UNI Athletics announces 2026 Hall of Fame class

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- A world champion quarterback, All-Americans, a national champion, an institutional pioneer and legendary voices highlight the UNI Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2026.

The 2026 class, the 41st in the history of the university's athletic department, will recognize individuals who competed for eight different sport programs for the Panthers, as well as an announcing duo with decades of experience bringing UNI sporting events to life.

"We are thrilled to announce a Hall of Fame class worthy of the honor as the university marks its 150th anniversary," said UNI Director of Athletics Megan Franklin. "The inductees represent program defining players, voices that brought iconic moments to life and lifts up the celebration of scholarship defining the student-athlete experience. Needless to say, in this sesquicentennial year, the Hall of Fame committee put together a very special class highlighting the very best in UNI Athletics history."

This year's class includes Super Bowl champion and NFL Most Valuable Player Kurt Warner, as well All-American swimmer Mark Crouch, national champion wrestler Jim Sanford, volleyball legend Ashten Stelken and women's athletic trailblazer and three-sport athlete Kay (Whitaker) Wieck.

Standout women's golfer Hannah Bermel will be honored as the Merlin Taylor Academic Award winner, while the Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award, for the first time ever, will be presented to co-recipients in iconic radio play-by-play broadcaster Gary Rima and public address announcer Bob Justis.

The 2026 class will formally be inducted on Friday, September 11 in a ceremony at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cedar Falls.

5:30 p.m. social hour with program and dinner to follow
Hilton Garden Inn | 7213 Nordic Drive, Cedar Falls, Iowa

This year's induction class will be recognized at halftime of UNI's home opening football game on Saturday, September 12 against Drake.

Established in 1985, the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame has recognized 248 individuals and teams to date. All previous inductees to the Hall of Fame are encouraged to attend as able. Click HERE to view the full list of inductees.

KURT WARNER | Football
One of UNI's most recognized and accomplished alumni, Warner joins the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame after a career that could only be written in Hollywood.

Playing quarterback for the Panthers from 1989 to 1993, Warner's 15-year professional career, including stints in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe, became a legendary story as one of the NFL's greatest undrafted players. Kurt Warner (Super Bowl 34)

A Burlington, Iowa native, Warner was a member of four consecutive Gateway Football Conference championship teams during his time as a Panther (1990-93). As UNI's starting quarterback during his senior season, he earned First Team All-Gateway honors and was named the Gateway's Offensive Player of the Year in helping lead Northern Iowa to the NCAA Division I-AA postseason.

Following a stint on the Green Bay Packers' training camp roster and iconically stocking shelves at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee grocery store, Warner played three seasons in-state for the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers in Des Moines. He twice earned First Team All-League recognition and led the Barnstormers to consecutive ArenaBowl appearances in 1996 and 1997. He was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame, as well as the Iowa Barnstormers Hall of Fame with his No. 13 jersey being retired by the organization.

In 1998, after leading NFL Europe in touchdowns and passing yards with the Amsterdam Admirals, Warner joined the NFL's St. Louis Rams and became the team's starting quarterback heading into the 1999 season. Surrounded by a core that included future Hall of Famers in Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk, plus Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim and Ricky Proehl, Warner produced one of the top seasons by a quarterback in league history with 4,353 passing yards, a league-leading 41 passing touchdowns and a 65.1% completion percentage en route to becoming the NFL's Most Valuable Player.

St. Louis' high-powered offense, nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf," helped propel the Rams to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, which resulted in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. Warner's 414 passing yards and two passing touchdowns earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.

In 2001, Warner led the NFL once again with 36 passing touchdowns and over 4,800 passing yards in helping the Rams return to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years with a 14-2 regular season record. Warner earned his second NFL MVP honor and was also named First Team All-Pro for a second time.

Following six years with the Rams and one season with the New York Giants in 2004, Warner signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2005. In his fourth season in the desert, Warner revitalized the organization, starting all 16 games and leading the Cardinals to an NFC West division title in 2008, en route to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance, tying an NFL record with 11 postseason touchdown passes. Warner was also recognized in 2008 as the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact. He retired from professional football following the 2009 season.

Since 2010, Warner has served as an analyst for the NFL Network and continues his philanthropic work with the First Things First Foundation and Treasure House Phoenix in supporting children, special-needs individuals and single parents. A 2017 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his life story was also portrayed in the 2021 biopic, American Underdog.

Warner currently resides in Arizona with his wife, Brenda. The couple have seven children in Zack, Jesse, Kade, Jada, Elijah, Sierra and Sienna.

MARK CROUCH | Men's Swimming & Diving
One of the most revered swim coaches in the history of the State of Iowa, Mark Crouch left his mark on the men's program at UNI as a championship performer and All-American. Mark Crouch (2026 HOF)

A native of Des Moines and a standout swimmer at Hoover High School, Crouch swam for the Panthers from 1972 to 1975 under Hall of Fame coach Glen Henry and quickly contributed to the program's championship success. Crouch was a part of four North Central Conference team championships during his time at Northern Iowa and also qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships three times, most notably earning All-American honors as a senior in 1975 as part of a sixth-place finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay at the national meet.

Crouch parlayed his collegiate career immediately into coaching, first at Williamsburg High School in 1975 before taking over as the head boy's coach at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, a position he would hold for 30 years until his retirement in 2017. Under Crouch's leadership, the Maroons became a force in swimming with over 28 All-Americans, 17 state champions and one National Male Swimmer of the Year. As a team, Dowling captured four consecutive state titles from 2000 to 2003, as well as 20 district team championships and 22 conference team titles.

A three-time Iowa Swimming Coach of the Year and 18-time Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) District Coach of the Year honoree, Crouch's teams posted a combined 229-28 dual record, which included a 134 dual winning streak from 1989 to 2004. Inducted into the Dowling Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, he was simultaneously recognized as DCHS renamed the school's pool in his honor.

Crouch has been active with various swimming related projects throughout his career, including as a volunteer with Special Olympics Iowa and club swimming. In 2019, he was honored with the Distinctive Service Award by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association, and inducted into his high school's athletic Hall of Fame in 2020. Crouch was also named to the Iowa High School Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2023.

Crouch currently resides in Clive, Iowa with his wife Jacque. The couple have three children.

JIM SANFORD | Wrestling
One of the State College of Iowa's (SCI) most decorated wrestlers, Jim Sanford was among the Panthers' top competitors in their Division II (college division) era. Jim Sanford (2026 HOF)

A Fort Dodge, Iowa native and two-time high school state runner-up, Sanford wrestled for SCI in the early 1960s under Hall of Fame coach Bill Koll. Capturing three North Central Conference championships for the Panthers, he also won two Midwest AAU titles.

Sanford rounded out his career in style in 1963 with an NCAA Division II title at 147 pounds with the national tournament being hosted by SCI inside the historic West Gym. One of six Panther All-Americans that season, SCI finished third at the NCAA Championships. Sanford became the second Division II national champion in program history, as well as the team's 22nd overall NCAA champion.

Following his collegiate career, Sanford coached wrestling at Logan Junior High School in Waterloo before later becoming the head wrestling coach at Elkader Central High School, where he won two Upper Iowa Conference titles during a three year stint from 1964 to 1977.

After earning his master's degree from the University of Colorado in 1969, Sanford returned to coaching out west at Adams City High School in Colorado, helping the Eagles to three conference team championships, as well as a state title in 1977. The 1977 Colorado High School Wrestling Coach of the Year, Sanford moved north to Ft.Collins and coached at Rocky Mountain High School from 1977 to 1983, and again from 1995 to 1999. Two of his RMHS wrestlers went on to coach state championship teams of their own. Sanford also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Colorado State University (1983-85).

Since leaving the coaching ranks, he spent several years officiating high school and college wrestling competitions, notably working the first United States Wrestling Federation's Junior National Tournament in Colorado. Sanford was honored with the Lifetime Service To Wrestling Award in 2013 by the Colorado Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Sanford today resides in Colorado.

ASHTEN STELKEN | Volleyball
A cornerstone of UNI volleyball's success in the mid to late 2000s, Ashten Stelken joins this year's Hall of Fame class as one of the top middle blockers in program history. Ashten Stelken (2026 HOF)

The Manchester, Iowa native played for the Panthers from 2005 to 2008, leading Northern Iowa in blocks during her final two seasons with 182 blocks in 2007 and 174 stops in 2008. UNI's junior class record holder for blocks, she also led the Panthers with 411 kills as a junior and twice led the team in hitting percentage with a .351 clip in 2007 and a .308 mark a year later.

Stelken, who helped contribute to a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season title in 2006 and back-to-back conference tournament championships in 2006 and 2007, played a key role in UNI reaching three straight NCAA Tournaments, the first of seven straight national tournament appearances for the purple and gold, a program record. The Panthers notably won a first round matchup against Winthrop in 2006.

Individually, Stelken was recognized as a two-time First Team All-MVC performer in 2007 and 2008, while also earning MVC Scholar-Athlete honors in both years as well. A member of the 2005 MVC All-Freshman and All-Tournament teams, she earned AVCA All-District recognition as a senior in 2008.

Stelken finished her playing career with Northern Iowa ranked seventh in team history with 1,302 career kills, as well as third in both block assists (540) and total blocks (583), and sixth in career points (1,649). Averaging 1.27 blocks per set during her four years in a Panther uniform, she also set a three-set, single-match team record with 23.5 points in 2007 in a match at Drake, while also tying for the second-most blocks (12) in a three-set, single-match in UNI history the same year against Iowa State.

A former standout at West Delaware High School in Manchester, Stelken graduated with a degree in elementary education and teaching in 2009 before becoming a teacher and volleyball coach in the Iowa City area. Today, she teaches second grade in the College Community School District in Cedar Rapids.

KAY (WHITAKER) WIECK | Women's Basketball / Field Hockey / Softball)
A trailblazer in Panther women's athletics, Kay (Whitaker) Wieck was among a select few student-athletes to compete in not just one, but three sports during her time at UNI. Kay (Whitaker) Wieck Headshot (2026 HOF)

Originally from State Center, Iowa, Wieck competed in basketball, field hockey and softball for Northern Iowa during the dawn of women's college sports with the foundation of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1971. Her experience as a multi-sport athlete earned her a spot as a student representative on the UNI Intercollegiate Committee during her playing career.

On the hardwood, Wieck played basketball under UNI Hall of Fame coach Wanda Green for three seasons from 1971 to 1974, which included her final two seasons on the varsity squad. Competing in just the program's fifth and sixth overall seasons of play, she played on a pair of state tournament teams twice and was a member of the 1973 AIAW Region VI All-Tournament Team. UNI posted a 15-8 varsity record during her final two seasons.

Wieck also spent two years as a varsity field hockey player and captain, as well as one season on the Panther softball team. She also served as a student representative for UNI in the Iowa College Field Hockey Association.

After graduating UNI and also earning a master's degree from Iowa State, Wieck spent 36 years as a teacher and girls basketball, volleyball, field hockey and track coach at Clear Lake High School until her retirement in 2011, where she also served as an adjunct instructor at Waldorf College in Forest City. She currently resides in Clear Lake with her husband, Fred.

HANNAH BERMEL | Merlin Taylor Academic Award
Among the most successful women's golfers and student-athletes at UNI, Hannah Bermel is the recipient of the 2026 Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame Award. Hannah Bermel (2026 HOF)

First awarded at the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony in 2015, the Merlin Taylor Academic Hall of Fame Award is presented to an individual who not only displayed excellent play as an athlete, but excelled out of sport in the classroom academically and led by example in their journey towards furthering their education. Previous honorees have included student-athletes that have not only earned accolades in competition, but also academic recognition, including Academic All-American status, conference scholar-athlete honors and honor roll selections.

A Cedar Falls native, Bermel played five seasons for the Panthers from 2017 to 2022 and left her mark not only as a talented golfer, but one of the program and Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) most decorated student-athletes. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from UNI with degrees in communication disorders and gerontology, Bermel was the first women's golfer to be named MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team four times in the history of the conference. Additionally, she was named the winner of the MVC's Elite 17 Award in 2019, given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average competing in the conference championship event.

On the course, Bermel's career average round score of 77.76 helped her standout as one of the program's best as the first Panther to earn four First Team All-MVC honors in team history. A four-time MVC Golfer of the Week honoree, she led Panther golfers in 17 of her 38 career tournaments played, finished in the top-ten individually in 13 tournaments and also captured three individual tournament titles (2019 MVC Preview, 2019 Creighton Classic, 2021 Indiana State Spring Invite).

UNI tied its all-time best team performance at the MVC Championships with Bermel on the roster with runner-up showings in 2019 and 2021, and also captured five team tournament championships. Her senior season also included a career-best round of 69 at the 2022 Jackrabbit Invite.

Bermel, the daughter of longtime Panther head golf coach John Bermel, has spent the past years as an assistant coach for her alma mater. All four of her siblings, Abby, Jake, Hailey and Ben, have also all played golf at UNI.

GARY RIMA & BOB JUSTIS | Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award
Two of the most iconic voices in UNI Athletics history, Gary Rima and Bob Justis are the co-recipients of the 2026 Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award.

Awarded as part of UNI Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony since 1989, the Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award is given to an individual or individuals who have given a significant commitment of time and/or professional services to the furtherance of excellence in athletics at the University of Northern Iowa. Previous honorees have included team physicians, faculty athletics representatives, athletic trainers, broadcasters, volunteers and financial contributors/donors.

Gary Rima
Rima, a Strawberry Point, Iowa native, spent 29 years as the radio play-by-play voice of UNI football, men's basketball and baseball from 1993 to 2022. Known for his signature catchphrases like "oh baby, I love this team" and "kabooom," Rima called over 2,000 total games in his Panther broadcasting career, which also included weekly UNI Gary Rima (2026 HOF) coaches radio call-in shows.

Among Rima's most notable calls have included UNI baseball's 2001 MVC regular season championship run, Panther football's 2005 appearance in the national championship game and men's basketball's 2010 NCAA Sweet Sixteen run and upset of top-ranked Kansas.

In addition to team management, Rima, often referred to as the "Sports Guy," hosted a weekday sports talk radio show from 2006 to 2020, featuring debate on Iowa sports topics with interviews from local, state and national figures. In 2016, he was also recognized by the university with the UNI Honorary Alumni Award.

A lifelong sportsman, Rima also served as the general manager of the Waterloo Bucks Northwoods League baseball team from 1999 to 2003, helping the summer collegiate organization to a league championship in 2002. In 2015, he returned to management as the founder and general manager of the Cedar Valley CourtKings, a semi-professional men's basketball franchise in Waterloo, leading the team to back-to-back Midwest Basketball League titles in 2016 and 2017 in the team's first two seasons.

Rima currently resides in The Villages, Florida with his wife Marla Kay.

Bob Justis
Bob Justis, a native of Baltimore, Maryland and raised in Cedar Falls, spent 49 years as the public address (PA) announcer for Panther men's basketball, and 48 seasons announcing UNI football before his retirement in late 2024. Bob Justis Headshot

Known for his vigor on the microphone, Justis coined many familiar phrases including his "heeeeere come the Panthers" as the home team enters the arena. Some of his other famous sayings from football have included a cautious warning to opposing fans and teams that "a ferocious predator has been seen stalking the nation," as well as a weather report highlighting the UNI-Dome's features of "no wind and no snow."

Prior to his final games on the microphone, UNI Athletics officially renamed the PA booth in the UNI-Dome in his honor, as well as the PA announcers' chair inside the McLeod Center. He was also recognized by the MVC as the 2025 recipient of the John Sanders Memorial Spirit of the Valley Award.

Having called over 900 football and men's basketball games combined in numerous on-campus venues since the mid-1970s, Justis graduated from UNI in 1974 with a degree in speech and a business minor. An early fundraiser to the construction of the UNI-Dome, Justis has been an active member of the community having served as an Assistant Director of Development with the UNI Foundation, and later Director of Corporate Relations and Development at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Later in his career, he served as chairman of the Cedar Valley United Way and President of the Cedar Falls Chamber of Commerce and the Cedar Valley Chamber of Commerce. In 1988, he was recognized as a recipient of the UNI Alumni Association's Service Award.

Part of a family of passionate and longstanding Panther fans, Justis spent several years working UNI events alongside his wife, Nancy, who spent 30 years in the athletic communications department, including 26 years as UNI's Director of Athletic Media Relations. Nancy was inducted into the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Justis' daughter, Nicole, also worked in athletic communications as a student assistant, while his son in-law, Cody, served as his spotter in the UNI-Dome press box for several years.

UNI Athletics action can be followed all year long on social media on Facebook (UNI Athletics), X (@UNIAthletics) and on Instagram (@uniathletics). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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