TOLEDO, Ohio - The University of Toledo Varsity T Club inducted seven new members to its Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons in Perrysburg, Ohio.
Members of the Class of 2020 include seven former student-athletes: Kate Bean McCauley, Women's Volleyball (2003-06); Jeremiah Detmer, Football (2011-14); Greg Mancz, Football (2010-14); Jessica Popiel Stone, Women's Golf (1996-99); Dr. John Rudley, Men's Basketball (1965-69); Chris Wallace, Football (1995-98); and Inma Zanoguera, Women's Basketball (2011-15).
The class is also scheduled to be introduced at halftime of the Rockets' football game vs. Western Michigan on Oct. 23.
This class was originally scheduled to be inducted last year but the ceremony was delayed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Others honored by the Varsity T Club on Friday included Dan Saevig, who received the Distinguished Service Award. Saevig recently retired as UToledo's vice president for alumni relations after serving his alma mater for 30 years. Receiving honorary lifetime membership awards from the Varsity T Club were former City of Toledo Mayor Mike Bell, a football player at UToledo from 1973-76, and Jeff Hepinstall, who played football for the Rockets from 1974-77 and has been an active member of the Varsity T Club for many years.
The Varsity 'T' Hall of Fame inductees are as follows:
Kate Bean McCauley, Women's Volleyball (2003-06)
Kate Bean McCauley dominates the Toledo volleyball record book, ranking first in career attacks (4,522), second in career kills (1,515) and career service aces (173), third in career kills per set (3.40) and fifth in career digs (1,401). She also ranks fourth for most kills in a season with 435 and her 39 digs vs. Ball State as a senior are the most ever by a Rocket in a match. A native of Louisville, Kate made the MAC All-Tournament team in 2005 as she led the Rockets to the semifinals for the first time in school history. She is the only Rocket volleyball player to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team, earning those honors in both 2005 and 2006, and is one of only two Rockets in any sport to be a member of the first team on more than one occasion. Kate was also a three-time Academic All-MAC team selection and a three-time Academic All-District pick. Kate graduated from Toledo with a 3.978 grade point average in community health. She then entered an accelerated nursing program at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She is currently an assistant nurse manager in a neonatal intensive care unit in Louisville where she lives with her husband and two children.
Jeremiah Detmer, Football (2011-14)
A three-time All-MAC selection, Jeremiah Detmer was the 2013 MAC Special Teams Player of the Year. That season, Detmer was a Lou Groza Award (nation's top kicker) semifinalist, a year in which he also made first-team All-MAC, connecting on 19-of-20 field goals and 44-of-45 extra points. Detmer is second on Toledo's all-time field-goal list with 65, trailing only Rusty Hanna (68 from 1989-92), and seventh all-time among MAC kickers. He is the MAC's all-time leader in field-goal percentage (65-77/84.4%), and ranks third in points scored in Toledo history with 340. His long field goal of 52 yards ranks second in Toledo history. Detmer was named MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week nine times during his career. He ranked No. 44 on Toledo's All-Century Team released in 2017 and was the only kicker on the list. As a freshman in 2011, Detmer was used mostly for kickoffs but still hit field goals of 50 and 52 yards. He took over the field-goal duties full time in 2012, at one point making 17 field goals in a row. He ended the season hitting 24-of-29 boots, earning third-team All-MAC honors. His best game in 2012 came in a 29-23 win over No. 18 Cincinnati in which he hit all five of his field-goal attempts. In 2013, he extended his consecutive field-goal streak to 23, the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history. He also ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage (95.0%). As a senior co-captain, he made second-team All-MAC, connecting on 17-of-22 field goals and nailing 57-of-59 extra points. A three-time Academic All-MAC selection, Detmer made Academic All-District in 2013. He graduated with a degree in education in 2015. JD is currently a part of the Toledo Fire Recruit Class and will graduate October 29 as a Toledo fire fighter.
Greg Mancz, Football (2010-14)
A three-time All-MAC selection, Greg Mancz won the Vern Smith Award as the top player in the Mid-American Conference in 2014, the only offensive lineman ever to earn that honor. Mancz was a four-year starter on Rocket teams that went 34-17, and won two division co-championships and two bowl games. As a freshman, he earned Freshman All-America (Yahoo Sports) and Third-Team Freshman All-America (Phil Steele) honors in 2011. He was a key part of an offense that ranked eighth in the nation and first in the MAC in scoring (42.2), and 10th in the nation and first in the MAC in total offense (481.3). Toledo's offensive line also ranked tied for sixth in the nation and first in the MAC in fewest sacks allowed (10) that season. He went on to make third-team All-MAC as a sophomore and second-team all-league as a junior. In his junior season, the Rocket offensive line allowed six sacks in 12 games, the fewest in the country. Mancz earned first-team All-MAC honors in 2014 for a Rocket offense that ranked No. 1 in the MAC in total offense (486.3) and in rushing offense (247.3). He also earned second-team All-America (FWAA) honors, becoming the first Toledo offensive lineman to make either first- or second-team All-America on one of the five major All-America teams since Dan Bukovich made the Associated Press first-team in 1938. A four-time Academic All-MAC pick, Mancz played six seasons in the NFL with Houston Texans, and is currently on the Miami Dolphins' roster. He ranked No. 36 on Toledo's All-Century Team that was released in 2017.
Jessica Popiel Stone, Women's Golf (1996-99)
Jessica Popiel Stone was the MAC Player of the Year and a first-team All-MAC selection as a senior in 1999, compiling a career-best stroke average of 78.7 that year. She also made the MAC All-Tournament Team in 1998, a year in which the Rockets won the MAC Invitational Tournament. Jessica was a tournament medalist twice in her career. Additionally, she was named a WGCA All-American Scholar in 1997 and 1998, and won the MAC Presidential Award and the MAC Commissioners Award as a senior. A four-year letterwinner, Jessica served as a co-captain during her senior season. Away from the course she served as Vice President of Academics of her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, for two years, was a member of Leadership UT, was a Presidential Ambassador, and belonged to the Blue Key National Honor Society. After graduation, Jessica competed as a professional golfer on the Futures Golf Tour from 2000 through 2002. She was the first Rocket to compete in an LPGA Tour event, playing in the Jamie Farr Classic in 1999. Jessica is a realtor in Winter Garden, Fla. where she lives with her husband and their three children. She has recently regained her amateur status and is looking forward to competing in local golf events.
Dr. John Rudley, Men's Basketball (1965-69)
Dr. John Rudley was a four-year starter (three on the varsity and one on the freshman team) and a key component of perhaps the greatest men's basketball team in Rocket history. A two-time co-captain at point guard, John helped to guide the 1966-67 team to a 23-2 record, a MAC Championship title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. He was the team's floor general and primary passer to big scorers like Steve Mix, John Brisker and Bob Miller. John helped the Rockets put up huge numbers on the scoreboard and likely would have had equally big assist numbers if that statistic would have been kept then. A solid scorer himself, John averaged 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as a sophomore, 12.0 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior and 15.0 points and 4.8 rebounds as a senior captain. John grew up in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where he was a part of back-to-back high school state champion teams in 1964 and 1965. The 1965 team is considered by many observers to be one of the greatest prep teams in Michigan history. The Tigers went undefeated that year, winning their games by an average of 33 points, including a 26-point win over Southfield in the state title game. John received his bachelor's degree in business administration from Toledo, then went on to earn his master's degree and PhD in education administration from Tennessee State. He served as the president of Texas Southern University from 2008-16, and currently holds status as president emeritus and distinguished professor of business there. Previously, John served as interim chancellor and president at the University of Houston, as well as vice-chancellor for business and finance, also at Houston; vice-chancellor for business and finance for the University of Tennessee Board of Regents; vice-chancellor for administration and finance at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga; and vice president for fiscal affairs at Texas Southern. He worked for former Tennessee governor and Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander at the U.S. Dept. of Education from 1991 through 1992.
Chris Wallace, Football (1995-98)
Chris Wallace played quarterback for four seasons at Toledo and was the starter in 1997 and 1998. He ranks seventh in career touchdown passes (44); eighth in career passing yardage (5,454) and passing attempts (848); and ninth in career passing completions. He accumulated most of these numbers in just two seasons. As a junior in 1997, Wallace set records (all since broken) in passing yardage (2,955), passes completed (232) and TD passes (27). He still holds the single-season record for passes attempted (433). For his efforts in 1997, he was named second-team All-MAC. His biggest game as a Rocket came in 1997 when he passed for 364 yards in a thrilling win over Miami, tossing a winning TD strike to Brock Kreitzburg with just seconds remaining. Wallace led the Rockets to division titles in both 1997 and 1998, including an 8-0 start in 1997 that saw the Rockets move to No. 18 in the A.P. poll. Wallace played 18 seasons of professional arena football, retiring following the 2018 season. Wallace spent eight seasons with the Florida Firecats, setting league records in career touchdowns (484) and passes completed (1,797), and team records for TD passes (100) and passing yards (3,918). He led the Florida Tarpons to league titles in 2012 and 2013, and rejoined the team in 2015 until his retirement in 2018. Wallace was a high school football coach and Dean of Students at the Florida Christian Institute in Fort Myers, Fla. for three years. He returned to Ohio to take care of his father James during his battle with Alzheimer's which ended in 2011. Wallace lives in Springfield where he serves as the community mentor supervisor for the Springfield City School District. Wallace leads the Springfield Chapter of My Brothers Keeper, which was launched by President Obama as a national initiative to address the opportunity gaps facing young minority male students. The program connects students with community leaders through mentoring relationships and educational events to help ensure all young people reach their full potential. Wallace also coaches football at his alma mater, Springfield High School, where he serves as the offensive coordinator. He helped lead the Wildcats to state semifinals appearances in 2019 and 2020.
Inma Zanoguera, Women's Basketball (2011-15)
Inma Zanoguera was a three-time All-MAC honoree who played on teams that averaged 22 wins per season and won one MAC regular-season championship and two division crowns. As a senior, Zanoguera earned first-team All-MAC honors, leading the Rockets in scoring (15.4), rebounding (6.7) and assists (5.0). She was selected as one of 30 NCAA women's basketball nominees for the 2014-15 Senior CLASS Award, only the second player in school history to make the list. As a junior, she averaged a team-best 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds, earning second-team All-MAC. Zanoguera was a third-team All-MAC pick as a sophomore, averaging 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for a Rocket team that went 29-4 and won the MAC regular-season championship title. She was named MAC West Division Player of the Week six times in her career. Zanoguera, who played both guard and forward as a collegian, ranks fourth in school history in career minutes played (3,936), fifth in free throw percentage (.819, 258-of-315) and games played (132), seventh in steals (195), 10th in rebounds (781), 10th in assists (375) and 15th in scoring (1,424 points). A two-time team captain, Zanoguera was twice named Academic All-MAC. She graduated with a degree in communication. After graduation, she played professional basketball in Italy. A native of Llucmajor, Spain, on the island of Majorca, Zanoguera played for all Spanish national teams from U16 to the senior team. She was a three-time European Championship Gold Medalist (2011, 2012, 2013); a Bronze Medalist with the 3-on-3 Senior Team in the 2015 European Olympics in Baku, Azerbaijan; and was selected to the All-Europe U20 First Team in 2013. Zanoguera was featured in a 2018 documentary "Running Home," that chronicled her journey to the Western Sahara refugee camps in Algeria, where many Sahrawi people, including her mother, fled during a civil war in neighboring Morocco. While there, Zanoguera ran and won the Sahara Marathon in her first ever attempt to run the 26-plus mile event.
