Marian University athletics is proud to announce its Hall of Fame Class of 2024 and open registration for all Homecoming events.
Sara Jesuit remains one of the top goalkeepers in the history of the Marian University women’s soccer program. Competing from 1999-2002, Jesuit earned all-conference recognition all four years of her career as a Sabre and was the statistical champion in NCAA Division III with 20.3 saves per game in 2002. Jesuit enters the Hall of Fame second in program history for games started with 72 and is the program leader for saves with 973. She has more than double the saves of the second-best student-athlete. She is also fourth in program history with 10 shutouts and 10th for goals against average at 2.83. Jesuit holds four of the top six spots for saves in a single season and is the only Sabre with more than 300 saves in a single season with her 365 stops in 2002. She would also boast at least three shutouts in three of her four seasons at Marian.
“I am grateful for my time at Marian and the wonderful opportunity to be part of the soccer family,” said Jesuit. “The memories created on and off the field are priceless. Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is truly an honor, one that I will cherish forever. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along this amazing journey.”
Milford Parker was one of the top scorers for the Marian men’s basketball program and was one of the inaugural members of the 1,000-point club. Parker was a Sabre from 1987-1991 and amassed 1,006 points in his career at Marian. He would help lead Marian to an 84-44 (.662) record during his time, 51-7 (.883) mark in conference games, making him one of the winningest student-athletes in program history. The best season for Parker came in the 1989-90 campaign where he scored 515 points. He enters the Hall of Fame as one of just five student-athletes in program history to score more than 500 points in a single season. Parker also had the ninth-most field goals made for a single season that year with 186, and the eighth-most free throws made for a single season at 107. This earned Parker LMC Player of the Year recognition along with a spot on the all-conference team.
“It is indeed a tremendous honor and privilege for me to be a part of the Marian University Hall of Fame,” said Parker. “To have this induction bestowed upon me is truly a dream come true. I am forever grateful to my coaches and teammates who played a pivotal part in my individual success. Thank you Marian University for the athletic opportunity, but I am more appreciative of the education that was afforded to me. Marian University provided me with person growth, taught me about critical thinking, and I learned about how to adapt to my environment. These traits have made a tremendous impact on my success today.”
Craig Peltonen earns his spot in the Marian Athletics Hall of Fame after building a men’s soccer dynasty among other accomplishments in the athletic department. Peltonen spent 35 seasons with the Marian men’s soccer program guiding the Sabres to six LMC Championships, three consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and 262 total victories. He was also named the LMC/NACC Coach of the Year eight times, NAIA District Coach of the Year once, was inducted into the WSCA Hall of Fame in 2012, and most recently was inducted into the Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame in March of 2024. From 2000-2002, Peltonen led Marian to a 36-22-6 (.609) record with three NCAA Tournament appearances. He led the Sabres to a win in the national tournament in 2000 with a 2-1 victory over Ripon. Along with being the winningest coach in men’s soccer history, he is also the winningest coach in women’s soccer history. Off of the pitch, Peltonen coached the men’s tennis program for 19 seasons and led Marian to a conference championship in 1999, as well as being the Director of Intramurals for most of his career.
“It was a privilege for me to be a part of so many lives during my time at Marian College/University, enhancing my life forever,” said Peltonen. “This honor is a shared one, not only with my family, but with so many student-athletes that won’t get this kind of recognition, but played such a large role in this honor for me”.
Erin Schultz-Wege was one of the fiercest hitters in the Sabre lineup from 2002-05 and helped lead Marian to two NCAA Tournaments along with an LMC Championship during her time. Schultz-Wege earned all-conference recognition from the LMC all four years of her career, earned all-region honors from the NFCA twice, and was the LMC Player of the Year in 2005. She enters the Hall of Fame second all-time for runs batted in with 130, fourth all-time for doubles with 34, and sixth all-time for base hits with 174. In her 2005 season, she tied the program record for runs batted in at the time at 43, and also tied the single-season record for hits at the time with 57 base knocks. Schultz-Wege hit .404 in the campaign with 11 doubles to go with three home runs, all career-marks.
“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Marian Athletics Hall of Fame,” said Schultz-Wege. “My time on and off the field was guided by amazing coaches and teammates, which only helped make my experiences at Marian more successful and meaningful. I continue to carry the skills, lessons, and memories that being a collegiate student-athlete created with me very day. These skills have no doubt contributed to my successes on and off the field.”
Homecoming weekend kicks off Friday, September 20 with the 14th annual Korbie Classic to be held at South Hills Golf & Country Club. Registration for the event, along with sponsorship opportunities, can be found at https://commerce.cashnet.com/marianustore?cname=KORBIE. Any questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to Dan Mueller at [email protected].
The following day, Saturday, September 21, kicks off a busy day at Smith Field opening with the men’s soccer team taking on Illinois Tech at noon. The Marian Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 will be recognized and honored at halftime. Then at 3 p.m. the Sabre field hockey team plays host to Centre. The home events conclude at 6 p.m. when Marian women’s soccer plays host to Illinois Tech.
The Hall of Fame Induction and Alumni Awards Presentation will be Saturday, September 21 in the Sodexo Dining Room of the Stayer Center. The reception for the event begins at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and the awards presentation beginning at 6:45 p.m. Registration for the Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony is available at https://commerce.cashnet.com/marianustore?cname=HOF.
