Bulldog Standout Teri Clemens Named To NCAA 40th Anniversary Team

INDIANAPOLIS – Teri Clemens, Truman's 1978 Female Athlete of the Year, has been selected to the NCAA Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team. Clemens was a three-sport star for the Bulldogs competing in Softball, Tennis and Field Hockey and later gained notoriety leading the Washington (Mo.) University Bears to seven Division III Volleyball titles.

Clemens was a four-year letterwinner for the Bulldog field hockey team from 1974 through 1977. She was the softball team's leading hitter as freshman in 1975 hitting .393 with nine runs batted in and a 6-4 pitching record. In 1976, she hit .314 with a team leading 12 RBIs.

Clemens moved to the tennis courts for the 1977 and 1978 springs. She was 14-5 as the Bulldogs went 12-1 in '77 and 6-11 in 1978 as the team captured the MAIAW championship.

Following graduation, she began her historic coaching career by winning three Missouri state volleyball high school championships at Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis.

That string of championships earned her the head coaching job at Washington University in August of 1985. She led the Bears to the 1989 NCAA Division III championship and then built a dynasty that won titles from 1991 through 1996.

Clemens boasts the highest winning percentage all-time in collegiate volleyball with a .873 mark (529-77) during her 14-year career at Washington University. She was a 10-time University Athletic Association (UAA) Staff of the Year honoree and led the Bears to 11 of the first 12 UAA championships while going 136-1 (.993) in 12 years of conference play.

She was inducted into the Truman Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Washington University Hall of Fame in 1999.

In celebration of the 40^th Anniversary of NCAA Division II, 48 former student-athletes are set to be honored by the NCAA throughout 2013. Developed through a partnership with the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, the 40^th Anniversary Tribute Team highlights one male and one female from each of the division's 23 current conferences, plus two at-large nominees. Clemens and Central Missouri's Jim Crane were the MIAA honorees.

“This group of former student-athletes is meant to reflect the core values of Division II athletics,” said Josh Looney, associate director of Division II. “Commissioners have helped identify a diverse group of championship individuals from Division II's 40-year history. Not only did these former student-athletes act as champions in athletics and in the classroom, they've gone on to live championship lives as well.

“This group is a true representation of Division II's commitment to providing its student-athletes a 'Life in the Balance' that extends beyond athletics.”

Division II gained its own unique intercollegiate athletics identity when Divisions I, II and III were formalized during a special NCAA Convention held in 1973. Prior to 1973, the NCAA was organized into two divisions––“University” and “College.”

The year-long 40^th Anniversary celebration will feature a number of initiatives branded by Division II's tradition, history and community influence. A special 40^th Anniversary highlight video was unveiled to Division II membership during the 2013 NCAA Convention, officially kicking off the celebration.

Each member of the Division II 40^th Anniversary Tribute Team will receive a commemorative 40^th Anniversary gift and is slated to have his/her accomplishments profiled through Division II media channels.

Conferences were asked to submit a list of nominees representative of Division II's ideals. The only requirement was that nominees exhausted their athletics eligibility within the past 40 years and attended a college or university active in Division II.

The NCAA Division II 40^th Anniversary Tribute Team:

California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)
Violet Palmer (Cal Poly Pomona Women's Basketball, 1984-88)
Chris Wondolowski (Chico State Men's Soccer, 2001-04)

Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC)
Michelle DePolo (Georgian Court University Women's Basketball; Soccer; Softball, 1999-03)
Nicholas Harriott (Caldwell College Men's Soccer, 2004-08)

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
Barvenia Wooten-Cherry (Virginia Union University Women's Basketball, 1980-83)
Timmy Newsome (Winston-Salem State University Football, 1976-80)

Conference Carolinas (CC)
Stephanie Ferri-Lewis (Pfeiffer University Women's Cross Country; Soccer; Swimming, 1991-94)
Clint Bryant (Belmont Abbey College Men's Basketball, 1973-77)

East Coast Conference (ECC)
Donna Orender (Queens College Women's Basketball, 1975-78)
Brian Kilmeade (LIU Post Men's Soccer, 1982-86)

Great American Conference (GAC)
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (Harding University Women's Cross Country; Track and Field, 2000-05)
Drew Beard (Southeastern Oklahoma State University Football, 2001-04)

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)
Gail Goestenkors (Saginaw Valley State University Women's Basketball, 1981-85)
Tom Izzo (Northern Michigan University Men's Basketball, 1973-77)

Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC)
Sandra Magnus (Missouri S&T Women's Soccer, 1983-86)
Larry Tucker (Lewis University Men's Basketball, 1979-83)

Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC)
Mallory Holtman-Fletcher (Central Washington University Softball, 2005-08)
Grant Dykstra (Western Washington University Men's Basketball, 2002-06)

Gulf South Conference (GSC)
Rachel Price-Bell and Ronda Price-Brinley (University of North Alabama Volleyball, 1996-00)
Radovan Chrz (University of West Florida Men's Tennis, 2000-04)

Heartland Conference (HC)
Kelsey Baird (St. Edward's University Women's Soccer, 2005-09)
Collin Mayer (St. Edward's University Men's Golf, 2007-10)

Lone Star Conference (LSC)
Dr. Tammi Julch-Williams (Texas Women's University Basketball, 1990-94)
Roberto Garza (Texas A&M University-Kingsville Football; Track & Field, 1997-2000)

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA)
Teri Clemens (Truman State University Volleyball, 1974-78)
Jim Crane (University of Central Missouri Baseball, 1973-76)

Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10)
Johannah Leedham (Franklin Pierce University Women's Basketball, 2006-10)
J. Terence Carleton (Bentley College Men's Soccer, 1973-76)

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC)
Lauren Brown (Winona State University Women's Track and Field; Volleyball, 2007-10)
Bob Bowlsby (Minnesota State University Moorhead Wrestling, 1972-75)

Pacific West Conference (PacWest)
Samantha Murphy (Grand Canyon University Women's Basketball, 2007-11)
Tsung-Hsien “Jet” Chang (BYU-Hawaii Men's Basketball, 2010-12)

Peach Belt Conference (PBC)
Dr. Amy Amundson-Smith (Georgia College and State University Women's Basketball, 1989-92)
Stilian Shishkov (Lander University Men's Soccer, 1993-95)

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)
Lori Pio-Jacques (East Stroudsburg University Women's Basketball, 1993-96)
David Williams (Bloomsburg University Men's Tennis, 1978-81)

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)
Elva Martinez-Dryer (Western State Colorado University Women's Cross Country; Track and Field, 1991-95)
Danny Woodhead (Chadron State College Football, 2004-07)

South Atlantic Conference (SAC)
Kate Griewisch (Lenoir-Rhyne University Women's Cross Country; Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field, 2009-12)
Patrick Bartlett (Wingate University Men's Basketball; Soccer; Tennis, 1996-00)

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)
Selina B. Kohn (Albany State University Women's Basketball, 1990-94)
Edwin Moses (Morehouse College, 1974-78)

Sunshine State Conference
Anna Hallbergson (Barry University Women's Tennis, 1997-2000):
Ken Corigliano (Saint Leo University Men's Cross Country, 2002-06)

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC)
Mindy Young-Gagliardi (University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Women's Basketball, 1988-92)
Sean Isgan (University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Wrestling, 1977-82)

At-Large (NCAA)
Sheila Baxter (Virginia State University Women's Basketball, 1973-77)
Shane Carwin (Western State Colorado University Football and Wrestling, 1995-99)

Thanks to the Washington University Sports Information Office and the NCAA for providing information for this release.

Print Friendly Version