BGSU to induct four new members into hall of fame on Saturday

May 15—Bowling Green State University will induct four new members into its athletic hall of fame on Saturday.

The inductees of the school's 53rd class will be honored in a private ceremony at the newly renovated Schmidthorst Heritage Hall.

Here is a look at each of the inductees:

—Freddie Barnes, football (2005-09): A dynamic wide receiver, Barnes is the Falcons' career leader with 297 receptions and is second with 3,290 receiving yards. Barnes broke the NCAA record with 155 receptions in 2009, adding a school record 1,770 receiving yards and 19 receiving touchdowns. Barnes broke Randy Moss's Mid-American Conference record for receiving yards in a season and also came up one reception shy of the NCAA record for a single game when he had 22 catches for 278 yards against Kent State.

—Kristy Coppes, soccer (2001-04): The first inductee from the women's soccer program, Coppes finished with 111 career points — the most in school history by 38 points. She had 52 goals during her career and a single-season career-high of 18 as a senior. Coppes also holds the school record for most consecutive matches played with 87. She scored six goals in one match and her 14 career match-winning goals are the most in program history.

—Stephanie Heldt-Sheller, track and field (1996-2001): A three-time All-American, Heldt-Sheller holds the school record in the indoor high jump (6-feet) and shares the outdoor high jump school record (5-feet-11.5). She was the 1999 MAC champion in the high jump and placed seventh at the NCAA championships in 2001. Heldt-Sheller finished 11th in the high jump in 1999, as well as placing 15th in 2001.

—Denise Van De Walle, volleyball (1983-2011): The second-winningest coach in BGSU history, Van De Walle was a four-time MAC coach of the year (1986, 1987, 1989, and 1992). Her Falcons won the MAC regular season and tournament titles in 1991. In 1989, she won her first MAC regular-season title and finished with three regular-season crowns and two more divisional championships.

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"The perseverance and grit that these four exhibited are the models of what we continue to teach our student-athletes, staff, and coaches today," BGSU Director of Athletics Bob Moosbrugger said. "We appreciate their contributions to the history of BGSU athletics."

First Published May 14, 2021, 8:25pm