2008 Hall of Fame Class

2008 HALL OF FAME CLASS (INAUGURAL CLASS)

	STAN DURWOOD, FRIEND/SUPPORTER OF THE PROGRAM Stan Durwood, the former co-chairman and chief executive officer of AMC Entertainment, was an avid supporter of UMKC and the athletics program. He played a vital role in the development of UMKC's Division 1 status as well as the creation of the UMKC Athletic Foundation. Stan opened the first commercial multiplex theatre in Kansas City in 1963, which established the industry's subsequent theatre design. He directed AMC's growth to become one of the largest theatre chairs in the United States with a tremendous worldwide presence. Both the Stanley Durwood Award, given to the UMKC male and female student athletes with the highest grade point average, and the Stanley H. Durwood Soccer Stadium and Recreational Field are named in his honor.
	BILL FRERKING, MEN'S BASKETBALL Bill Frerking was an NAIA Honorable Mention all-America selection for UMKC as a senior in 1982-83. Frerking also was a two-time NAIA all-District 16 First Team honoree in 1981-82 and 1982-83, while earning honorable mention NAIA honors as a sophomore in 1980-81.
	KATIE HOULEHAN, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Katie Houlehan closed out her career with First Team all-Mid-Con honors after leading the Kangaroos to the championship game of the 2005 Mid-Con Tournament as the No. 7 seed. Houlehan's team was the first ever UMKC squad (men's or women's) to advance to the title game. The guard finished as UMKC's Division I career scoring leader with 1,445 career points. She also was the most prolific three-point shooter in school history with 257 makes.
	LEE HUNT, COACH/ADMINISTRATOR Lee Hunt was chosen as the first Director of Athletics and head men's basketball coach to lead UMKC into the ranks of Division I. Hunt guided the Kangaroos to 113 wins during his tenure in Blue and Gold. As Athletics Director, he engineered UMKC's first conference affiliation. On the recruiting trail, Hunt was responsible for bringing in two of the top men's basketball student-athletes in school history in guards Ronnie Schmitz and Tony Dumas.
	ROBERT RUSSELL, MEN'S GOLF Robert Russell earned honorable mention all-America honors in 1997 after qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Russell was a two-time Mid-Con Championship individual runner-up, which led to him earning a pair of First Team all-Mid-Con honors. Russell had a UMKC record 72.4 scoring average in 1996-97 and a career scoring average of 72.95 over 65 rounds.
	LARRY SCHELLER, MEN'S SOCCER Larry Scheller was an honorable mention College Soccer News all-American, the Mid-Con Player of the Year, a Second Team NSCAA all-Midwest Region and First Team all-Mid-Con selection in 2001 after helping the Kangaroos advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Scheller finished his career with 17 goals and 40 points in his two years in Kangaroo Blue and Gold.
	RONNIE SCHMITZ, MEN'S BASKETBALL Ronnie Schmitz became UMKC's first student-athlete to have his number 24 retired on Jan. 28, 1995. The guard finished his career with 1,939 career points and 378 three-point field goals, ranking first in both categories. He scored in double figures in 100 career games, which included a 51-point showing against U.S. International on March 4, 1991, which is the second highest single game total in school history.
	CATALINA SUAREZ, VOLLEYBALL Catalina Suarez is considered to be one of the best student-athletes to compete at UMKC regardless of sport. Suarez earned Honorable Mention all-America and a First Team all-Mideast Region honors in 1989 after finishing with a UMKC single season record 694 kills. For her career, the outside hitter ranks among the all-time leaders in school history in hitting percentage (.302), kills per game (7.02) and digs per game (5.47), while playing just two years in Kangaroo Blue and Gold.
	MATT VOELKER, MEN' S TRACK & FIELD Matt Voelker earned all-America honors after placing sixth in the nation at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Voelker, who also qualified for nationals in 2003, was a three-time Mid-Con Indoor champion and a two-time Mid-Con Outdoor champion. He is the UMKC record holder in the high jump both indoors (6-10 ½) and outdoors (7-3 ¼).
	STEPHANIE WORTHY, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL A two-time all-American selection, Stephanie Worthy is considered to be one of the top women's basketball players in UMKC history. The guard was an NAIA First Team all-American in 1985-86 and a Second Team all-American in 1984-85. Worthy holds six of the top-10 single game scoring outputs in school history and her 18.9 career scoring average is tops all-time.