Celebrating a Multisport Legacy
The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) will welcome an 11‑member class into its Athletic Hall of Fame in 2026, a diverse group that spans four decades of championship success and unwavering institutional support. The inductees include four standout figures from the university's hockey programs, as well as notable athletes and contributors from football, volleyball, wrestling, soccer, cross country, and track and field.
Women's hockey leads the celebration with two Olympic gold‑medalists. Jocelyne Larocque, a two‑time Olympic champion, helped the Bulldogs capture national titles in 2008 and 2010 and remains the program's all‑time leading defenseman with 105 career points. Joining her is Kim Martin Hasson, a two‑time Olympic medalist for Sweden who earned the 2008 NCAA Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player honor and boasts the best career save percentage (.954) in UMD history.
The men's hockey contingent features Alex Stalock, who after being drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 2005 went on to play 11 seasons in the NHL, and Rick Menz, whose nearly three‑decade tenure as equipment manager ensured the program's logistical excellence. Stalock also backstopped the Bulldogs to three straight victories at the 2009 WCHA Final Five, a feat that cemented his place in school lore.
Beyond the ice, the class includes Kurt King, a three‑time first‑team All‑NSIC guard in football; Kate Lange Sterns, the 2013 national player of the year in Division II volleyball; Mike Hirschey, the first Bulldog to win an individual national wrestling championship; Clare Dahman, a key figure in the team's inaugural NCAA Division II tournament victory in 2009; and John Fulkrod, who guided the men's cross country program to eleven consecutive NSIC titles from 1993 through 2003.
Long‑standing supporters John and Colleen Economos round out the group with more than 16 years of dedication to UMD athletics, embodying the spirit of community involvement that the Hall of Fame seeks to honor. Their combined contributions, alongside those of the athletes and coaches, illustrate the broad impact of commitment to UMD's sporting heritage.