UMD ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES 2023 HALL OF FAME CLASS

Sara Belanger – Women’s Basketball – 1992-96

Belanger was the 1996 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Player of the Year. The Elk River, Minnesota native was a three-time First Team All-NSIC selection. Belanger finished her career third all-time on the program’s career scoring list with 1,460 career points. She currently ranks eighth in program history. Belanger is the program’s current leader in career 3-point percentage at .435. Her .474 3-point percentage during the 1992-93 season ranks second in program history. She ranks third in career free throw percentage (.844) and led all of NCAA Division II during the 1993-94 season, making 87.8% of her free throw attempts. Belanger was the team captain of the 1996 NSIC championship squad as the Bulldogs won three NSIC titles in her four seasons.

Jack Connolly – Men’s Hockey – 2008-12

Connolly was the 2012 Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipient and a 2011 finalist for the award, becoming the first Bulldog to be a Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist multiple times. The Duluth native was a three-time American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) All-American, earning first team laurels in 2011 and 2012 and second team honors in 2010. He was the first player in program history to be a three-time First Team All-WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) honoree and the 2012 WCHA Player of the Year. Connolly also earned Player of the Year accolades in 2012 from USA Hockey and USCHO.com. He became the first UMD student-athlete to receive the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Connolly, who led the team in scoring three straight seasons, ranks eighth in program history with 197 career points. The 2011-12 team captain matched a program record with a point in 22 consecutive games and never missed a game in four seasons with Bulldogs, tying a program record with 166 games played. 

Nicole Fietz – Soccer – 2000-03

Fietz was the first Bulldog soccer player to be a four-time All-NSIC First Team selection. The program’s career leader in assists (33) was a four-year starter and was part of four consecutive NSIC regular season title teams and a member of the program’s first NCAA Tournament team in 2000. The two-year team captain earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First Team All-Central region honors in 2002 and 2003. Fietz was a three-time NSIC All-Tournament team choice and led the NSIC in goals per game (0.75) during the 2003 season. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native is one of four players in program history to record at least 100 points in a career (103). Her 83 matches that she appeared is tied for the most in program history. 

Joleyn (Young) Hansen – Volleyball – 1988-91

Hansen, then Young, was a two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Central Region selection in 1990 and 1991. The two-time All-NSIC middle hitter was a starter on four NSIC championship teams and the 1991 NCAA Tournament team. The Turtle Lake, Wisconsin native currently ranks in the top four in program history in career kills (1,696) service aces (195) and total blocks (363), including the program’s career leader in solo blocks (127). Hansen held the honor of the program’s career leader in kills for 13 years. 

Mike Josephson – Men’s Basketball – 1968-72

Josephson was a two-time All-MIAC (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) selection as he recorded 1,353 points in 99 games for the Bulldogs. The forward out of Aurora, Minnesota ranks second in program history with 894 career rebounds. The 1971-72 team captain saw the program record 10 MIAC victories that season, which was a program high.

Jeff Kaldor – Baseball/Football – 1988-91

Kaldor was a three-time All-NSIC first baseman for the Bulldogs along with being UMD’s starting quarterback and punter for two seasons. On the diamond, Kaldor set the program’s career record for home runs (34) and RBIs (137). He currently ranks fourth in home runs and in the top 10 in RBIs. The former Northwestern High School standout was the NSIC batting champion and RBI champion in 1989. On the football field, Kaldor quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a NSIC Championship in 1990, recording over 1,000 yards of total offense.

Dale Kusnierek – Track & Field/Football – 1972-76

Kusnierek was the first Bulldog to be a four-time MIAC track & field champion. He qualified for the 1975 and 1976 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field championships. The Duluth Central graduate captured 100m and 200m dash conference titles as a freshman. In total, Kusnierek won 73 individual or relay title during his time as a Bulldog. When he graduated, Kusnierek owned 19 school records. He went on to serve as the assistant track & field coach in 1977 and assisted at various meets and clinics over the next 15 years. On the football field, Kusnierek was the team’s top kick and punt returner for his first two seasons. 

Caroline Ouellette – Women’s Hockey – 2002-05

Recently named to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame, the former Bulldog was a four-time Olympic gold medalist and a six-time IIHF Women's World gold medalist with Team Canada. Ouellette was a two-time AHCA First Team All-American in 2004 and 2005. The two-time top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award ranks third in program history with 229 career points in 97 games. A member of the 2003 NCAA National Championship team where she was named the Frozen Four’s Most Valuable Player, Ouellette was an assistant coach for UMD’s 2008 National Title team. She was a two-time First Team All-WCHA selection, WCHA Final Five MVP and named to WCHA All-Rookie Team. Ouellette was named to the WCHA All-Decade Team for 1999-2009. She was twice named the most valuable player in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) (2008-09 and 2010-11) and won one scoring title (2010-11). Three times in the World Championships she was named one of Canada's top three players and scored at least a point-per-game at every level of competition over the course of her career. Ouellette also became the first player in CWHL history to eclipse the 300-point mark.

Morgan (Place) Kowalik – Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country – 2008-12

Kowalik, then Place, was the first Bulldog athlete in any sport to receive All-America accolades eight times in her career. The Ellsworth, Wisconsin native qualified for 11 of a possible 12 NCAA Division II National Championship meets (Cross Country-4, Indoor Track & Field-3, Outdoor Track & Field-4). She is a four-time Indoor Track & Field All-American, earning the honor three times in the 5,000m and once as part of the distance medley relay team. Kowalik is also a three-time Cross Country All-American and is one of two runners in program history to place in the top five at a NCAA Cross Country Championship. She is a two-time NSIC Cross Country Champion (2008 & 2009) and captured the 2009 NCAA Central Region championship. She won 22 of the 35 cross country races that she participated in and was named to the Roy Griak Invitational Hall of Fame after becoming the first athlete to win that prestigious meet three consecutive years. Her eighth All-America honor came at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 10,000m run. Kowalik finished her career holding five school records and still owns the 10,000m record.  

Russ Rabe – Football – 2001-04

Rabe was a 2004 Daktronics Third Team All-American and a 2003 Don Hansen Football Gazette First Team All-American. Rabe holds program records for career sacks (29.0) and tackles for a loss (45.5). He also owns season records for sacks (15.0, 2003) and tackles for a loss (19.5, 2003). The Lake Holcombe, Wisconsin native was 2003 All-NSIC selection and a 2004 All-NCC (North Central Conference) First Team choice. The 2004 team captain became the second player in program history to participate in the Hula Bowl. Rabe went on to sign a professional contract with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and was also signed by the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. He was selected in the third round of the 2006 NFL Europe League Draft where he played for the Hamburg Sea Devils in 2006.