KEARNEY – Four former student-athletes and a contributor will be inducted into the Nebraska-Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame during ceremonies on Homecoming weekend this Sept. 29-30.
The 2023 Hall of Fame members are softball pitcher Lisa (Graff) Timmins (’99), football player Mike Miller (’05), basketball player Heather Steffen (’06 & ’12; UNMC), wrestler Ted Reehl (’84) and Kearney Hub sports editor Buck Mahoney.
The Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29, in the Ponderosa Room of the Nebraskan Student Union. A dinner follows at 6:15 p.m. with the induction ceremony afterwards. Tickets are $35 per person and $15 for youths 12 & under ($40 for adults begins on Sept. 18). Reservations can be made on the UNK Alumni Association website. Event registrations are electronic-only and no paper tickets will be issued.
On Saturday, Sept. 30, the class will be recognized at half time of the football game vs. Washburn. That contest kicks off at 2 p.m.
Steffen, a standout player st West Point Central Catholic, was an integral part of Loper women’s basketball teams that dominated the RMAC between 2001-04. The Lopers won an even 100 games during this period as well as three RMAC regular season and two RMAC tourney titles. Making the NCAA Tournament each season, UNK was a mainstay of the national polls in this era including a program high of No. 2 in 2000-01.
An all-around force on the court, Steffen reached 1,000 points and nearly 300 assists, set a new career rebounding record (906) while also ranking in the all-time top 10 in blocks (90), steals (243), and double doubles (23). Next, the West Point native set a new school-mark for three-point percentage in a game (7 for 7) and tied the single game rebounding record (18). Finally, she was a three-time All-RMAC pick who made the RMAC All-Tournament team twice.
Steffen resides in Omaha with Beth Peitzmeier and they have four children; Jaden, Landrie, Emery and Maverick. She currently is a nurse practitioner in the pediatric intensive care unit at Boys Town National Research Hospital.
