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Marshall, Minn.: Four Southwest Minnesota State University alumni athletes, a national championship team, a former coach and a community member will be inducted into the SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor on Saturday, January 22, 2005. The Athletics Hall of Honor is the highest athletic distinction awarded by the university.
The years group includes the 1982-83 SMSU wheelchair basketball team, former football coach/administrator Gary Buer, athletes Beth (Elliott) Lanoue, Wayne Hawkins, Juan Mitchell, John Sterner and longtime Marshall resident and SMSU athletics booster Ken Mukomela.
The induction ceremony will take place at the Best Western Marshall Inn on Saturday, January 22 at 1 p.m. The public is invited to attend the luncheon. The group will again be honored at halftime of the mens basketball game against the University of Minnesota-Crookston later that night. Ticket information for the banquet will be announced later this month.
A ten-member committee chose the inductees from a group of nominations.
The seven new inductees bring the membership in SMSUs Athletic Hall of Honor to 59 individuals and six teams.

The following are biographical sketches on each of the inductees:

Gary Buer (head football coach, 1979-92) helped lead Southwest Minnesota State from the bottom of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference to one of the top teams in NAIA during his 14-year tenure as head coach. Buer was head football coach at SMSU from 1979-92 and helped lead the Mustangs to a conference championship and two trips to the NAIA national playoffs.
Appointed head football coach on November 28, 1978, he took over a program that had won just four games over the previous four seasons. After a 4-7 season in 1979 and a 3-6-1 season in 1980, he helped lead the 1981 squad to a 6-5 record, the programs first winning season in school history. The winningest coach in school history with a 70-69-5 record, Buers 1987 squad qualified for the schools first NAIA Division I playoff appearance. His 1990 squad won the schools first ever conference championship and advanced to the NAIA Division I playoffs. Buers best team probably was the 1991 squad that finished 9-1 overall, but a close loss to Moorhead State cost the team a conference title and a return trip to the NAIA playoffs.
A native of Atwater, Minn., Buers first head coaching position was at Dakota State University in Madison, S.D. During his two seasons, the Trojans compiled a record of 18-2 and he was named NAIA District Coach of the Year and conference Coach of the Year after both seasons.
Buer was named the Northern Intercollegiate Coach of the Year in 1987 and the NAIA District Coach of the Year in 1985, 1987 and 1990. He also served three years as the director of mens athletics at SMSU from May 1989 to August 1992.
Following his time at SMSU, Buer helped coached at the University of Minnesota under Jim Wacker from 1993-1996. He then served as head football coach and activities director at Marshall High School before taking over at Sabino High School in Tucson, Ariz., in June of 2001 where he spent two seasons as head coach leading Sabino to a league championship and a state playoff appearance in 2002.
He recently finished his second season as head coach at NAIA Southern Virginia University in Buena Vista, Va., where he started the program in the fall of 2003.

Beth (Elliott) Lanoue (volleyball, 1989-90) became SMSUs first ever first team NAIA All-America in 1990 and was a two-year standout for the Mustangs. A 5-foot-8 outside hitter from of Webster, Wis., she played two seasons at Nebraska Western Community College before transferring to SMSU in 1989. As a junior, Elliott was chosen first team All-Northern Sun Conference and first team NAIA All-District 13. She played in a team-high 42 matches and led the Mustangs with 430 kills, a .350 hitting percentage and 473 digs. She also ranked among conference leaders in kills, hitting percentage and digs.
As a senior co-captain in 1990, she had one of the best seasons in school history. Elliott was a first team NAIA All-America, becoming the first player in SMSU history to receive such recognition and was one of three players considered for the NAIA Player of the Year award. Elliott, the NAIA District 13 Player of the Year, led SMSU with a school record 670 kills, a school record 724 digs and a .333 hitting percentage. She played in 143 of SMSUs 144 games had 60 service aces and helped SMSU to a 27-19 record, its best record since the 1985 season. She was also named second team All-America by ASICS/Volleyball Monthly.
Despite playing just two seasons at SMSU, the two-time All-NSC and All-District pick still ranks first in the SMSU career record book with a .339 hitting percentage, second in kills per game (4.12), fifth in kills (1,100), seventh in digs (1,197) ninth in attacks (2,564).

Wayne Hawkins (football, 1989-91 ; track, 1990-92) was an All-America athlete at SMSU in both football and track. A 1992 NFL draft pick of the New England Patriots, he was one of the most decorated football players in school history holding several school records and earning numerous post-season awards. As a senior in 1991, he had one of the best seasons an individual football player could have as he set an NAIA record with 126 receptions for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns and had one kickoff return for a score. He finished the year with 134 points, which ranks second in school history.
Hawkins, from St. Anthony, Minn., helped lead SMSU to a school record 9-1 record season in 1991 and was named first team all-conference, first team NAIA All-America, first team AP Little All-America and Kodak College Division I All-America. He also played in both the Kelly Tire Blue-Gray All-Star Classic and East-West Shrine Football Classic, becoming the first SMSU player to play in either game, which has rosters that are usually dominated by NCAA Division I players.
He was an honorable mention NAIA All-America in 1990 ranking sixth in the country in receiving while in 1989 he finished the year ranked fifth in the nation in receiving. He ranks second in school history in both career receiving yards (2,992) and receptions (248) and is third in career touchdowns (28). He also is tied for the school single-game record with six touchdowns (vs. Northern State, 1991) and receptions with 19 (vs. Peru State, Neb., 1991).
Hawkins was selected in the seventh round of the 1992 National Football League draft by the New England Patriots becoming only the second SMSU player drafted by an NFL team.
On the track, he was a 1991 NAIA Outdoor All-America in both the 100 and 200 meters and was a 1991 NAIA Indoor All-America in the 60-yard dash. In 1990, he was an NAIA Outdoor All-America in both the 100 and 200 meters. He also was the NIC champion in both the 100 and 200 meters in both 1990 and 1991 and also earned all-conference honors both years.
He was honored by his peers in both 1990 and 1991 as he was voted SMSU Student-Athlete of the Year.

Juan Mitchell (football, 1982-85 ; mens basketball, 1983-87) was a two-sport standout for the Mustangs on both the football field and basketball court.
As a wide receiver for SMSU, Mitchell finished his career with 155 receptions for 2,696 yards and 20 touchdowns. His career receiving yards still ranks fifth best all-time in school history. His best season came as a senior in 1985 when he led SMSU with 65 receptions for 1,044 yards and nine touchdowns while earning first team all-conference accolades. He was the first Mustang receiver in school history to have over 1,000 yards receiving in one season.
As a guard on the Mustang basketball team, the Selbyville, Del., native was a four-year letterwinner and finished his career scoring 860 points and pulling down 583 rebounds while shooting 47.9 percent (335-for-698) from the field. He has his best season as a senior during the 1986-87 season when he was named Most Valuable Player of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference. He is one of just three Mustang players to ever earn the award and is still the last SMSU player to do so. During his MVP season, in which he helped lead SMSU to a second place finish in the conference, he averaged a double-double per game averaging 15.5 points and 10.4 rebounds. He shot 48.9 percent from the field (180-for-368), 74 percent from the free throw line (77-for-104) and grabbed a school single-season record 313 rebounds, which still stands today. He became the first modern guard in NIC history to lead the league in rebounds with 11.6 in conference play. He ranked in the top ten in nearly every NIC statistical category and led NAIA District 13 in rebounding as well. For his efforts, he was named honorable mention NAIA All-America, becoming just the fourth Mustang player to achieve the honor.
He was a two-time NAIA District 13 first team pick and was a second team All-NIC selection in 1986, ranking third in the conference in rebounds.

Ken Mukomela (community member) has been involved in SMSU athletics since 1968. Mukomela, a professor in the business education department at SMSU from 1968-1996, has been a member of the SMSU Mustang Booster Club since 1968 and since that time has served on numerous committees for the club. He was the faculty athletic representative for the SMSU athletics department from 1972-84 and also served as the official timer for SMSU wrestling (1969-73) and mens basketball (1969-84). Hes also been a major contributor to locker room remodeling projects at SMSU for the football, soccer, softball, volleyball and womens basketball teams. Mukomela has also helped in field projects for the SMSU baseball and soccer fields.
During his time at SMSU, Mukomela has served as a committee member for the SMSU Athletics Hall of Honor, has been the master of ceremonies for the Hall of Honor and is currently a member of the SMSU Foundation board of directors.

John Sterner (wrestling, 1984-87, 88-89 ; football, 1984-87) became SMSUs first ever national champion as he won the 190 lb. weight class at the 1989 NAIA Championships in Jamestown, N.D. Sterner, who was the #3 seed heading into the championship, went 4-0 and won the national title by defeating Pat Whitcomb of Western Montana College 5-4. Sterner, who finished the year 38-2, also was the NIC champion at 190 lb. and helped lead the Mustangs to the 1989 NIC team championship. He also won the 1989 NAIA Bi-District title helping lead SMSU to their second straight NAIA Bi-District 13/15 team championship.
A native of Marshall, Minn., Sterner finished his career as a two-time NAIA All-America and had a career record of 100-21 (.826), which ranks in the top five in career winning percentage in school history. A member of three NIC championship squads (1985, 1987, 1989), he took home his first NAIA All-America award in 1987 by placing third at 190 lb. and finishing the year with a record of 33-5.
He was also the NIC champion at 190 lb. in both 1987 and 1989 (he redshirted during the 1987-88 season) and took second at 190 lb. in 1985.
Sterner also played football for four seasons under head coach Gary Buer. A linebacker for the Mustangs, he finished his career with 140 tackles and six and a half sacks. His best season came in 1986 when he had 57 tackles including eight for loss and five fumble recoveries.
Sterner currently is in his seventh season as head wrestling coach at Southwest Minnesota State. During his tenure at SMSU, hes led SMSU to the 2001 NSIC championship and was named NSIC Coach of the Year in 2001 and the NCAA Division II Regional Coach of the Year in 2003.

The 1982-83 SMSU wheelchair basketball team, under the direction of head coach Lew Shaver, won the 1983 National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, the schools second national championship. The Broncos (as they were known then) finished the year 29-8 overall, with the 29 wins setting a new school record. SMSU also finished the Central Intercollegiate Conference with a perfect 10-0 record.
SMSU won the national championship by defeating the University of Illinois 23-20 in Whitewater, Wis. Two free throws by Kurt Greniger insured the victory with 39 seconds left in the game. Rick Miller and Mark Mortenson scored nine and eight points in the finals and were named to the All-Tournament team with Mortenson earning MVP honors.
Miller and Randy King were each named first team All-CIC, while Mortenson and Rick Cromer were named second team All-CIC. Mortenson was named team MVP while Kurt Greniger earned the teams Most Desire award.
Members of the 1982-83 Bronco squad include: Bob Achman, Kevin Bjorklund, Chuck Cordes, Rick Cromer, Kurt Greniger, Randy King, Rick Miller, Mark Moe, Mark Mortenson and Kevin Spaeth.
The national championship was the Broncos second title in three years.