Kearney, Neb. - Five former student-athletes will be inducted into the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies on homecoming weekend this Sept. 15-16.

The 2017 Hall of Fame members are wrestler Dr. Bryce Abbey, Class of 2004; basketball player Mike Hancock, Class of 1998; volleyball player Erin (Gudmundson) Haussermann, Class of 2006; basketball player Allison (Kruger) Monson, Class of 2004; and football player/track athlete Travis Vallin, Class of 1991.

 

The group will be honored at the Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, Sept. 15, in the Ponderosa Room of the Nebraskan Student Union, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person, and reservations for the evening can be made on the UNK Alumni Association website (www.unkalumni.org/homecoming) starting Aug. 1, or by contacting the Alumni office at (308) 698-5271.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, the class will also be recognized at half time of the homecoming game vs Northwest Missouri State University. That contest kicks off at 2 p.m.
 
Dr. Bryce Abbey is one of six UNK wrestlers to be a four-time All-American. Competing at 125 pounds throughout his career, he placed fourth, third, third and fifth at the NCAA Championships.
 
Winning two RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) and West Region titles, he also became UNK's all-time leader in career wins. His total of 134 broke the record of 121 that had stood for over a decade. Currently, only two-time Olympian, Tervel Dlagnev, has more wins (167) than Abbey.
 
The 2002 RMAC Freshman of the Year, Abbey was part of four teams that placed in the Top 10 at the NCAA Championships. That included 2003 when UNK notched its first-ever national runner-up finish, scoring 73.5 points in West Virginia.
 
Abbey also helped the Lopers win four straight RMAC/West Region titles and the 2003 National Duals in Ohio. To win national duals, UNK beat rival Nebraska-Omaha, 24-14, in the finals.
 
Off the mat, he was a four-time Wrestling Coaches Association All-Scholar team member, making the first-team three times. In 2005, Abbey became the first Loper wrestler to be awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.  

 

Abbey currently is an assistant professor and employee and wellness director in UNK's Kinesiology and Sports Sciences Department. He holds two degrees from UNK (B.S. in Exercise Science and Master's in Education) and a Ph.D. in Human Sciences from UNL.
 
He and wife, Erin, live in Kearney with their son, Kade, and daughter, Sloane.
 
Erin (Gudmundson) Haussermann was a dominant middle blocker for Loper volleyball teams that reached three consecutive Elite Eights from 2003-2005. Those squads went 109-10, ran off 40 straight wins in 2004 and 66 consecutive home victories.
 
In 2005, UNK hosted the Elite Eight in front of record-breaking crowds and finished as National Runner Up. Haussermann was tabbed the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Division II Player of the Year that fall, capping a career in which she smashed home a school-record 2,189 kills. The total bested the previous record by almost 500.
 
UNK's only three-time volleyball All-American, Haussermann still holds school records for career kills per set (4.35) and block assists (415). Hitting .370, she had a career-high 27 kills in a 2005 national quarterfinals win over Truman State.
 
A rare four-time, first-team All-RMAC selection, she was the 2002 RMAC Freshman of the Year and the Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Haussermann also made the All-RMAC Tournament team three times, earning MVP honors in 2005.
 
An all-around star athlete at Kearney Catholic High School, Haussermann also displayed those skills at UNK as she placed 11th at the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships in the high jump. She still ranks sixth (5-6.75) on the Loper all-time top 10.

 

She currently owns her own dog grooming business in Centennial, Colo. Haussermann lives in Greeley with her husband, Jon, a former Loper wrestler. They have three children; Ian, Declan and Cora.
 
Mike Hancock remains the most prolific three-point shooter in UNK men's basketball history sinking 285 from 1995-98. Only one other Loper has managed to make 200 threes in a career.
 
The guard also set the UNK standard for three-pointers made in a season (92/1997-98) and game (nine). The game record, since tied, came in a 103-102 win over Fort Hays State where Hancock sunk nine of 12 shots. A year earlier in the Health & Sports Center, Hancock and UNK ended the Tigers' 49-game winning streak, 96-84.
 
Currently eighth on the career scoring list (1,796), Hancock still holds the school record for steals in a career (271). Only one other Loper has reached 200 steals.
 
A two-time All-RMAC selection, Hancock made the RMAC All-Tournament team three times, including 1998 when he was named MVP. In that season, UNK won the event for the first time, beating Fort Hays State in the semifinals and Colorado State-Pueblo in the finals.
 
Part of three NCAA Tournament squads, Hancock also recorded 395 assists in his career, fifth most in school history.
 
Holding a B.S. degree from UNK, he has worked at Inspro Insurance for the past 16 years, currently serving as vice president. Hancock and wife, Tammy, live in Wahoo with their four children; Owen, Addysen, Griffin and Jaxson.
 
Allison (Kruger) Monson is one of only two UNK women's basketball players to be a two-time All-American. Also a two-time RMAC Player of the Year, Monson battled through injuries to score 1,682 points (13.7 avg.) and grab 788 rebounds (6.4 avg.) between 1999-2004. 

 
She currently ranks third in career scoring average and field goal percentage (53.2), fourth in total rebounds and sixth in blocks (91). A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, Monson twice was named first-team All-RMAC and to the RMAC All-Tournament team.

Over five seasons, which included a medical redshirt, she was a part of five NCAA Tournament teams, 122 wins and four RMAC Championships. Monson also helped UNK push its home court winning streak to 87 consecutive games, still an NCAA Division II record, as she hit a last second shot to beat Missouri Western State for win 75.
 
After graduating with a B.S. in Education, Monson remained in basketball, serving as an assistant coach at Wayne State College (WSC) and the University of South Dakota before becoming head coach at Division II-member Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU). She helped WSC win two league titles and twice reach the NCAA Tournament.
 
Currently serving as SMSU's compliance officer and director of student-athlete academic affairs, she holds a Master's in Sports Management from Wayne. Monson lives with her husband, Scott, in Marshall.
 
Travis Vallin was a standout on the football and track teams from 1987-1991. He remains one of the most prolific receivers and return man in Loper football history as well as being a track record holder.
 
On the gridiron, Vallin was part of the transition not only from NAIA to NCAA Division II but also from an offense that started to emphasize the pass more. He and fellow Hall of Famer, Doug Banks, were a big reason for the switch. Vallin ended his career with 108 receptions for 1,866 yards and 13 TD's. At the time of graduation, he ranked second only to Banks in career receiving yards.
 
Averaging 21.8 yards per catch in 1989, Vallin helped the Lopers win six games in 1987 and 1990. His senior campaign, UNK's first in Division II, saw victories over South Dakota State, West Texas A&M and Northwest Missouri State.
 

Bringing back 60 kickoffs for 1,381 yards (23.0 avg.) in his career, Vallin amassed 162 return yards and a touchdown in the 1990 win over the Bearcats. This versatile skill set led him to a free agent deal with the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.
 
On the track, the 1987 USA Today Male Kansas Athlete of the Year still holds the Loper record in the 400 hurdles (51.95), set at the 1991 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He also ranks eighth at 400 meters (48.36).
 
Vallin earned NAIA All-Americans honors in the 400 hurdles by finishing sixth in 1989. He then became UNK's first-ever male D2 outdoor All-American as he finished third in the 400 hurdles in 1991.
 
In the classroom, he was named a 1989 NAIA Scholar Athlete. Earning an Airway Science Management degree, Vallin was the Colorado Aeronautics Director for 20 years. He now is Principal Owner of Jviation, an airport engineering firm in Denver.
 
Vallin and his wife, Deb, live in Watkins, Colorado. Son, Tyler, plays football at Colorado Mesa with daughter Kayla being a former basketball player at Kansas Wesleyan.
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Bryce Abbey is a graduate of Goodland High School (Goodland, Kan.)

Mike Hancock is a graduate of Wahoo High School

Erin (Gudmundson) Haussermann is a graduate of Kearney Catholic High School

Allison (Kruger) Monson is a graduate of South O'Brien High School (Paullina, Ia)

Travis Vallin is a graduate of Northern Valley High School (Long Island, Kan.)