RELEASE: Immediate
SOURCE: Michelle Widger, assistant director of alumni services,
(308) 865-8474, mwidger@unkalumni.org
TOPIC: UNK TO INDUCT FIVE INTO ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME AT THE 30TH ANNUAL UNK HOMECOMING
ALUMNI BANQUET IN OCTOBER
Five individuals will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies at Homecoming
October 1-2. They are athletes Darcie Berry ’99 of Des Moines, Iowa, Jon Gustafson ’85, MSE’93 of
Maryville, Missouri, Meg Gross Minton ’79 of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, former athletic director and golf
coach Dick Beechner and former wrestling coach Jack Ramey both of Kearney.
Darcie Berry was a first-team NCAA Division II All-American in 1999 and a four-time first-team allconference infielder for the UNK softball team during her playing years from 1997 to 2000. She holds
the school records for single season (15) and career home runs (48). Berry was chosen the Omaha
World-Herald State Female Athlete of the Year in 1999. Berry was named to the Rocky Mountain
Athletic Conference (RMAC) All-Century team when that squad was announced in 2009.
Berry played on UNK teams that captured the RMAC regular season titles and qualified for the NCAA
tournament all four years. The Lopers advanced to the Elite Eight in three of those seasons and was
NCAA Division II National Tournament runner-up in 1999.
Berry, who graduated summa cum laude, was twice named to the Academic All-American team.
Following graduation, Berry played with a USA Select Softball team that toured Europe. She is an
underwriter with Wells Fargo Financial Leasing in Des Moines, Iowa.
Jon Gustafson was a first team NAIA All-American defensive end football player in 1984. He was
honorable mention All-American in 1983. Those two years he also was a first team all conference
selection and a member of the Omaha World-Herald All-State College team. As the team’s punter,
Gustafson earned all-conference honors in 1983 with an average of 40.2 yards. Gustafson won the Tom
French Award in 1981, given by the coaching staff to an outstanding freshman.
Gustafson was a graduate assistant coach for the Lopers from 1991 to 1993. After earning his master’s
degree, Gustafson was defensive line coach and strength coach at Northwest Missouri from 1993 to
2003 during a time when the Bearcats won two national championships. He is now director of a
recreation facility and faculty member at Northwest Missouri.
Meg Gross Minton was an outstanding tennis player and pioneer on the first Loper tennis teams from
1976 to 1979. With the help of coach Jane Moorehouse, interested women petitioned to have the sport
added and Moorehouse agreed to coach. Minton played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles all four years.
She was the first woman to qualify and compete in four post season regional tennis tournaments. As a
freshman in UNK’s first season of woman’s tennis, she qualified for the AIAW post season play in both
singles and doubles with doubles partner Chris Peterson.
After graduating magna cum laude, Minton became a certified U. S. Professional Tennis Association
Professional teacher for 13 years in Hawaii. She was named Kauai Woman of the Year in Sports in 1988
for her work with junior tennis. After moving to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, she has continued teaching tennis
and has served as director of the Eau Claire YMCA Indoor Sports Center.
Dick Beechner was UNK athletic director athletic director from 1987 to 1996 and was golf coach from
1996 to 2009. During his nine years as athletic director, Beechner guided the university in its transition
from NAIA to NCAA Division II, began major fund raising activities, oversaw the construction of the
Health and Sports Center, facilitated the entry into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and brought
two NCAA national championship events – cross country and wrestling – to Kearney.
Beechner served as golf coach for 13 years, a time that was the most successful in the program’s history.
The Lopers won three RMAC titles, made seven NCAA Super Regional appearances and hosted one
Super Regional. He was a member Division II Golf National Committee and was committee chair in 2008.
One of his golf innovations, the Loper Cup, pits alumni and the golf team against each other in a Ryder
Cup format. That annual event was renamed the Beechner Cup after he retired.
Beechner has also served as executive director of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame
Foundation from 2003 to 2010, is treasurer of the Nebraska Golf Hall of Fame. He has also been a key
member of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce sports and recreation committee for more than 20
years. For his work he received the Kearney Hub Freedom Award in 2009.
Jack Ramey took over coaching wrestling in 1969 and with the exception of 1972, coached for the next
17 years. His 1980 team was 13th in the NAIA and his 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1991 and 1982 teams
were NAIA District 11 champions. His career record was 107-43-1. Ramey coached 22 All-Americans, two
of whom were undefeated during the regular season – Rod Gilliland and Dean Reicks. He had national
place winners in all 17 years he was head coach. After stepping down as head coach, he continued to
serve as an assistant coach until 1993. He retired from UNK in 1998. During his coaching career at UNK,
Ramey also served as an assistant football coach.
Selected by the wrestling coaches, Ramey was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1987.
The five Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the 30th annual Homecoming Awards
Banquet on Friday, October 1. Tickets are $25. They are available by contacting the UNK Alumni
Association at 308-865-8474 or tmeyers@unkalumni.org.
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Darcie Berry is a graduate of Griswold, Iowa, Community High School
Jon Gustafson is a graduate of Axtell High School. He has a master of arts in education degree from UNK
and a master of physical education degree from Northwest Missouri State University
Meg Gross Minton is a graduate of Omaha Marian High School
Dick Beechner is a graduate of Lincoln High School. He has a bachelor of arts and a master of science
degree from the University of Nebraska Lincoln
Jack Ramey is a graduate of Linton High School and Valley City State University in North Dakota. He has a
master of science degree and educational specialist degree from University of Nebraska Kearney