Eastern Michigan Athletics
EMU Athletic Hall of Fame to Induct Five New Members
12/16/2008 2:05:33 PM | General
Class of 2008 to be inducted Feb. 21, 2009
YPSILANTI, Mich. — The Eastern Michigan University E-Club, a group of former EMU varsity athletic letterwinners, has announced the addition of five new members into the Athletic Hall of Fame. The Class of 2008 will be honored at a Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, in the new EMU Student Center on campus.
The Class of 2008 includes: Joy (Inness) Johnson (women's track and field), Lindell Reason (men's basketball), Jeff Reaume (men's golf), Sarah Willis (women's soccer) and Chuck Wilson (men's track and field).
Three other former EMU athletic greats were voted into the Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2008, but will be part of next year's class because of previous commitments on Feb. 21. The three athletes that will be deferred to 2009 are: former EMU football great Charlie Batch, former baseball standout Jerry Keller and former women's gymnastics star Sharon McNie.
In addition to the Hall of Fame ceremony, Feb. 21, the E-Club is honoring former baseball coaching legend Ron Oestrike with a Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the University and the letterwinners club. A special presentation will be made to Oestrike, a 1979 EMU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, during the Hall of Fame ceremony.
This year's class will mark the 33rd anniversary of the E-Club Athletic Hall of Fame. The ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. followed immediately by a buffet luncheon. The Class of 2008 will then be honored between the women's and men's basketball games in the Convocation Center later that day. The EMU's women's basketball game is slated to begin at 2 p.m. against Northern Illinois with the men scheduled to host a Bracket Buster game at 4 p.m. against an opponent to be named later.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame ceremony, which includes a ticket for both basketball games, are $45 each and can be purchased by calling the EMU Athletics Department at 734.487.8236.
Eastern Michigan University Athletics Hall of Fame 2008 Biographies
JOY (INNESS) JOHNSON 1994
Women's Track: Won four individual Mid-American Conference titles and ran on five relay teams that won MAC outdoor crowns...Won the triple jump in 1992, 1993, and 1994, and the long jump in 1994...Ran on the winning 4 x 100-meter relay team in 1993, and was a member of the winning 4 x 400-meter relay teams in 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994.
LINDELL REASON 1972
Men's Basketball: Outstanding point guard for the EMU men's basketball team from 1969-72...In his three varsity seasons he scored 1,454 points which ranks 10th in scoring history...Also hauled down 330 rebounds and his 417 career assists is fifth in history...Helped lead EMU to two consecutive NAIA National Tournaments and the 1970-71 team made it to the championship game...Also assisted the 1971-72 team to a final four NCAA College Division finish.
JEFF REAUME 1972
Men's Golf: Two-time All-American golfer for the Hurons before turning professional...Finished 10th in the NCAA-College Division nationals in 1971 with a team-leading round of 300 (74-71-75-80) to lead the team to an 11th-place finish....Led the team that year with a 75.8 stroke average and earned second-team All-American honors...Came back in 1972 to lead the team to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA-College Division nationals where he shot 305 (77-72-76-80)...Won the Western Junior golf tournament in 1969 at the University of Michigan and also went on to capture the Horton Smith Trophy and win the medal play portion of the state tournament...Won the Michigan Mid-Amateur as a golfer in the early 1990s.
SARAH WILLIS 2000
Women's Soccer: One of the most outstanding goalies in EMU history...Recorded a 35-11-6 record as a goalie from 1998-2000...Selected NCSAA/adidass All-American third team in 1999 and All-Great Lakes Region first-team pick in 1999...Named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year in 1999...Was an All-MAC Tournament selection in 1999...Leads the EMU record book for career saves (312), season-save percentage (.918 in 1999), career save percentage (.817), career goals against average (0.92) and minutes in a season (1,963:11 in 1999).
CHUCK WILSON 1991
Men's Track: Four-time All-America and six-time Mid-American Conference champion...Finished third in the 400-meter dash in the 1991 NCAA indoor and outdoor championships...Led off the 1600-meter relay team that finished fourth in 1988 at the NCAA outdoor championships, setting a varsity record and Michigan Collegiate mark of 3:04.73...Also competed in the World University Games for the U.S....Won several Central Collegiate Conference titles...Won the 400-meter title at the MAC outdoor championships three times in 1989 (:46.63), 1990 (:46.66), and 1991 (:46.18)...Ran in the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Distinguished Service Award - Ron Oestrike
One of the legends of Eastern Michigan University, former head baseball coach Ron Oestrike was the main force behind the rejuvenation of the E-Letterwinners Club in the late 1980s. Oestrike began his college career as a two-sport standout at Eastern Michigan University, lettering in both baseball and football. After graduating from EMU in 1954, Oestrike went on earn a master's degree from the University of Michigan, serve a two-year tour with the U.S. Army and become a high-school football coach at Trenton H.S. Oestrike returned to EMU in 1963 and the rest was history. He spent the next 24 years developing the EMU baseball program into one of the very finest in the nation. During his 22-year reign as head coach, "Oak" led the baseball squad to unprecedented heights, including leading the team to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship in 1970, a runnerup spot in the 1976 NCAA College World, a fifth-place finish in the 1975 NCAA College World Series, four Mid-American Conference championships, five NCAA Regional appearances on the way to a 633-492-8 overall record. Oak was singled out as the NCAA National Coach of the Year in 1976 by The Sporting News and went on to become the president of the American Baseball Coaches Association in 1985. He was inducted into the E-Club Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979 and was selected to the ABCA Hall of Fame in 1990. In addition to his coaching prowess, Oak took over the task of taking over a floundering E-Letterwinners Club in 1990 and through his hard work and ability to attract new leaders, he helped lead the E-Club to one of the top alumni chapters at Eastern Michigan University.
