LSSU announces Hall of Fame inductees

NEWS RELEASE

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE UNIVERSITY

************************* Basketball, volleyball greats to be inducted into LSSU Hall of Fame

SAULT STE. MARIE, MICH. - Former basketball players John Gilbert and Teresa (Watwood) Gilbert, along with the 1978 Laker volleyball team, will be inducted into the Lake Superior State University Athletic Hall of Fame on October 20 during Great Lake State Weekend.

The program, open to the public, will begin at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Cisler Center.

Tickets are available by calling 906-635-2831.

The 1978 LSSU volleyball team finished 29-6 overall and 10-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and defeated Adrian to win the State Small College Tournament.

The highlight of their conference season was a victory over league runner-up Oakland University exactly 29 years to the day of this year's induction ceremony.

The team opened Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) regional play with a victory over Carroll College, but was eventually eliminated by the University of Dayton.

"As we all get a little older, we tend to appreciate things more," former setter Shaun (Lake) Antler, a Sault, Ontario resident, said. "I've coached volleyball for 25 years, and I've come to realize that championships are few and far between. I think this championship means more to me now than it did back then."

LSSU was led by former prep teammates Theresa Shaheen and Lake of Flint.

Both women earned All-GLIAC honors, while Kristin Campbell of Dearborn earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention.

The line-up also included Jan Beare, Anne Marcon, Pam Raycroft and Cathy Chennette of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Joy Peterman of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Liz Evans of Warren Woods, Nora Wilmes of Grand Rapids, Jane Tatu of Clarkston, Margaret Olson of Cheboygan, Linda Putney of Olivet, Cheryl Carlton of Oakley and Rose Solezyk of Sudbury.

Lake and Shaheen were inducted into the LSSU Sports Hall of Fame individually in 1996 and 1999, respectively. The 1978 team still holds LSSU records for highest win percentage and longest winning streak (19 matches).

Evans was the lone senior on the squad, which was coached by Deb McPherson, another LSSU hall-of-famer and longtime LSSU coach and faculty member.

"These women set the stage 29 years ago for future female athletes, as younger generations began to realize that sports participation in a collegiate setting was a real possibility if you focused on academics and developed your sports skills," McPherson said.

Former basketball players Gilbert and Watwood are scattered throughout the LSSU record book.

Gilbert, a Fenton native who played from 1984-88, scored 1,329 career points and is the men's basketball career record-holder in field-goal percentage at .569 (513-901).

He is still ranked eighth in career free throws.

Gilbert, who married Watwood in 1988, was an all-America candidate as a senior in 1987-88 as he contributed 24.6 points per game to rank ninth nationally in scoring average.

He shot 61.3 percent from the field, which ranks second on LSSU's single-season chart but is the highest among players with more than 200 shooting attempts.

He scored a career-high 47 points against Grand Rapids Baptist, and totaled 43 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists against Hillsdale.

He added a 42-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist performance against Northwood.

"The fact that I went from walking on and not playing to becoming one of the top players in the GLIAC is kind of neat," Gilbert said. "But what I remember most are the people I met throughout the years - the coaches, teachers and the players."

Gilbert was the Lakers' top rebounder as a junior and senior, averaging 9.0 and 7.6 rebounds per game, respectively.

While many coaches describe their versatile players as guard/forwards or forward/centers, former coach Bob Eldridge gave Gilbert the unique classification of guard/center.

"Without a doubt, John is the best all-around player I've had since I've been at Lake Superior," noted Eldridge when he was in his sixth season at LSSU. "Not only does he have talent, but he has a tremendous desire to succeed."

Watwood, a 6-0 center, was LSSU Female Athlete of the Year in 1988 and finished her career with 1,153 points and 723 rebounds.

She is ranked seventh on LSSU's career rebounding list and career free-throw list (317), and is ninth in career field-goal percentage (.501, 418-834).

Watwood averaged 15.9 points per game to lead the Lakers in scoring in 1987-88, and she was the team's top rebounder for three straight seasons.

While playing for coaches Bob Taylor and Mike Geary, LSSU posted three straight 20-win seasons and made two NCAA Tournament appearances.

"I remember nine of us coming in as freshmen and building a team together," Watwood said. "I have continued to stay in touch with most of them. We were very successful when we worked together. That lesson - that working together makes you successful - has helped me throughout my career."

Watwood went on to earn three GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors and two All-GLIAC First Team awards.

She was also named most-valuable player of the 1988 Great Lakes Regional after totaling 47 points and 26 rebounds in two games, and was a member of the 1988 Kodak All-District IV Team.

Gilbert is a teacher at Fenton High School, while Watwood is a training specialist at Brookdale Senior Living Center.

They have a daughter, Julie, 13, and a son, Christopher, 9.

"This is kind of surprising and cool to be able to go in together," Gilbert said. "I don't think either one of us expected us to be inducted."

*************************