Western Illinois Inducts 2014 Hall of Fame Class

2014 Hall of Fame Class (Front Row, L-R) Benjamin Spence and Bonnie Barker. (Back Row L-R) Dubois McDavis, University President Dr. Jack Thomas, Athletic Director Tommy Bell

PHOTO GALLERY

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois University Athletics honored the four newest members of the Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony on Friday night (Oct. 3) inside the University Union Grand Ballroom.

Bonnie Barker (Administrator), Dubois McDavis (Track & Field), Bert Ohlander (Track & Field) and Benjy Spence (Swimming & Diving) were selected for their outstanding record of performance while representing Western Illinois Athletics.

Ohlander, who lives in Long Beach, California, was unable to attend the ceremony due to a health condition. His former teammate, Dan Moy, accepted on his behalf.

In addition to the ceremony, the four members will also be honored during halftime of the Leathernecks' football game on Saturday (Oct. 4) versus North Dakota State.

University President Dr. Jack Thomas gave opening remarks. Dr. Tom Cody gave the invocation. After the dinner, all inductees (including Moy on behalf of Ohlander) spoke on receiving the award. Athletic Director Tommy Bell thanked the members of the class, and also welcomed 15 current members of the Hall of Fame who were in attendance.

Bonnie Barker (Administrator, 1977-91)
Barker began her career in 1977 as the Women's Sports Information Director at Western. She worked in that capacity until 1989, then when the departments merged she became Co-Sports Information Director. She moved over to University Relations in 1991 and in all worked for 35 years at Western.

Dubois McDavis (Track & Field, 1984-87)
McDavis earned All-Conference honors seven times combined between the Indoor and Outdoor championship seasons. Nearly 30 years after competing, McDavis still ranks tied for fourth all-time in Summit League history with six Outdoor individual titles. He's also tied for fifth all-time in Summit League history winning five Indoor individual titles. During the 1984 Mid-Con Indoor championships, McDavis was named 'Athlete of the Year' after capturing the triple jump title and helping the 4x400 relay take first place.

Entering into the 2014-15 track and field season, McDavis still owns records in: Indoor long jump (25-5.25 feet) and Outdoor triple jump (52-0.50). His times and distances place him 11 times on eight different events among the career 'Top 10' leaders.

Bert Ohlander (Track & Field, 1956-60)
Ohlander enrolled at WIU in the fall of 1956, and was a four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track & field for Hall of Fame coach Dick Abbot. He was a three-time NAIA Outdoor Track & Field national qualifier and captured the 1959 national title in the 880-yard dash in a time of 1:52.5. Ohlander's title made him the second WIU national champion at that point in the history of Western Illinois Athletics.

His impressive times earned him an invitation to the Finland Olympic Committee tryouts. He competed in the 800 meters at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Ohlander earned a spot on the Finnish national team for four years during the 1960s. He also qualified for Finland's 4x400 Olympic relay team.

Benjamin Spence (Swimming & Diving, 1998-2001)
During his four-year swimming and diving career at Western Illinois, Benjamin Spence helped WIU win two Mid-Continent Conference championships while finishing second another two times. To this day, Spence is just one of four swimming and diving student-athletes in league history to win multiple events for three or more years at the conference championship meet. He was voted Mid-Con 'Diver of the Year' his final three seasons.

Spence stands eighth all-time in Summit League history in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving (11 dives), setting both personal bests during the 2001 season.

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