Five individuals will be inducted into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on October 20, 2012. Joining the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame this year will be Ken Dreiling, Bill Dunlap, Cliff Leiker, Dave Okeson, and Jody Wise. The induction ceremony will occur on the morning of October 20 on the campus of Fort Hays State University, then the inductees will be recognized at halftime of the home football game against Lincoln University.
Ken Dreiling – Football
A native of Victoria, Kan., Dreiling was an All-American for the Tiger football squad in 1964 as a defensive tackle. During that season, he averaged 8.8 tackles per game, recording 79 total tackles for the season, a very-high number for a defensive lineman. The Victoria, Kan., native played two seasons at Fort Hays State after transferring from St. Benedict’s College (what is now Benedictine College). He helped the Tigers to a 5-4 record in his senior season and was an All-District 10 and All-CIC First Team selection. He played alongside linebacker Dave Jones, who was also an All-American that season and a member of the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame.
Bill Dunlap – Cross Country/Track and Field (posthumous)
Dunlap was a 2-time All-American for FHSU in cross country. He earned All-American honors in 1956 and 1957. He finished third in the nation in 1956 at the NAIA National Championships, helping the Tigers to a second-place national finish in the program’s first year as a varsity sport at FHSU. He finished third in the nation once again in 1957 at the NAIA National Championships, helping the Tigers to a sixth-place national finish. He won at least five races over those two years, often battling with rival Bill Tidwell of Emporia State. Dunlap was the CIAC individual champion in 1957 as a senior. He set a school record in the four-mile run as a junior in 1956. In track and field, Dunlap finished second in the nation in the 2-mile run as a senior, setting a school record at the time.
Jody Wise – Volleyball Coach
Wise coached the Fort Hays State volleyball program for 18 years from 1978 to 1995. She guided the Tigers to winning seasons in 12 of those 18 years, posting a career record of 546-408-2 at FHSU. She guided the Tigers to three NAIA National Tournament appearances with her 1984 and 1985 teams placing ninth nationally. She is the only coach in Fort Hays State history to reach the 400-win or 500-win plateau in their respective sport while at FHSU. She was the District 10 Coach of the Year three times in her career (1980, 1982, 1984) and was the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1991. In 1986, she was chosen to select and coach the volleyball team which represented the United States at the National Sports Festival in Tahiti. Her volleyball squads won at least 30 matches nine times in her tenure, which included six years of at least 40 wins and three years of at least 50 wins. She guided FHSU to a school record 53 wins in 1984.
Cliff Leiker – Football
A native of Hays, Kan., Leiker was an AP Little All-American selection in 1960 as an end as a sophomore, and a three-time All-CIC selection (twice as an end and once as a defensive back). After serving in the U.S. Army, Leiker returned to play football at Fort Hays State for four years from 1959 to 1963. As a freshman in 1959, he made 11 catches for 256 yards, averaging 23.2 yards per catch with three touchdowns and tied for the lead in scoring on the team with four touchdowns. As a sophomore in 1960, he hauled in 29 receptions for 614 yards, averaging 21.2 yards per catch with four touchdowns. He led the conference in receiving yards that year, earned 1st Team All-CIC honors for the second straight year. He missed the majority of the 1961 season with an injury and returned in 1962 to put up solid numbers once again as a junior, this time in a dual-threat as an offensive end and a defensive back. He earned 2nd Team All-CIC honors that year as a defensive back, but still hauled in 18 passes for 381 yards, averaging 21.2 yards per catch with three touchdowns on offense. He capped his career as the best-ever receiving end to that date at Fort Hays State with eight receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 20.5 yards per catch in 1963. For his career, he finished with 66 receptions for 1415 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Dave Okeson – Men’s Basketball
A native of Weskan, Kan., Okeson was an NAIA All-American selection for the Tigers in his junior year of 1970-71. He joined senior teammate Daryl Stockstill as a pair of All-American selections that season, helping the Tigers win the Rocky Moutain Athletic Conference Plains Division crown and RMAC Championship Playoff Championship with a two-point overtime win over Western New Mexico on WNMU’s home court. That season, Okeson averaged 15.6 points per game, shooting 47.9 percent from the field. He led the team in field goals made with 180. As a senior in 1971-72, Okeson averaged 17.2 points per game, shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 85.9 percent at the free-throw line. That free-throw percentage is third-best for a single season in FHSU history. He averaged 16.4 points per game in his two-year career at FHSU after transferring fromHutchinsonCommunity College. He scored over 30 points in a game twice at FHSU with 35 points being his career high againstHastingsCollege. Okeson was a two-time All-RMAC and NAIA All-District 10 1st Team selection.
– FHSU Sports Information –