ARCATA — Five accomplished athletes and one championship team will be honored Friday evening with induction into the Humboldt State Athletics Hall of Fame. Their achievements have singled them out as worthy of recognition among the most esteemed student-athletes in the 87 years of sports competition at HSU.
Joining HSU's long list of legendary student-athletes are Donna Germann (womens rowing), Andrea Williams (softball), Dustin Creager (football), Austin Nichols (basketball) and Vince Engel (cross country and track). The 1991 men's cross country team is also being inducted.
The event begins with a social hour at 6 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room. Brief biographies of the inductees follow.
Dustin Creager, Football
Dustin Creager, a speedy, high-leaping wide receiver, was twice honored as an All-American, and is listed No. 4 all-time among NCAA Division II players in receptions and No. 16 in receiving yards. He was a three-time Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-league selection, earning Freshman of the Year honors in 2001 and Offensive Player of the Year selection in 2004.
In 2010, Creager served as an assistant coach with the Lumberjacks, but he has since moved back to his native Southern California, where he works as a PMA in a chiropractic/physical therapy facility. He plans to pursue his nursing degree, specializing in nursing or trauma.
On July 16 of this year, Creager married Arcata native Keri Larson, whom he met while she worked as the sports information student-photographer during her undergraduate years at HSU.
Vince Engel, Track & Field
Vince Engel brought glory to the Lumberjack track and field program, achieving All-American recognition in 1968 when he finished fourth in the 1,500 meters and sixth in the mile at the national championships. Among his accomplishments is setting a Far West Conference record in the 1,500 meters in 1970.
Engel graduated from HSU in 1970 and married Isabel Reguera, whom he met at Humboldt State. His degree in art and love of running soon translated into a career in advertising, designing, directing and filming numerous award -inning Nike TV commercials. Engel received several Emmy awards for his work on the ESPN Sportscenter campaigns of the 90's.
Engel now serves as as partner and creative director of a 35-person advertising agency in San Francisco. He and Isabel have one son, Sean, who was a two- time National Champion as a member of the University of California's rowing team, and also an Academic All-American.
Donna Germann, Rowing
Donna Germann was an All-American during the developmental years of Humboldt State's nationally-aclaimed women's rowing program. Germann is one of two HSU athletes earning tha All-American distinction for the first time in HSU rowing history. She was a key member of HSU's varsity eight crew that earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships in 2003, the program's first trip to nationals.
After graduating from Humboldt State in the fall of 2004 with a degree in Wildlife Biology, Germann put her credentials to good use as a seasonal biologist with a variety of agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Game, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and US.Geological Survey.
Germann currently works as a wildlife biologist for AECOM, a private consulting firm, based in Los Angeles. She has four years professional consulting and survey experience conducting biological reconnaissance surveys, vegetation mapping, endangered/threatened species surveys, construction monitoring, and mitigation monitoring.
Austin Nichols, Men's Basketball
Austin Nichols, the Jacks' career leader in scoring, was an integral part of the HSU team that advanced to the NCAA Championship semi-finals in 2004, the program's highest historical finish. He was named All-American by three organizations, and remains the GNAC career leader in scoring (2,501 points), free throws made (708), and games started (118). He is also listed among GNAC all-time leaders in 17 other individual categories.
Since his collegiate career ended, Nichols has made a healthy living playing basketball, first in the Phoenix Suns' summer camp, then in the NBA Developmental League for two seasons. He made the jump to Europe in 2006, playing in France the next four seasons, impressing crowds with his deft shooting touch and rebounding skills. In 2009, he was named Most Valuable Player of the French Pro A League while playing for Hyeres-Toulon.A year later, Nichols decided to take his game to Turkey, exposing himself to a new market in the competitive world of professional basketball.
Nichols graduated from HSU with his B.S. degree in Business. He's married to his college sweetheart, former HSU volleyball player Courtney Lee, and the couple is enjoying the rapid growth of their toddler son, Bryton.
Andrea Williams, Softball
From 2000, to 2004, Andrea Williams roamed center field with authority for the Lumberjacks' softball teams, also commanding respect at the plate with her hitting ability. That recognition continues with her induction this weekend.
During her time playing for the Lumberjacks, Williams was a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American as a centerfielder, leading HSU to four Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships. She was a three-time NFCA all-West Region honoree, and was named GNAC Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004.
Williams currently works as a manager with Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and provides private lessons for young softball players. She recently married former HSU football player Chris Padilla, and the couple hopes to start a family soon.
1991 Men's Cross Country Team
Humboldt State's 1991 men's cross country team achieved what no other before it or other since has accomplished. The tight-knit group of talented runners, coached by Dave Wells, are the only Lumberjack squad to ever win a NCAA Division II West Region championship.
The top eight runners, Chuck Mullane, Bill Frampton, Chris Parmer, Mitch Brown, Reed Elmore, Chris Hobson, Scott Whitham and Pete Oviatt, also contributed to HSU claiming the Northern California Athletic Conference title and placing third at the NCAA Divison II National Championships, the best finish by an HSU team since the 1980 national championship season.
Among those team members being inducted tonight, Frampton, Elmore, Brown and Jim Olson have already been inducted into the HSU Athletis Hall of Fame as individuals. Representing the team at tonight's celebration are the following athletes.
Chuck Mullane was one of the team's two captains, and the Jacks' top finisher at the West Region meet. Mullane graduated from HSU and received a commission in the United States Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant. For the past 12 years he has has worked for Pfizer in sales throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He reside in Sunnyvale with his wife, Jen, and their two future running stars, son Matthew (6) and daughter Katie (3).
Bill Frampton was another 1991 team captain, who moved up in the pack throughout the season and performed best at the most important meets. Frampton carried over that success into his career, directing his own company, Frampton & Ward LCC, which specializes in land use planning, real estate consulting and development. Frampton also serves as head boys country team at his alma mater, Seabury High School, on Maui. Frampton has been married to his wife, Karen, for 14 years. The couple has two sons, Sam (12) and Gaby (9).
Chris Parmer continued his passion for running following his own collegiate career, working with championship teams and individuals at College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State. As interim head cross country coach at HSU in 1991, he helped to guide the 2001 HSU Women's team to a conference title, only it's second in school history, and was voted Coach of the Year by his conference coaching peers. Parmer has made Humboldt County his permanent home. He and his wife, Laura, have two children, Noah and Eden.
Reed Elmore has also served as a prominent coach in Humboldt County, including his current position as head men's and women's cross country coach at College of the Redwoods. Elmore earned a master's in anthropology from Northern Arizona University, and a bachelor's degree in social work from HSU. He lives in Arcata with his girlfriend, Alicia Serrato. Elmore's daughter, Alicia, attends Cabrillo Community College in Santa Cruz.
Mitch Brown's contributions to the HSU track and cross country programs earned him recognition into the HSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. He graduated from HSU in 1994 with degrees in business, physiology and education, and served as assistant HSU coach for the 1996 men's and women's cross country championship teams. He also was conference women's Coach of the Year as head coach at SUNY Binghamton in upstate New York. An elementary teacher currently, Brown lives in Fairfax with his wife, former HSU cross country runner Eileen Cohune, their son, Finnegan (13), and daughter, Skylar (8).
Chris Hobson was one of the Jacks' top returners from the previous season, and maintained his role in the scoring pack during 1991. Hobson has made his career in food distribution, currently serving as Vice President of Marketing for Core-Mark in San Francisco. He and his wife, Marci, live in San Ramon with their three children – Connor (13), Lily (10) and Olivia (5).
Scott Whitham moved on into the field of emergency medicine, where he currently works as and acting captain and paramedic for the North Tahoe Fire District. He also serves as needed as a emergency registered nurse at Tahoe Forest. Whitham married former HSU track standout Karin Merritt, who was inducted with her teammates on the 1995 HSU women's squad into the Hall of Fame last year. They reside in Tahoe City with their two sons.
Pete Oviatt was the Jacks' top runner after achieving All-American status the previous season, but was limited by mononucleosis during the postseason races. He still was able to earn all-conference honors despite running ill. Oviatt currently serves as head coach of the Whatcom Tesseract Youth Running Club, and is a personal trainer and private running coach. He has one daughter, Rebekah (13), and lives in Bellingham, Wash.
Jim Olson returns to Arcata only one year after being inducted into the Hall of Fame as an individual athlete last fall. A track star who was a member of the supporting cross country pack in 1991, Olson Olson moved to Portland last year, where he is employed as a contract administrator for Trimet, the Portland area's public transportation agency. He and his wife, Mitzi, are parents to a daughter, Ella, 7, and a son, Nate, 5.
Craig Olson was a middle distance standout in track at HSU who stretched his talents to contribute in cross country as well. After graduating from Humboldt State, Olson moved to Portland a short time later, where he worked in commercial banking before pursuing his passion for real estate as owner of Urban Pacific Real Estate. He also owns a bar, and has lived in Portland with his partner, Chris Warr-King, for several years.
Lou Ortiz was an up-and-coming runner in 1991 who contributed to the Lumberjacks' success again the following season. Currently owner of his own personal training business, Ortiz previously served as a manager at 24- Hour Fitness clubs in California and Hawaii. He continues to be active, participating in ocean swimming and mountain biking endurance events. Ortiz recently married Katy Irwin, who is a professor at the University of Hawaii.
