Jackson native elected to SEMO Hall of Fame

Jackson native among 2023 SEMO Hall of Fame class

Southeast Missouri State announced its 2023 Hall of Fame Class on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Among the six-member class is Jackson native Blake Smith, who currently runs the Cape Girardeau based athletic training center, Prep Athletics.

Smith (2012-15) was a three-time All-American for the Redhawks track and field team. He earned the 2014 OVC Indoor Championships MVP honor and won OVC Championships in the indoor 55-Meter/60-Yard Dash (2014), indoor High Jump (2014), indoor 60-Meter Dash (2015) and outdoor 100-Meter/100-Yard Dash (2015). His 6.65 mark in the 60-Meter Dash remains an all-time OVC record. He also has school records in the 55m and 100m events.

After college, Smith went pro and finish fifth in the USA and ranked seventh in the world 60m in 2018. He also earned a silver medal at the Penn Relays for Team USA in the 4x100 and claimed a gold medal at the Mount Sac Relays in the 4x100 that same year.

“I got the call Monday from [SEMO athletic director Brady Barke] and as soon as he said who he was, I started smiling because I knew what he was going to say,” Smith said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment to come for a while because I know what I accomplished in college and after, and I’m proud of it.”

Half of the 2023 class played baseball for the then-SEMO Indians. Clemente Bonilla (1999-2002) ranked among his program's career leaders in at-bats (t8th, 686), runs (5th, 172), hits (10th, 212), doubles (t4th, 59), walks (1st, 207), on-base percentage (4th, .472) and stolen bases (t10th, 34). Ryan Spille (1998-99) ranks among SEMO's career pitching leaders in wins (21, 5th), strikeouts (215, 2nd), strikeouts per nine innings (9.07, 8th), innings pitched (213.1, 9th), shutouts (3, t2nd) and complete games (16, 3rd).

Rick Wieser (1974-76) was the SEMO starting quarterback in 1974-75 and won the MIAA title in 1975. He also played one season of for the baseball team and led SEMO to the 1976 DII College World Series. He remains in the community as the radio color analyst for Redhawks football broadcasts.

Michelle Summers (2005-08) is the SEMO softball program's all-time career leader in doubles (47), at-bats (670), runs scored (161), RBI (132), home runs (48) and total bases (423). She is 10th among career leaders in batting average (.340), third in slugging percentage (.631), fourth in on-base percentage (.427), second in hits (228), third in walks (80), second in hit by pitch (24), fourth in games played (208) and third in games started (208).

Lori Chase (1999-2003) ranks third-most all-time among the women’s basketball program’s career leaders with 1,501 points, which is second-most in the program's NCAA Division I era.

The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Feb. 2 at the Show Me Center.