The Northern Michigan University Sports Hall of Fame will induct four new members on Saturday, April 14, 2012 in the Great Lakes Room of the University Center.
A social hour beginning at 6 p.m. will kick off the evening followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. The Sports Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Student-Athlete Awards Banquet.
The public is welcome to attend. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for NMU students and can be purchased at the Superior Dome Ticket Office or by calling (906) 226-1032.
The banquet is sponsored in part by Superior Oasis and Downtown EyeCare.
Former assistant football coach Jim Driscoll led the Wildcats defense to national prominence from 1978-85.
During this era, the Wildcats reached the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1980, 1981 and 1982. In 1980, the Wildcats had the nation’s fifth-ranked scoring and rushing defense and was sixth overall in total defense.
Driscoll helped mold many coaches, most notable Jerry Rosberg, who currently is the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. Rosberg played under Driscoll at North Dakota State and joined him at NMU in 1981.
Driscoll returned to NMU as the defensive coordinator for the 1999 and 2000 seasons.
Kris (Manske) Johnson was an All-American women’s basketball player, leading the ‘Cats to their first appearance in the NCAA Division II Final Four in 1998.
She was a four-year starter on the basketball team from 1995-98. Johnson is the all-time NMU leader in steals with 391, recording 192 more than second place, ranking her 11th in DII history.
She is second all-time in career assists (680), ranking her 15th in the NCAA. Johnson also finished fifth at NMU in scoring (1,503) and sixth in rebounding (676).
Johnson graduated from NMU in 1998 with a bachelor of science in biochemistry. She spent nine years as an assistant coach at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Maurice Mitchell was a wide receiver on the 1975 NCAA National Championship football team.
He was a four-year starter on the football team from 1973-76. Mitchell was a member of the 1975 NCAA National Championship team and was a Kodak All-American Wide Receiver in 1976.
He played in the 1976 North-South Shrine Game and was selected 288th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 11th round of 1977 NFL Draft.
Mitchell was named the team’s most valuable offensive back in 1976. Mitchell had 365 yards on 24 catches with a touchdown in 1974 and 1,183 yards on 57 catches with eight touchdowns in 1976.
Lindsay Williams was an NCAA National Champion Nordic skier in 2005 and a four-time All-American. She finished second in the 15k classic in 2007 and in the 5k classic in 2005.
In 2007, Williams, along with teammates Lindsey Weier and Morgan Smyth, swept the podium in the both the classic and freestyle at the NCAA Championship to make history. Williams was the senior women’s sprint gold medalist at the 2005 U.S. Cross Country Championships. She also skied for the United States Ski Team in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, finishing 38th in the freestyle and 62nd in the pursuit.
Williams graduated from NMU in 2009 with a degree in management of health and fitness.
