Release courtesy of Travis McCurdy, Northwood University Sports Information Director
MIDLAND, MICH. – The Northwood University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has announced the members of the seventh class of the Athletic Hall of Fame.
Larry Lindsey (Contributor), Jamie (Long) Rhynard (Women’s Golf), Tara Tigner (Softball), Shandrin “Sleepie” Tollie (Football) and Dale Washington (Track and Field) join 31 other inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame.
The seventh annual Hall of Fame ceremony will take place October 6 and will be a part of Homecoming and Auto Show weekend at Northwood. The reception for the event will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m.
Admission to the reception and dinner will be $30.00. Net proceeds from the event will fund a Northwood Athletic Hall of Fame scholarship in the name of the inductees. People interested in attending the event should contact Robin Yancer in the Northwood Alumni office at (989) 837-4350 or at yancer@northwood.edu.
The inductees were selected based on their athletic prowess, contributions to the athletic programs, success and character as well as their positive representation of Northwood University.
“We are excited to be able to honor these outstanding individuals and to pay tribute to the long history of Northwood Athletics”, said Dave Marsh, Associate Athletics Director. “Each of the inductees was a pioneer in their sport and in the development of our athletic program. Without them we would not be enjoying our current success.”
LARRY LINDSEY
Contributor
Few people can claim to be such a vital part of Northwood athletics for a longer period of time than Larry Lindsey. In over forty years at Northwood, Lindsey has been involved with athletics in a multitude of roles - an athlete, a coach, a radio announcer, an administrator and a mentor. He started his time at Northwood as a two-sport athlete in 1966, competing in both basketball and football. Lindsey was a team captain for both teams in his senior year. In 1971, he began working at his alma mater and has remained in administration ever since, including serving as Northwood’s Dean of Students since 1988. Lindsey has also spent time as a coach at Northwood, including being the first head coach in the history of track and field (1974) and women’s basketball (1982). He was also interim Athletic Director in 2000. Most recently, Lindsey has been the color commentator for Northwood Football on the radio for over 15 years. His passion and love for Northwood athletics will always be remembered.
JAMIE (LONG) RHYNARD
Women’s Golf
2003-07
Jamie Long stands as the greatest women’s golfer in Northwood history. The owner of virtually every school record, Long was an All-GLIAC honoree all four years of her career. She was named the 2007 GLIAC Women’s Golf Athlete of the Year after finishing with the lowest scoring average in the conference. At the 2006 GLIAC Championship, Long was the individual medalist with a one-over par total of 217 over the three round event. That mark remains the best score in relation to par in the history of the GLIAC Championship and is nine strokes better than any other total. She remains the lone player in school history to qualify for the NCAA Championships, reaching the event in 2004. Long also excelled in the classroom, claiming CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and was named the 2007 Northwood valedictorian.
Softball
1997-2000
Tara Tigner’s softball career at Northwood is one of the most productive in the history of the program. Her name appears in either the season or career leaders list 16 times in the Northwood record book. She ranks first in school history with 150 career runs as well ranking second in hits (210), doubles (39), home runs (16) and total bases (320), while placing third in stolen bases (52). Her 1999 season will go down as one of the finest at Northwood, ending the year with a .403 average, six home runs and 15 doubles. Six different statistical categories from the 1999 season for Tigner rank in the top-seven in school history. A two-time All-GLIAC honoree, Tigner finished her career with a .338 career batting average. She was a part of one of the winningest stretches in program history, as Northwood won 113 games in her career.
SHANDRIN “SLEEPIE” TOLLIE
Football
1998-2001
Sleepie Tollie is known around Northwood as the player who “put Northwood football on the map.” He took over as the starting quarterback for Northwood in 1998 and led Northwood to 25 victories in three seasons. Northwood had won a total of 23 games in the previous eight seasons prior to Tollie becoming the Timberwolves’ signal caller. He still holds Northwood records for passing yards (4,442) and scoring (250 points) while ranking third in completions (233) and 16th in rushing (1,855). His 1,862 passing yards in the 1998 season remain the most in program history. Tollie also claimed the NCAA pass efficiency rating title in 1998 with a mark of 190.41. His finest game occurred in one of the most famous games in program history, as Tollie accounted for over 400 yards and five touchdowns in Northwood’s 79-49 win over rival Saginaw Valley State in the 1998 Axe Bowl. He led Northwood to a pair of GLIAC Championships (1999-2000), the first conference titles for Northwood in 22 seasons.
DALE WASHINGTON
Track and Field
1982-85
More than 20 years after his career at Northwood ended, Dale Washington remains one of the finest athletes to ever be associated with the program. The highlight of his distinguished career was earning the NAIA National Championship in the 110 hurdles at the 1985 outdoor championships. He also finished third during the 1985 indoor season in the 60 meter hurdles. The team captain in 1985, Washington led the team to top-10 national finishes at the NAIA Indoor and Outdoor National Championships. Washington is one of just three athletes in the history of Northwood track and field to earn a national title, joining Kevin Brown and Chris Rusher. He claimed All-America honors at the NAIA championships both in 1984 and 1985. He also claimed the 110 meter hurdles at the prestigious Dogwood Relays in 1985. Washington’s indoor school record in the 60 meter hurdles of 8.18 stood at Northwood from 1985 until 2012.
Questions about the event should be directed to Dave Marsh, Associate Athletic Director – (989) 837-4389 or dmarsh@northwood.edu.