Hesston College Athletic Director Bryan Kehr has announced the Lark Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2024. The inductees include coaches and administrators Art Mullet and Joel Kauffman and athletes Liz Sowers, Mika Matsuda, Julie (Steiner) Kozel and Jim Sieber. This year’s inductee class includes two teams of distinction: the 1974-75 volleyball and 1996-97 women’s basketball teams. The induction ceremony will take place during Homecoming weekend, Saturday, September 28 at 1:30 p.m. in the Hesston Mennonite Church sanctuary. As a part of the ceremony, the athletic department will unveil their new Hall of Fame digital touchscreen display that will be housed in the Yost Center lobby.
Art Mullet
Art Mullet played a crucial part of the expansion of athletics at Hesston during his 30-year tenure as athletic director and baseball head coach. During his career, he oversaw the addition of Yost Center, the main hub of Hesston athletics, and the Campus Activities Center (CAC) as well as the completion of the baseball and soccer fields and the on-campus tennis courts. He also helped grow the number of athletic programs offered at Hesston from five in 1980 to 11 when he retired in 2011. Mullet was highly regarded by everyone he worked with, especially his players. By many of his players he was seen not just as a coach, but as a mentor and friend. Art was well known for his meticulous care and maintenance for Oswald Field, the home of Lark baseball. Mullet spent countless hours working on the field, making sure it was ready to go. It not only created an environment his athletes were excited to play in, but it gave them opportunities to strengthen bonds with their teammates.
Joel Kauffman ’80
The winningest coach in Hesston College athletic history, Joel Kauffman paced the sideline as the women’s basketball head coach from 1987 to 2008, accumulating 283 victories. Following high school teaching and coaching appointments in Nevada and California from 1982 to 1987, Kauffman returned to his alma mater. During his tenure, he led the Larks to five regional championships and coached six NJCAA All-Americans and more than a dozen academic All-Americans. Kauffman was named the NJCAA District B Coach of the Year following the 1996-97 season in which Hesston advanced to the NJCAA DII national tournament in Hagerstown, Md. He coached the Larks to four 19-win seasons, the current season wins record. After relinquishing his coaching post, Kauffman remained at Hesston assuming the position of vice president of admissions and financial aid for three years until he took over as athletic director from 2011 to 2015.
Liz Sowers ’06
Liz Sowers’ legacy as a Lark will be long remembered as one of the most dominant women’s basketball players Hesston College has ever seen. The Hesston native holds all three major scoring records at the college: career points (1,100), points in a season (606) and points in a game (45). She owns two of the top-10 spots for points in a season with her freshman season ranking seventh (494). Sowers’ name can also be found in numerous other places among the record books as she ranks second in season points per game (PPG)(18.9), fifth in career PPG (17.7), seventh in career three-point percentage (34.3%) and career rebounds (420) and is tied for eighth in season three-point percentage (35.6%). Her outstanding sophomore season earned her NJCAA All-American Honors. After her time at Hesston, Sowers transferred to NCAA Div I Oakland University (Rochester, Mich.) to continue her education and playing career, helping the Golden Grizzlies to two league championships. Sowers transitioned to tackle and flag football and is now one of the top coaches in flag football, coaching Ottawa (Kan.) University to four-straight NAIA national championships.
Mika Matsuda ’17
Mika Matsuda was one of the most accomplished women’s soccer players in Hesston College history. The dynamic midfielder from Kyoto, Japan, can be found atop many of the scoring categories in the record book. Matsuda has the most career points in Hesston College women’s soccer history with 118 (34 goals and 50 assists). Her 50 career assists also top the records, with the next highest total being 17, and her 34 career goals rank second on the all-time list. Mika also owns several season records cracking the top-five in each category in both of her seasons. Matsuda owns the top two marks in season assists and points while ranking second and fifth for goals in a season. The 2017 graduate earned all-conference and all-region honors in both of her seasons and played a huge part in two of the Larks most successful seasons in their short history as Hesston finished 16-5 in 2015 and 13-6-1 in 2016.
Julie (Steiner) ’01 Kozel
Julie Kozel was a mainstay behind the plate and at shortstop for the Lark softball team from 2000 to 2001. With a career batting average of .466, second highest in Lark softball history, the former NJCAA All-American led the 2001 team to a program-best season batting average of .372. Julie’s name is found in several other spots in the record books. She batted in 45 runs during the 2000 season, ranking third all time. She drove in 68 runs in her career, which is the seventh most in Lark history. She also clubbed 17 doubles in her career, ninth most in HC history. Her coaches and teammates remember her as a clear cut leader from day one. Kozel led by example setting high standards for how the game should be practiced and played.
Jim Sieber ’68
Jim Sieber was a star for the HC men’s soccer team during their most dominant era. Nearly 60 years later, Sieber still holds the record for career goals (65) and goals in a season (41). He also owns the record for most career points with 159 (65 goals and 29 assists). In 1967, Sieber was named to the NJCAA National Soccer Finals All-Tournament team while also achieving second-team All-American status and earning All-Conference honors. After his time at Hesston, Jim transferred to Eastern Mennonite College (Harrisonburg, Va.) where he had a profound impact on their soccer program. Sieber also spent several years playing semi-pro soccer in Chicago. After finishing his playing career, Sieber spent many years coaching youth soccer teams in Indianapolis.
1996-97 Women’s Basketball team
One of the greatest teams in Hesston College women’s basketball history, the 1996-97 squad stands alone as the only team to qualify for the national tournament. Finishing 18-13 in the regular season, the Larks erased a 17-point deficit in the district championship over Redlands Community College before pulling off an upset over Haskell Indian Nations University in the region championship, punching their ticket to nationals in Hagerstown, Md. The Larks were led by head coach and fellow inductee Joel Kauffman. Lisa (Schmidt) ’97 Graber and Janelle (Yutzie) ’97 Blubaugh were named to the all-region team that year. Graber, a member of the inaugural class of the HC Athletic Hall of Fame and the team’s leading scorer, was also named a second-team All-American. Members of the team included: Jenni Schrock ’98, Tara (Froese) ’98 de Maglinon, Janel (Jantz) ’97 Stucky, Tasha (Propps) ’97 Warner, Carla (Hathaway) ’97 Hochstetler, Angie (Smeltzer) ’97 Matthews, Shanna (Roth) ’97 Heinz, Beck (Nitzsche) ’97 Green, Koreen Troyer ’98, Rachel Briskey ’98 and assistant coach Phil Mason.
1974-75 Volleyball team
With a historic 30-0 regular season, the 1974-75 volleyball team still holds the record for wins in a season at Hesston College. The Larks dominated their opposition on their way to an appearance at the first ever NJCAA national tournament in Catonsville, Md. On the brink of missing the national semifinals after posting a 3-5 record in the first day of pool play, the Larks mounted a strong comeback on day two going 6-2 to finish with a 9-7 record which was good enough for fourth-place and a spot in the semifinals. The Larks fell to eventual national champion Alvin (Texas) Junior College in the semifinals then swept Meramec 15-6 and 15-7 to claim a third-place finish at the national tournament. The team was led by head coach Liz Hunsberger, a member of last year’s inaugural HOF class. Beth (Yoder) ’76 Hostetler, another inductee of the inaugural class, was named to the all-tournament team at nationals. Along with Hostetler, members of the team included: Debbie (Carlisle) ’76 Orpin, Karen Ebersole ’76, Cynthia (Habegger) ’75 Loganbill, Mary Beth Headrick ’76, Glenda (Hochstetler) ’76 Graber, Carol (Jantz) ’76 Danahy, Sharon (Kennel) ’75 Lubbers, Chrissie (Orendorff) ’75 Fournier, Renae (Roupp) ’76 Alison, assistant coach Cheryl Lamb and team manager Jenny Yoder ’75.