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Edinboro Athletic Press Release Index
EDINBORO, PA -- The Edinboro University Hall of Fame will induct five new members into its Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 27 as the Class of 2002 is formally inducted at the 21st Annual Hall of Fame Awards Banquet. The five new members will swell the Edinboro Hall of Fame memberships to 140 inductees.
The 2002 inductees include: former swimming standouts Stewart Dawson and Kara (Hopkins) Dawson, the first husband-wife inductees; former wrestling star Terry Kennedy; and a pair of former standouts in cross country and track and field, Audra Naujokas-Knapp and Michael Renninger.
"We are very pleased to announce our Hall of Fame inductees for 2002," said Edinboro Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner. "These individuals have brought distinction to themselves, our athletic department and our University during their careers. This year's class is unique with the addition of our first husband-wife combination. But it is also special because these student-athletes excelled in their respective Olympic sports, and ranked not only among the finest at Edinboro, but with the best in the country at that time. We are looking forward to paying tribute to them at the induction ceremonies."
Here is a synopsis of the five inductees, in alphabetical order:
Stewart Dawson ('89) ranks as one of Edinboro's finest male swimmers. He earned NCAA Division II All-American honors once in 1987-88, then was a two-time All-American in 1988-89. His first All-American honor came in the 50-yard freestyle in '87-88, with a time of 20.79. He repeated as an All-American in that event the next year, lowering his time to a school-record 20.40, and with a time of 45:82, earned All-American recognition in the 100-yard freestyle, as well. He still holds the school record in the 50-yard freestyle, and departed as the record-holder in the 100-yard freestyle. His career accomplishments also included PSAC championships in both events. At the conclusion of his career, Dawson was named the co-winner of the 1989 Sox Harrison Award, presented to the top senior male athlete at Edinboro. A 1989 graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Stewart and his wife, Kara, currently reside in Gainesville, FL where he is employed as a Resident Adjuster with the GEICO Insurance Co. The couple have a son, Daniel, who was born last year.
Karie (Hopkins) Dawson ('91) enjoyed an outstanding career in swimming and volleyball, rating as one of the top Fighting Scot swimmers ever. She is a 15-time All-American. After earning All-American status three times as a sophomore - in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:38.89), the 400-yard freestyle relay (3:36.92), and the 200-yard IM (1:54.21) - she went on to capture All-American six times as a junior and senior. As a junior, she earned All-American honors in three individual events and three relays, with times of 24:34 in the 50-yard freestyle, 52:17 in the 100-yard freestyle, and 1:54.11 in the 200-yard freestyle, along with swimming legs of the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:36.43), 400-yard freestyle relay (3:33.13), and 200-yard IM (1:50.68). She would go on to earn All-American honors in the 50, 100 and 200-yard freestyle events as a senior, along with the 200, 400 and 800-yard relay teams. Dawson was also named an Academic All-American her junior and senior years. Even now, she still holds school records in seven events, including the 50, 100, and 200-yard freestyle events. As a member of the Fighting Scot volleyball team, she earned first team All-PSAC honors in 1991. She capped her career be being named the 1991 Nancy Acker Award winner, presented to the outstanding senior female athlete. Dawson earned her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Edinboro in 1991, completed work on her Master's Degree in Education in 1992, then earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Virginia in 1997. Residing with her husband and fellow inductee Stewart, along with son Daniel, in Gainesville, FL, she serves as an assistant professor at the University of Florida.
Terry Kennedy ('89) ranks among the greatest wrestlers to compete at Edinboro. He was one of the pioneers of Division I wrestling at Edinboro, finishing as a two-time All-American. With 139 career wins, he ranks second all-time to Jason Robison, while his winning percentage of 79.8 percent is tenth. He finished with a career record of 139-34-3, and his 25 career falls ranks sixth. Kennedy opened his career with a 27-11 record and 5 falls in 1984-85 while competing at 134 lbs., capturing the Eastern Regional championship. After red-shirting in '85-86 as Edinboro made the move to Division I, he repeated as the Eastern Regional champion in 1986-87 with a 35-10-1 record and 6 falls while competing at 150 lbs. He remained at 150 lbs. in 1987-88, earning All-American honors with a fifth place finish. He concluded the season with a 43-6-1 record, the second-highest win total in school history, along with 10 falls. He was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the 1988 PSAC Championships. In addition, Kennedy claimed his third Eastern Regional championship. In his final season, Kennedy moved back down to 142 lbs., placing seventh at Nationals to repeat as an All-American. He finished with a 34-7-1 ledger with 4 falls. A 1989 graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Education and Secondary Social Studies, he later completed work on his Master's Degree in School Counseling at Cleveland State in 2000. He and his wife, Denise, have twins - Joseph and Kate - and reside in North Olmsted, OH. He currently serves as a guidance counselor at Westlake High School and remains active in coaching wrestling since his graduation from Edinboro.
Audra Naujokas-Knapp ('91) is another one of the many standouts turned out by head coach Doug Watts in cross country and track and field. Her cross country career included an All-American performance in 1990, along with earning All-PSAC honors all four years and All-East Region accolades twice. She helped the Fighting Scots finish eighth nationally in each of her last three years. Her career accomplishments might have been even greater if not for a late season illness and injury as a senior in cross country, greatly hampering her running abilities. She earned All-PSAC and All-East Region honors as a freshman in 1988, then was an All-PSAC runner in 1989 as Edinboro won the PSAC championship and finished eighth in Division II. She gained All-American honors in 1990, helping the Fighting Scots again finish eighth. She again earned All-PSAC and All-Region recognition. Edinboro won the east Region crown in 1991, and again finished eighth nationally, with Knapp earning All-PSAC honors. Her track career is equally impressive, beginning with All-PSAC honors in the 1500 meters in 1988. Knapp captured All-PSAC recognition in both the 1500 and 3000 meters in 1989, then made it a three-peat in the 1500 meters as a junior. She capped her career with a brilliant senior season, earning All-American honors in the 3000 meters at the Division II Indoor National Championships, then capturing All-American accolades in the 5000 meters at the Division Outdoor National Championships. In addition, Knapp was the PSAC champion in the 3000 meters and the runner-up in the 5000 meters. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Edinboro in 1991, then completed work on her Master's Degree in Psychology from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1995. She is married to Scott Knapp, who is also a former Edinboro cross country and track All-American. The couple and their son, Andrew, reside in Rochester, NY. She currently works as a school psychologist in the Brockport Central School system.
Michael Renninger ('88) is another of the stable of standout runners produced by head coach Doug Watts. He helped the Fighting Scots to three NCAA Division II national championships - in 1986, '87 and '88 -- and is a two-time All-American in both cross country and track and field. Renninger was the 1989 Division II runner-up in the steeplechase, and previously held the PSAC record in that event. He was recognized as the 1989 PSAC "Most Valuable Trackman" and was a four-time All-PSAC honoree in track. In cross country, he captured All-American honors in 1988 and again in 1989. Renninger is one of only 25 runners all-time at Edinboro to capture multiple All-American honors. In addition, he was a four-time All-East and All-PSAC performer as a harrier. Edinboro won the PSAC and East Regional championships every year he competed. Renninger capped his career by being named the 1990 Sox Harrison award winner, emblematic of the top senior male athlete. A December 1988 graduate of Edinboro with a Bachelor's Degree in Speech and Hearing Disorders, he went on to earn a Master's Degree in Audiology from the University of Tennessee in 1993, and is currently enrolled in the Doctoral program at Central Michigan University. He and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Chattanooga, TN with their three children, Christopher, Morgan and Abigail. Renninger is employed by Starkey Labs Inc.
~ Fighting Scots ~
Created on ... 3/28/02