ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict Athletics Department will honor seven former student-athletes, two special contributors/administrators, as well as the 1998-99 basketball team that reached the NCAA DIII championship game and the 2005 4x100 relay team that finished third in the nation during CSB's Hall of Fame ceremony as part of Homecoming on Saturday, October 5.

The 2024 Hall of Fame Class will be recognized during activities on Oct. 5, including a special introduction at halftime of the CSB Soccer game, which starts at 3 p.m. Following a Saint Benedict Hall of Fame reception from 6-6:50 p.m., the Saint Benedict Hall of Fame Program will be held at 7-8:30 p.m., at the Benedicta Arts Center. The evening will include a program with President Brian Bruess, CSB Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks and Chief Operations Officer Kara Kolomitz leading to introductions of this year's inductees. To register for the event, click here.

The CSB Hall of Fame class will include the 1998-99 basketball team, 2005 4x100-meter relay squad as well as nine individuals including Kathryn Hauff Dehn '12 (golf), Lexi Alm Johnson '14 (softball/volleyball), Anna Heikenen Johnson '06 (basketball), Courtney Remes Riach '00 (swim and dive), Tina Och Uphoff '89 (tennis), Jenna Wendroff '06 (track and field), and Toni St. Pierre '77 (cross country). The two special contributors/administrators include former CSB volleyball coach and athletic director Carol Howe Veenstra and Dr. LuAnn Reif, former CSB faculty athletic representative. The CSB Athletics Hall of Fame, which inducted its last class in 2018, now includes 49 individuals (athletes, coaches, staff) and six teams.

Hall of Fame Bios –

Teams
1998-99 Basketball Team
The 1998-99 basketball team, which was coached by Mike Durbin, advanced to the NCAA DIII Final Four for the second time in six years. During a 28-2 season (tied for the program's all-time best winning percentage), CSB won the MIAC title at 21-2 for a second straight conference crown. This team opened 11-0 and won 17 straight before a loss in the NCAA DIII Championship. It is the only team in any sport in school history to finish as high as second nationally. CSB Hall of Famer Laura Wendorff (16.14 ppg, 8.9 rpg), who was MIAC Player of the Year, and first-team KODAK All-American, and named All-American by two associations, was selected All-MIAC along with teammates Molly Mark (12.45 ppg, 3.2 apg) and Robyn Ruschmeier (13.86 ppg., 7.1 rpg). CSB, which was 4-1 in the NCAA DIII Championship run, was ranked No. 1 in preseason national polls. St. Ben's began the season by winning the National Catholic Tournament in impressive style, and then went on to capture their fifth MIAC championship, and their first back-to-back crown. In the road to the championship, CSB advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th straight season. CSB had home playoff wins over St. Thomas, DePauw and Pacific Lutheran to reach the NCAA DIII Final Four for the second time in six years. Upon their arrival in Danbury, Conn., and Western Connecticut State University, CSB downed Salem State (Mass.) 75-54. Then in the national championship game, Washington University (St. Louis, Mo.) ended the CSB's hopes of a championship title, 74-65. CSB was 14-0 at home that season. Mark and Ruschmeier were selected to the Final Four All Tournament Team. It is a team that had a 78.5-to-56.7 ppg margin and a 43.4-to-36.0 rpg margin while shooting 33.7 percent from three-point range and 47.0 percent overall. Nine times Wendorff had 20 points or more and on six occasions had 13 or more rebounds. Ruschmeier had six 20-point games and had 20 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Macalester.

2005 4x100-meter relay squad
The 2005 CSB track and field team's 4x100 meter relay, directed by head coach Robin Balder-Lanoue, finished third at the NCAA DIII Championship – the highest finish ever by a CSB relay squad. It was a memorable and historic performance for a relay squad that ran a 47.55 school record mark earlier in the year and captured the MIAC Outdoor relay championship. The All-American relay team included Bethany Keene Buus, Sarah Nezlowski Lexcen, Patti Clintsman Peichel, and Jen Dalhed Powell.  

Special Contributor/Administrator/Coach
Volleyball Head Coach/Athletic Director Carol Howe-Veenstra
In her 30-year tenure as a head coach and athletic director, Carol Howe-Veenstra helped pave the way for the success of future student-athletes in the College of Saint Benedict athletic department. Though she officially retired from athletics following the 2014-15 school year, Howe-Veenstra remained active with the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership – as well as the CSB community – to continue to work for equity for women in sports around the state of Minnesota. Howe-Veenstra was one of 50 athletes, coaches, administrators, media, and supporters selected to the Title IX Honor Roll for their contributions to women's athletics in Minnesota. In her 15 years (1985-99) as the head volleyball coach at Saint Benedict, Howe-Veenstra coached 10 All-Americans and guided CSB to 11 NCAA Tournaments – including six Sweet 16 appearances and a Final Four appearance in 1990. Six times, she led the CSB to MIAC volleyball titles. She was named MIAC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1997 and Region Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1990. Howe-Veenstra received the Nell Jackson Administrator of the Year Award from Women Leaders in Sports in 2011. As the school's athletic director, Howe-Veenstra pushed to create more opportunities for Saint Ben's student-athletes. With her leadership, the school's varsity hockey program began in the 1997-98 season and was instrumental in the push for upgraded facilities and opportunities for all of the college's varsity teams. She was a Breaking Barriers Award recipient at the 1996 National Girls and Women in Sport Day Minnesota celebration and won a Special Merit Award from the committee in 2002. Under her watch, the CSB athletic department finished in the top three in the MIAC All-Sport race 18 times, including first place finishes in the 1994-95 and 1998-99 seasons.

Faculty Athletic Representative Dr. LuAnn Reif
Dr. LuAnn Reif served as the Faculty Athletic Representative for the CSB Athletic Department from 1985-2020. Named the recipient of the 27^th MIAC Distinguished Service Award recipient in 2020, Reif was a professor in the department of nursing at CSB/SJU. Reif, who was named vice president of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2003, helped reshape conference rules to ensure MIAC student-athletes receive the best academic and athletic experience possible for several decades. She served as a member of the MIAC Executive Committee, MIAC Compliance Committee, and various search committees, including hiring both the first and second executive directors in conference history. As well as serving at the conference level, Reif attended the NCAA convention nearly every year for over 35 years to represent the CSB athletic department and gain perspective on the impact and involvement of FARs nationally. Reif was also honored by the Minnesota Chapter of National Girls and Women in Sports Day with a Breaking Barriers Award in 2006 for helping to develop opportunities for women in athletics.

Individuals
Kathyrn Hauff Dehn – Golf (2008-12)
Kathryn ranks as one of the best golfers in CSB school history and was honored with selection to the CSB 50^th Anniversary All-Decade Team in 2023. She was a second team NCAA DIII All-American in 2011, Honorable Mention NCAA DIII All-American in 2010, earned two NCAA Championship appearances (2010, 47^th; 2011, 37th) and was the NCAA Elite 88 Award honoree in 2010. Twice, she was a WGCA All-American Scholar and earned WGCA All-Region honors in 2012. The MIAC Senior of the Year in 2012, she was featured in the MIAC Profile of Excellence series, and inducted into the Minnesota Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Kathryn completed her CSB collegiate golf career with six of the top 10 school records for 18-holes, and the top five spots for 36 holes while compiling an average per round of 80.2. Kathryn was All-MIAC three times from 2009-12 and named team MVP in 2012.

Lexi Alm Johnson – Softball/Volleyball (2011-14)
Lexi, who was named to CSB's 50^th Anniversary All-Decade Team in 2023, was a two-sport standout in softball and volleyball. Named a second-team NFCA All-American in softball in 2014, Lexi, who set a school record for career home runs with 30, was the first All-American in program history. Additionally, she is the all-time program leader in slugging percentage at .737, second in RBI with 126 and total bases with 302 and ranks sixth with a .400 batting average. She set CSB single-season records for runs scored (44), RBIs (45), and home runs (9). Lexi, who was also named MIAC Player of the Year in softball in 2014, helped lead CSB to 82 wins during her career. A three-time All-MIAC performer, she was twice named NFCA All-Region (first team 2014; second team, 2013), named team MVP three times (2012-14) and CSB Athlete of the Year in 2012-13 as well as a third team College Sports Communicators Academic All-American. A two-time honorable mention All-American in volleyball, she earned AVCA All-Central Region honors and was twice All-MIAC in 2012, and 2013. In 2012, she was Co-MVP for volleyball, while she ranks sixth all-time at CSB in career kills with 1,328 and sixth in digs with 1,491. With 470 kills in 2012, she recorded the fourth-best total for a season while her 541 digs in 2012 is ninth in school history.
 
Anna Heikenen Johnson – Basketball (2002-06)
A two-time NCAA DIII All-American in basketball, Anna led CSB to one of its most successful periods in school history with three MIAC titles, two NCAA DIII national tournament appearances (2004-05, 2005-06) and an overall 90-12 record, which included a 72-12 mark in the MIAC. She was the 2005-06 MIAC Player of the Year when she led CSB to a 21-6 record and the MIAC title in a 17-3 year. While at CSB, she was part of three MIAC championships, helping CSB advance to the Sweet 16 in 2004-05. At Saint Ben's, she is ranked fifth all-time in career points with 1,518 (97 games) while ranking third all-time in scoring average (15.6 ppg). Anna also ranked seventh in career field goals (555) and field goal attempts (1,075); first in free throws (380) and free throw attempts (527) and 12^th in rebounds (573). She also set the single season scoring mark of 514 points and holds three of the top-13 single season point totals (514, 455, 435) with the second and third best scoring averages (18.2 ppg, 2005-06; 17.7, 2004-05). The CSB standout also had the single season mark for free throws of 145 in 2004-05 and ranks sixth in made field goals with 183 in 2004-05. Anna recorded the second-best single game total of 35 points vs. Ohio Northern on Nov. 18, 2005.
 
Courtney Remes Riach – Swim and Dive (1996-00)
A 10-time national qualifier (six individual and four relays) in swimming, Courtney ranks as one of the program's best-ever. She was an All-American with the 200-medley relay in 1997-98 and also earned Honorable Mention All-American honors in the 200-free relay as CSB finished 20^th in NCAA DIII with 38 points. A 17-time All-MIAC honoree, she is still ranked as part of four relays in program history for top-10 all-time marks. Courtney played a key role as CSB, directed by head coach Mike Ritchie, won the MIAC title in 1997-98 with 787 points. She was also part of the second-place team in 1996-97 (583.5 points), third place squad in 1998-99 (505.50 points) and the fourth-place team in 1999-00 (408.5 points). Named the CSB Rookie of the Year in 1996-97, she was swim and dive program's Team MVP in 1997-98.

Tina Och Uphoff – Tennis (1985-89)
A two-time national qualifier in 1988 and 1989 in tennis, Tina was named to CSB's 50^th Anniversary All-Decade Team in 2023. Twice she was the doubles (paired with Marcy Erickson) conference champion (1988 and 1989). Named first team All-American in doubles in 1988, she was a two-time doubles conference champ in earning All-MIAC honors in 1988 and 1989. During that stretch, she was partnered with CSB Hall of Famer Marcy Erickson, the most successful tennis player in CSB history. She was also named CSB Rookie of the Year in 1987-88. In addition, Tina was part the 1988-89 team that finished 9-1 in the MIAC for second place with an overall record of 20-3. In 1987-88, she helped CSB to a 15-4 record and 8-1 mark in the MIAC for third place.
 
Jenna Wendorff – Track and Field (2003-06)
Jenna, who was named to CSB's 50^th Anniversary All-Decade Team in 2023, ranks as one of the best track and field performers in school history, earning All-American honors three times. A seven-time national qualifier, she was an eight-time All-MIAC honoree, including winning five individual titles. Jenna won indoor shot-put titles in 2004, 2005, and 2006 with outdoor crowns in 2005 and 2006. She was second indoors in 2003 and second in 2003 and 2004 outdoors. At the NCAA DIII Indoor national championships, she earned All-American honors twice, finishing seventh in the shot put in 2005 at 13.42m – 44-0.5 and eighth indoors at 13.38m – 43-10.75 in 2006. She placed a career-best fifth outdoors by throwing 13.77m-45-02.25 in 2004. Jenna set an outdoor school record in the shot put of 14.28m – 46-10.25 in 2004 and also owns the indoor mark in shot put of 13.97m – 45-10, also in 2004. Named Co-CSB Athlete of the Year in 2004-05, she was CSB's Co-Rookie of the Year in 2002-03 and track and field Most Valuable Field Athlete from 2003-06 when St. Ben's placed in the league's top-six as a team four times.
 
Toni St. Pierre – Cross Country (1977)
Toni, who passed away at the age of 58 in 2013, was a trailblazer in women's athletics in the 1970s. She played a crucial role in advancing gender equity in sports and was a pioneer in earning rights to compete for girls and women's athletics. In the 1970s in a revolutionary court case that changed the landscape of athletics, the federal court ruled in favor of the two Minnesota teenagers, (St. Pierre and Peggy Brenden), who challenged the eligibility rules of the Minnesota State High School League. Later, Toni enrolled at the College of Saint Benedict where she competed as part of the Saint John's University men's cross country team because a varsity program did not yet exist at Saint Ben's. Toni was named to CSB's 50^th Anniversary All-Decade Team in 2023 and St. Ben's honors Toni's legacy by hosting a cross-country meet named in her honor.