Mount Marty University Announces 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

Mount Marty University is proud to announce the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. The induction ceremony will be held at the Ruth Donohoe First Dakota Fieldhouse on September 20, 2024 with the social starting at 5:30 p.m. and the event starting at 6:00 p.m.

To qualify as an inductee, an individual must have been a Mount Marty student for at least two years and graduated from Mount Marty. Inductees are selected based on how they exemplified the Mount Marty values through their character, their intercollegiate sports record at Mount Marty, and how they have made a positive contribution to society post-graduation. The honorees for the 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame are: the 1994 Baseball Team, Alex (Kneeland) Harris ’17, Titus Kosgei ’12, and Chad McGough ’98.

The 1994 Baseball Team is to be recognized for their 36-13 record with that 36-win mark holding the school record until 2010. This team also has the distinction of having a 23-game winning streak, which continues to be the longest winning streak in Mount Marty Baseball history. Throughout the season the team received votes in the National NAIA rankings. Many athletes from the team were honored that season.

Team awards and individual recognitions for the season included Team MVP Honors going to Roman Kula and Tim Jensen, Most Improved was awarded to Shad Housley, and the James Riley Award went to Brian Guenther. James White was named All-South Dakota NAIA, NAIA All-District 12. Tim Jenson was honored as All-South Dakota NAIA, NAIA All-District 12, NAIA All-Region Player, and an Honorable Mention All-American. Roma Kula was named All-South Dakota NAIA, NAIA All-District 12, and an Academic All-American, and Tony Tonn received All-South Dakota NAIA All-District 12.

Alex (Kneeland) Harris ’17 played for the Women’s Basketball Team where she carried the squad to a 44-23 record during her time at Mount Marty. In the 2015-2016 season, Kneeland led the team to a school record of 25 wins and a Final Four appearance at the NAIA National Tournament. She was honored many times during her athletic career at Mount Marty.

Kneeland was named 2016 Mount Marty University Female Athlete of the Year, 2016 1st Team NAIA All-American, and an Honorable Mention All-American by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. For her efforts during the NAIA National Tournament Kneeland was selected 1st Team All-NAIA National Tournament Team. Kneeland was also honored with 2016 First Team All-GPAC and received the 2016 Academic All Conference and 2016 NAIA Scholar-Athlete. During the 2016 season she was named GPAC Player of the Week on two occasions, led the NAIA with 771 points for the season, and set a school record with eight 3-pointers in one game as well as the school record for 123 3-pointers in a season which was third in the NAIA for that season. Her 21.4 points per game was also fifth in the NAIA for that season. In total for her two seasons of play, Kneeland scored 1266 career points at Mount Marty and had 1417 total career collegiate points.

Titus Kosgei ’12 ran for the Men’s Track & Field and Cross Country Teams. Kosgei made his mark in Track and Field at the GAPC and NAIA national level and was named the 2011 Mount Marty University Male Athlete of the Year. Kosgei won the 800-meter run at the GPAC Indoor Conference Meet in 2010 and 2011. During his career he was All-GPAC a total of six times and was a two-time All-American in the 800-meter run. He placed sixth at the NAIA Indoor National Meet in the 800-meter in 2010 and was third in 2011.  At the time of his graduation, Kosgei held six indoor records in the 600m, 800m, 1000m, mile, 4 x 400 relay and the 4 x 800 relay, two outdoor records in the 800 meter run and the 1500-meter run, and was honored with Academic All Conference five times and NAIA Scholar Athlete four times.

Chad McGough ’98 played for the Men’s Basketball and Baseball Teams. In just two seasons with the Lancer Basketball team McGough was able to make his mark on the career charts in several offensive categories. At the time of graduation McGough was fifth in 3-point percentage with a 37.7%, seventh in 3-pointers made with 124, eighth in free throws made with 227, and 10th in career points with 1055. During his time McGough was named to the 1995 SDIC All-Tournament Team. In McGough's senior year of basketball he guided the team to an 18-12 record and an SDIC Co-Championship. McGough was named 1st Team All-SDIC and Honorable Mention All-American, and an NAIA Scholar Athlete. McGough was also on two conference championship teams for Lancer baseball helping to bring home the 1996 and 1997 SDIC Conference Championships. McGough carried a career record of 10-3 as a pitcher including a 5-1 record during the 1997 season. McGough was also named an NAIA Scholar Athlete for baseball.

For more information on the Mount Marty Athletic Hall of Fame, go to mountmarty.edu/athleticshof.

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ABOUT MOUNT MARTY UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1936 by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu.