UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University is excited to announce the 2026 Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026 that will be inducted on Friday, Oct. 23. SVSU will welcome five student-athletes, two teams, and two contributors to the Hall of Fame.

The 2026 Class features some of the most decorated and accomplished Cardinal athletes in the University's history, including Jeanette (Elwell) Badour (Track & Field), Sam Black (Track & Field), Kait Harris (Volleyball), Lamar King (Football) and Ken Tolfree (Football).

This year's team category will see both the 1983 and 1984 football squads inducted while SVSU administrator Jim Muladore and long-time game-day operations staff member Rick Welzein will enter as contributors.

"We're excited to announce another elite class of inductees into the SVSU Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame," SVSU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics John Lewandowski said. "This is one of my favorite weekends of the fall, as we celebrate our best of the best with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

"Not only did these former SVSU student-athletes achieve individual success, but they also had the innate ability to elevate the play of their teammates and together forge championship experiences. We look forward to reliving memories of these all-time Cardinal greats as well as celebrating the back-to-back GLIAC Championship football teams from 1983 and '84. We'll also honor the impactful contributions of Jim Muladore and Rick Welzein, who have provided a combined 90 years of service leadership to the SVSU campus and local communities." 

Student-Athletes

Jeanette (Elwell) Badour was a nine-time All-American on the Cardinal women's track and field team. She concluded her career with six NAIA All-America honors, with two in 1987 outdoor championships in the 400-meter relay and the sprint medley relay. She earned six more in 1989, earning NAIA All-American in the mile relay and 440-yard dash during the indoor season. That same indoor season, Badour was crowned NCAA All-American in the 1600m relay and 400m, while earning NAIA All-America status in the 400m and 1600m relay during outdoor season. She collected three first-place medals (400m, 300m and 1600m), including a school-record performance in the 400m dash at 57 seconds, and was named Athlete of the Meet at the 1989 GLIAC Indoor Championships. Badour represented Team USA in the 1989 European National Track & Field competition in France. Her final All-America recognition came in 1991 when she earned the NCAA outdoor honor in the 100m. She completed her career as the SVSU record holder in the sprint medley relay set in 1987 with a time of 1:45.97.

"A nine-time All-American Jeanette Elwell Badour established herself as one of the nation's elite sprinters during her SVSU career," Lewandowski. "As a senior in 1991, Jeanette was a double winner at both the GLIAC Indoor (55 meters and 400) and Outdoor (100 and 200) Championships. Her consistency in performance, especially in those championship races, was remarkable."

Sam Black competed for the SVSU men's track and field squad from 2015-21. During that time, Black collected an extensive list of awards, including the 2021 National Championship in the outdoor decathlon, an event for which he still holds the program record with 7,807 points. He added three NCAA All-America honors to his career resume with two in the decathlon (2021 and 2017) and another in the indoor heptathlon (2018). Black is also a two-time College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and second-team honors in 2020. He was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year in 2021, a three-time All-Midwest Region selection (2017, 2018, 2020), and a two-time all-academic award winner (2017, 2018) for the coaches association. Black also earned three GLIAC Field Athlete of the Year selections (2017, 2020, 2021) during his time as a Cardinal student-athlete.

"Sam Black is the top multi-sport athlete in SVSU men's track and field history," Lewandowski said. "Track is a championship sport and consistently scoring points across events is critical for achieving high levels of success – like becoming the Nation Champion in the 2021 outdoor decathlon.

"Coach Rod Cowan noted that Sam always delivered when the lights were the brightest. He also acknowledged Sam's exceptional self-discipline and laser focus were key factors in his tremendous success."

Kait Harris was a member of the SVSU volleyball team from 2006-09. Harris is one of three Cardinal players to earn All-America honors from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and is the only SVSU volleyball player to win GLIAC Player of the Year and the GLIAC Commissioner's Award. She was a two-time All-GLIAC selection (2008, 2009) and currently ranks fifth in the record book with 3,056 career assists. She recorded the third-best season for assists in 2008 with 1,211 and was selected the 2009-10 SVSU Ryder Female Athlete of the Year following her senior season.

"Kait Harris played a vital role in placing SVSU volleyball on the national map," Lewandowski said, "helping the team to a combined recorded of 47-18 over her last two seasons, including the Cardinals' first-ever NCAA postseason appearance in 2008 as well as the program's first GLIAC Championship in 2009 and a return trip to the NCAA Regionals. A model of consistency, she had 29 double-doubles (assists and digs) during that two-year stretch.

"Don't be deceived by her 5-foot-5 frame, Kait played her best in the biggest matches. She had a positive attitude, outstanding athleticism and tremendous leadership ability. As a senior in 2009, Kait was selected GLIAC Player of the Year by the league's head coaches, AVCA honorable mention All-American and named to the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. She led the team in hitting percentage (.313) and assists (1,146) while recording a career-best 103 kills."

Lamar King finished his career as the SVSU's all-time leading pass rusher with 27.5 sacks for 185 yards as the Cardinals posted back-to-back 9-2 records under Coach Jerry Kill in 1998 and 1997. As a senior, King was selected Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association First-Team All-American as well as GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the Year after leading the team in sacks (12 for 68 yards) and tackles for loss (25 for 99 yards). He ranked second overall in tackles with 84.

The 6-foot-3, 290-pound King made an immediate impact as a junior in 1997, amassing 78 total tackles, with 23.5 resulting in losses (145 yards) including 15.5 sacks (117 yards). In his first Axe Bowl against Northwood, he produced 12 total tackles, with two behind the line of scrimmage, including a 10-yard sack, and returned an intercepted pitchout 15 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

A two-time First-Team All-GLIAC selection, King closed out his Cardinal career with 162 total tackles. His 48.5 career tackles for loss (244 yards) still rank second on SVSU's all-time list.

In 1999, King became the first SVSU player to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, taken No. 22 overall by the Seattle Seahawks. He also was the first Division II player chosen in the 1999 NFL Draft. King spent five years in the NFL – all in Seattle – and started 37 of 57 career games.

"Everyone took notice when Lamar King arrived on campus for the 1997 season," Lewandowski said. "He had the measurables, the quick get-off from the snap and played with a relentless intensity. Lamar spent two seasons, creating chaos in opponent's backfields, and in 1998, he anchored a defensive unit that ranked among the national leaders in takeaways."

Ken Tolfree became a four-year starter, two-time All-GLIAC First-Team selection and two-time defensive captain for legendary Saginaw Valley head coach Frank "Muddy" Waters. Tolfree, who led the Cardinals in interceptions three times, still ranks as the career leader with 22 picks (318 return yards).

As a senior in 1979, he helped lead SVSU to its first-ever GLIAC Championship (4-0-1), an 8-2-1 overall record and No. 8 finish in the NAIA Final Poll. Tolfree was a unanimous First-Team All-GLIAC selection by the coaches and a unanimous NAIA First-Team All-American after recording 54 total tackles, five interceptions (76 yards) and seven pass break-ups. His interception with 51 seconds left sealed SVSU's 32-24 win over Grand Valley.

Tolfree was named Team MVP as a junior in 1978 and showcased his all-around ability by returning a punt 32 yards for a touchdown at Northeast Illinois.

As a sophomore in 1977, he produced 81 total tackles and a team-leading six interceptions. Tolfree was selected Defensive Player of the Week by both the GLIAC and NAIA District 23 after picking off three passes in a 26-0 victory over St. Norbert, returning one 45 yards for a score. He also recorded three solo tackles and blocked two punts against the Green Knights.

Tolfree earned one of the starting jobs at cornerback as a true freshman in 1976. He posted a team-high 10 tackles in a 22-21 loss at Youngstown State, intercepted three passes in a 31-7 win at Adrian and iced the Cards' season-opening win at William Penn with an interception and 43-yard return inside the Statesmen 10-yard line in the game's final minute.

"Ken Tolfree is one of the best defensive backs in the history of SVSU football," Lewandowski said. "Ken set the standard for performance during the infancy of our football program. 'Muddy' Waters marveled at his blend of quickness, strength, toughness, work ethic, attitude, ball skills and football IQ. It was only fitting for Ken to close out his remarkable collegiate career by helping Saginaw Valley claim its first-ever football championship."

Teams

This year's class also features the 1983 and 1984 SVSU football teams. These Cardinal squads were the first two teams led by Hall of Fame head coach George Ihler at Saginaw Valley State University. The Cardinals went a combined 17-6 overall and a perfect 12-0 in GLIAC play, winning back-to-back conference championships for the first and only time in program history during those two seasons.

The Cardinals finished the 1983 season with a 9-3 overall record, going 6-0 in league play to win the conference championship. The team advanced to the postseason for just the second time in program history (the first time was in 1979). The Cardinals won 14-13 at No. 2-ranked Central State in Oklahoma to record the first postseason victory in program history. The season ended the following week at eventual NAIA National Champion Carson-Newman in Tennessee.

The 1984 campaign ended in a similar fashion, with the Cardinals falling to Carson-Newman; however, the '84 matchup was at home, and SVSU fell in a tight battle, 24-21. The team finished 8-3 with another 6-0 result in GLIAC play.

In total, the two Cardinal teams had five All-Americans and 15 All-GLIAC selections. In 1983, Joe Iaquaniello was named NAIA Second-Team All-American, and teammate Rusty Mandle was named honorable mention. Joe Rice won first-team All-America honors for both the NAIA and NCAA in 1984. He was joined by Bryon Krukowski (second team) and Dave Berkey (honorable mention) on the NAIA All-America list. Dave Hurst and Rice earned All-GLIAC both seasons. Mandle, Iaquaniello, Randy Davis, Dean Ledford and Troy Shannon were all-league in 1983. Joe Gendron, Steve Henderson, Bob Dexter, Brad Franham, Krukowski and Berkey were named to the All-GLIAC team in 1984.

"High school coaching legend George Ihler inherited a team that went 1-9 in 1982 and he engineered arguably the greatest turnaround in NAIA football history, leading the Fighting Cardinals to a 9-3 record, including a perfect 6-0 en route to the GLIAC Championship, while advancing to the national semifinals," Lewandowski said. "As the 1983 season approached, Coach Ihler talked about managing a .500 season and promised his team wouldn't back down from anyone on the schedule. He also stated that championship teams would be built on defense. SVSU exceeded all expectations by posting eight more wins than the year before.

"The 1983 Cardinals won six games by a combined total of 16 points – all of those contests were decided by six points or less. The SVSU defense created more than its share of negative plays, recording 72 tackles for losses including 26 sacks, and quarterback Rusty Mandle had a knack for coming through in clutch moments.

"No longer flying under the radar, what could SVSU do for an encore in 1984, especially after it was labeled as a rebuilding year. After a 1-2 start, the Fighting Cardinals reeled off seven consecutive wins, claimed their second-straight GLIAC title with another perfect 6-0 record and made a return trip to the NAIA playoffs.

"With the heaviest losses on the defensive side of the football, Ihler elected to ride a ball-control offense in 1984 that featured a dynamic 1-2 punch, in quarterback Mike Leibinger and 1,000-yard rusher Bryon Krukowski."

Contributors

Jim Muladore is a two-time SVSU graduate, a former Cardinal basketball manager as an undergraduate and a former administrator for the university. Muladore dedicated nearly 50 years of his life to SVSU, serving in a variety of roles while working his way up to executive vice president for administration and business affairs. He was instrumental in helping create and shape the vision of SVSU Athletics to what it looks like today. During his time as an administrator, improvements to the facilities for basketball, soccer, indoor track & field, football, swimming, baseball, softball, and strength & conditioning were completed. SVSU's Fieldhouse addition became one of Muladore's signature capital projects as university officials and athletic administrators from NCAA Division I and II institutions throughout the Midwest and beyond scheduled campus visits to tour the state-of-the art indoor facility.

"Jim Muladore's dedication and commitment to Saginaw Valley State's educational mission are truly inspirational," Lewandowski said. "Jim regularly communicated that all financial decisions were made with the student's best interests in mind. You don't have to look far to know that he also followed the same compass when investing in capital projects for SVSU Athletics. The footprint that our 550-plus student-athletes train and compete in were shaped by his vision, direction and financial commitment. The SVSU Fieldhouse remains the centerpiece of our athletics facilities, and his fingerprints will remain on SVSU Athletics for decades to come."

Rick Welzein has been part of SVSU Athletics for nearly five decades, serving on the game-day operations staff. He began his service as a member of the chain gang for Cardinal football games in 1979. After 20 years on the chains, he moved up to the press box in 1999 to work as the game clock operator. Shortly after, he was asked to work on the basketball scoring table as the game clock operator, serving in both roles today. He has worked with nearly every SVSU team on the game-day staff, including serving as a distance marker for throws at indoor track & field meets, a timer for swimming & diving, scoreboard operator at volleyball, possession clock operator for women's lacrosse games and scanning tickets at athletic events. He joined the SVSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee in 2011 and has served in that role ever since.

"Rick Welzein is the definition of a utility player," Lewandowski said. "SVSU Athletics has a game-day role to fill Rick is just a text or phone call away. He has held an endless list of positions during his nearly 50 years of service. Rick is well-respected by coaches, student-athletes and officials alike because he's committed to making every SVSU game-day experience special. With his contagious smile and out-going personality, Rick has regularly had the ability to connect with our student-athletes. He conducts himself with the highest level of professionalism, and SVSU Athletics is so grateful to have him on our game-day operations team."

The 2026 Cardinal Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 23, prior to the home football game against Grand Valley the following day, with kickoff at 2 p.m. ET.