Utah’s 2023 Athletics Hall of Fame Class headlined by 2008 football team, Chris Hill

Utah defeated four top-25 teams, including No. 4 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, to go undefeated and earn a No. 2 ranking by The Associated Press in 2008. The Utes entered the top 25 after winning their season opener at Michigan. Utah took down No. 11 TCU and No. 16 BYU in Salt Lake City to claim the Mountain West Conference title. Utah raced out to a 21-0 lead in the Sugar Bowl and defeated the Crimson Tide 31-17 to finish as the only undefeated FBS team. Kyle Whittingham was recognized as the National Coach of the Year by the AFCA and the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards committee. The team was led by All-Americans Louie Sakoda on special teams and Paul Kruger on defense, while Brian Johnson was an All-MWC first-team quarterback.

The program’s only team to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, the 2006 Ute women finished with a 27-7 record under head coach Elaine Elliott. After winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament, the Utes took down Middle Tennessee State and Arizona State in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Utah beat Boston College in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national champion Maryland in overtime in the Regional Final. The team was led by seniors Kim Smith and Shona Thorburn. Smith became the first player in school history to make The Associated Press Third Team after averaging 19.3 points per game. Thorburn was an honorable mention All-American and averaged 7.1 assists per game.

Serving as the director of athletics for 31 years, Chris Hill steered Utah into the Pac-12 Conference in 2011. During his tenure, football played in 20 bowl games, including the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and 2009 Sugar Bowl. The gymnastics and ski teams combined for 10 national championships and 14 NCAA runner-up finishes. Men’s and women’s basketball both reached the NCAA Tournament 15 times, with the Runnin’ Utes playing in the 1998 championship game. Volleyball and softball earned NCAA bids 14 times each while women’s soccer made NCAAs seven times. Seventeen facilities were built under his direction, including Rice-Eccles Stadium in 1998.

The first Ute women’s basketball player to earn All-America honors, Soni Adams was the leading scorer on Utah’s 1977 team that finished seventh in the nation. During her career, Adams averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, numbers that still rank in the top 15 all-time at Utah. Her career free-throw percentage of 77.8 ranks ninth at the U. Adams made the All-Intermountain Athletic Conference team and was an honorable mention Kodak All-American in 1976 after averaging 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

An eight-time All-American, Annabeth Eberle was one of the top 10 all-arounders in the nation twice during her career. Eberle placed sixth on vault and fourth in the all-around as a sophomore in 2003. She was the vault runner-up the following year as a junior. She placed in the top 10 in the nation on three events as a senior, coming in sixth on vault, eighth on floor and seventh in the all-around. Eberle was a two-time regional floor champion. The Utes made the NCAA Super Six all four years of her career, including a third-place finish in 2005.

During a dominant two-year career with the Utes, alpine skier Anke Friedrich won three of the four NCAA Championship races she entered. Friedrich grew up in Germany and made her way to the University of Utah to study geology. Once she was awarded an athletics scholarship, Friedrich captured the giant slalom title her first year in 1989. She swept the downhill races by winning both the slalom and giant slalom in 1990. Friedrich is an adjunct professor at the U’s Department of Geology & Geophysics and was award the U’s Distinguished Alumni Award in March.

One of the most decorated runners in school history, Amanda Mergaert earned five All-America awards and set four individual school records. Mergaert was a three-time All-American in the 1,500 meters from 2011-13. She was also an All-American in the indoor mile in 2013. In cross-country, Mergaert qualified for nationals three consecutive years before earning All-America honors with a 14th-place finish in 2012. Mergaert set school records the 6K in cross-country, the mile run indoors, and the 800 meters and 1,500 meters outdoors. She was a part of record-setting relays in the distance medley and 4x800 meters.

A starter on Utah’s 1998 national runner-up team, Hanno Möttölä was and an all-conference selection three times during his career. Möttölä averaged double figures in scoring three seasons, including 17.0 points per game as a senior in 1999-2000. He ranks 17th in career points at the U with 1,492. Möttölä was taken in the second round of the 2000 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He became the first player from Finland to play in the NBA, playing two seasons with the Hawks before having a lengthy playing career in Europe. In recent years he has been involved with coaching the Finnish National Team.