The Fort Lewis College Department of Athletics announced this week the four individuals and two teams that will be inducted to the Fort Lewis College Athletics Hall of Fame this spring.
In recognizing the importance of soccer to Durango, this year's induction class is entirely dedicated to men's and women's soccer. The 2023 Hall of Fame class consists of men’s soccer player John Cunliffe, women’s soccer player Hayley Hollenga, men’s soccer coaches Jeremy Gunn and Oige Kennedy and two teams – the 2009 men's soccer team, and the 2010 women's soccer team.
“Tradition is a core value for our Department of Athletics, and we wouldn't be here today without those that paved the way,” said Travis Whipple, athletics director. “It is a great honor to host this event as it gives us the opportunity to recognize the rich history of excellence within FLC Athletics. I want to be the first to congratulate this outstanding class of inductees that is very deserving. Please join us in April as we celebrate this wonderful group, reflect on our past, and provide updates about our exciting future.”
This year's ceremony is scheduled for April 15.
A member of the 2005 National Championship team, Cunliffe was a standout player on a Skyhawks’ roster that teemed with talent. Cunliffe was named the NCAA Division II Final Four Most Outstanding Offensive Player in 2005. Cunliffe was also named the MVP of the RMAC All-Century Team in addition to being part of the FLC Athletics All-Century Team.
He was the 2006 NCAA Division II Player of the Year after ranking second in the country in goals (29) while handing out 16 assists for 74 points. The forward was a three-time All-American, three-time RMAC Player of the Year, and four-time All-RMAC First Team Selection. He ended the 2006 season by being drafted seventh by Chivas USA in the first round of the 2007 MLS Entry Draft. Cunliffe played professionally for seven seasons before retiring in April 2013.
Gunn is the winningest coach in program history after posting a 123-35-17 record (. 751) in eight seasons at the helm. He led the Skyhawks to three national title games (1999, 2005, 2006), winning the 2005 national championship title with a 22-0-1 mark and earning the National Coach of the Year honor. He won five RMAC regular season titles (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), five RMAC Tournament titles (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006), and made five NCAA Tournament appearances. He was named the RMAC Century All-Time Men's Soccer Coach in 2009 and the 1999 men's soccer team was inducted into the FLC Athletic Hall of Fame a year later in 2010. Gunn received RMAC Coach of the Year honors five times (1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and the United Soccer Coaches DII Midwest region Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2005.
Gunn never had a losing season at FLC, and his teams posted double-digit victories in seven seasons, with the other being a nine-win campaign. Gunn has since gone on to become one of the top coaches in the nation, serving as the Stanford Men's Soccer Coach since 2012, at one point winning three consecutive Division I titles. Gunn is one of four coaches to win NCAA titles at both Division I and Division II institutions.
Hollenga, a women's soccer assistant coach at Rose-Hulman (NCAA Division III), stands as the most decorated women's soccer player in Skyhawks history. Hollenga helped her team finish 66-15-12 with two conference championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2010. She was a three-year team captain and set school records for career goals (43), assists (30), points (116) and game-winning goals (15). She was chosen as the best women's soccer player in school history and is part of the school's 100-person All Sports All-Century Team. Hollenga was featured in Sports Illustrated's “Faces in the Crowd” after scoring four game-winning goals during a five-game span. Hollenga was a second-team All-American in 2010 and a four-time all-region honoree.
In addition to her prowess on the pitch, Hollenga was a member of the women's basketball team from 2007-10, playing in 36 games. She was part of the teams that reached the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 in 2009 and finished with NCAA Division II National Runner-Up nods in 2010.
Kennedy spent three seasons as an assistant coach at FLC from 2006-08, under head coaches Jeremy Gunn (2006) and Tim Hankinson (2007-08). The Skyhawks went 54-10-5 (. 819) during those seasons, winning two RMAC regular season titles (’06, '08), three RMAC postseason titles, and three trips to the NCAA playoffs – including a runner-up finish in the 2006 NCAA playoffs.
Kennedy took over as head coach after Hankinson resigned to take a coaching assignment in India. In his first season at the helm, Kennedy's team reeled off 21 straight wins to claim their second national championship in five years. He duplicated the feat in 2011 as his team went 24-1 and added NCAA Division II, RMAC regular season, and RMAC Championship trophies to the case. In seven seasons at FLC, Kennedy complied a 102-37-9 overall record (. 720) and was 65-25-5 (. 718) in RMAC play. His teams were a perfect 10-0-0 in the NCAA playoffs and 12-4-2 in the RMAC Tournament. In 2012, he became the second FLC head coach to be named NSCAA Division II Coach of the Year.
The 2009 Skyhawks earned the program's second NCAA Division II National Championship title and finished the season with a 24-1 overall record. The lone loss was to Incarnate World, but it propelled the team to 21 straight wins as they surged toward the title. They won the championship with a 1-0 shutout against Lees-McRae, getting a goal in the 78th minute off the foot of David Barden. Kyle Wood was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the NCAA Division II Final Four and David Barden was the Most Outstanding Offensive Player.
The team had five Daktronics All-Americans: Tom Settle, first team; Jamie Cunningham, second team; Euan Purcell, third team; Zane Wells, third team; and David Barden, honorable mention. It also had two NSCAA All-Americans (Settle, first team and Purcell, third team).
The Skyhawks outscored their opponents 108-13, including 14 shutouts.
The 2010 Skyhawks team was a force to be reckoned with and ended the season ranked No. 7 in the final NSCAA poll. The team finished 18-3-2 overall while advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the third time in four years, falling in the quarterfinals to the eventual national champions. Fort Lewis won its first-ever RMAC women's soccer regular-season title with a 12-1-1 league record.
Individually, Hayley Hollenga was named to the NSCAA All-American Third Team and Erika Shisler earned All-American Honorable Mention nods from Daktronics. Head coach Damian Clarke was named the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year for the second-straight season while leading the team to a chance to host the NCAA Division II Central Regional playoffs for the second year in a row.
