GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Brian Faison and UND Letterwinners Association President Grant Paranica announced today the 2009 inductees into the UND Letterwinners Athletic Hall of Fame.

The individual inductees include: Shannon Burnell (Football, 1990-93), Mikki Cochrane (Softball, 1993-95), Janine Etchepare (Swimming, 1988-91) and Dixon Ward (Hockey, 1988-92). The 1993 UND football team will also be inducted.

Additionally, former Sioux goalie and current Little Falls (Minn.) High School head coach Tony Couture will receive the Tom Clifford Award, while Pete and Eunice Kuhn will receive the Honorary Letterwinner Award.

The 35^th annual Athletic Hall of Fame event will take place with a breakfast and induction ceremony on Oct. 31 at 10 a.m., prior to UND’s football game against Cal Poly. The class of 2009 will also be recognized at halftime of the football game. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.

“This year’s inductees are a remarkable and deserving group of athletes who, to their respective programs, have been instrumental in building the storied history and tradition that is UND athletics,” said Paranica, a hockey letterwinner from 1985-89.

“We’re equally proud to be able to recognize this year’s Tom Clifford Award recipient, Tony Couture, and Honorary Letterwinner Award recipients, Pete and Eunice Kuhn, for their outstanding contributions in carrying our Fighting Sioux spirit and culture beyond the institution’s walls. If you’ve met any of these individuals, you know that they are very special people.”

This year’s four inductees bring the total number of individuals in UND’s Letterwinners Athletic Hall of Fame to 226. The induction of the 1993 football team brings the number of teams in the Hall of Fame to 29.

The 2009 UND Hall of Fame Class

Shannon Burnell (Football, 1990-93): A native of Duluth, Minn., Shannon Burnell graduated following the 1993 season as North Dakota’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,710), carries (931), rushing touchdowns (38) and all-purpose yards (5,393). A three-time All-North Central Conference first team selection, Burnell led the NCC in rushing in each of his final three seasons and became UND’s first finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy (awarded to the best player in Division II football) during his junior year of 1992. Burnell set UND’s single-season rushing record in 1991 with 1,461 yards, and broke his own standard with 1,589 yards as a senior. Following his senior year, Burnell received All-America honors from four different organizations, including three first-team accolades, after leading the Fighting Sioux to an NCC championship and a berth in the NCAA semifinal. He also led UND to an NCAA postseason appearance in 1992 and was named a third-team All-American in 1993. Burnell set a school record that still stands when he ran for more than 100 yards in 15 straight games over the final nine games of the 1991 season and the first six games of the 1992 season. Currently, Burnell remains ranked second on UND’s career rushing yardage list (all games) and owns three of the top 10 single-season rushing yardage totals in Sioux history. In 1994, Burnell was named to UND’s All-Century football team by a vote of Sioux football fans.

Mikki Cochrane (Softball, 1993-95): A native of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Mikki Cochrane transferred to UND from Valley City State University prior to the 1993 season and would go on to graduate as the program’s career leader in strikeouts (494) and earned run average (2.20). Fourteen years after her graduation, Cochrane is still ranked No. 2 all-time at UND in both categories. Cochrane became the first two-time All-North Central Conference selection (1994, 1995) in UND softball history and graduated with the top three single-season strikeout totals at UND. Cochrane struck out a then-school-record 216 hitters as a senior in 1995, breaking her own record of 177 she had established the previous season. Also in 1995, Cochrane set a UND single-season record for ERA (1.26) that still stands to this day. She led all NCAA Division II players in strikeouts per game in 1994 and ranked second in 1995. Cochrane, who also played for the Canadian National Team, was named to the Academic All-District second team following her senior year.

Janine Etchepare (Swimming, 1988-91): A native of Cheyenne, Wyo., Janine Etchepare was a 26-time All-American, which ranks second all-time at UND behind only her teammate Marion Warner’s 28. Etchepare won an NCAA Division II championship in the 50 freestyle in 1990 and was also a member of four national championship relay teams in her career, including the 200-medley relay squad that set an NCAA DII record in 1990. At the conference level, Etchepare was a four-time winner in the 50 and 100 freestyle events at the North Central Conference Championship and was also a four-time winner in the 400 freestyle relay. She set several UND and NCC records during her career and helped lead the Fighting Sioux to an NCC team championship in each of her four years. In the classroom, Etchepare was a two-time Academic All-American, earning first-team honors as a senior and second-team honors as a junior. She was a four-time member of the College Swim Coaches All-Academic team and a two-time selection to the NCC Academic At-Large team.

Dixon Ward (Hockey, 1988-92): A native of Leduc, Alberta, Dixon Ward remains the only player in the storied history of UND men’s hockey to accumulate 100 career goals and 100 career assists. Ward, who graduated as the program’s all-time leader in career games played (since broken), amassed 110 goals and 109 assists for 219 points in 163 career games. When he graduated following the 1991-92 season, only one other player in school history had scored more career goals and only one other had scored more career points. Ward remains ranked second all-time at UND in goals and is ranked fourth in points and second in power-play goals (40). He was named to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association second team as a junior and senior and was a three-time member of the All-WCHA Academic team. Ward was a seventh-round draft pick (128^th overall) of the Vancouver Canucks in 1989 and went on to enjoy a 10-year NHL career with Vancouver, Los Angeles, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston and the New York Rangers, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999 with Buffalo.

1993 Football Team: Under head coach Roger Thomas, the Fighting Sioux went 10-3 overall in 1993 and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinal for the first time in UND football history. In an NCAA quarterfinal win over Mankato State, QB Clay Wagner threw a school-record five touchdown passes (since broken). The Sioux also captured a share of their first NCC football title with a 7-2 conference record while winning 10 overall games for the first time in 14 years. In one of the most memorable games in school history, UND defeated North Dakota State 22-21 on Oct. 30 in Grand Forks on a 32-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker Mike Mooney in the fourth quarter. The victory ended a 14-game losing streak against the rival Bison. Following the season, Mooney was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the top player in DII football. He was also one of four UND All-Americans, joining RB Shannon Burnell, CB Brent Johnson and OL Kevin Robson. Burnell, an individual inductee into the Hall of Fame this year, set a UND single-season record for rushing yardage and graduated as the school’s career leader in virtually every rushing category. Burnell, Robson, Johnson, Mooney and LB Mike Kuntz were all named to the All-NCC first team. Five players from the 1993 team would go on to sign professional contracts

Tom Clifford Award

Tony Couture (Hockey, 1988-91): The Tom Clifford Award was established to honor former UND President Thomas J. Clifford and his long-time support of UND athletics. The award recognizes UND alumni who serve as athletic coaches at the high school or college level and have been notably successful in their sport the year preceding the award.

Couture, a goalie at UND from 1988-91, lettered in each of his three seasons and appeared in 59 career games. Originally from International Falls, Minn., Couture went 34-16-3 at UND and his lifetime winning percentage of .670 ranks seventh all-time in Sioux hockey history. Couture recently completed his 16^th year as head coach of the Little Falls (Minn.) High School boys’ hockey team and in 2008-09 led the Flyers to a 30-1 record and a third-place finish at the state tournament. Couture has guided the program to the state tournament in each of the last five seasons and a 102-15-2 record over the last four.

Honorary Letterwinner Award

Pete and Eunice Kuhn: The Letterwinners Association Honorary Award is given upon official action by the club's Executive Committee to persons who, in the opinion of the committee, have contributed significantly to the furtherance of UND athletics. 

Pete and Eunice Kuhn have been regular contributors to the success of UND athletics since each graduated from UND in 1965. Long-time season ticket holders for Fighting Sioux hockey, football and basketball, both Pete and Eunice are members of the Fighting Sioux Club and have served on the leadership committee for all three Sioux-Per Gala & Auction events hosted by the UND Alumni Association (2004, 2006, 2008). Pete is currently the president of the Sioux Boosters and Eunice was the group’s long-time secretary. Their financial generosity has extended to UND’s College of Business and Public Administration and College of Arts and Sciences. Pete, originally from Towner, N.D., is retired from Border Area Adjustment while Eunice (maiden Lizakowski), originally from Minto, N.D., is a retired art teacher from East Grand Forks Public Schools.

The Hall of Fame induction ceremony, proudly sponsored by the UND Letterwinners Association, will be held at the Alerus Center at 10 p.m. For ticket information, please call UND athletics at (701) 777-2713.

–        Go Sioux –