St. Thomas Athletics inducts six into Hall of Fame

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Members of the 1948 football team’s offensive line pose for a photo. Four members of the team were inducted into the St. Thomas Hall of Fame on Oct. 27. (Photo courtesy of the St. Thomas Department of Special Collections, University of St. Thomas Libraries.)

St. Thomas Athletics inducted six new members into its hall of fame, including four individuals and two teams at an induction ceremony on Oct. 27 in Woulfe Alumni Hall.

St. Thomas inducts new members into the hall of fame every three years to “recognize and honor” athletes who have “contributed in a significant way to the vision and mission of the University,” according to the Athletics Department website.

This year’s inductees range from 1940 to 2017 and represent six different sports programs, including football, baseball, men’s golf, swim and dive and cross country/track and field.

This year’s inductees are:

Aaron Benner — Football

Benner helped the 1990 football team win the MIAC Championship. The team also reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship. Benner had over 1,000 receiving yards as a senior and finished in the top five of the athletic program’s history in receptions.

Alex Kapraun — Men’s Golf

Kapraun was named the 2014-15 MIAC Player of the Year for golf and helped the team finish 12th in the nation at the 2015 NCAA Championships. Kapraun was ranked among the top three in the conference in stroke averages all four seasons he played and had a career scoring average of 74.3.

Emma Paulsen — Women’s Swim and Dive

Paulsen won the NCAA Division III titles for the 500-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke. Paulsen broke three MIAC all-time records at 2016 nationals and helped the program win its first conference team championship in the same year.

Katie Theisen Anderson — Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field

Anderson competed at four NCAA Cross Country Championships and finished 13th in 2008. Anderson was honored four times as All-MIAC in cross country and helped the cross country/track team to 11 out of 12 possible MIAC championships.

1948 Football Team

The team finished with a 7-1-1 record and won the 1948 MIAC Championship. The team also had four athletes elected to the all-state team, including Ed Krowka, Jack O’Brien, Jack Salscheider and Don Simonson.

2001 Men’s Baseball Team

The team won the NCAA Division III National Championship title in 2001, the first national title in the program’s history. The team also had four athletes elected to the all-state team, including Matt Buzzell, Bryan Edstrom, Jake Mauer and Tony Wolverton.

Anya Capistrant-Kinney can be reached at capi2087@stthomas.edu.