IPFW Athletics Hall of Fame

On December 12, 2009, the IPFW Department of Athletics enshrined its fourth class into the IPFW Athletics Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame has been established to celebrate the accomplishments of IPFW student-athletes, coaches, teams and supporters who have enhanced and reinforced the college's commitment to excellence.

(Left to Right:  Rico Martin, Lisa "Cheeks" Hormann, Dr. Ed Leonard, Wendy Recker-Pettis, Matt Zbyszewski)

IPFW Athletics Hall of Fame
Class of 2009

Wendy Recker-Pettis '97-Women's Basketball
Rico Martin '99-Baseball
Matt Zbyszewski '05-Men's Volleyball
Lisa "Cheeks" Hormann '92-Women's Volleyball Player/Coach/Supporter
Dr. Ed Leonard Pioneer/Supporter

Wendy Recker-Pettis '97-Women's Basketball
Wendy Recker-Pettis was a four-year letterwinner for the IPFW women's basketball team.  She holds the IPFW All-Time Record for Career Assists with 419.  She is also IPFW's Single Season Record Holder with 197.  She was an integral part of the Mastodons' 1994-95 Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament championship team.  For her efforts in that tournament, she was named to the 1994-95 All-GLVC Tournament Team.  She was voted team newcomer of the year in 1993-94 and received the Lisa Miller Coaches' Award the same year.  Also a standout in the classroom, Recker-Pettis was named Academic All-GLVC in 1995-96.

"I am sincerely honored to be recognized for my athletic achievements at this wonderful institution," Recker-Pettis said.  "My years in the IPFW Women's basketball program have certainly contributed to the success I've experienced in other areas of my life."

Fredrico "Rico" Martin '99-Baseball
Rico Martin was one of the most feared hitters in the Great Lakes Valley Conference during his four-year career at IPFW.  Martin is IPFW's All-Time Home Run King.  His 25 career round-trippers is a record that has stood for the past 10 years.  His 11 home runs in the 1997 season ties him for the All-Time record for Home Runs in a season.  It is rare that any player hits .400 during a season, Martin did it twice in his career.  He hit .410 his sophomore campaign and .437 his senior season.  Martin is also second All-Time on IPFW's career RBI list with 117.  Rico also played a season of basketball at IPFW.

"Team work makes the Dream work," was the quote Martin provided when asked why he was able to be so successful within the game.

Matt Zbyszewski '05-Men's Volleyball
Continuing the tradition of All-American Outside Hitters at IPFW, Matt Zbyszewski enters the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native is fourth All-Time on the IPFW Career Kills list with 1,703.  In 2004 he was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-America.  In that same season he was named the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Player of the Year.  Zbyszewski is third All-Time in Career Aces with 127.  He is also fifth All-Time in Career Digs with 674.  Zbyszewski played professionally for teams in Cyprus, Greece and Spain.  He now plays professional beach volleyball and is a two-time Canadian National Beach Volleyball Association Champion.

Lisa "Cheeks" Hormann '92-Women's Volleyball Player/Coach/Supporter
Take one-part player, one-part coach, and one-part diehard supporter, mix them all up and you get Lisa "Cheeks" Hormann.  On the court, Cheeks is IPFW Women's Volleyball's All-Time Career Ace record holder with 247.  She is also the `Don Single Season Ace record holder with 86 in both 1983 and 1984.  She was part of IPFW's first GLVC Championship team as the Mastodons went 34-14 in 1984.  Cheeks also coached the IPFW women's volleyball team to an overall record of 87-50 (.635) from 1989 to 1992.  Her best season as head coach was 1990 when IPFW posted an overall record of 26-9.  She and her husband Roger have been long-time supporters of the men's and women's programs and serve as the team's official statisticians.

"I am very humbled and I accept this award on behalf of my family and (former women's coach and current IPFW head men's coach) Arnie Ball's family," Hormann said.  "Without their love and support, I could never have achieved any of the things I have."

Dr. Ed Leonard - Pioneer/Supporter
Every athletic program need a catalyst...that one person with an idea and the initiative to take action on that idea.  That person for IPFW is Dr. Ed Leonard. Dr. Leonard is simply "The Father of IPFW Athletics".  With a couple hundred dollars and a basketball, he was the first basketball coach in IPFW history.  In 1967-68 his team finished the year with a record of 7-4, and everyone one of those players, left IPFW with an undergraduate degree.  Dr. Leonard was also the first golf coach at IPFW.  From 1972-75 his teams won 65-percent of their dual and triangular meets.  He coached Dan Gerard to IPFW's first-ever NCAA post-season competition, the NCAA Division III National Championships.  As an administrator, Dr. Leonard served as the Chairman of the IPFW Joint Athletic Committee and was instrumental in the addition of women's athletics.  He was also the school's first athletic director.  In his 40-plus years of support to the athletic department, Dr. Leonard established the first endowed scholarship at IPFW.  The Dr. Ed Leonard Endowed Athletic Scholarship is awarded o a member of the IPFW basketball, baseball, or volleyball programs who is a junior or a senior majoring in business.  Also this past year, the Leonard Family created an endowed men's volleyball scholarship as part of the Arnie Ball Legacy Campaign.

"I would like to thank God, my family, students and friends who have truly enriched my life," Dr. Leonard said.  "I have been blessed as I journeyed through the development of IPFW.  I am the richest man in the world because I have family and friends who love me and have constantly encouraged me to follow my dreams and do things the right way.  I would like to thank Chancellor Michael Wartell for loving IPFW and  its athletic program as much as I do.  But most importantly, thank you to the students, alumni, parents and community leaders and all the fans that faithfully support IPFW athletics regardless.  Remember, It's not about winning or losing; it is about how the game of life is played and the opportunity that you have to make a difference in the life of needy or deserving youth."



Click here for the Class of 2008

Click here for the Class of 2007

Click here for the Class of 2006

 

~Dons~