12 individuals, one team inducted into J-Club Hall of Honor
Athletics Alum Features
October 11, 2021
The 2021 class of inductees into the SJU J-Club Hall of Honor finally got their moment in the sun on Oct. 9.
The Hall of Honor was first established in 2018 with legendary former Johnnies head coaches John Gagliardi (football) and Jim Smith (basketball) inducted as charter members in separate ceremonies.
The first full class was inducted in 2019. The 2020 banquet had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – meaning that class had to wait a year being inducted as the 2021 class.
And those 13 inductees (12 individuals and one team) provided a strong representation of the 150-year tradition of Johnnie athletics the Hall was created to celebrate.
“What you saw tonight was the essence of the magic of Saint John’s,” SJU Transitional President James Mullen told the crowd of close to 300. “There is nothing else like this in American higher education where people come together and celebrate this kind of tradition.”
For more coverage on the event, check out the full story at gojohnnies.com.
The full class of inductees were as follows:
- The 1965 NAIA national champion SJU football team;
- John Deters ’92 – Diving;
- George Durenberger ’28 (posthumous) – standout athlete and longtime SJU Athletic Director;
- Chuck Froehle ’57 (posthumous) – Football;
- Jim Gathje ’86 – Cross Country & Track and Field;
- Vedie Himsl ‘38 (posthumous) – Baseball;
- Jim Lehman, Sr. ’56 (posthumous) – Football;
- Terry Leiendecker ’84 – Soccer;
- Vic Moore ’72 – J-Club Distinguished Service Award;
- Joe Mucha ’66 – Basketball and Football;
- Jeff Norman ’78 – Football;
- Joe Schoolmeesters ’09 – Golf;
- Gary Svendsen '72 - Wrestling.