On Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 15), the Aquinas athletic department announced the newest group of Saints selected to be inducted into the Coach Terry Bocian AQ Athletic Hall of Fame. The newest group of AQ Hall of Famers – which will be enshrined on Friday, September 15th – includes five standout athletes and teams from two sports.

The 2023 AQ Athletic Hall of Fame class includes the following athletes: Ronda (Bolitho) Varnesdeel (softball, women's basketball, and coaching, 1998-01), Jeff Jayson (men's basketball, 2003-07), Amanda (Strouse) Surdenik (women's cross country and track & field, 2004-08), Nikki Tuttle (women's basketball, 1993-96), and Kevin Vizard (baseball, 1980-83). Also scheduled for induction are the 2000 & 2001 softball teams and the 2005 baseball team.

Named after the longtime AQ athletic director and coach, the Coach Terry Bocian AQ Athletic Hall of Fame features 70 individuals and nine teams from throughout the storied history of Saints athletics. This year's group will be the third consecutive athletic class inducted since the ceremony became known after Coach Bocian, who was enshrined as a solo representative in 2017. There have been back-to-back full induction classes in 2021 and 2022, setting the stage for this year's honorees.

"We are excited to announce yet another tremendous Coach Bocian AQ Athletic Hall of Fame class," commented Nick Davidson, Director of Athletics. "Aquinas athletics history runs deep and it is truly an honor to celebrate the successes of those that are past AQ student-athletes. We are especially grateful to be able to honor them in front of their former peers and teammates during Homecoming weekend."

Excelling in three areas, (Bolitho) Varnesdeel was a standout player on the softball field and on the basketball court, while becoming a terrific head coach at AQ after her playing days. She still ranks in the top-10 in Aquinas softball history in hits (207), runs batted in (112), and total bases (274), while starting in 200 of 202 games played. (Bolitho) Varnesdeel also totaled 1,024 career points – good for 22nd all-time at AQ – and made nearly 42 percent of her three-pointers in 1999-00. Currently an Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator at Davenport, she was the four-time WHAC Coach of the Year for the Saints softball program and recorded 168 wins in five seasons.

Jayson is the all-time Aquinas men's basketball leader with 332 three-pointers during his storied career. Those shots alone were nearly enough to push him into the 1,000-point club; he led AQ in scoring all four years and finished his career with 1,919 points, which is the fifth-highest total in school history. Jayson was a two-time NAIA Honorable Mention All-American and was named to the All-WHAC First Team three times. He played in a pair of NAIA National Tournaments and led the Saints to the 2006 WHAC regular season championship and the 2007 conference tournament title. Averaging nearly 15 points per game throughout his 129-game career, the Saints won 82 games during Jayson's tenure.

Another multi-sport star, (Strouse) Surdenik had an outstanding career for the Saints cross country and track & field programs. She was a two-time All-American in cross country, finishing 15th and 21st at consecutive NAIA National Championships, while also setting the then-school record of 17:56 to win the 2007 Region 8 Cross Country individual championship at Riverside Park. In track & field, (Strouse) Surdenik was a four-time All-American, doing so in four different events: the 4x800 meter relay, mile, distance medley relay, and 1,500 meters. She still ranks in the school's top-five in five different track & field events. A five-time NAIA Scholar Athlete, (Strouse) Surdenik was the 2008 Sister Helen Louise Brogger award winner as the top AQ female senior student-athlete.

Originally scheduled for induction in 2022, but unable to attend the ceremony, Tuttle also has a sterling resume, which includes being named the back-to-back WHAC Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. She helped the Saints win four consecutive WHAC regular season championships during a stretch where AQ went 36-4 in conference play. Tuttle scored the fourth-most points (1,729) in school history and still holds school records for single season field goal percentage (.586 in 1994-95) and points in a game (40 vs. Albion, 1995).

Vizard was a tremendous player for the Saints in the early-1980's, capping his career by being named a 1983 NAIA First Team All-American, which is even more difficult for players that do not compete in warm weather for the majority of their season. That year, Vizard hit .405 with a .500 on-base percentage and tallied 77 hits and 128 total bases, the latter two stats still ranking in the top-five in Aquinas single-season history. A two-time all-region honoree, he was named the MVP of the 1983 Michigan NAIA State Tournament and led the Saints to consecutive NAIA State Championships to close his career. 40 years later, Vizard still ranks in the top-10 in six career categories, including home runs (21), on-base percentage (.471), slugging percentage (.609), and total bases (271).

The similarities between the 2000 and 2001 softball teams were so striking that the unique case was made to induct them together; it is the first such occurrence in the AQ Athletic Hall of Fame. Both teams finished with identical 42-15 records (which is the school record for most wins in a season) and won WHAC Championships. Under the direction of the late Ray Sheler, the 2000 team was 24-4 in conference play, while the 2001 squad went 23-5. While the 2000 team finished as NAIA Region VIII runner-up, the 2001 Saints captured the NAIA Region VIII championship and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. They are two of the top teams in school history in team shutouts and ERA, fielding percentage, and stolen bases.

The 2005 Aquinas baseball team is the only team in school history to advance to the NAIA World Series and did so in startling fashion. Despite an early season record below .500, the Saints went on an incredible run, winning 18 games in a row in the latter half of the season. Featuring four All-Americans, AQ's winning streak propelled the team to the WHAC Tournament title and followed by the Heartland Super Regional championship. Led by head coach Doug Greenslate, Aquinas finished the year with a 36-23 record and the program's only trip to the College World Series.

The 2023 AQ Athletic Hall of Fame class will be inducted in the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center on the evening of September 15th as a featured event of the 2023 Homecoming weekend. Tickets and possible sponsorship opportunities will be made available in the coming months.