Athletics | 3/10/2009 2:20:04 PM

MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University Athletic Hall of Fame, presented by MaPS Credit Union, will honor its fifth class of inductees on Friday, April 17. The banquet, held in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center, will begin at 6:30 p.m.

The class of 2009 includes four athletes, a coach and an individual honored for meritorious service. The sport of track and field connects four of the six inductees, with former head coach John Knight and assistant Berny Wagner (meritorious service) headlining the class, along with two athletes that they coached: national champions Alper Kasapoglu and A.J. Acker.

With this year's class, 36 former Western Oregon athletes will now be hall of fame members, along with seven coaches, eight teams and six meritorious service honorees.

This will mark the first time that the induction ceremony has taken place in the spring. Both the baseball and softball teams will host Saint Martin's in a pair of four-game series on the following Saturday and Sunday (April 18-19).

Ticket price for the April 17 event, which begins with a no-host reception at 5:30 p.m., is $30. For information on attending the Western Oregon University Hall of Fame banquet, please call 503-838-8252.

Here's a look at the 2009 class, with brief sketches of each.

A.J. ACKER: A five-time All-American in the high jump, competed at WOU from 1996-99…Won the NAIA national outdoor championship in 1998 and 1999 and won the NAIA indoor national title in 1999…Holds the school record in that event with a leap of 7-0 ½….Also earned outdoor NAIA All-American honors as a sophomore…Named an NAIA indoor All-American in 1998…Four-time Cascade Conference champ in the high jump.

Heather BAILEY: Outstanding two-sport star at Western Oregon from 1993-97…First team NAIA All-American in volleyball in 1996, second team All-American in 1995…Two-time first team AVCA all-region selection…First team NAIA All-National tournament team in 1995.. .Cascade Conference Player of the Year in '96…Three-time All-Cascade Conference selection…Still WOU's career leader in kills per game (4.14) and solo blocks (148)…Her 5.41 kills per game is also still atop the single-season list… Second on the record list for digs in a season (730)…Holds the school record for kills in a single match, with 41...Also played basketball at Western on two national championship squads.

Alper KASAPOGLU: Won four NAIA national championships in the decathlon from 1993 to 1997…Holds the WOU record in that multi-event with 7,818 points, nearly 1,000 points better than anyone else in school history…Also still holds the school record in the 110 hurdles (14.37), the indoor pentathlon (3,966 points) and the indoor long jump (23-7)…Still ranks in WOU outdoor top 10 in the 100 meters (sixth, 10.74), 400 meters (sixth, 48.56), long jump (third, 24-10), and pole vault (fifth, 15-9)…Still holds the Cascade Conference records in the 110 hurdles (14.49) and the long jump (24-6 ½)…Competed in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in the decathlon.

John KNIGHT: Coached WOU's track and field program from 1989 to 2003…Had 17 individual national champions during that time…Won national coach of the year honors in 2003 (NCAA) and 1993 (NAIA)…In his collegiate coaching career, coached over 250 All-Americans…Named a conference coach of the year for eight consecutive seasons from 1996-2003 in the Cascade Conference, Pacific West Conference and Great Northwest Athletic Conference…A member of the NAIA track and field Hall of Fame…He had three teams place fourth at the NAIA national championships (1992, '93 and '97 men) and another squad finished sixth (1995 women).

Brian TRAEGER: Record-breaking quarterback for the Wolves from 1993-96…Still holds the WOU record for most passing yards in a career with 6,778 and total offensive yards with 7,097…Second on WOU's all-time list in passes completed (496) and touchdown throws (38)…Western's single-season record holder in total offense (2,866 yards, 1996) and pass accuracy (.628, 1994)…Second in single-season passing yards with 2,605 (1996)…Had the top two totals for passing yards in a game with 420 (SOU, '94) and 411 (PLU, '96) until this past season…Three-time All-Columbia Football Association selection at quarterback.

Berny WAGNER: Volunteer assistant coach with the WOU track and field program for 14 years…Focused on the high jump…WOU athletes earned 15 All-American honors during that time…That includes three national title winners, one second place and one third place finish…Also was the head coach at Oregon State in track and cross country from 1966-75, where he coached nine national champions. He is a member of the OSU Hall of Fame…Was an assistant coach for the 1976 USA Olympic team…Coached OSU gold medalist Dick Fosbury (1968)…Was the US Track Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1972…He is a member of the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame.

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