A joint venture of the UNO Alumni Association and Omaha Athletics, the Omaha Athletics Hall of Fame began in 1975 to recognize former athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have made lasting contributions to Maverick Athletics.
Kenny Onatolu (accepting on behalf of Taiwo Onatolu), Diane Ninemire, Adrian Dowell, Leticia Guice (accepting on behalf of Dhafir (Roy) Washington, Sami Spenner Richardson, Rose Shires
Diane Ninemire arrived at UNO at the beginning of her sophomore year and led the Mavericks to three Women’s College World Series appearances during her time there. A member of both the women’s basketball and softball teams, Ninemire played shortstop and left field at UNO. Ninemire led the Mavericks in doubles (five) in 1979 and scored 18 runs that season to go along with a triple and home run.
Ninemire went on to become a hall of fame Division I head coach at the University of California, Berkeley, leading the California Golden Bears softball team. Retiring in 2022, Ninemire led Cal to 12 WCWS appearances, including a national crown in 2002. Cal advanced to the NCAA tournament in each of her first 26 years leading the program. Since her first year in the dugout as head coach in 1988, she compiled a record of 1,355-687-1, more wins than any other coach in school history. Ninemire is a two-time National Coach of the Year and four-time conference coach of the year. Ninemire was inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
Taiwo Onatolu was a First Team All-American linebacker in 2004 and earned Second and Third Team All-American honors during his time in the black and red. A First Team All-North Central Conference selection in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Onatolu was named NCC Most Valuable Player in 2004 after a season that saw him post 98 tackles and five interceptions, three of which he returned for a single-season school record of three touchdowns. Onatolu also was recognized as the team’s Outstanding Linebacker (2002-04) and earned the Hepburn Trophy for defensive excellence in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Onatolu finished his four-year stint at UNO as the program’s second all-time tackler, with 371 tackles. He also tallied 46.5 tackles-for-loss to rank second in school history and 12.5 sacks in four seasons (top 10 all-time at UNO). Onatolu recorded seven career interceptions at UNO. After playing, the Papillion, Nebraska, native went on to coach at UNO and at the FBS level, currently serving as assistant coach – defensive ends/special teams coordinator at Kansas.
Rose Shires retired in 2019 after 31 years with the UNO volleyball program, including 29 as head coach. The winningest head coach in UNO volleyball history, Shires recorded 510 career victories, including the 1996 NCAA Division II National Championship. The 1996 AVCA National Coach of the Year, Shires led that squad to a program-best 35-2 record, the fewest losses in program history. The 1996 Omaha Sportscasters Association’s Sportswoman of the Year and the Omaha World-Herald State College Coach of the Year, Shires also earned the Lite 96 Leadership Award and was selected as one of the “Fabulous 50 Women of Nebraska” by the Daughters of Sarah Women’s Auxiliary.
Seamlessly leading UNO into the Division I era, Shires was named the 2015 Summit League Coach of the Year. In her final season (2018), Shires’ squad finished with 17 victories, and four Mavericks earned seven All-Summit League plaudits. Shires coached nine players to 27 All-American awards, while 42 of her student-athletes combined for 71 all-conference honors and 18 earned 34 all-region honors. Twenty-two of her teams earned AVCA academic honors for boasting team grade point averages of 3.30 or higher. Away from the court, Shires served in leadership roles on AVCA and NCAA committees, worked as a consultant for USA Volleyball, volunteered with USA Special Olympics and spent 26 years as an instructor in UNO’s School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.
Competing as a Maverick from 2010 to 2014, Sami Spenner Richardson ended her time at UNO owning eight program records, with her name appearing in the record books 73 times. Spenner Richardson set the then-All-Class American Collegiate record in the pentathlon in 2014 and before that was an All-American in the heptathlon in 2011. The USTFCCCA Regional Athlete of the Year in 2014 both indoors and outdoors, Spenner Richardson was a three-time Summit League Athlete of the Year and was the Most Outstanding Athlete of the Summit League Championships four times. A recipient of UNO’s Connie Claussen Senior Career Achievement Award, Spenner Richardson was a four-time Summit League Academic All-League honoree.
Her Omaha indoor records included 60m hurdles (8.52); long jump (20-9 3/4); and pentathlon (4,498). Outdoors, Spenner Richardson recorded records in the 200m (23.54); 100m (13.91); long jump (20-9); triple jump (41-11 ¾); and heptathlon (6,003). Additionally, Spenner Richardson finished with top five results indoors with the 60m (7.51); 200m (24.24); 800m (2:12.87); and heptathlon (6,003). Outdoors, she recorded top five marks in the 100m (11.65); 400m (23.86); 800m (2:11.93), high jump (5-8 3/4); and discus (120-1 3/4).
Dhafir (Roy) Washington was a three-time national champion at UNO, wrestling at 145 and 150 pounds. He claimed titles in three consecutive seasons: 1968, 1969 and 1970. A four-time All-American, Washington was recognized in 2009 as part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s All- Century Wrestling Team. Wrestling from 1967 to 1970, Washington helped lead UNO to the 1970 NAIA National Championship. In 1969, Washington led the charge as the team finished 14-1, its best finish at the time. Washington, his brother Mel and Curlee Alexander guided UNO to a second-place finish at the NAIA national tournament that season. That team was coached by Don Benning, a UNO alum and 1982 hall of fame inductee.
He finished his UNO career with a record of 82-6-1 (.927), including two 150-pound NAIA championships, and was proclaimed to be “one of the finest, if not the best wrestler in the 16-year history of the sport at this university” in the 1970 yearbook.
Washington passed away in 2003.
1975: Marlin Briscoe, Bill Englehardt, Leo Pearey, Roger Sayers
1976: Don Pflasterer, Virgil Yelkin, L. Joe Arenas
1977: Bob Matthews, Howard Sorensen, Mel Washington
1978: Lloyd Cardwell, William H. Thompson
1979: C.L. “Sed” Hartman, George Parish, Rudy Rotella
1980: Harold Johnk, Fred “Tippy” Tyler
1981: Ben Huff, Stan Schaetzle
1982: Don Benning, Al Caniglia
1983: Gerald Allen, Connie Claussen, Bob Mackie
1985: Marlene McCauley, Jack Vaccaro, Don Claussen
1986: Jack Petersen, Niece Jochims
1987: Connie Wichman, Carl Meyers
1988: Paul Blazevich, Dennis Forrest, Curlee Alexander, Colette Shelton Pawol
1989: Barb Hart Baumert, Lloyd Patterson, Micky Gehringer, Larry Johnson
1990: Robert “Bugs” Redden, Mark Rigatuso, Dean Thompson Jr.
1991: Elaine L. Johnson Hinton, Jim Gregory, Bill Haas
1992: Allie Nuzum Majerus, Rod Kush, Barry Miller
1993: Don Leahy, Kathy Knudsen, Ryan Kaufman
1994: Cindy Rudloff-Lebeda, Dan Klepper, Randy Naran
1995: Lori Schutte Schaal, Dominick Polifrone, Becky Wilson Kapperman, Mark Manning, Laura J. Anderson-Gibbons
1996: Harlan Aden, R.J. Nebe
1997: Ruth Evans McClinton, Kathy Gass-Eckley, Phil Wise
1998: Frank Hahn, Mary Henke Anderson, Keith Coleman
1999: Sandy Skradski, Janice Moreau Howell
2000: Joe Wypiszenski, Brenda Baumann Pulling, Greg Wilcox
2001: Jimmy Jones, Kim Osler Brown
2002: Lou Miloni, Bob Gates, Denise Petersen
2003: Brad Hildebrandt, Cherri Mankenberg, Amy Steffel
2004: Braumon Creighton, Toni Novak Geary, Ed Thompson
2005: Carri Butler Hutcherson, Tanya Cate, Pat Kelley III
2006: Chris Bober, Sheila Brown Geil, Greg Geary
2007: Michelle Manthei Kankousky, Mar Tay Jenkins, Mary Yori
2008: Michala Lehotak Cimino, Larry Krehbiel, Charlie McWhorter
2010: David Brisson, LaRon Henderson, Stephanie Kirby
2012: Nikki (Mastny) Bails, Steve Costanzo, Beth McGill, Ali Petersen, Adam Wright, Sandy Buda
2014: Tracy (Ankeny) Blair, Stephanie (Kruse) Kros, Marv Nevins, Les Sigman
2015: J.D. Naig, Pinar Saka, Jenni Upenieks
2016: Fred Abboud, Justin Kammrad, Scott Parse
2017: Cody Garcia, Anja Puc, Tanis Hastmann Walch
2018: Bryan Marshall, Evan Porter, Amy Price
2022: Foluso (Makinde) Adepitan, Brian Masek, Krista (Unger) Wood
2023: Bruce Benedict, Sandy Derby-Higdon, Danny B. Fulton, Janice Theresa Kruger, Greg Zanon
2024: Mitch Albers, Mike Denney, Dan Ellis, Zach Miller, Lindsey Slocum Robertson
2025: Diane Ninemire, Taiwo Onatolu, Rose Shires, Sami Spenner Richardson, Dhafir (Roy) Washington