Three athletes, one contributor and two teams will be inducted into the Wayne State College Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend during Homecoming/Hall of Fame activities at Wayne State College.
The Hall of Fame inductees will be honored during halftime of Saturday’s home football game vs. No. 25-ranked Augustana at Bob Cunningham Field. The honorees will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame during a banquet on Saturday, Oct. 8 in the Frey Conference Suite of the Kanter Student Center with a social hour beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by the banquet and induction ceremony starting at 6:15 p.m. Advance tickets, $28 per person, are required for the banquet and can be purchased by calling the Wayne State College Alumni Office at (402) 375-7526.
The 2016 Hall of Fame inductees include:
Kathy Dalton Hinrichs (Athlete): A native of Waverly, Dalton Hinrichs was a four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track and field. In cross country, Dalton Hinrichs placed 24th as a senior at the NCAA North Central Regional in Omaha and was named GTE CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American. During her four years in track and field, Dalton Hinrichs achieved 24 school records for indoor and outdoor track and field and was voted GTE CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American during her senior season. Dalton Hinrichs was named Wayne State’s Female Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1996-97 and was a three-time Bob Cunningham Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. Dalton Hinrichs was also a three-time GTE Academic All-District VII selection.
Dustin Jones (Athlete): Jones was a standout center fielder for the Wildcats during his career from 2004-07. He helped Wayne State win four NSIC regular-season titles, three NSIC tournament titles and played in the NCAA Tournament all four years, including a regional championship game appearance in 2004. Jones, a Sioux City Heelan graduate, was a first-team All-NSIC selection as a junior and senior and honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore. He was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team three times and was MVP of the 2005 tournament as a sophomore. Jones was second-team All-Region as a junior and was All-American by Rawlings/ABCA and Daktronics during his senior season. He also excelled in the classroom, earning Academic All-American honors First Team as a senior and Third Team as a junior. Jones was the WSC Male Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior and was the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year as a senior. Jones is currently the all-time leader at Wayne State College in hits (276), runs scored (236) and triples (16) while ranking second in career at bats (741) and third in stolen bases (79-96). His record as a player was 163-63-1.
Jennifer Hefner (Athlete): Hefner was a standout volleyball player at Wayne State College from 2007-10. The Central City graduate was a steady performer for the Wildcats that helped Wayne State qualify for the NCAA Tournament all four years while winning one NSIC Tournament title. Individually, she was the first female athlete in school history to earn All-American honors on the court and off the court (academics). As a senior, Hefner was an ESPN Academic first-team All-American and AVCA second-team All-American after averaging 3.38 kills and 1.13 blocks per set. She was first-team All-NSIC for a third straight season and ranked third in the NSIC in blocks, fourth in points per set, seventh in kills per set and eighth in hitting percentage (.331) while also helping Wayne State to a pair of No. 1 national rankings during the season. Hefner also joined 2014 Hall of Famer Emily Schroeder as the only player in school history to have 12 blocks in a match. During her junior season, Hefner averaged 3.72 kills and 1.22 blocks per set and was AVCA second-team All-American and ESPN Academic All-American First Team. She was named AVCA National Player of the Week during junior and senior season. As a sophomore, was first-team All-NSIC, second-team All-Central Region and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District. For her career, Hefner ranks first all-time in hitting percentage at Wayne State (.313), fourth in career kills (1,540), second in block assists (453) and fifth in total blocks (541). She was named the school’s Female Scholar Athlete of the Year as a junior and senior and Wayne State Female Athlete of the Year during junior season.
Dr. James Lindau (contributor): Dr. James “Jim” Lindau, a native of Wahoo, and graduate of Wahoo High School, is a proud supporter of Wayne State College and Wayne State athletics. Lindau served as a family physician in Wayne for 37 years. He practiced family medicine in Wayne from 1979 until retiring in 2016. Lindau attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine (UNMC) and completed a Lincoln Family Medicine Residency. Lindau enjoys attending athletic events and participating in athletic functions, such as the Catbacker Golf Tournament and Omaha Golf Classic. He is also a member of the WSC Athletic Department Cat Club. Lindau has supported many campus projects and scholarships, including the Conn Library Renovation, Willow Bowl Fund and Carhart Science Building Renovation. Lindau has served as a Wayne State Foundation Trustee since 1992 and is a member of the President’s Society. He is currently a Wayne State Foundation Executive Board Member, and has been a past chair of the Audit and Finance Committee on the Executive Board and a past Board President.
2004 and 2005 Wayne State Baseball (Team): The 2004 and 2005 Wayne State College baseball teams won more games (89) in a two-year span than any teams in school history. The 2004 team was 44-18, winning the NSIC regular season (19-8 record) and tournament championships while advancing to the NCAA Central Regional championship game. The 2004 team hosted the NSIC Tournament for the first time and ended the year ranked 24th in the country. Nathan Miller was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year and was an All-Central Region selection. Senior first baseman Tim Richt hit .478 with 13 home runs and was named NSIC Co-Player of the Year, first-team All-Central Region and Rawlings/ABCA first-team All-American. The 2005 team finished 45-14 and won the NSIC regular season (19-3 record) and tournament titles for a second straight season. WSC also advanced to the NCAA Central Regional Tournament and finished third with a 1-2 record. Sophomore pitcher Nick Schumacher (Nebraska City) was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Year after going 8-2 with 80 strikeouts and a 2.88 ERA. Senior outfielder Brian Van Driel led the Wildcat offense with a .429 batting average and was voted NSIC Newcomer of the Year along with NCBWA All-American Second Team honors. Wayne State hosted the NSIC Tournament for a second straight season and defeated Southwest Minnesota State in the title game. Sophomore outfielder Dustin Jones was voted the Most Valuable Player of the NSIC Tournament.
