Kansas Wesleyan University will induct three individuals and a trio of softball teams into the Kansas Wesleyan Coyote Athletic Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming and Family Weekend activities on October 24.
The 2020 Hall of Fame class includes soccer star Murad Dibbini, volleyball standout Lisa (Tripp) Hall, cross country and track star Nathan Haberichter, along with the 1989, 1990 and 1991 softball teams coached by Russ Martin.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Hall of Fame Class will be recognized with feature profiles on kwucoyotes.com on Saturday morning, ahead of Wesleyan’s football game with Avila University, and soccer matches against York College that evening.
“All three individuals were stars in their sports,” said David Toelle, KWU sports information director and chair of the hall of fame committee. “Murad is one of the most decorated soccer players in KWU history. Lisa excelled on the court with the volleyball team, leading a resurgence of the team to the top of the KCAC. Nathan was one of the top runners in KWU history and is one of the two known KCAC meet MVPs in school history.
“The softball teams were part of an unprecendented run for the Coyotes on the dirt diamond.”
Murad Dibbini (’01) – Men’s Soccer
Murad Dibbini is one of the top men’s soccer players to ever don a KWU uniform. He played three years at KWU, earning First-Team All-KCAC honors three years. As a senior he was named the KCAC Player of the Year in 1999. He helped the Coyotes win two KCAC titles in 1998 and 1999. He was also named All-NAIA Region IV three times and was a three-time NAIA All-American. He still holds the KWU record for all-time goals with 65 and points with 168. He helped the Coyotes win three consecutive National Small College Athletic Association Men’s Soccer National Championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999. He was a NSCAA All-American in 1997 and was named to the NSCAA All-Tournament teams in 1998 and 1999, earning Tournament MVP honors in 1998. He was a four-time Dean’s Honor Roll and two-time President’s Honor Roll honoree and was selected to the Who’s Who in America’s Colleges and Universities list twice. He graduated from KWU with dual degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Health, Physical Education and Recreation and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, both in 2001. After graduation, Murad, along with his brother Mike and teammate JC Walsh founded the Salina Soccer Club.
Lisa (Tripp) Hall (’98) – Volleyball
Lisa (Tripp) Hall played volleyball for four years for the Coyotes. She was a four-time All-KCAC honoree, earning Second-Team honors as a freshman and sophomore and unanimous First-Team honors as a junior and senior. She was a key piece in the turnaround of the volleyball program. The year before her arrival, the team was winless in the KCAC and by the time she was a senior, the program won its first KCAC Volleyball Regular Season title in 1998. The Coyotes also won the 1996 KCAC Tournament title, a program first. She helped lead the Coyotes to the 1997 NSCAA National Championship and a second place finish in 1998. Lisa was also named the 1998 KCAC Player of the Year in helping the Coyotes win the KCAC Championship that year. She was twice named a National Small College Athletic Association All-American. She also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-KCAC three times and was a three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete.
Nathan Haberichter (’92) – Track and Cross Country
Nathan Haberichter was a star on the track for the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes. As a sophomore, he won the KCAC Championships in both the Steeplechase and 5000m. At the NAIA National Championships, he finished ninth in the Steeplechase. As a junior, Haberichter won the NAIA District 10 10000m run and again qualified for the NAIA National Championships in the Steeplechase. As a senior, Haberichter was named KCAC Championship Meet MVP, scoring 38 points, bringing home wins in the 5000m, Steeplechase, 1500 and narrowly missing a fourth win in a photo finish in the 800m. He was a three-time KCAC Champion in the Steeplechase and the 5000m. He also qualified for the NAIA National Cross Country Meet as a junior in 1990. Haberichter, a native of Clever, Mo., originally came to KWU with aspirations of playing basketball for the Coyotes, but turned to track and field instead. He also served as student body president as a senior. Haberichter enjoyed all this success despite running for four different coaches during his career.
1989, 1990, 1991 Softball teams
Kansas Wesleyan enjoyed continued success on the softball diamond for the three years under the direction of coach Russ Martin. After finishing second in the KCAC regular season, third in the conference tournament and fourth in NAIA District 10 in 1989, the Coyotes would not lose a KCAC contest the next two seasons, going a combined 20-0 in 1990 and 1991, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. The 1990 squad finished third in NAIA District 10 and in 1991, the Coyotes were district runners-up. Coach Martin was selected KCAC Coach of the Year all three seasons. In 1989, Jo Sharp, Kris Mitchell and Shelly Emig were First-Team All-KCAC selections and Terri Clark, Vicki Rierson and Diane Dowell were honorable mention selections. In 1990, the Coyotes had five first-team nods in Clark, Emig, Mitchell, Sharp and Monique Howard, while Christy Richmond, Monica Cruz and Rierson were honorable mention selections. In 1991, the Coyotes placed another five on the conference first-team, in Clark, Emig, Richmond, Krista Warner and Deena Baker. Stacy Breznay, Michelle Villaire and Leslie Zielinski were honorable mention nods. Sharp was a two-time All-NAIA District 10 selection in 1989 and 1990 and Emig twice earned the honor in 1990 and 1991. In 1991, four Coyotes earned spots on the All-District team in Clark, Emig, Richmond and Warner.
