Muskingum University will induct its newest members into the Athletic Hall of Fame during Homecoming Weekend on October 29 at the M-Club Breakfast. The Class features Dani Keiffer Lamonica '01 (Softball), Carla Kampschmidt '01 (Softball), Rudy Visnich '56 (Football) and Larry Cole '77 (Special Category).
The event will be held on campus as part of Muskingum's 95th Homecoming Weekend. The honorees will also be recognized during halftime at the Homecoming football game against John Carroll University in McConagha Stadium at 1:30 p.m. They will join 162 other Muskies who have been selected for this prestigious honor in the last 36 years.
Dani Keiffer Lamonica '01 (Softball)
Dani Keiffer Lamonica pitched Muskingum to its first-ever NCAA Division III National Championship in 2001. During the magical 2001 season, Keiffer Lamonica was honored with World Series All-Tournament team accolades, was named to the NCAA All-Regional Tournament team, was selected First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference and recognized as OAC Pitcher of the Week. The 2001 team set the school record for most wins in a season – which still remains – with 47. Keiffer Lamonica was a four-time OAC Champion (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) and two-time NCAA Regional Champion (1998, 2001).
Keiffer Lamonica graduated from Muskingum in 2001 with a B.A. in physical and health education.
Carla Kampschmidt '01 (Softball)
Carla Kampschmidt helped lead Muskingum as a captain to its first-ever NCAA Division III National Championship in 2001. Kampschmidt was honored during her outstanding 2001 campaign by being selected First Team Academic All-American and Third Team All-American. Throughout her Muskie tenure, Kampschmidt was a two-time First Team Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree (2000, 2001), two-time Academic All-District selection (1999, 2001), two-time Second Team All-OAC honoree (2000, 2001), two-time Second Team All-Central Regional selection (1999, 2000), two-time All-OAC Tournament Team honoree (1999, 2000), and was named to the World Series All-Tournament Team (2001), NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team (2001) and to the Second Team NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team (1998).
Kampschmidt was a four-time OAC Champion (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) and two-time NCAA Regional Champion (1998, 2001). She also helped lead the Muskies to a fourth-place finish at the 1998 NCAA World Series and concluded her Muskie tenure being recognized as a Co-Recipient of the Barbara Steiner Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award. Kampschmidt still holds the Muskingum records for most at-bats in a season (183) and most at-bats for a career (641) and held the record for most career hits (229) when she graduated.
Kampschmidt graduated from Muskingum in 2001 with a B.A. in business and computer science.
Rudy Visnich '56 (Football)
Rudy Visnich, a Little All-American honoree, was a four-year letterman and co-captain of the 1955 undefeated Ohio Athletic Conference championship squad, which included an impressive 19-7 win against the University of Akron. He played his final three years on both defense and offense. In 1955, Visnich was selected as Muskingum's Best Defensive Lineman and led the team in pass receptions. He ended the campaign ranked 16th in the nation in pass receiving for all NCAA colleges except the University Division and was honored with All-OAC and All-Ohio accolades.
Visnich graduated from Muskingum in 1956 with a B.S. in mathematics.
Larry Cole '77 (Special Category)
Larry Cole, whose track and field and cross country programs have produced 66 NCAA Division III All-Americans in a 28-year head coaching career, is in his 14th season at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
Cole has led the Fightin' Engineers to nine consecutive Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Men's Outdoor Track and Field championships. The streak also includes six consecutive HCAC indoor championships. Between the indoor and outdoor programs, Cole has led Rose-Hulman to 15 consecutive men's track and field conference titles.
Cole has also helped Rose-Hulman individuals earn 18 All-American honors and five NCAA Division III national championships in his era at the college. For his efforts, Cole has earned 16 HCAC Coach of the Year honors since 2008. His career has featured 18 total conference Coach of the Year awards. During Cole's tenure at Rose-Hulman, the Fightin' Engineers have combined for 171 indoor and outdoor men's and women's individual and relay conference champions since joining the HCAC in 2007.
The Rose-Hulman men's and women's track and field programs have enjoyed record-setting success under Cole. Since 2003, the women's program has rewritten all 21 indoor school records and set 20 outdoor standards. The men have combined for 14 indoor and eight outdoor school records during the era. In the classroom, Cole's squads have produced 11 Academic All-Americans since 2007.
Regarded by his peers as one of Division III's finest meet directors, Cole's efforts helped Rose-Hulman land the hosting role for the 2007 and 2009 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships. He previously served as the meet director for the 1995 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Nationals at Ohio Northern.
His efforts were also instrumental in Rose-Hulman securing the 2012 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.
Cole began his coaching career at Muskingum as the men's and women's track and field coach from 1982-90. At Muskingum, he coached 52 conference champions, 15 NCAA Division III All-Americans, and four conference women's championship teams.
Cole then moved on to Ohio Northern, where his programs produced 72 league champions, 33 All-Americans, and was twice named conference Coach of the Year from 1990-97. He was also named both the Great Lakes Region men's and women's Coach of the Year in 1996.
Twenty of Cole's former student-athletes have been inducted into the Muskingum and Ohio Northern Halls of Fame.
Cole graduated from Muskingum in 1977 with a B.S. in psychology and secondary education.
