Swimmer Jessica Martin, Volleyball players Kirsten Bernthal and Neely Forbes, the 2001 national champion women’s swimming team and the 1969 national runner-up men’s tennis team have been selected by the Hall of Fame Committee for induction into the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2011 Homecoming on October 7-8.
Martin was the 2001 winner of the Honda Award as the Division II Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.
She won four individual national titles and was a member of two championship relay teams in leading the Bulldogs to the school’s first national title at the Division II Swimming & Diving Championships in Canton, Ohio.
She was named the Division II Women’s Swimmer of the Year by the College Swim Coaches of America and finished her Truman career as a 21-time All-American.
Bernthal was the 1993 MIAA Freshman of the Year while breaking the school record for single-season assists as the setter for the volleyball squad.
She became the first Truman player to earn all-conference honors in each of her four seasons and left Truman as the all-time assists leader.
Bernthal was the 1996 MIAA Most Valuable Player, earning AVCA All-region honors as well as being a College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District honoree.
She was the state of Missouri’s nominee for the 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.
She is currently in her ninth season as head coach of the Creighton (Neb.) University volleyball program.
Forbes played from 1991-1994 and still holds the school records for matches played (163).
She was the 1991 MIAA Freshman of the Year and was a three-time all-conference player in leading the Bulldogs to a 105-58 record during her four seasons.
She was a 1994 AVCA all-region pick, then just the second in Truman history, and was selected to the CoSIDA Academic all-district team.
Both Bernthal and Forbes have the distinction of leading the 1994 Bulldog volleyball team to the school’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
The 1969 Bulldog men’s tennis team came within one point, which was decided in the final doubles match, of winning the NCAA College Division Championship.
The foursome of Ron Selkirk, Dave Romberg, Ken Clow and Kurt Marin accumulated 16 points, one shy of champion San Fernando Valley State in the 30 teams entered in the event hosted in East Stroudsburg, Pa.
The 2001 women’s swimming team finally broke through and claimed the Div. II National Championship after finishing as a runner-up the previous season.
That title would be the first of six straight national championships, as the Bulldog women owned the pool during the past decade.
While Martin took home four individual titles, including the national record in the 1000 freestyle, Kelli Dudley took first in the 100 backstroke event.
Sara Hatcher, Katie May and Bryna Busch joined Martin atop the podium in the 200 Free Relay, while May and Martin, along with Liz Hug and Andrea Newton, brought home the gold in the 800 Free.
Courtesy Truman State University