Seven to join Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame

MOSCOW — Seven Vandal legends and two lifelong supporters will have their legacies etched in stone this fall as members of the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2018.

The newest class includes:

- Dennis Erickson (football coach)

- Emily Faurholt (women’s basketball)

- Howard and Tere Foley (contributors)

- Allix Lee-Painter (women’s track and field/cross country)

- Kayla Mortellaro (women’s golf)

- Don Newman (men’s basketball)

- Melinda Owen (women’s track and field)

- Chelsea Small (women’s soccer)

The 2018 class was chosen by a selection committee after nominations were solicited from the public.

The Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 2007, when the inaugural class of 102 individuals and five teams were inducted over the course of two years. The tradition of inducting high-achieving Vandals has continued as a biennial event. Classes were welcomed in 2010, 2012 and 2016.

Dennis Erickson compiled a 36-23 record in five seasons as head football coach (1982-85, 2006). His .610 winning percentage ranks No. 3 in school history and includes two seasons (1982 and 1985) which ended with Big Sky championships and appearances in the NCAA I-AA playoffs.

Erickson’s career also includes two NCAA football national championships as the head coach at Miami (1989, 1991) and six seasons as an NFL head coach with the Seahawks and 49ers.

Emily Faurholt (women’s basketball, 2004-06) was the NCAA Division I scoring champion in 2003-04, averaging 25.4 points per game — a performance which earned her Big West Player of the Year honors. She scored 1,938 career points (No. 2 in school history) and her career scoring average of 22.0 ppg remains an Idaho record.

Faurholt previously held the school’s single-season scoring record with 737 points (2003-04) and holds the record for most free throws in a single season at Idaho (172 in 2003-04).

Allix Lee-Painter (track and field/cross country, 2005-10) was a five-time individual conference champion who earned the 2010 Stan Bates Award, given to the WAC’s top male and female scholar-athlete. She was a two-time Academic All-American (one of five two-time honorees in school history).

Lee-Painter helped lead Idaho women’s cross country to WAC team championships in 2005 and 2007.

Kayla Mortellaro (women’s golf, 2009-12) was a two-time WAC individual champion and three-time WAC Player of the Year. She compiled a school-record 72.8 career stroke average, with 55 career rounds at or under par. Her 31 career top-10 finishes are tied for No. 3 in NCAA history, and she is the only four-time NCAA Regionals qualifier in program history.

Mortellaro qualified for LPGA Tour in December 2012 on her first attempt and has competed in 15 LPGA events. She currently works at NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM in Phoenix.

Don Newman (men’s basketball, 1979-80) was the 1980 Big Sky Most Valuable Player and a two-time All-Big Sky honoree. His 281 career assists ranks No. 6 in school history, despite playing just two seasons for the Vandals. He was drafted No. 69 overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1980 NBA Draft and played three seasons with the Montana Golden Nuggets in the CBA.

Despite not playing college football, he played six years in the CFL as a wide receiver and was a practice squad/offseason signee for the Seahawks in 1981 and Jets in 1985. He began his coaching career at Lewiston and Moscow high schools while finishing his UI degree in the 1980s. Among his coaching career were head-coaching stints at Sacramento State (1993-97) and Arizona State (1997-98).

Melinda Owen (track and field, 2004-08) was a six-time conference champion, winning indoor and outdoor pole vault titles at the WAC championships. She was a 2007 NCAA indoor pole vault All-American after finishing fifth at the national championships, and never lost to WAC opponent in career

Owen held the nation’s best mark in the 2008 outdoor season before suffering an injury ahead of NCAA Championships. She holds the Idaho record in the pole vault, both indoor and outdoor, and holds the WAC outdoor pole vault record at 4.40 meters.

Chelsea Small (women’s soccer, 2009-12) holds school records with 39 career goals (the next closest has 24 goals), 91 career points and 16 career game-winning goals. She is a three-time all-WAC First Team selection, was the 2010 WAC Offensive Player of the Year and the 2009 WAC Freshman of the Year.

The two-time Academic All-American (one of five two-time honorees in school history) set a single-season record with 13 goals in 2010 (only five Vandals have scored more than 13 goals in their careers) Idaho went 14-7 in 2010, with Small scoring the game-winning goal in eight matches (no other Vandal has a season with more than four game-winning goals)

If you go:

The 2018 Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is set for Friday, Sept. 7, on campus at the Bruce M. Pitman Center. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at govandals.com/hof2018 or over the phone by calling 208-885-4140. Online orders will incur a service charge.

The evening will include a steak and shrimp dinner (vegetarian option available), no-host bar and remarks from all inductees in attendance. Tickets are $60 for the general public. Current Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame members will receive a special discount by using the promo code included in their mailed invitations or by ordering over the phone.