1981-82 men’s basketball team plus five set to be inducted

DeKALB | This is what the dreams of college athletes are made of.

After your college days are through and athletic days long behind you, there is a way of being remembered for all your hard work and effort. For an athlete, there is nothing as prestigious as being asked to join the ranks of those inducted into the hall of fame.

This weekend, that dream will become a reality for five individuals and an entire basketball team. Bill Baker, Cary Groth, Cathy Holmes, Johan Bergseth, Wes Luedeking and the 1981-82 men’s basketball team will be recognized for their excellence, and honored with a ceremony.

Traditionally, the hall of fame ceremony takes place during homecoming weekend.

This year, however, it has become a stand-alone event.

What once got lost in all of the homecoming chaos will now receive all the attention it deserves.

All of the inductees will convene in the Duke Ellington Ballroom Friday, where their achievements will be acknowledged.

Bergseth made his mark with the NIU soccer team.

To this day, he still holds the number four spot in scoring in NIU career charts.

Luedeking quickly became known as a versatile athlete in his time spent at NIU.

From 1953-57, he participated in not only football, but basketball, track and baseball as well.

Holmes will become the first volleyball player in NIU history to be singularly acknowledged for her excellence.

Baker became known as the voice of the Huskies, providing play-by-play coverage for 30 years.

Groth was another multiple sport athlete, participating in both tennis and soccer. After her time spent at NIU, she later became the NIU athletics director.

The 1981-82 men’s basketball team became pioneers, going where no NIU basketball team had gone up to that point: the NCAA tournament.

After coming out on top of several tough conference games, and a non-conference schedule with victories over Northwestern and Notre Dame, the team went on to become MAC Champions. From there, they went into the NCAA tournament.

“We were around good, quality, hard-working people dedicated to trying to be successful,” said 1982 player Allen Rayhorn. “That was definitely icing on the cake, everyone wants to go out on top.”

The alumni will be acknowledged during halftime of the NIU/Akron football game Saturday.

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