Athletics & Recreation

2012 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees announced

Members of the 2000 NCAA Championship ski team are among the new inductees to DU's Athletic Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy DU Athletics

DU’s Athletic Hall of Fame will expand this fall when six individuals and the 2000 NCAA Championship ski team are inducted.

The 2000 ski team won DU’s 15th NCAA championship when it conquered the slopes and defeated in-state rival University of Colorado. Team members Pietro Broggini and Cecilie Hagen Larsen were awarded individual NCAA championships for their superb performance on the mountain.

Five former DU athletes and an athletic administrator also will be recognized for their individual achievements.

Robert Wilson (BA ’43, MA ’50) earned six varsity letters in basketball, baseball and football from 1942–44 and was a two-time captain and three-year letter-winner in basketball. After graduation, he served in World War II and the Korean War.

Ed Zemrau (BS ’58) was awarded All-America and NCAA All-Tournament honors for his leadership as captain of the 1958 DU hockey team—the first to win a national championship. Zemrau went on to play minor pro hockey, which led to a remarkable 55-year career in amateur sports.

Paal Moerkved Aavatsmark (BSBA ’84), a former DU soccer player, is ranked third at DU for career points and assists, and fifth for number of goals. He was captain of the DU men’s soccer team twice, helping the team advance to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championships in 1983. His exceptional soccer skills earned him all-conference honors, and he was named an NAIA second team All-American in 1984.

George Morrison (BA ’70) played for the DU hockey team from 1968–70, during which time he scored 115 points, making 70 goals and 45 assists. He was a two-time All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association First-Team performer and was named Rookie of the Year in 1969. He went on to play for the NHL for eight seasons.

Kathy Jacobson (BSAC ’94) will be acknowledged for her soccer career from 1989–92. She made 42 goals and 14 assists over four seasons, tying her for first place for all-time points. She served as captain of the team during her senior year and led the DU women’s soccer team to a 53–19–4 overall record. She recently launched a preschool sports and fitness program.

M. Dianne Murphy was DU’s director of athletics from 1998–2004. She oversaw DU’s shift from NCAA Division II to Division I in 1998, as well as the opening of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness in 1999. DU won four national championships during her administration.

“We are thrilled to induct another prestigious class into our Athletic Hall of Fame,” says Peg Bradley-Doppes, vice chancellor for athletics and recreation. “The Hall of Fame Class of 2012 certainly left its mark here at DU. These six individuals and the national championship ski team brought prestige and honor to our university, and we’re looking forward to celebrating their accomplishments this October.”

The induction ceremony will be Oct. 25 in Hamilton Gymnasium at the Ritchie Center. Tickets are $50 for adults and $40 for children 12 and younger. Call 303-871-4532 for more information.

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