 2005 Hall of Fame Class
12/22/2004 12:00:00 AM | General
Feb. 18, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern will induct four athletes and one honorary member into its Athletic Hall of Fame this evening. The induction ceremony and dinner begins at 6 p.m. at the Allen Center on Northwestern's Evanston campus.
The Hall of Fame's 21st class also will be honored at halftime of the Northwestern-Penn State men's basketball game tomorrow afternoon.
The Athletic Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 1984 to honor former athletes, coaches and administrators who have helped establish a proud tradition in intercollegiate competition at Northwestern. Individuals are eligible for Hall of Fame recognition beginning five years after their final competition at NU.
This year's five inductees increase Northwestern's Hall of Fame membership to 117. The following are brief summaries of the inductees' careers:
Kate Oleykowski Bernatowicz, Field Hockey and Lacrosse (1984-87)
One of Northwestern's most decorated female athletes, Oleykowski was a three-time first-team All-America in lacrosse (1985, '86 and '87) and a three-time All-Big Ten selection in field hockey (first team in 1985 and '86). She earned the reputation as the nation's top attack player in lacrosse after leading the country in goals (68) in 1986 and goals per game (5.54) in 1987.
A four-time all-region honoree, she also holds school marks for single-season goals (76) and points (102), single-game assists (7) and points (13). She is Northwestern's career leader in goals with 228. During her lacrosse career, she led NU to a 37-16 record, four top-10 finishes, three NCAA postseason appearances and three fifth-place NCAA Tournament final finishes.
In field hockey, Oleykowski, a defender, helped lead the Wildcats to a 72-13-3 record, four top-five NCAA finishes and three conference championships. She was a 1985 NCAA All-Tournament selection and a two-time All-Midwest Region pick. At the time of her graduation, she ranked 10th in career scoring, despite playing defense.
An outstanding student, Oleykowski was the recipient of an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. She earned several postseason academic awards.
Colleen Senich Funk, Field Hockey and Lacrosse (1988-91)
Senich entered Northwestern as a high school All-American and left the same way, a three-time CFHCA All-American (first-team selection in 1990 and '91). Senich was the defensive lynchpin on Northwestern's nationally ranked teams from 1988-91, which accounted for three of the school's nine total NCAA tournament appearances.
In her final season, Senich was named the Midwest Collegiate Most Valuable Player and the Midwest Collegiate Defensive Player of the Year. She also earned Midwest Collegiate Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1990.
A member of the 1990 U.S. National Team, Senich currently ranks 10th on Northwestern's all-time scoring list with 86 points (39 goals and 8 assists). Her 39 goals are presently the seventh-most in NU history.
Senich, who is married to Mike Funk, another 2005 Hall of Fame inductee, also played lacrosse at Northwestern.
Michael Funk, Wrestling (1987-91)
Northwestern wrestling's only four-time All-America, Funk also was named Northwestern's Male Athlete of the Year for 1990-91. In 1991, he won the Big Ten championship in the 190-pound weight class and finished seventh at the NCAA tournament. That same year, he also led NU in points, falls and net takedowns, sweeping the team's three major postseason awards.
He finished his career with 122 wins, good for third on Northwestern's all-time list, and participated in the 1991 East-West All-Star meet. Funk won a career-best 35 matches in 1990, which ranks among NU's top 10 for single-season victories.
In 1991, he was Northwestern's Tuteville Award (most points) recipient. He also captured the Jack Riley Fall Trophy that year, as well as the Lupton Award (net takedowns).
Barry Gardner, Football (1995-98)
Gardner entered Northwestern virtually unknown as a walk-on offensive lineman. He left as one of the school's most prolific linebackers, finishing with 468 career tackles, second best in Northwestern history.
Gardner was dominant in Northwestern's 1995-96 back-to-back Big Ten titles, playing alongside Pat Fitzgerald in a linebacker corps second to none. But Gardner's senior season was his best. He finished with 175 tackles in 1998, best in the nation. For his efforts, Gardner was named first-team All-Big Ten for a second time.
Named a National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation, Gardner also was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, receiving an NCAA postgraduate scholarship. A second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Gardner currently plays for the Cleveland Browns.
Dave Eanet, Honorary Inductee (Class of 1977)
The "Voice of the Wildcats," Eanet has become one of the most respected radio play-by-play personalities in college athletics. He performs his duties with a great deal of passion and brings exceptional enthusiasm to the radio booth.
Eanet, sports director at WGN, completed his 15th season as the play-by-play voice of Northwestern football. Since 1996, Eanet has been the voice of Wildcat basketball. The graduate of NU's Medill School of Journalism has been honored for sports reporting and play-by-play coverage from many organizations, including the Associated Press, United Press International, Illinois Broadcasters Association and the Chicago Headline Club.
Earlier this year, Eanet received the Silver Dome Award for "Best Play-by-Play in Sports." The award was given by the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
Eanet was honored by the Northwestern Gridiron Network (NGN) in 2000 for his efforts on behalf of Northwestern football, and he was made an honorary member of Northwestern's N Club in 2002. He also has handled pre- and post-game broadcasts for the Chicago Bears and Cubs, is the voice of Big Ten Women's Basketball for Fox Sports Net, and is frequently seen as sports anchor on WGN-TV's News at Nine.
For reservations to the 2004-05 Northwestern Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony, please call Jean Yale at 847-491-3694.
