Bearcat athletics sets its 2023 M-Club Hall of Fame induction class

The 2023 Northwest Missouri State University M-Club Hall of Fame class has been announced.

Seven individuals along with the 2013-14 men’s tennis squad and the 2013 Bearcat football team will be inducted this fall.

The class of 2023’s individual inductees include early age inductees Tom Funk, baseball and Kelly Greenlee, volleyball, along with modern age inductees of Dr. Bob Boerigter, director of athletics, Adam Dorrel, football, Matt Longacre, football, Jacshelle Sasser, track and field and Dave Tollefson, football.

The class of 2023 will be inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame during the annual festivities on Friday, October 20 in the JW Jones Student Union Ballroom and will be recognized during the Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 21, versus Pittsburg State. Tickets for the Friday evening banquet are $35 each and may be purchased by contacting Kiersten Schneider by email, korton@nwmissouri.edu or phone 660.562.1977. Seating for the event is limited and the deadline to reserve your spot at the banquet is October 1, or until tickets are sold out.

The 2023 class will bring the total of individual inductees to 171. The M-Club Hall of Fame was established for individuals in 1980 and teams were first enshrined beginning in 1989.

Dr. Bob Boerigter, director of athletics, 2001-2010

Boerigter guided the Bearcat athletic department from 2001 to 2010 in an era that saw Northwest capture 20 MIAA championships: seven, football; six, women’s tennis; three, men’s basketball; three, men’s tennis; two, women’s basketball. Boerigter was the driving force behind the creation of the Fall Classic in Arrowhead which saw Northwest take on Pittsburg State in front of 26,659 on October 17, 2022. The Fall Classic at Arrowhead eventually had seven contests that brought 20,000-plus fans to Arrowhead Stadium for the Bearcats and Gorillas. Boerigter led the renovation of Rickenbrode Stadium into Bearcat Stadium. The new construction included an increased seating capacity on the west side, chairback and railback seating, 10 luxury suites, a spacious and functional press area and a new scoreboard, complete with a videoboard. Boerigter added women’s golf to Northwest’s sports offerings in 2007. He also served as chair of the HPERD department at Northwest. He was inducted to the MIAA Hall of Fame on June 6, 2023.

Adam Dorrel, football, player from 1994-1997; head coach, 2011-2016

Dorrel led the Bearcat football team to three undefeated national titles in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Dorrel served as head coach from 2011 to 2016 and posted a stellar mark of 76-8 overall, including a 57-5 record in MIAA contests. Dorrel was a three-time AFCA National Coach of the Year. He put together a record of 15-3 in NCAA Division II playoff games. He guided the Bearcats to four MIAA regular crowns in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Dorrel was a three-time MIAA Coach of the Year recipient in 2013, 2015 and 2016. During his six-year tenure, Northwest had 39 first-team all-America picks and 44 first-team all-MIAA selections. Dorrel was a major factor in the turnaround of the Bearcat football program as a player. He suited up for the Bearcats from 1994-1997 that saw the Bearcats begin his career at 0-11 and finished up with back-to-back MIAA regular season titles in 1996 and 1997. He was a second-team All-America pick by Daktronics and the AP Little All-America teams in 1997. He gained first-team All-MIAA status in 1997.

Tom Funk, baseball, 1981-1983

One of three Bearcats to play in Major League Baseball as Funk appeared in eight games for the Houston Astros in the 1986 season. The lefty pitched 8 1/3 innings and struck out two batters in the majors. Funk was drafted by the Astros in the 28th round of the 1983 MLB Junior Amateur Draft. He earned first-team All-MIAA status in 1983 and was an honorable mention pick in 1981. He went 6-3 with a 2.73 ERA as a freshman. He posted a record of 8-3 with a 4.82 ERA as a sophomore. Funk tossed a two-hit shutout in an 8-0 win over Southeast Missouri State to clinch the MIAA regular season title in 1982. Funk tallied four wins and 37 strikeouts as a junior in earning first-team All-MIAA honors. He led the squad to back-to-back MIAA titles and a berth into the 1983 NCAA Midwest Regional. He ranks third in program history in complete games, 18. He is tied for fourth in career shutouts, four. He posted 18 career wins for the Bearcats to rank tied for fifth in school history. Funk struck out 148 batters in 190 1/3 innings pitched for the Bearcats. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school in the 23rd round of the 1980 MLB Junior Amateur Draft, but chose to attend Northwest.

Kelly Greenlee, volleyball, 1982-1985

Greenlee was a three-time first-team all-MIAA performer in volleyball in 1983, 1984 and 1985. She is one of three Bearcats to capture three first-team all-league honors joining Jill Quast and Maddy Bruder. She holds the Bearcat school record in career aces, 326. She set the single-season school mark in service aces, 114 in 1984. She is tied for first in matches played in a season with 60 in 1984. She ranks No. 10 in career points scored, 1,521. She was a part of the MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll in 1984 and 1985.

Matt Longacre, football, 2011-2014

Longacre was a two-time MIAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014. He finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in tackles-for-loss, 47.0 and quarterback sacks, 30.5. He currently ranks No. 2 on both the career TFL and sack charts at Northwest. He put up 20.5 tackles-for-loss in 2013 in helping the Bearcats to an undefeated NCAA Division II national championship. He registered five tackles-for-loss in a 27-13 NCAA playoff semifinal win over No. 22-ranked Grand Valley State on December 14, 2013. His 12 sacks in 2013 rank as the fourth-best single-season total in program history. He led Northwest in sacks in all four of his seasons in Maryville. Longacre earned All-America accolades in 2013 and 2014, AP Little All-America, Daktronics, D2Football.com, Don Hansen. Longacre signed as an undrafted free agent with the St. Louis Rams following the 2015 NFL Draft. Longacre played four seasons with the Rams and saw action in 38 games. He retired following the 2018 season and his final game was in Super Bowl 53 as the Rams took on the Patriots in New Orleans.

Jacshelle Sasser, track and field, 1995-1998

Sasser was a four-time NCAA Division II All-America performer in the high jump. She finished second in the country at the 1995 indoor NCAA championships in the high jump. Sasser tied for fifth in the indoor high jump in 1997. Sasser took sixth place in the high jump at the 1995 NCAA outdoor championships. She earned her fourth All-America honor with an eighth-place finish in the high jump at the 1997 NCAA outdoor championships. Sasser was also a four-time MIAA champion. She captured the league title in the outdoor high jump in 1995, 1997 and 1998. She won the 1997 indoor triple jump MIAA crown as well. She still owns the Northwest school records in the outdoor high jump, 5’10” and the indoor high jump, 5’10”. She ranks No. 2 at Northwest in the outdoor triple jump, 39’10.5” and No. 2 in the indoor triple jump, 39’6”.

Dave Tollefson, football, 2004-2005

Tollefson was the fourth Bearcat to be selected in the NFL Draft as he was a seventh-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 NFL Draft. Tollefson played six seasons in the NFL and captured two Super Bowl victories with the New York Giants, 2007 and 2011. He played in 78 NFL games, 63, Giants; 15, Raiders and totaled 10.5 quarterback sacks. He was credited with 90 career tackles in the NFL. Tollefson claimed the 2005 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year award. In 2005, Tollefson set the single-season sack record for the Bearcats with 12.5 sacks. Tollefson posted 8.5 quarterback sacks in the 2004 season, which saw him gather second-team all-MIAA status. Tollefson was credited with 21.0 career sacks, which ranked him second in program history at the completion of his collegiate career. He secured 4.0 sacks in a 31-21 win at Missouri Western on September 17, 2005, which ranks as the second-most sacks in a single-game in Bearcat football history. Tollefson became the fourth Bearcat to earn an invitation to the Hula Bowl following the 2005 season.

2013-14 Men’s Tennis Team

The 2013-14 Bearcat men’s tennis team became the first squad in program history to reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II national championship tournament. Northwest produced a season mark of 19-4 overall and 5-0 in MIAA dual action. The Bearcats captured the MIAA regular season and tournament titles.

2013 Football Team

The Bearcats became the fifth NCAA Division II football program to capture the national title with a 15-0 record. The Bearcats rolled through a gauntlet of a schedule that featured nine ranked foes, however Northwest had an average scoring margin of +28.0 over the 15-game season. Northwest scored 40 or more points 12 times.