Six Selected for Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame - University of Nebraska
Five distinguished student-athletes and one legendary head coach make up the six individuals in the 2023 University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class, announced
huskers.com
Six Selected for Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame
Huskers.com
Five distinguished student-athletes and one legendary head coach make up the six individuals in the 2023 University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class, announced on Wednesday, June 7.
The 2023 class includes: Lori Endicott (volleyball, 1985-88); Tommie Frazier (football, 1992-95); Emily Parsons (women's gymnastics, 2005-08); Tolly Thompson (wrestling, 1993-97); Brittany Timko (soccer, 2003-06); and retired men's and women's track and field head coach Gary Pepin.
The five student-athletes in the 2023 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame class combined to win two team national championships and one individual national title while earning 18 All-America awards. Pepin guided Nebraska to three national championships as the Huskers' head coach, and his athletes combined for 59 individual national titles and 639 All-America accolades. The class will be permanently enshrined on a granite plaque with the names of the six members added to the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza.
"We are honored to recognize the achievements of these elite individuals, and we look forward to celebrating their accomplishments as we induct them into the University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame this fall,' Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Trev Alberts said. "The five student-athletes had a tremendous impact on the University of Nebraska and deserve to be recognized for their contributions as Cornhuskers. We are also excited to honor Coach Pepin, who served more student-athletes than any other coach in the history of Nebraska Athletics and has an unmatched resume as one of the greatest track and field coaches in NCAA history."
The 2023 class will be inducted the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 27 and recognized at the Nebraska vs. Purdue Homecoming football game on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza is located on a walkway, stretching from outside of East Memorial Stadium and continuing to the historic NU Coliseum. The University of Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Plaza is accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week at no charge and is lit for night viewing. The plaza recognizes each annual Hall of Fame class, along with columns dedicated to the history and successes of each of Nebraska's athletic programs.
A Class of Conference Champions
One common trait shared by each member of the 2023 Hall of Fame was conference domination, both from an individual and team standpoint.
Each of the five student-athletes was an individual conference champion, conference player of the year, or both. The student-athletes combined to win 14 team conference championships and 10 individual conference titles while being recognized with seven conference player-of-the-year awards. From a coaching perspective, Pepin won 73 team conference championships (40 on the women's side and 33 on the men's side) and his athletes won 597 individual conference titles.
Endicott helped the volleyball program to a Big Eight title in each of her four seasons from 1985 to 1988, including four regular-season championships and three tournament titles. The first conference player of the year in program history, Endicott was the 1987 and 1988 Big Eight Player of the Year. She was also an All-American both seasons and an Academic All-American as a senior. A native of Springfield, Missouri, Endicott went on to become the first Husker volleyball player to compete in the Olympics (1992 and 1996), helping the United States to a bronze medal in 1992.
Frazier was also a conference champion every season of his career, leading the football team to Big Eight titles in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. He was the Big Eight Freshman/Newcomer of the Year in 1992 and was the Offensive Player of the Year in 1995. Frazier posted a 33-3 record as Nebraska's starting quarterback, including a 19-1 mark in conference play. He helped Nebraska to back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995 and was a three-time Most Valuable Player in National Championship bowl games. The runner-up for the 1995 Heisman Trophy, Frazier was named one of the 10 Greatest College Football Players of the 20th Century. A Bradenton, Florida native, Frazier was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Parsons won seven individual Big 12 Conference titles and two team championships during her four-year career as a Nebraska gymnast from 2005 to 2008. A native of St. Charles, Missouri, Parsons was the 2005 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and the 2007 Big 12 Co-Gymnast of the Year. A nine-time regional champion and three-time regional gymnast of the year, Parsons was an 11-time All-American. She earned All-America accolades on multiple events all four seasons of her career and was a first-team All-American in at least one event all four years.
Thompson was a three-time conference champion during his distinguished career as a heavyweight wrestler from 1993 to 1997. After redshirting in 1993, he was the Big Eight champion in 1995 and 1996 before winning the Big 12 heavyweight title in 1997. In 1995, Thompson was the NCAA Champion before finishing third in both 1996 and 1997. A three-time All-American, Thompson was 15-2 with three top-three finishes in his NCAA Tournament career, and he went 8-1 at the conference tournament. A native of Janesville, Iowa, Thompson won 157 matches in his career, a total that ranked in the top 10 in NCAA history at the conclusion of his career. He still holds the Nebraska record for all-time victories.
Timko was one of the most decorated soccer players in Big 12 Conference history. She was the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005 before sharing the top honor in 2006. The only three-time player of the year in Big 12 history, Timko was also a two-time All-American and was an outstanding international player, competing on the world stage even during her Husker career. In her freshman season at Nebraska, Timko helped Canada to a fourth-place finish at the Women's World Cup. One year later, she won the Golden Boot Award as the top scorer at the 2004 FIFA U-19 World Championship. Timko played in three World Cups and two Olympics in her international career, winning a bronze medal in 2012. She was inducted into the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame in 2020.
Pepin is the sixth coach to be inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame. He was the head coach of the Husker women's track and field team from 1981 to 2022, and Pepin guided the men's team from 1984 to 2022. The numbers during his tenure as the longest-serving head coach in Nebraska history are staggering: three team national championships; 73 team conference titles; 59 individual NCAA champions; 597 individual conference champions; 639 All-Americans; and 68 Academic All-Americans. Pepin was named the conference coach of the year 28 times during his illustrious career. The 1995 National Indoor Coach of the Year, Pepin was inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2008.
2023 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class
- Lori Endicott, Volleyball (1985-1988)
- Tommie Frazier, Football (1992-1995)
- Emily Parsons, Women's Gymnastics (2005-2008)
- Tolly Thompson, Wrestling (1993-1997)
- Brittany Timko, Soccer (2003-2006)
- Gary Pepin, Track & Field Head Coach (1981-2022)
