Eleven athletes, one team to be honored this fall

Former Southeast Missouri State University sports stars dating as far back as 1903 and as recent as 1994 highlight the school's third Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Eleven individuals and one team will be inducted during ceremonies at the Show Me Center on Oct. 16. The group will also be introduced that night during Southeast's football game with Eastern Kentucky at Houck Stadium.

Individuals selected are F.J. Courleux (football, 1903-1907, and football coach, 1915-1929); Bill McLane (track and football, 1934-1937); Rex Miller (track and cross country, 1954-1958); Ryland "Dutch" Meyr (football and track, 1958-1962, and assistant football coach 1969-1977); John Diepenbrock (football, 1965-1968); Dan Peiffer (football, 1969-1973); Otto Porter (basketball 1979-1981); Steve Williams (baseball and football, 1980-1983); Rob Thomas (track, 1981-1984); Lizz Barringer (track 1986-1989) and Kelvin "Earthquake" Anderson (football, 1992-1994).

The induction class will include the 1987 women's gymnastics team that won the USGF Division II national title under the direction of coach Bill Hopkins. The squad was led by All-American Diana Morris, who won four All-America awards at the 1987 national championships.

Courleux played football at Southeast from 1904 to 1907 and later returned to coach the Indians in 1915. He coached for 15 consecutive years, which is the longest tenure of any Southeast football coach. He became athletic director in 1930 and later added the responsibilities of director of physical education.

McLane ranks as one of the all-time great track athletes at Southeast. When he graduated in 1937, he held 24 school records in that sport. He also played football.

Miller was Southeast's first cross country All-American, placing 24th in the 1957 NCAA championships for all divisions. He was undefeated for three years in the two-mile and was the MIAA mile and two-mile champion.

Meyr was a four-year starter at tackle on the football team and was honored as a Little All-American in 1961. Three of the four teams he played on won MIAA championships. He served as an assistant coach from 1969 to 1977, then later compiled a 25-7 record Cape Girardeau Central High School's head coach.

Diepenbrock was a standout receiver on the football team from 1965 to 1968. He led the team and MIAA in receiving yardage in 1967 and 1968. His career totals included 110 receptions and 2,073 receiving yards.

Peiffer was a starting center on the football team from 1969 to 1973, being honored as the Indians' top lineman the final three seasons. He went on to play three years with the Chicago Bears and served as captain of the Bears in 1975.

Porter was one of the most prolific scorers in Southeast basketball history. He averaged 27 points per game as a junior in 1980 and 25.1 points per game as a senior in 1981. He ranks as the 10th-leading scorer in Southeast history despite playing for only two seasons.

Williams played both football as a punter and baseball as a catcher. He led the football team in punting in 1981 and 1983. He was an All-America catcher in 1982 and 1983 -- he still holds Southeast's career home run record -- and played professionally in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, reaching the Class AAA level. He has been a longtime baseball coach at Cape Girardeau Central High School -- his alma mater -- leading the Tigers to a state championship.

Thomas ranks as Southeast's only NCAA Division I national champion in any sport. He won the 1984 indoor 600-meters at the Division I track championships, even though the Indians were a Division II team at the time. He was also a Division I All-American in 1982 and was a Division II All-American in 1982, 1983 and 1984. He was a U.S. Olympic trials qualifier in 1984 and a U.S. National Team member in 1985.

Barringer was a four-time Division II track All-American in the heptathlon. She was the 1989 NCAA Division II heptathlon national champion and was an Olympic trials qualifier in the heptathlon.

Anderson was a Division I-AA football All-American in 1992, leading the team in rushing in 1992, 1993 and 1994 with over 1,000 yards for a school-record three straight years. He is Southeast's career and single-season rushing leader. Anderson went on to an all-star career in the Canadian Football League before retiring this year. He ranks as the only player in CFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in eight straight seasons.

CLASS OF 2004

Induction date: Oct. 16

Where: Show Me Center

Individual inductees: Kelvin Anderson (football), Lizz Barringer (track), F.J. Courleux (football), John Diepenbrock (football), Bill McLane (track, football), Ryland "Dutch" Meyr (football, track), Rex Miller (track, cross country), Dan Peiffer (football), Otto Porter (basketball), Rob Thomas (track), Steve Williams (baseball, football)

Team inductee: 1987 women's gymnastics