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Bemidji State unveils 2025 Alumni B-Club/Athletic Hall of Fame class

Bemidji State Athletics welcomes six individuals and four teams to Hall of Fame.

Lance Rongstad
Bemidji State quarterback Lance Rongstad releases a pass during a scrimmage at a practice during his time at BSU from 2009 to 2013.
Pioneer file photo

BEMIDJI — Bemidji State will officially welcome seven individuals into its Athletic Hall of Fame, as part of the university's Alumni B-Club/Athletic Hall of Fame Weekend Oct. 24-25 at the Beaux Arts Ballroom. The class of 2025 inductees includes five former student-athletes, four teams and an honorary supporter.

Former Bemidji State student-athletes Sheena Devine (track and field), Dennis Prosen (swimming), Matt Read (men’s hockey) and Lance Rongstad (football/men’s basketball) will be inducted into Bemidji State’s prestigious Athletic Hall of Fame. Judith (Smith) Stoker (volleyball/women’s basketball/track and field) will also be BSU’s second legacy inductee.

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Four Men’s Hockey championship teams (1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1996-97) will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Dr. Tom Richard will be inducted as the John S. Glas Honorary Letter Winner Award.

Established in 1978, the BSU Athletic Hall of Fame will now include 213 individuals, 25 BSU coaches, 27 teams, 11 selected for the Alumni Coaching Achievement Award, 12 John S. Glas Honorary Letter Winners and two legacy inductees.

The Bemidji State Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes alumni, former coaches, administrators and others who have excelled at their sports and brought acclaim to the university through their accomplishments and championships. There are several categories in which former athletes, coaches and others may be honored.

Nominations for the following Hall of Fame areas must be submitted by Jan. 1 each year, and honorees are selected by the BSU Alumni B-Club. For questions, contact the Alumni & Foundation at 218-755-2827 or at alumni@bemidjistate.edu.

The Legacy Inductee distinction is meant to honor individual athletes whose performances warrant Hall of Fame inclusion but who competed in an era when records and statistics were incomplete or nonexistent.

Sheena (Devine) Remitz – 2005-08

One of the most decorated student-athletes in Bemidji State history, Remitz established herself as one of the greatest to walk through the hallways of Bemidji State.

Competing in the field, Remitz was a three-time National Champion, a five-time All-American and a seven-time All-Conference performer for the Beavers while also earning national recognition for her work in the classroom.

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She was the NCAA’s individual champion in the shot put in both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2007 and repeated as champion in the indoor shot put in 2008 with her mark of 52-02.50, which is still the program’s top throw and was the third-best winning mark at the championship at the time. Remitz still holds seven of the best 10 throws of shot put in outdoor track history at BSU. Along with her records on the field, Remitz is also the program’s only USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Dennis Prosen – 1975-79

Prosen was a seven-time NAIA All-American, and six times was under NAIA All-American Consideration (top-12 in an event) for the Bemidji State swimming and diving program from 1975-79. He helped the Beavers reach their highest finish at the NAIA Nationals in the program’s history in 1979 after the team placed fourth.

An 18-time All-NIC swimmer, Prosen set multiple NIC records and varsity records during his time at Bemidji State. He was the conference champion and record holder in the 200 freestyle and helped the 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle relay teams earn conference championships. In total, Prosen was a conference champion seven times in his collegiate swimming career.

Matt Read – 2007-11

Read helped take the Bemidji State men's hockey program to new heights in its Division I era. During his four years at the university, the Beavers achieved three College Hockey America regular season championships, one CHA Tournament championship and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009-10, including the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four.

Read captained the Beavers in their transition to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association from the CHA, leading the team to their first of three WCHA Final Five appearances. Read led the Beavers in point production in three of his four years and is the program’s Division-I era leader in points, goals and assists. He is the only Beaver to post two 40-point seasons in the D-I era, posting back-to-back 40-point seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10.

Read was the second-fastest Beaver to reach 100 career points in BSU D-I history and ended his career with 143 career points off 65 goals and 78 assists. He was the 2010 CHA Player of the Year, RBK Second-Team All-American, two-time First-Team All-CHA and the 2008 CHA Rookie of the Year.

Lance Rongstad – 2009-13

A unique two-sport student-athlete at Bemidji State, Rongstad competed on the football field and basketball court.

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On the football field, Rongstad was a weapon with his arm and legs, quarterbacking the Beavers and earning All-NSIC Honorable Mention twice in his career. He threw and ran himself into 15 different top-10 lists in Bemidji State’s record book, including setting career rushing yard and touchdown records as a quarterback.

Rongstad also earned All-NSIC Second Team honors on the basketball court. The guard/forward was the 16th member of the men’s basketball program to reach 1,000 career points and ended his career ninth all-time with 1,225 career points while also finishing 10th with 472 career rebounds. During his senior year, Rongstand captained both the men’s basketball and football programs and earned All-Conference honors in both sports and was named BSU’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

Judith (Smith) Stoker – 1976-80 – Legacy Inductee

Stoker is the second legacy inductee to the Bemidji State Athletic Hall of Fame. She participated in volleyball, women’s basketball and track and field between 1976-80, becoming a pioneer participating on some of the Beavers’ first intercollegiate women’s athletic teams.

She was a four-year letter winner for the Beaver volleyball team, helping the Beavers to a 138-46-3 record and two Minn-Kota Conference Championships in 1977-78. She was the volleyball team’s top attacker in 1980, totaling 453 kills, a mark that still remains third on BSU’s single-season kills list. Stoker was also a four-year letter winner for the women’s basketball and track and field programs.

Dr. Tom Richard – John Glas Letter Winner

Richard earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Bemidji State in 1966, a master’s in mathematics from Colorado State in 1968 and a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1971. He continued his education in computer science taking graduate-level courses at Utah State in 1974 and the Oregon in 1978 and 1981.

Richard spent his entire professional career teaching mathematics, mathematics education and computer science at Bemidji State, and was known as an outstanding instructor who made learning fun. He served on many campus organizations, including the Campus Scholarship Committee, the BSU Faculty Association Board of Directors, the Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Beaver Pride Advisory Committee and the BSU Foundation Board of Directors.

He was BSU's Faculty Athletic Representative for men's hockey for 29 years, women's hockey for 10 years, and was the first executive chair for the Women's Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Richard served as the public address announcer for BSU football for 25 years.

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