PITTSBURG — Pittsburg State University is pleased to announce its 2017 induction class into the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. The group – comprised of seven former standout Gorillas – will be formally inducted during ceremonies on campus in September.
 
PSU's Class of 2017 is headlined by a cast of decorated athletes:  Nathan Baker (2001-04), an All-American offensive lineman and winner of the inaugural Gene Upshaw Award as a member of Pitt State's 2004 NCAA Division II National Runner-Up squad; Jenny (Pracht) Townsend (1994-96), a three-time All-MIAA performer in women's basketball and the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year in 1996; Wendi (Rickson) Horak (1992-94), a three-time All-MIAA performer in softball and school record setter in several offensive batting categories; Brad Shorter (1997-98), an All-American catcher in baseball, the school's career batting average leader and a CoSIDA Academic All-American; and Julie (Smith) Spears (1996-99), a national champion discus thrower and three-time All-American in women's track & field.
 
Charles "Chuck" Norris (1957-58), a record-breaking running back on Pitt State's 1957 NAIA National Championship football team, and Honorable A.J. Wachter, a former Gorillas' quarterback and long-standing District Court Judge in Pittsburg, will be inducted in the Hall of Fame's "Legacy" category.
 
The Legacy category, created in 2005, focuses solely on individuals who completed their athletic eligibility 50 years from the current calendar year in an attempt to bolster the school's rich heritage from earlier years.
 
"Once again PSU Athletics is blessed with the opportunity to pay tribute to a handful of elite individuals representing the proud history and tradition of Gorilla intercollegiate athletics," said Dan Wilkes, associate athletic director and chair of the PSU Athletics Hall of Fame Committee. "We are tremendously proud of this group that comprises the Class of 2017 and eager to appropriately honor and celebrate them next fall."


2017 Hall of Fame Inductee Profiles

Nathan Baker, Football Athlete, 2001-04 (BSET, 2005)
~  NCAA-II All-American, 2004 (Consensus, 1st team, OL)
~  Inaugural Winner of the Gene Upshaw Award – DII Lineman/Year
~  MIAA All-Conference, 2003-04 (2nd, OL, 2003; 1st, OL, 2004)
~  Helped 2004 PSU offense set NCAA all-time scoring (837 pts) & total offense (8976 yds)
    records & NCAA Division II all-time rushing record (5320 yds)
 
Jenny (Pracht) Townsend, Women's Basketball Athlete, 1994-96 (BS, 1996)
~  Three-time MIAA All-Conference (2nd, '94; 2nd, '95; 2nd, '96)
~  Scored 1302 points (16.1 ppg) and grabbed 596 rebounds (7.4 rpg) in 81 career games (16.1 ppg) –
    7th-highest scoring total & 4th-highest rebounding total at the time; ranks 4th all-time in career
    scoring average (16.1 ppg) and 3rd all-time in career rebounding average (7.4 rpg)
~  Selected the GTE Academic All-American of the Year in 1996; also named the 1996 Ken B.
    Jones Award Winner as the MIAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year
 
Wendi (Rickson) Horak, Softball Athlete, 1992-94 (BS, 1994)
~  MIAA All-Conference, 1992-93 (So. Div., 3B, '92; 1st, 3B, '93)
~  Set PSU single season record with .461 batting avg. in 1993; Hit .461 with 13 doubles, 4 HRs,
    40 RBI in 1993
~  Set PSU career records for runs (112), hits (185), doubles (39), home runs (16) & RBI (121)
~  Helped PSU to 36-8 record and program's first NCAA-II Tournament berth in '93 and a school
    record 48 wins (48-15), the program's only MIAA regular season title and a repeat berth to the
    NCAA Tournament
 
Brad Shorter, Baseball Athlete, 1997-98 (BSED, 2000)
~  NCAA-II All-America, 1998 (3rd team, C, ABCA)
~  NCAA-II All-Region, 1998 (1st team, C, ABCA)
~  NCAA-II All-Region, 1997 (1st team, 3B, ABCA)
~  MIAA All-Conference, 1997-98 (2nd team, 3B, '97; 2nd team, C, '98)
~   Set PSU records for career BA (.423) and season RBIs (73) – .423 career batting average with
    15 HRs and 125 RBIs in 106 games
~  CoSIDA Academic All-America, 1998
 
Julie (Smith) Spears, Women's Track & Field Athlete, 1996-99 (BS, 2000)
~  NCAA-II National Champion: discus, '99 (165-10)
~  Three-time NCAA-II All-American: discus, '99 (1st, 165-10); shot put (I), '99 (6th, 46-2);
    shot put (O), '99 (6th, 46-5.5)
~  Seven-time All-MIAA performer in throws
~  Former school record holder in the discus (166-1) – now 2nd
~  Former school record holder in indoor shot put (47-6.5) – now 6th

 
Legacy Category
 
Charles "Chuck" Norris, Football Athlete, 1957-58 (BSED, 1959)
~  CIC All-Conference, 1957 (2nd team, RB)
~  Set single-season rushing and scoring records with 662 yards and 90 points in 1957, despite
    PSU employing four-back committee
~  Helped lead the Gorillas to an unblemished 11-0 record and the 1957 NAIA National
    Championship
~  Finished two-year career with 931 yards and 18 TDs
 
Honorable A.J. Wachter, Meritorious Achievement (BSE, 1967)
~  A four-year member of the PSU football team, 1963-66
~  Starting quarterback on PSU's CIC co-champion squad in 1966
~  Served as a U.S. Army Reserve from 1961-69
~  Following graduation, earned a law degree and worked in private practice in Pittsburg from
    1969-2002. Became an 11th Judicial District Court Judge in Pittsburg in 2002, honorably
    serving the citizens of Pittsburg/Crawford County for the past 15 years
 
2017 Hall of Fame Ceremonies
Pittsburg State's 30^th class of inductees will be honored at a special Hall of Fame Induction Banquet at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, in the Crimson & Gold Ballroom of the Overman Student Center on campus. The group also will be honored at halftime of the Gorillas' football game against Washburn the next day (Sept. 30).