Riverland Community College will welcome six inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday, Nov. 14 in Riverland Gym.

A luncheon honoring the inductees will be held at 1 p.m. followed by the Women’s Alumni Game at 3 p.m. The official induction ceremony will occur following that game at approximately 4 p.m. The events end with the Men’s Alumni Game at approximately 5 p.m.

The 2009 class is the seventh class inducted to the Athletic Hall of Fame since 1997. They join 40 other former athletes and coaches. This year’s inductees include Amy Bartelt Fessel; basketball (1990-92); Clark Cipra: golf (1969-71); Oscar Haddorff: shot clock operator (1987-2009); Mike Smith; baseball (1990-92); Howie Strey: official scorebook recorder (1987-2009); Mary Kittelson Weikum: basketball (1981-83).

Amy Bartelt

Amy Bartelt Fessel was named All Conference, All-State, and All-Region in her freshman year and All-Conference and All-State her sophomore season of basketball. She led her team to a third place finish in the state tournament her rookie season and averaged 16.9 points/per game her second year, piling up 389 points in 19 games.

Clark Cipra

Clark Cipra was a standout golfer for Austin State Junior College (ASJC), now Riverland Community College. He led ASJC to a second place finish in the state and regional tournaments in 1969-70. Cipra shot a 72-76 and finished third individually. Clark also was named Honor Athlete of the Year his first year. As a sophomore, Cipra finished runner-up in the state and region and qualified for the NJCAA national tournament in Flint, Michigan. He also was a member of the collegiate men’s basketball team at ASJC.

Oscoar Haddorff

Oscar Haddorff has served on the basketball bench as the official scorer and official shot clock operator for the past 23 years. He also served as the interim womens basketball coach for one year in 1986-87. Oscar has been a lifetime supporter of Riverland Community College.

Mike Smith

Mike Smith, a standout outfielder and catcher for the Blue Devils baseball led his team to the MCCC state tournament and a runner-up finish in 1990-91 (18-11 and 21-13 overall record). Smith earned All-Conference and All-State honors in both of his seasons and was named to the All-Region team his sophomore year, batting .353, scoring 25 runs and led his team with 29 hits (29 games). He was a catalyst on the bases and remains listed in the baseball record book for walks, runs and stolen bases.

Howie Strey

Howie Strey has served on the bench of the men and womens basketball games at Riverland Community College for 23 years as an official scoreboard operator and scorer and will continue his duties this season. Howie Strey has been a lifetime supporter of Riverland Community College.

Mary Kittelson

Mary Kittelson Weikum, a standout basketball player for Austin Community College, led her team to back-to-back appearances at state during her two seasons. As a freshman, Weikum earned All-Conference honors and helped her team (17-6) to a fifth place finish in the MCC state tournament. In her second season, Mary was named to the All-Conference, All State and All-Region teams and she led her team (16-5) to a fourth place finish in state tournament. Weikum averaged 18.5 points per game her second year and currently that ranks as the ninth all-time scorer all time for one season. She poured in 36 points in one contest against Crookston in 1983.

Individuals eligible for induction include men golfers, basketball, baseball, football, wrestling, and track athletes and women golfers, basketball, softball, volleyball, and track athletes plus various coaches, athletic directors and others who have made a significant contribution to the athletic program.

Riverland Community College is a member of the Minnesota Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XIII.

Eligibility requirements are established by the NJCAA and the MCAC. The Riverland athletics program includes men’s basketball and baseball and women’s volleyball, basketball and softball. Riverland recently announced the addition of a competitive team in men’s soccer in 2009.

Riverland Community College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, is a regional comprehensive community college inspiring learning for living through a personalized educational environment. Approximately 4,000 students are served, annually, through a wide range of credit-based educational opportunities. An additional 5,600 students are annually served in non-credit courses. Facilities are located in Albert Lea, Austin, and Owatonna, Minn. Riverland may be found on the Internet at www.riverland.edu.

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 250,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 140,000 students in non-credit courses.