2/2 - SPORTS HALL OF FAME: Bruins to Induct Five Individuals and One Team as Class of '07 on Feb. 16

NEWBERG, Ore. --- As a part of its Homecoming weekend activities Feb. 16-18, the George Fox University Sports Hall of Fame will hold its 12th annual induction ceremonies with the Class of 2007, consisting of five individuals and one team, entering the Hall on Friday, Feb. 16, 2007.

Making up this year's class are Marj Brood (Multiple Sports 1962-63, 1964-67), Ryan Chaney (Track and Field 1994-97), Aaron Young (Track and Field 1992-93, 1995-96), Mark Vernon (Coach 1982-2000), Ed Stevens (Meritorious Service), and the 1989-90 men's basketball team.

The day's events begin with a reception and light refreshments at 4 p.m. in the Klages Dining Hall of the Heacock Commons building on the Newberg campus. Dinner and the induction ceremonies follow at 4:30 p.m. The honored athletes will also be introduced at halftime of the men's basketball game against Pacific Lutheran University in the Wheeler Sports Center's Miller Gym, which begins at 8 p.m. following the women's game at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the evening are $25 for adults and $12 for children 12 and under. For more information or to order tickets, call the athletics department at 503-554-2910.

MARJ BROOD (Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Field Hockey 1962-63, 1964-67)

Called by her coach, Marge Weesner, "one of the best female athletes I have ever coached, and certainly one of the best in George Fox history", Marj Brood was a four-sport standout for the some of the school's earliest women's programs. She earned four varsity letters in softball, three in basketball, two in field hockey, and one in volleyball. She was a four-year starter at shortstop, and played guard on three Women's Conference of Independent Colleges championship teams, including the undefeated 1964-65 team. A left winger and forward on the first two George Fox field hockey teams, she was named to the Willamette Valley Field Hockey Association All-Star Team as a senior. She capped off her career by being named the school's Outstanding Woman Athlete in 1967. A native of Medford, Ore., she earned her bachelor's degree in physical education in 1967, and a master of education from the University of Oregon in 1969. She taught physical education in Oregon high schools for many years, and also served as a recreational therapist in the women's section of the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.

RYAN CHANEY (Track & Field 1994-97)

Ryan Chaney won the 1997 NAIA indoor and outdoor 400 meter national titles and was named the 1997 GTE Academic All-American of the Year for the spring at-large college division team. As a senior, he did not lose an individual race at any distance. His 400 meter time of 45.98 was the fastest by any Oregon athlete at all levels in 1997. During his four years, he won six NAIA All-America awards and two NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete awards, graduating with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He set eight school records, including the indoor and outdoor 400 meters, indoor and outdoor 4x400 relays, indoor and outdoor 300 meters, and indoor and outdoor 200 meters. He qualified for the 1997 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, where he finished 21st in the 400 meters.

AARON YOUNG (Track & Field 1992-93, 1995-96)

On the final jump of his collegiate athletic career, Aaron Young unleashed his lifetime best effort and won the 1996 NAIA triple jump national title. His school-record leap of 48-7.5 won the event by five inches, and helped the Bruin team finish 10th in the NAIA National Championships. The year before, he earned NAIA All-America honors with a sixth-place national finish. The 1991 Oregon Class 4A triple jump and high jump state champion, he also won four conference titles: two in the triple jump and one each in the high jump and the 110 meter hurdles. He graduated with George Fox's best-ever triple jump, No. 2 high jump (6-10.25), No. 4 decathlon score (6,203), and No. 7 long jump (22-3).

MARK VERNON (Men's Basketball Coach 1982-2000)

Head coach Mark Vernon, a 1977 graduate of George Fox, led the men's basketball program to its most successful era. During his 18-year tenure, he coached the Bruins to six 20-win seasons and two NAIA National Tournament appearances. Six of his teams were nationally ranked, including the 1991-92 team that was ranked as high as No. 2 in the NAIA Division II. His 1990-91 team was the first in the Pacific Northwest to average more than 100 points a game. His teams posted a 318-218 record (.593), an average of 17.6 wins a season. Two of his players were NBA draft picks, six were NAIA All-Americans, and one was an NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete. He was named NAIA District 2 Coach of the Year four times, and was inducted into the Northwest Champions Hall of Fame by the Northwest Athletics Association of Community Colleges.

ED STEVENS (Meritorious Service - posthumous)

Ed Stevens was the 10th president of George Fox University, serving from 1983 to 1998. During his tenure, enrollment more than tripled from 650 to 2,255, and Bruin athletics enjoyed one of its most successful eras. Stevens provided national leadership for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as the chairman of the NAIA's Council of Presidents from 1992 to 1993. In 1995, he brought George Fox into the Northwest Conference, and advocated for the conference's subsequent move to the NCAA Division III. Stevens played point guard for the 1962 Nebraska Wesleyan University basketball team that reached the NCAA small college Final Four, He was an assistant basketball coach at the University of Nebraska and head coach at Augustana College. Cancer claimed Stevens' life in 1998 at age 57.

1989-90 MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM

With a dramatic overtime victory, the 1989-90 men's basketball team won the NAIA District 2 championship and earned a No. 9 ranking in the final national poll. Rich Schlachter hit a three-point shot with one second remaining to force overtime, and Brian Martin scored nine points in the extra period to help George Fox defeat Willamette 98-95. The Bruins' 29-5 record - 16-0 at home - was the best in school history. The team set or tied 30 school records. The team was led by NAIA District 2 MVP Dave Wilson, a 6-11 sophomore center who averaged 19.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.0 blocks per game. Chris Patoine, Schlachter, and Martin all received honorable mention for the All-District team. Team members included Todd Erickson, Jon Hagen, Tim Hagen, Tim Harris, Tim Jacobson, Shane Johnson, Brian Martin, Matt Milligan, Chris Patoine, Mike Rasmussen, Kurt Ronnow, Rich Schlachter, Tom Turcotte, Dave Wilson, head coach Mark Vernon, and assistant coach Steve Grant.