Page 7 - Cedarville Magazine Spring 2013 Volume 1 Issue 1

Cedarville Magazine | 7
SPORTS
Hall of Fame Adds Four Members
by Kimberly Garlick ’13
Four new plaques grace the lobby of Cedarville’s Callan Athletic
Center following the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction
brunch on January 26, 2013.The newest inductees were the late
Mendell E. Beattie, Dr. Kim Gall ’78, Becky (Jordan) Bednarek ’99,
and Michelle (Ruhlman) Keller ’02.
In the 1940s, Beattie served as Athletic Director, Dean of Men,
and Professor of Physical Education, and he also coached football,
basketball, and baseball. Jay Fry ’51, one of Beattie’s former football
players, remembers how pivotal his recruiting efforts were for
Cedarville following America’s involvement in World War II. “In
1946, Cedarville had just 24 male students,” said Fry. “After one
semester, we had 100.”
Gall played field hockey, basketball, and softball for Cedarville.
She continued in athletics after graduation, coaching for 20 years
at Geneva College and Calvin College before becoming Geneva’s
Athletic Director in 2008. “It’s a privilege to be a member of the Hall
of Fame,” she said. “I’ve been in the athletic and physical education
profession for 35 years, and my preparation from Cedarville has
served me well.”
She said a large part of her foundation was laid by three mentors
—June Kearney, her academic advisor and softball coach; Maryalyce
Jeremiah ’65, her basketball coach; and Pam (Diehl) Johnson, her
field hockey coach.
Bednarek was recognized for her four years of cross country
and track & field for the Lady Jackets under Coach Elvin King ’64.
Bednarek was a three-time National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics (NAIA) All-American.
“I feel like I ampart of a continuumof women’s distance running
at Cedarville,” she said. “I’ve seen people come behind me who are
standout athletes in their own right and have gone on to do things
on a national level. That just impresses me. The teams I ran on were
good and progressively getting better, so maybe we made the school
more attractive to [future runners] to come and run.”
Keller made history as the first women’s soccer player to
be inducted since the sport began at Cedarville in 1997. John
McGillivray ’70, who has served as head coach of women’s soccer
since 1998, said Keller was the perfect selection for the first women’s
soccer inductee. She is second all-time in goals (34), assists (27), and
points (95), while maintaining the school’s single-season record for
most shots (98) and shots on goal (58).
“Coming to Cedarville was amazing for me,” Keller said. “Being
part of a Christian atmosphere in both athletics and academics gave
me a good foundation.The friends I made continue to encourageme
in my faith as well as in my vocation and role as a wife and mother.”
In addition to Keller’s technical skills, McGillivray said she
embodies the five pillars of the soccer program: Christ-centered,
team-focused, work ethic, humility, and legacy. “She represents
everything we want a Cedarville University student-athlete to be,”
McGillivray said.
(left to right) Becky (Jordan) Bednarek ‘99, Dr. Kim Gall ‘78, Michelle (Ruhlman) Keller ‘02
(clockwise, from top left) Michelle (Ruhlman) Keller ‘02, Dr. Kim Gall ‘78,
Mendell E. Beattie, Becky (Jordan) Bednarek ‘99