2008 North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame

Maybe there's something about wearing Cardinal red.

Maybe -- under the right circumstances -- it makes an athlete run a little faster, shoot a little straighter, glide through the water a little easier.

Wearing Cardinal red certainly helped eight standouts being inducted into the North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame reach dizzying heights both individually and with their teams.

This fifth class of sports heroes will be honored in ceremonies beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Gregory Arena in Merner Field House, 450 S. Brainard St.

Guests can meet and reminisce with inductees at a reception following the ceremony in the upstairs Nichols Gym.

This year's inductees are Bonnie Hansen Jagiella, basketball; Tony Bleull, cross country and track; David Thompson, track; Larry Michelson, swimming; Mark Michelson, swimming; Norris Cross, football; Tom Purcell, baseball coach; and Dennis Ryan, swimming coach.

Here are their stories:

Bonnie Hansen Jagiella ('83)

Bonnie Hansen Jagiella is the third member of the 1983 NCAA Division III women's basketball national championship team to be inducted into North Central's Athletic Hall of Fame. She joins teammates Brenda Sanders and Kim Wallner, both inducted in 2004.

Jagiella played two seasons at North Central after transferring from Utah State University, where she had tired of the Division I atmosphere and wanted to be closer to home so her parents could watch her play. A graduate of Stagg High School in Palos Hills, she was unsure whether she'd play for the Cardinals when she arrived. Meeting the team convinced her.

"Everyone was just so focused," Jagiella said. "Everyone's goal was to get to the Final Four and win a national championship, and we did it."

The 6-foot-1 post player averaged 22.9 points and 12.5 rebounds a game as a senior and set the college's single-season scoring record with 732 points, a record that still stands. She scored 25 points in the Cardinals' 83-71 championship game victory over Elizabethtown College (Pennsylvania) and later was selected All-American First Team, the only North Central women's basketball player to achieve the honor.

She also helped the team to the Chicago Metro Conference Championship and was named All-Conference First Team.

As a junior, Jagiella scored 682 points to lead the Cardinals to first place in the state, third in the region and a berth in the NCAA Division III tournament. She was honored as All-State and All-American by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.

Jagiella's career scoring average of 20.4 points per game tops the Cardinals' all-time list. Today, she ranks sixth for career scoring (1,414 points) and third for field goals made (628), field goals attempted (1,384) and rebounds (790). She also holds single-season records for field goals made (329) and attempted (718).

Jagiella graduated with a degree in biology in 1983 and resides in Hebron, Ind., with her husband, Justin. The couple has four children: Brooke, Kodee, Nick and Kate. She works as a shipping clerk for Fuchs Lubricants in Harvey and the family raises beef cattle on its farm.

Tony Bleull ('84)

Tony Bleull reigns as one of North Central's most decorated runners. The three-time All-American won the 1983 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship, setting a national record in the process with a time of 23:46 on the 8K course. Bleull also placed 11th in 1981 and fourth in 1982.

The long-distance runner was part of the national championship cross country teams of 1981 and 1982. He was College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin champion in 1982 and 1983, one of only five North Central runners to accomplish such a feat. He is one of only four Cardinals to earn all-conference honors all four of his seasons (10th in 1980, second in 1981 and first in 1982 and 1983).

Bleull was a track-and-field All-American, placing third in the 10,000 meters at the 1983 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He set the school's all-time mark in the 10,000 meters, clocking a 29:55.44. The time still ranks among the college's all-time top 10.

He also was the CCIW champion in the 10,000 meters in 1983, and was a national qualifier in the steeplechase.

The talented runner came to North Central for its small-school atmosphere because his high school coach told him it was the best Division III running program in the country.

"He was one of the most integrated athletes in terms of his mind, body and spirit," coach Al Carius said. "His ability to focus and maximize his abilities and put everything he had into his performance was as good as any athlete I've ever seen."

Bleull graduated in 1984 with a degree in chemistry. He works for Nalco as a district manager in charge of the field sales office. Bleull resides in Washington, Ill., with his wife, Jani, and their sons Michael, Steven and Bradley.

David Thompson ('99)

David Thompson was a championship performer. Whether it was the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships or the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships, Thompson shined when it mattered most.

"I could have won an individual championship at a lot of schools, but I came to North Central to win a national championship as a team," Thompson said at the time.

He transferred to North Central from Monmouth College. The Chicago native won an individual title in the long jump at the 1997 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships and was second at the national outdoor meet that same year. His performance at the 1998 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships propelled the Cardinals to their fourth national title in track and field.

Instead of pursuing another individual title in the long jump, Thompson focused on the 100 meters, the 200 meters and 4x100-meter relay to give the Cardinals their best shot at a national championship.

He began the meet by helping the 4x100 relay win top honors and become the first North Central national championship team in the sprints, setting a school record. Despite a cramped leg, he took third in the 100 meters. Needing to place sixth or better in the 200 meters for the Cardinals to clinch the national team title, Thompson cruised to victory in 21.41. The time might have been better but the senior, sensing the moment, raised his arms in triumph just meters from the finish.

Thompson's performances at the conference level were equally impressive. He claimed 1997 titles in the long jump, 200-meter dash and the 4x100 relay. He also was second in the 100-meter dash and long jump at the 1998 CCIW Outdoor Championships, earning the meet's Outstanding Performer honor.

The 11-time All-American in track and field (four honors at Monmouth, seven at North Central) still holds school records in the 60 meters (indoor), 100 meters (outdoor), 200 meters (outdoor), and as part of the 400- and 800-meter relay teams (both outdoor).

He graduated in 1999 with a degree in individualized studies. He is the head men's and women's track and field coach at Ashford University in Iowa. He lives with his wife, Christie, and son, Davis, in Davenport, Iowa.

Larry Michelson ('64)

Larry Michelson joins six other North Central Athletic Hall of Fame members who constituted the Cardinals' dominant swimming program of the late 1950s and early '60s.

Michelson was a standout swimmer at Elgin High School. In three years of dual meets, he went undefeated in varsity competition, setting 21 pool records across the state. He won the state 100-yard breaststroke title in 1957 and the state 100-yard butterfly title in 1958, setting Illinois High School Association records in both events. He was the school's first two-time All-American athlete in any sport.

Michelson was a scholarship swimmer for the University of Illinois for two years. Despite setting several records for the Illini, he had tired of the demands of swimming at the Big 10 school and was persuaded by then-North Central coach Eggert Giere to transfer.

His timing was perfect as he became a member of the Cardinals' 1962 and 1963 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national championship teams.

As a junior, Michelson won titles in the 100- and 200-yard butterfly and as part of the 400-yard medley relay team. Adding to the luster of his three championship wins were new national records he set in each event. In his senior year, he was sidelined for nearly the entire season with shoulder injuries.

At the conference level, Michelson won titles in the 200-yard butterfly and 400-yard medley relay in 1962.

Michelson graduated in 1964 with a degree in history. He worked for 25 years for Sears, holding several national buying assignments, and was a national retail sales manager in both the housewares and major appliances departments. In 1989, he became president of both Sate-Lite Manufacturing Co., the world's largest manufacturer of reflectors and lenses, and Mid-West Color, a color concentrate company. He later retired at age 55.

He lives in Elgin, with his wife, Jennifer Thompson. Michelson has three daughters with his late wife, Lynn Beskin Michelson ('66), and two grandchildren. In 1989, he was inducted into the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame.

Mark Michelson ('66)

Mark Michelson followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Larry Michelson ('64), also a 2008 North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. A standout swimmer at Elgin High School, Michelson spent his first year of college swimming on scholarship for the University of Iowa.

However, Michelson found that his life consisted of nothing but "swimming and studying" in Iowa City and decided to transfer to North Central. He already knew several members of the team, and the transition was easy.

Michelson's impact was immediate. He won the 100- and 200-yard butterfly events and was part of the championship 400-yard medley relay at the 1963 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Championships, helping the Cardinals to their fourth national title. In 1964 he was second in the 200-yard butterfly and third in the 100-yard butterfly, and was again part of the first-place 400-yard medley relay to help North Central take third at NAIA National Championships.

After missing most of the 1964-65 season because of illness, Michelson returned the following year and repeated as an NAIA All-American while also being named the team's MVP and earning the college's William W. Shatzer Award as the top senior male student-athlete.

Michelson also excelled at the conference level, winning College Conference of Illinois titles in the 200-yard butterfly in 1963, the 100- and 200-yard butterfly in 1964, and the 100- and 200-yard butterfly in 1966.

After graduating in 1966 with a degree in political science, Michelson worked in the business world before becoming a coach and teacher at Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts. As head swimming coach, he coached 57 state champions and led the school to three state championships from 1973-83.

Michelson then moved to Williams Middle School, where he taught for 20 years before retiring in 2004. He lives with his wife, Susan, in Winsted, Conn. They have two children, Dale and Teddy.

Norris Cross ('50)

Norris Cross starred as a four-year letterman in football, basketball and baseball at Bangor High School in Michigan.

After graduating, he made a brief stop at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, where he played for the Great Lakes football team coached by Paul Brown. Cross later transferred to the Naval Air Station in Norman, Okla., before being discharged in 1946.

His Bangor football coach, Evan Gaulthier ('38), had roomed with then-North Central football coach Herb Heilman ('38). Gaulthier placed a call and Cross soon arrived at North Central's campus.

Cross was a three-time College Conference of Illinois First Team selection in 1947-49 as the center for the North Central football team. He anchored an offensive line that in the 1946 and 1947 seasons helped lead the Cardinals to a combined 14-3 record. The talented athlete also played linebacker all four years; his teammates elected him MVP in 1948 and 1949.

In 1947 Cross started at center for the Cardinals, who posted a 7-2 record and played in the college's only bowl game appearance -- the Corn Bowl, against Southern Illinois University. Cross was later invited to tryout camps by both the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.

A four-year letterman, "Norrie" played alongside Dick Smith ('48), another member of the 1947 team inducted into the North Central College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. Cross served as the Cardinals' co-captain his junior year and captain his senior season. In 1945 he scored two touchdowns. In 1998, he was named to the college's All-Century Team.

Cross also played baseball for North Central, helping the Cardinals earn a 17-15 record in the CCI. He batted .300 his senior year playing first base, and also made several appearances on the pitcher's mound.

Cross graduated in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in science and physical education. He coached high school football in Decatur, Mich., and Rochester, Mich., posting a 15-2 record in two years at Rochester. After coaching, Cross took a sales position in the corrugated container industry. After working for 15 years he became a sales manager before retiring in 1987. He also worked as a football and basketball referee, covering high school and college athletics for 25 years.

Cross remains an avid fisherman, hunter and golfer while staying active in service work. He resides in Grandville, Mich., with his wife, Katherine. The couple has two children, Kerry and John.

Tom Purcell ('74)

Tom Purcell coached North Central College baseball for 13 seasons from 1981 to 1993. During his tenure as Cardinals skipper, he posted a 313-166-4 record, won four conference championships and reached the NCAA Division III regional tournament four times (1985, 1986, 1987 and 1991). Purcell also was assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the football team from 1976 to 1985.

The 1987 Cardinals stand as the only baseball team in school history to reach the Division III College World Series. Purcell's squad rebounded from a 3-4 start to capture a then-school record 31 victories and advance to collegiate baseball's pinnacle event.

Purcell coached nine NCAA Division III All-Americans, two College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-Americans, five College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Most Outstanding Players and 64 CCIW All-Conference players.

He also coached the greatest hitter in North Central history, 1998 NCAA Division III Player of the Year Ken Ritter. Under Purcell's tutelage, Ritter, a 2004 North Central College Hall of Fame inductee, went on to sign a professional contract with the Oakland Athletics.

Purcell holds the record for most career victories (313) and the highest winning percentage of any Cardinal baseball coach in school history (.653).

He first came to North Central from Chicago's Mendel Catholic High School, where he was captain of the football team. In his gridiron playing days, Purcell was a four-year starter for the Cardinals and in 1974 was named the team's Most Valuable Player as a captain and defensive back. He was also CCIW All-Conference as a defensive back in 1973.

Purcell graduated in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, economics and business administration. He earned a master's degree in physical science at George Williams College in 1979 and was named an assistant professor of physical education in 1980 at North Central.

Purcell died in 2001 at age 49, He was survived by his wife, Sharon, his daughter, Terri, and his son, Tommy.

Since 2004, the college has honored Purcell every fall as Cardinal baseball hosts the Tom Purcell Classic Alumni Game.

Dennis Ryan

Dennis Ryan served a 27-year tenure as head coach of North Central College's swimming teams, beginning in 1974 for the men's squad and 1986 for the women's team. In 1990, he was voted NCAA Division III Coach of the Year, thanks in part to his team's seventh-place finish at the national meet. He was awarded College Coach of the Year four times by the Illinois Swimming Association.

"Because swimming is not as prominent in college athletics as sports such as football and basketball, swimming athletes and coaches sometimes get overlooked," said North Central softball coach Jim Kulawiak. "This was not the case for Dennis. He was well-versed in his field and therefore highly respected by his coaching peers. His athletes were often honored for their accomplishments."

Under Ryan, the Cardinals boasted 102 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin individual champions and 47 NCAA Division III All-Americans including Maureen Szweda, the 1999 national champion in the 200-yard butterfly and a 2007 North Central College Hall of Fame inductee.

He coached his teams to three CCIW championships from 1979-81, and Ryan was awarded CCIW Coach of the Year in each of those three seasons.

Having grown up in Pennsylvania, Ryan swam competitively for George Williams College in Illinois, and earned a master's degree from Northern Illinois University. He coached at Hinsdale South High School before assuming head coaching duties at North Central in 1974.

He has said his coaching style was influenced by fellow Hall of Famer Al Carius, head coach for North Central men's track and field and cross country, who stresses fun and personal achievement.

Also a professor of health and physical education, Ryan coached and taught until 2003. At the 2005 commencement ceremony, North Central awarded Ryan the Harold and Eva White First Citizen of the College Award, which recognizes an individual who exemplifies "the best of North Central College." In 2006, the CCIW began honoring a Dennis Ryan Most Outstanding Participant for its conference championship meet.

Ryan is retired and resides in Paw Paw, Ill., with his wife, Venna.