ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) has announced their 2010 Hall of Fame Inductees. The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, July 14, at the Best Western Kelly Inn/St. Cloud at the NSIC's 11th annual Summer Kickoff event. A social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 7:00 p.m.
The class of 2010 includes: Susan Alstrom, Bemidji State University; Denise (Holm) Olson, University of Minnesota Duluth; Manny Beckman, Minnesota State University, Mankato; Elise (Olsgaard) Erickson, Minnesota State University Moorhead; Stephanie (Hengel) Popelar, Northern State University; Dan Hagen, St. Cloud State University; Scott Dubbelde, Southwest Minnesota State University and Elisabeth (Morgan) Shannon, Winona State University.
Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC), the former men's conference, Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league.
2010 NSIC Hall of Fame Inductees
Susan Alstrom, Bemidji State University
Susan Alstrom attended Bemidji State University from 1972-76 before graduating Cum Laude with a degree in Physical Education and a minor in Biology. During her term at BSU, Alstrom was a three sport athlete competing in basketball, track & field and field hockey.
On the basketball court, Alstrom was a team captain and named to the all-conference team in 1974 and 1975. The 1974-75 team won the conference championship.
Alstrom was the state champion in the indoor and outdoor shot put in 1973 and 1974. In 1973, 1974 & 1975 she was the state discus champion and in 1974 she was the state javelin champion in her first year participating in the event.
In field hockey, Alstrom was a three-year all-conference selection as her team won the state and conference titles all four years she played. The 1975 field hockey team played in the first team National Championships and Alstrom was then asked to try out for the national team.
Following her career at Bemidji State, Alstrom held the position of President of the Minnesota State Girls Association; coached volleyball, softball and track for at Buffalo Lake-Hector High School; was inducted into the Bemidji State and Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 1998; was named one of Bemidji State's Top 30 Athletes; and has run 17 marathons.
Alstrom has taught at Buffalo Lake-Hector High School since 1976. When she is not coaching or teaching Alstrom loves to travel. She has traveled to all seven continents with treks including, climbing two of the seven summits of Mount Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and teaching Physical Education in Africa, just to name a few.
Denise (Holm) Olson, University of Minnesota Duluth
Denise (Holm) Olson assisted the University of Minnesota Duluth's women's basketball team to new levels during her career. A three year starter in the Bulldog backcourt, Holm captained Minnesota Duluth to the school's first NAIA National Tournament berths the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons. The 1988-89 season also included the Bulldogs winning their first outright Northern Sun Conference Championship. She was honored as an All-Northern Sun Conference and All-NAIA District 13 first team honoree as both a junior and senior.
She concluded her tenure as the school's career leader in assists (813), steals (236) and games played (118). In her senior season she topped the division II ranks with a school record 291 assists (9.1 apg) while also establishing a team single-game record for assist in a game with 13 on two different occasions. She was named by her teammates as the Bulldog's Best Defensive Player in both her sophomore and junior seasons and was the co-winner of the UMD Outstanding Senior Female Athlete award following her final season. The Bulldogs posted an overall record of 83-37 during Holm's four-year career.
Holm graduated from UMD with a B.S. in Elementary Education in 1989. From there she served as the head girls' basketball coach at Duluth Central High School for five years and Duluth East High School, her alma mater, for another seven seasons. She was a two-time Region 8AAAA / Region 7AAA Coach of the Year while at Duluth East High. In 2004, Holm was inducted into the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame.
Denise is currently a sale representative at Twin Ports Paper & Supply Company in Duluth. She is married to Jim Olson her husband of 20 years. Together they have 3 children - Troy 17, Trevor 16 and Jada who is 12. Denise enjoys coaching her daughter's 6th grade basketball team and watching her boys play hockey for Duluth East.
Manny Beckman, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Manny Beckman was a three sport athlete at Minnesota State University, Mankato as he excelled in football, basketball and track for the Mavericks from 1950 to 1954. The eleven-time letterwinner was part of nine conference championships during his stint at MSU.
On the gridiron, Beckman earned all-conference honors as a sophomore and junior and was named the team's Outstanding Athlete as a sophomore. He then earned the NIC's Glen Galligan Award in 1952 as he set the school record for a total yardage in a single season (1,300) that stood for 15 years.
As a forward in basketball he was named all-conference honorable mention as a sophomore and all-conference as a junior. In track he competed in the hurdles and competed in the weight events for three seasons before student teaching in the spring of his senior season.
Beckman graduated with a B.S. Degree in U.S. History and Physical Education. Beckman then spent 1954 to 1992 (37 years) teaching and coaching at Waseca High School. He was head boys basketball 38 years and the head track coach for 35 years. Manny's greatest coaching fame came in boys basketball where he won 487 games, 13 conference championships and appeared in the Minnesota State Basketball Tournament four times. Beckman was named the Minnesota Coach of the Year in 1975 and coached Minnesota's first Mr. Basketball in Gene Glynn.
Manny was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 1981. He was a member of the inaugural class of the Minnesota High School Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Waseca Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also inducted to the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1992. Manny retire from teaching and coaching in 1992 and he and his wife Pat reside in Waseca.
Elise (Olsgaard) Erickson, Minnesota State University Moorhead
Elise (Olsgaard) Erickson made leaps and bounds during her tenure at MSU Moorhead. A two-time Minnesota State High School League Champion in both the 100 and 200 meter dash, Erickson continued her success at the collegiate level.
She joined the Dragons women's track & field team in the second season of the program existence. She began to pace the Dragon sprinters as she set and broke multiple records in 1975, and increased her times throughout her career. She was plagued by injury in her upperclassman years, but still participated with top-five finishes in the region.
Upon her graduation in 1978, she had led the team to six Minn-Kota Conference Championships, three in each indoor and outdoor, as well as winning individual title in six indoor events and five outdoor events. Erickson's name was listed four times on the conference indoor records sheet with the best times in the 50-yard (6.3, 1976), 60-yard (7.1, 1977), 220-yard (26.2, 1977), the sprint relay (1:11.15, 1978) and on the 440-yard relay team (51.2, 1977). She also held the league's outdoor records in the 100-yard (11.1, 1975), 100-meter (12.8, 1978) and 220-yard (25.7, 1976).
In addition to her honors in the league, she also holds many of the first records at MSUM, including the current No.3 fastest time in the 100-meter dash, with a time of 11.93 in 1976. When she exited MSUM she held records in four individual events and was on four of the relay record setting teams.
Erickson graduated in 1979 with a degree in Physical Education and Health Education at MSUM. In 1980, she became the graduate assistant for athletic training at North Dakota State, which turned into a full time position for the Bison. In 1989 she became the athletic training curriculum director at NDSU where she spent ten years.
A resident of Moorhead, Erickson and her husband Roger have two children. Lisa currently serves on the Moorhead School Board, a position she's held for 13 years.
Stephanie (Hengel) Popelar, Northern State University
Stephanie (Hengel) Popelar was a three-sport athlete at Northern State University from 1985-89. She excelled in basketball, cross country and track & field before she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administration.
In cross country and track & field, Hengel was a four-year All-District performer, a four-year all-conference selection and combined to compete at Nationals seven times. She was the 1988 conference and district champion in cross country and was a two-time NAIA Academic All-American. Hengel set the NSU record in the 5,000 meter run in 1987 with a time of 17:33.
On the basketball court, Hengel was a three year starter and was part of the 1987-88 Northern Sun Conference Championship team that went 11-1 in NSC play.
After her senior season, Hengel was awarded the Hildred Wolfe Outstanding Athlete Award, which is giving annually to the top senior women's athlete at Northern State University.
In 2002 Northern State University inducted Stephanie into their Hall of Fame and in 2009 Aberdeen High School did the same.
Following her career at Northern State, Stephanie has volunteered for multiple committees and foundations. She is also an accomplished tri-athlete, as she competes six to nine times a year. At the Triathlon World Championships in 2006, she placed third for females age 35 to 39 and placed first among all U.S. women. She is currently employed as a Senior Legal Analyst at Western Union. Stephanie and her husband Greg reside in Lakewood, Colorado.
Scott Dubbelde, Southwest Minnesota State University
Scott Dubbelde set a goal for his collegiate career after the Pipestone, Minn. native won the 1979 Minnesota State Wrestling Championship at 145 pounds. His goal was to be an All-American wrestler at Southwest State University and in the 1979-80 season he began that journey. Dubbelde finished second in the NIC in 1980 and qualified for the NAIA national tournament. In 1981 and 1982 he took home first place NIC honors at 158 and 167 pounds and again made nationals, but did not finish high enough for All-American status.
Then in 1984, after taking a year away from the mat, Dubbelde helped the Mustangs to the NIC team championship and a first place finish at 167 pounds. He breezed through the NIC Championships winning matches by a 20-6 mark, a pin fall and a 16-5 win in the finals. From there he went on to place second in the nation and earned his coveted All-American status. He finished his senior season with a 29-4 record.
Over his career at Southwest Minnesota State, Dubbelde was 101-20, which ranks him sixth all-time in victories. His .835 win percentage is the second best all-time in Mustang history.
Dubbelde graduated in 1984 with a B.S. degree in Ag Business Management. He is currently the General Manager at the Farmers Co-operative Elevator Company of Hanley Falls, Minn. Scott and his wife of 25 years, Diane, also an SSU grad, have a son Eric, who is a senior at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and a daughter Katelyn, who is a sophomore at Winona State University.
Dan Hagen, St. Cloud State University
Dan Hagen made his name on the hardwood during his career at St. Cloud State. Hagen is the Huskies career scoring leader with 2,136 career points and ranks second on the career rebounding chart with 1,004 boards. In his rookie campaign he set the season scoring record with 482 points, and held the junior season scoring record until the 2005-06 season. Hagen still holds the St. Cloud State career records for most field goals (843), the most field goal attempts (1,588), the most free throws (450) and the most free throw attempts (704). He still ranks second among NSIC career scoring leaders with 1,329 points (20.8 average) and second in rebounds with 611 (9.5 average).
Hagen was a Second Team All-NSIC in 1977-78 as a freshman and NIC Freshman of the Year. He followed that up with three straight stints on the NIC First Team in 1978-79, 1979-80, and 1980-81. As a sophomore he was named SCSU's MVP and was named to the NAIA All-District 13 Team. Hagen led St. Cloud State in scoring all four seasons and played in 108 career games. Hagen was inducted into the St. Cloud State Hall of Fame in 1994.
Hagen has been employed at Plaza Park Bank over twenty years and is now the Vice President in the lending department in Sartell, Minn. Dan and his wife of 27 years, Janet, have a 22 year old son Tyler, a 19 year old daughter, Lauren, and 16 year old daughter, Abbie.
Elisabeth (Morgan) Shannon, Winona State University
Elisabeth (Morgan) Shannon was one of the stars in the first four years of soccer in the NSIC. She helped lead Winona State Women's Soccer to the 1998 and 1999 NSIC Regular Season Championship and a 1999 NSIC Tournament Title. Of the five original teams to start NSIC soccer play, she helped Winona State to a 20-4 mark over four seasons.
A four-time NSIC All-Conference pick, Morgan is one of only 21 players in NCAA Division II history to score 40 goals and record 40 assists in her career. She is tied for second in the NCAA record book for most points scored in a match with 16 and tied for sixth for the most goals scored in a match with six. In 1996 she was 15th in the nation in goals and 17th in scoring. In 1997 she was fourth in the nation in goals and fifth in scoring and tenth in assists.
Elisabeth currently is living in Villa Park, Ill. with her husband Michael. She is employed at Fiserv Investment Services as a business analyst.
