TGFC - Hall of Fame Members - Class of 2007
Eugene Baker ’99
Football
Baker, an All-American in 1997, is Kent State’s all-time leading receiver, rewriting the Golden Flashes’ record book.  He was a four-year letterwinner and team captain in 1998.  Baker posted KSU records for career receptions with 229, receiving yards with 3,513 yards and touchdown receptions with 35.  Baker’s totals also rank second all-time in the MAC in touchdown receptions and third in receiving yards and receptions.  As a junior in 1997, Baker posted school records with 103 receptions for 1,549 yards and 18 touchdowns.  Following that season, he was named to the Football News All-America Third Team.  On three separate occasions, Baker recorded a school-record 15 receptions.  Baker also was a three-time All-MAC performer and was selected to play in the Hula Bowl in 1999.  He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.  Baker has had NFL stints with the Falcons, St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dave Bettendorf ’91
Baseball
Bettendorf was a three-time All-MAC performer at third base for Kent State, earning MAC Player of the Year honors in 1987.  At the completion of his career, Bettendorf set a number of Kent State offensive records, including the career record for hits with 154, runs with 213, RBI with 165, doubles with 42 and home runs with 35.  He still ranks in the top 10 all-time at Kent State in RBI, home runs, runs scored and batting average.  He closed his career as a .359 hitter.  As a senior in 1987, Bettendorf hit .412 with 15 homers and 52 RBI in 50 games.  He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round of the 1987 MLB Draft.
Kelly Dezman ’99
Women’s Gymnastics
Dezman was a member of two MAC Championship teams in 1996 and 1997.  She earned All-MAC First Team honors in 1997 and second team accolades in 1999.  In 1997, Dezman was the MAC Co-Champion in the vault with a 9.875.  She placed five times at the MAC Championships, including two other times in the vault and once in the all-around.  In her final year, Dezman earned MAC Senior Gymnast of the Year honors.  Dezman led Kent State to four consecutive NCAA Regional appearances, posting a career-best third-place finish in the vault with a 9.825 in 1997.  She qualified for the NCAA Region 4 Championship in 1999, finishing 20th in the all-around.  All-time, Dezman is second in the vault (9.975 in 1996) and eighth in all-around (39.300 in 1999).
Paul Marchese ’78
Football
Marchese was a standout place kicker for the Golden Flashes, earning All-MAC First Team honors in 1976 and 1977.  He led the team in scoring each of those two seasons, totaling 78 points in ’76 and 72 in ’77. For his career, Marchese converted 35-of-55 field-goal attempts, booting a career long of 51 yards.  He posted 158 career points, which ranked fourth at the end of his career, and he also was Kent State’s all-time leader in field goals made.  He currently ranks tied for second in field goals made and is tied for ninth in points.  Marchese still ranks as the single-season record holder in field goals made with 18 in 1977.
Jon Mills ’02
Men’s Golf
Mills was a two-time All-American, including a first-team honoree in 2001, and the MAC Player of the Year that same year for the Kent State men’s golf team.  He was an All-MAC performer each of his four years and was also named the MAC Freshman of the Year in 1998.  Mills was the medalist at the 2000 NCAA Central Regional Championship, a Kent State individual’s best-ever finish at the regional.  He also holds the record for best finish at the NCAA Championships, a sixth place in 2001.  That year, he was the MAC Championship medalist, as well.  Mills was a member of four consecutive MAC Championship teams (1998-2001) and led KSU to an NCAA regional title in 2001.  Mills is second all-time at Kent State in scoring average (72.63) and in single-season scoring average (71.68).
Julie Studer ’01
Women’s Basketball
Studer was a Kodak Honorable Mention All-American in 2001 and played on Kent State’s NCAA Tournament women’s basketball teams in 1998 and 2000.  Studer’s accolades included three appearances on the All-MAC team, the MAC All-Freshman Team in 1998 and the MAC All-Tournament in 2000 and 2001, which included MAC Tournament MVP honors in 2000.  That year, Studer also was an Academic All-MAC Team selection.  She led the conference in scoring in 2001, averaging 19.0 points per game.  Studer was the 15th player in Kent State history to score 1,000 career points, finishing her career with 1,528 points.  She is KSU’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage at 58.0 percent.  Studer capped her career averaging 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Bill Underwood ’95
Baseball
Underwood was the MAC Pitcher of the Year in 1992, when he posted a 9-2 record with a 1.77 ERA, leading Kent State to a 45-13 record, the MAC regular season and tournament championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance.  Underwood was a three-time All-MAC performer, including two appearances on the first team in 1990 and 1992.  He also was the MAC Freshman of the Year in 1990. Underwood posted career numbers of a 23-3 record and a 2.38 earned-run average, striking out 114 batters in 39 appearances.  He is fourth all-time at Kent State in career victories.
Ellen Yemma ’96
Field Hockey
Yemma was a three-time All-MAC First Team performer for the Kent State field hockey team.  She played in 80 career games, totaling 20 goals and 15 assists for 55 points.  Yemma helped Kent State to a combined 49-30-1 record in her four years.  She also was a high academic performer, earning Academic All-MAC First Team honors in 1993, 1994 and 1995, as well as being named to the National Academic Field Hockey Team in 1994.  Yemma led the team in assists and points in both 1993 and 1994, and was a member of the 1992 MAC regular season and tournament championship team.
Laurel Wartluft, Ed.S. ’98
Women’s Basketball Coach/Administrator
Wartluft served as Kent State women’s basketball coach and an athletics administrator in the late 1970s and early ’80s.  She coached the women’s cagers from 1977-86, compiling a record of 135-119 in her nine seasons.  Wartluft mentored Kent State’s all-time leading scorer in basketball, Bonnie Beachy, who scored 2,071 career points.  Wartluft posted three consecutive 20-win seasons from 1978-81, which included a MAC Invitational Tournament championship in 1981.  In 1982, she guided the Golden Flashes to a 17-14 record and the school’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  Wartluft was the MAC Coach of the Year in 1981, and is the second-winningest coach in Kent State women’s basketball history.  She returned to Kent in 1995 and served until 1998 as assistant compliance director, athletic department administrative assistant and as a part-time instructor.
