WIAC Hall of Fame

MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) will be inducting three Falcons, Merilee (Healy) Cardinal, Dr. R.A. Karges, and Roger Kuss  to its 2018 Hall of Fame class.

The WIAC established a Hall of Fame to coincide with the conference's celebration of its 100th anniversary, which took place during the 2012-13 academic year.  The 27-member class for 2018 will be inducted at the WIAC Hall of Fame Banquet to be held on July 28, 2018, at UW-Eau Claire.
 
In announcing the 2018 class, WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner noted once again how difficult the selection process is given the 105-year history and incomparable success of the conference. "Quite frankly, there are dozens, if not hundreds, more individuals deserving of this honor. Therefore, it remains our intention to continue to induct future Hall of Fame classes every three years with the ultimate goal of recognizing those student-athletes, coaches, administrators, officials and others whose contributions and achievements have established and solidified the WIAC's status as the most accomplished Division III conference in NCAA history," added Karner.
 
For more information on the Hall of Fame class, please visit www.wiacsports.com. More detailed bios and photos on each of the inductees will be provided at a later date.

WIAC Release
 
Name                                                      School                                 Years                     Category
Merilee (Healy) Cardinal                          UW-River Falls                 1992-95                   Student-Athlete (women's gymnastics)
-Was a member of UW-River Falls' women's gymnastics team from 1992-95 and a nine-time NCGA All-American. In 1994, she secured the national title in the uneven bars and followed with a national championship in the balance beam in 1995. She is the only individual in program history to win a conference title in the all-around, accomplishing the feat in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, she was also a conference champion in the uneven bars and earned all-conference recognition in all five events. Cardinal was inducted into the NCGA Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2012, she was selected to the WIAC Women's Gymnastics All-Time Team in conjunction with the conference's Centennial Celebration.

**Dr. R.A. Karges                               UW-River Falls                 1908-52                           Coach (men's basketball) & Administrator (faculty athletics representative)
-Served as faculty athletic representative to the conference from 1912-52 and was the men's basketball coach from 1910-12. In those early days, the school could afford travel for only two conference games and filled out the season by playing area high schools. He loved spectator sports, but was also an energetic participant. Karges played handball and tennis and was an ardent cross-country skier. In 1959, he took part in laying the cornerstone for the physical education building on campus that was named in his honor from 1960-2017. The Falcon Center auxiliary gymnasium currently bestows his name
 

**Roger Kuss                                      UW-River Falls                 1951-53                             Student-Athlete (men's basketball)
-Was a member of UW-River Falls' men's basketball team from 1951-53, earning NAIA All-America recognition all three seasons. He scored 1,924 career points for a conference-record average of 27.5 points per game, including an astonishing 38.9 points per contest during the 1952-53 campaign. In 1953, Kuss was selected the national Player of the Year, conference Player of the Year and poured in 57 points against UW-Stout – the second-highest single-game total in conference history. He was a three-time all-conference selection and inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1959. In 2012, he was selected to the WIAC Men's Basketball All-Time Team in conjunction with the conference's Centennial Celebration.
 
**Deceased