Six to Enter Sports Hall of Fame

SELINSGROVE, Pa. - Six former Susquehanna University athletic standouts will be inducted into the school's Sports Hall of Fame at halftime of Saturday's Middle Atlantic Conference game against Juniata at Lopardo Stadium.

Former cross country and track and field distance standout Mike Burton, two-time Middle Atlantic Conference wrestling champion Steve Deckard, two-time Division III javelin placewinner and school record holder Glenn Levengood, two-time MAC Northwest Section All-Star women's basketball player Laurie (Pankuck) Weyrauch, two-time MAC Northern Division All-Star field hockey player Lynn (Reinhagen) Smelas and football All-American and school record holder Joe Witt comprise the six members of the class of 2000.

Each inductee will receive a commemorative plaque from acting president Sara Kirkland during the ceremony. The addition of these six athletes brings the Hall of Fame roster to 143 members in 33 years.

Below are the names of each of the inductees and a list of their accomplishments:

MIKE BURTON '88

Burton earned four letters in both cross country and track and field respectively - helping the cross-country team capture the school's only MAC title in 1984 and the track team win the MAC championship in three of his four years. He was the MVP in both sports as a senior as the top cross country runner and the top distance man on the track - finishing second in both the 1,500 and 5,000 meter runs at MACs as a senior. He was also a MAC All-Academic selection throughout his career -touting a 3.80 overall grade point average.

Presently employed as a consultant with The Pension Company, he and his wife Angel reside in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. and have one son.

STEVE DECKARD '86

Deckard holds many of the high profile Susquehanna wrestling records. His records include wins in a season (27, 1983), technical falls in a season (5, 1985), career technical falls (8, 1985-86), team points for a season (93, 1984), career takedowns (133), and career falls (72). Deckard won the MAC title at 190 pounds in both 1985 and '86. He placed third and earned All-American honors at the NCAA Division III Championships in 1985, losing 3-2 to eventual champion Leland Rogers of St. Lawrence. His 65-5-1 career record was fourth best all-time.

Presently employed as a sales manager with Creation Group, he and his wife Kathi reside in Selinsgrove.

GLENN LEVENGOOD '75

Levengood was a three-year varsity letterwinner who was the forerunner of the school's national prominence in the javelin as he became the first qualifier for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championship meet in school history - finishing sixth as a junior and fourth as a senior. He would have earned All-American status with those finishes today. He set the all-time Susquehanna record in the javelin with a throw of 224-8 during the regular season in 1974 and finished second at the MAC Championships as a junior.

Presently employed as the Director of U.S. Financial Service Center for Lyondell Chemical Company, he and his wife Barbara reside in Kingwood, Texas.

LAURIE PANKUCK '91 WEYRAUCH

Weyrauch was a four-year starter and letterwinner as a 5-8 swingplayer who is still third in Susquehanna women's basketball career scoring with 1,539 points, and second in steals with 256. A co-captain as a senior, she helped lead the team to its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance since 1986 before finishing 23-5. She was an MAC Northwest Section All-Star as both a junior and senior, topping the MAC Northern Division in scoring during her junior season (19.6 ppg). She became just the second player in program history to score 500 points in a season with 501 as a senior, totaling 491 as a junior. The team MVP in each of her final three seasons, she turned the team around from 11-10 in 1988-89 to at least a share of the MAC Northwest Section titles in 1989-90 and 90-91. Weyrauch was ironically a Division I soccer prospect out of Governor Livingston High School, but chose Susquehanna for its academic program, passing on several D-I soccer offers.

Presently employed as a sales representative for TAP Pharmaceuticals, she and her husband Christopher '91 reside in Bridgewater, N.J. and have two children.

LYNN REINHAGEN '85 SMELAS

Smelas was a four-year starter at halfback and a standout on the field hockey team's defense - earning MAC Northern Division All-Star honors as both a junior and senior. She also was invited to play in the National Field Hockey Association All-Star Tournament in 1981 and '82. She was a key figure in her senior season as the team set a school record while giving up just five goals while posting seven shutouts. The fewest goals record still stands, while the shutouts mark is now tied for third. The team went 9-3 that year for its first winning season since 1974 and the program's best record in school history at that time.

Presently employed as a auditor with Toys 'R' Us United States, Inc., she and her husband Thomas reside in Woodstock, Ga.

JOE WITT '89

Witt was a four-year football letterwinner who was the recipient of the school's Blair Heaton Award as a senior. A starting halfback who was an All-American, First Team MAC All-Star and team MVP as a senior. He still holds school career records for all-purpose yardage (4,062), scoring (180) and kickoff returns (58 for 1,336 yards), and also holds school records for single season all-purpose yardage (1,367, 1988) and receiving yards in a game (216 vs. Lycoming, 1988). Witt is still second in career (1,527) and season (691, 1988) receiving yardage. Among the at-large selections to last year's Top 100 of 100 Football Team, Witt had the most nominations submitted by alumni and boosters.

Presently employed as a physical therapist for Brookline Manor Nursing Home, he and his wife Wendy Goodspeed'88 Witt reside in Port Trevorton and have three children.