WSC Athletic Hall of Fame announced Friday

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The 2021 class of the Wayne State College Athletic Hall of Fame will be inducted on Saturday, April 30.

Three athletes, a coach/administrator, team and contributor will be honored during Wildcat home baseball and softball games on April 30 followed by a Hall of Fame Banquet that evening in the Kanter Student Center.

2021 WSC Athletic Hall of Fame members include men’s track and field athlete Ross Bunchek, softball player Katie Goetzinger Voth, baseball player Joe Wendte, administrator and coach Ron Jones, the 2009 Wildcat baseball team and contributors Adam and Kim Endicott from Pac N Save. 

The WSC 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees are as follows:

— Ross Bunchek (athlete): Bunchek attended Wayne State College for two years (2011 and 2012) and was a conference champion and All-American in throwing events for the Wildcats, specializing in the weight throw and hammer throw.

In the 2011 indoor season, Bunchek was NSIC runner-up in the weight throw and became an All-American after placing sixth at NCAA Indoor Nationals. During the 2011 outdoor season, Bunchek was NSIC runner-up in the hammer throw and went on to earn All-American honors, placing seventh in the hammer throw (196-1).

As a senior in 2012, Bunchek was the NSIC champion in the weight throw and named NSIC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. He went on to place sixth at NCAA Indoor Nationals to earn another All-American honor. In the outdoor season, he was NSIC Champion and NSIC Field Athlete of the Year in the hammer throw and placed seventh at nationals.

He was second in the Drake Relays in the hammer throw with a new school record and Olympic trials qualifying mark of 217-2.  Bunchek still holds the school record today in the weight throw and hammer throw at WSC.

— Katie Goetzinger Voth (athlete): Goetzinger holds all but one single-season and career pitching record at Wayne State College. The Harlan, Iowa graduate led Wayne State to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2009, 2010, 2011) and the 2010 NSIC Tournament title during her four years.

She earned All-NSIC first-team honors all four years and was the NSIC Pitcher of the Year as a junior and senior. Goetzinger was first-team All-Central Region as a sophomore, junior and senior and was Louisville Slugger/NFCA third-team All-American as a junior and senior while also earning Academic All-American honors as a junior (second team) and a senior (first team).

Goetzinger was a part of six no-hitters during her career at Wayne State (WSC has nine total no-hitters) with two perfect games, three individual no-hitters and three combined no-hitters.

In 2010, Goetzinger was 32-10 with 1.11 ERA, recording 358 strikeouts (second-most in NCAA Div. II). Named NSIC Pitcher of the Year, she helped WSC win NSIC Tournament and Central Regional Tournament titles while advancing to Wayne State’s first and only Super Regional in school history.

As a senior in 2011, Goetzinger was 30-10 with 1.31 ERA throwing 256.2 innings with 316 strikeouts and just 24 walks and 12 shutouts with 24 complete games. In the NCAA Tournament, she threw all 18 innings (302 pitches) in a 1-0 win over Winona State at the Mankato Regional, the fourth-longest game in NCAA Div. II tournament history. She also had the game-winning single in the game to score the game’s only run. 

Goetzinger’s career stat highlights include 116 wins, 1,163 strikeouts, 40 shutouts, 96 complete games and 11 saves. 

— Joe Wendte (athlete): Wendte was a standout baseball player at Wayne State from 2007-10. The Sioux City Heelan graduate was a three-time All-NSIC selection (sophomore, junior and senior) and was named the 2009 NSIC Player of the Year as a junior and the NSIC Freshman of the Year in 2007.

Wendte hit .416 during his senior season (2010) with 11 homers and 41 RBI. As a junior, he set several single-season school records with a .396 average, 14 HR, 67 RBI, scoring a single season record 83 runs.  Wendte ranked third in NCAA Div. II in runs scored and sixth in walks (51) that season and capped his junior season being named first-team ABCA/Rawlings All-American and NCBWA third-team All-American.
Wendte finished his WSC career ranked first in walks (138), first in total bases (431), second in runs scored (229), second in home runs (34), third in hits (261), fourth in at bats (653), fifth in RBI (177), fifth in triples (10) and sixth in doubles (48). Wendte played on three NSIC regular-season championship and three NCAA tournament teams at WSC, including the 2009 team that was 45-15 and tied the school record for wins while reaching NCAA Central Region title game. He played in 201 career games with 189 starts and had win-loss record of 148-67 (.688).

Joe currently teaches at Wakefield High School and is boys’ basketball and golf coach.

— Ron Jones (coach/administrator): Jones is a former Wildcat athlete, instructor, coach and athletic director. A native of Farnhamville, Iowa, Jones came to Wayne State as an athlete after transferring from Fort Dodge Junior College and competed two years (1961-63) in basketball and baseball. In his senior season, he was MVP in both basketball and baseball at WSC. Jones averaged 18.2 points per game in senior season, earning All-District and NAIA All-American honorable mention honors. 

After spending three years at Osage High School in Iowa, Jones gained his master’s degree from WSC in 1966 and joined the Wayne State physical education staff in 1967 and served as an assistant basketball and baseball coach. In three years as WSC men’s basketball assistant under Dave Gunther, WSC was 70-13 in three years and advanced to the NAIA national tournament all three years.

Jones became head men’s basketball coach in 1970 and was 53-45 in four seasons, taking a leave of absence for one year to work on his Ph.D at Kansas. He returned to Wayne State and became head baseball coach in 1978 and had an 81-79 record in four seasons while winning one NAIA District 11 title.

During his coaching days, Jones started the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and was later named athletic director at Wayne State from 1982-87. He also served as head of the Physical Education Department and worked with then-WSC President Ed Elliott in developing plans and getting the Wayne State Recreation Center built in the late 1980’s. 

Following his days at Wayne State, Jones served as an associate pastor (1995-2010) at New Hope Christian Church in Marshalltown, Iowa.  Retired in 2010, Jones now resides in Pella, Iowa. He also officiated football for 40 years, high school and college basketball for 39 years and baseball/softball for 29 years.

— 2009 baseball team (team): The Wildcat baseball team finished the 2009 season with a 45-15 record, winning a sixth straight NSIC regular season title with a 27-4 league mark. The 45 wins tied a school record with the 2005 team that was 45-14.  WSC was NSIC Tournament runner up after dropping a pair of one-run games to No. 25 Minnesota State 6-5 and 10-9. 

The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Central Regional tournament for the sixth straight season and seventh time in the decade, advancing to the NCAA Central Regional championship game before losing to host Mesa State of Colorado 8-2. 

WSC set numerous NCAA Div. II Tournament records with a 28-12 win over Southwest Minnesota State in the Central Regional semifinals, including hits in a tournament game (32), 27 RBI’s tied a single game tournament record and the 28 runs were one shy of an NCAA Div. II tournament record. Justin Hemauer set a new single-game record for hits, going 7 for 8 at the plate.

The 2009 Wildcat team set single season school records in the following categories – hits (672), home runs (93), RBI (519), runs scored (568), doubles (135) and at bats (1968). 

Joe Wendte was named NSIC Player of the Year (.396, 14 HR, 67 RBI, 83 runs scored), shortstop Eric Bond (.365, single season school record 19 HR, 61 RBI) was NSIC Newcomer of the Year and coach John Manganaro named NSIC Coach of the Year. First-team All-NSIC honors went to senior pitcher Chad Moreland, senior third baseman Alex Koch and second-team All-NSIC honors to senior outfielder Justin Hemauer.
All-Central Region First Team honors went to Wendte and Koch, second-team honors to Eric Bond and Chad Moreland.  Wendte was Rawlings/ABCA All-American First Team and Bond Second Team while Wendte was NCBWA Third Team All-American and Koch NCBWA Honorable Mention All-American.

— Adam and Kim Endicott/Pac N Save (contributors): Beginning with their parents Don and Nancy Endicott (2011 HOF Indcutees), Pac N Save has been a loyal supporter of Wayne State College and Wildcat athletics since 1987. The Endicotts and Pac N Save can be seen at nearly every Wildcat home event. Their support includes the catering of the Catbacker Golf Tournament and Women’s Wildcat Open, hospitality at home football and basketball games, football tailgate, nutrition tables for Wildcat student-athletes, reunions and team meals. 

Pac N Save also sponsors multiple annual scholarships to WSC students as well as providing employment opportunities for numerous Wayne State students at their facility.

Kim Endicott is a 1998 graduate of Wayne State and in her fourth year serving as Wildcat cheerleading coach as well as second year as campus advisor for Delight Ministry. She is also very involved in the Wayne community, holding board positions with the Wayne Public Library Board of Directors, Wayne Community Schools Foundation, Nebraska State Advisory Council on Libraries and Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association.

Adam Endicott attended Wayne State College from 1998-2000 and in 2004 joined the Air Force serving active duty for four years. After returning to Wayne in 2007 to join the Endicott family business at Pac N Save, Adam has been active in the Wayne community, serving on the Wayne High Booster Club and Veterans Memorial Building Committee. He also serves as a volunteer youth coach in Wayne for football, baseball and basketball. Adam and his wife Natalie have three children – Easton, Caroline and Barrett.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Hall of Fame ceremony at Wayne State College was delayed until this spring.